New Zealand : Maori superstitions. Amidst the mythological personages of New Zealand " the spirits of the dead " ever play a very prominent part, and our chief interest in -noticing the Maoris, lies in the fact, that belief in, and open communion with these spirits, still exist. The priests or " Tohungas" are unmistakably " Mediums," in the modern sense of the term. Sometimes they are born with their gift, and sometimes they are devoted to the priestly office by their parents and acquire their power after the fashion of Eastern ecstatics, by prayer, fasting and contemplation. That good prophets exist amongst the Maoris has been abundantly proved. During the time when Great Britain busied herself in colonizing New Zealand, her officials frequently wrote home, that the Maori would never be conquered wholly; information of the parties sent out to attack them; the very colour of the boats, and the hour when they would arrive; the number of the enemy, and all particulars essential to their safety, being invariably communicated to the tribes beforehand by their prophets or Tohungas.

The best natural prophets and seers amongst the Maoris are of the female sex; and although the missionaries try to account for the marvellous powers they exhibit, above all for the sound of the Spirit voice, which is a common phase in their communion with the dead—on the hypothesis that the women who practise '' the arts of sorcery," are ventriloquists—this attempted explanation rarely 'covers the ground of the intelligence which is received.

In his Old New Zealand General Cummings cites an interesting case of Tohungaism. A certain young chief had been appointed Registrar of births and deaths, when he suddenly came to a violent end. The book of registries was lost, and much inconvenience ensued. The man's relatives notified their intention of invoking his spirit, and invited General Cummings to be present at the ceremony, an invitation which he accepted. " The appointed time came. Fires were lit. The Tohunga repaired to the darkest corner of the room. All was silent, save the sobbing of the sisters of the deceased warrior-chief. There were thirty of us, sitting on the rush-strewn floor, the door shut and the fire now burning down to embers. Suddenly there came a voice out from the partial darkness, ' Salutation, salutation to my family, to my tribe, to you, pakeha, my friend !' Our feelings were taken by storm. The oldest sister screamed, and rushed with extended arms in the direction from whence the voice came. Her brother, seizing, restrained her by main force. Others exclaimed, ' Is it you ? Is it you ? Truly it is you ! aue ! auo !' and fell quite insensible upon the floor. The older women and some of the aged men were not moved in the slightest degree, though believing it to be the spirit of the chief.
" Whilst reflecting upon the novelty of the scene, the ' darkness visible' and the deep interest manifest, the spirit spoke again,' Speak to me my family; speak to me, my tribe : speak to me, the pakeha !' At last the silence gave way, and the brother spoke : ' How is it with you ? Is it well \vith you in that country ?' The answer came, though not in the voice of the Tohunga-medium, but in strange sepulchral sounds: ' It is well with me; my place is a good place. I have seen our friends ; they are all with me !' A woman from another part of the room now anxiously cried out, ' Have you seen my sister ?' ''Yes, I have seen her; she is happy in our beautiful country.' ' Tell her my love so great for her will never cease.' ' Yes, I will bear the message.' Here the native woman burst into tears, and my own bosom swelled in sympathy.
" The spirit speaking again, giving directions about property and keepsakes, I thought I would more thoroughly test the genuineness of all this : and I said, ' We cannot find your book with the registered names; where have you concealed it ?' The answer came instantly, ' I concealed it between the tahuhu of my house, and the thatch; straight over you, as you go in at the door.' The brother rushed out to see. All was silence. In five minutes he came hurriedly back, w'ith the book in his hand ! It astonished me.
" It was now late, and the spirit suddenly said, ' Farewell my family, farewell, my tribe; I go.' Those present breathed an impressive farewell, when the spirit cried out again, from high in the air, ' Farewell!'
" This, though seemingly tragical, is in every respect literally true. But what is that ? ventriloquism, the devil, or what! . . ."
Mrs. Britten, in her Nineteenth Century Miracles says: " The author has herself had several proofs of the Medium-istic power possessed by these ' savages' but as her experiences may be deemed of too personal a character, ve shall select our examples from other sources. One of these is furnished by a Mr. Marsden, a person who was well-known in the early days of New Zealand's colonial history, as a miner, who grew rich ' through spiritual communications.' Mr. Marsden was a gentleman who had spent much time amongst the Maoris, and who still keeps a residence in ' the King country,' that is—the district of which they hold control. Mr. Marsden informed the author, that his success as a gold miner, was entirely due to a communication he had received through a native woman who claimed to have the power of bringing dowaliberal thinker. Mr. Bright" s lectures in Dunedin were highly appreciated, and by their scholarly style and attractive manner, served to band together the liberal element in the city. In Auckland, the principal town of the North Island, the same good service was rendered to the cause of religious thought, by thex addresses of the Rev. Mr. Edgar, a clergyman whose Spiritualistic doctrines, had tended to sever him from sectarian organisations, and draw around him, the Spiritualists of the town. Besides the good work effected by these gentlemen, the occasional visits of Messrs. Peebles, Walker, J. Tyerman, and the effect of the many private circles held in every portion of the islands, tended to promote a general, though quiet, diffusion of Spiritual thought and doctrine, throughout New Zealand.