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206 be defended by his family or section, and nothing came of it. But if he killed a man of his own tribe by accident, such as the discharge of a gun, then the law of muru had full force, and the man and all his relatives were plundered of everything they possessed."



Fred asked if the Maoris were given to the ordinary kind of thieving, like most savage nations.

"Much less than you might suppose," was the reply. "Of course there were pilferers; but, on the whole, private property was pretty safe from burglary and sneak-thieving. The muru gave an opportunity for plundering, and so did the warfare between the tribes; but a man could exempt himself from the muru if he wished, by giving up all claims to its advantages on his own account. When I first came to New Zealand I was the subject of a muru, and afterwards joined in one upon a Maori friend; but I found so many disadvantages, losing so