MAORIS' INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 12

MAORIS' INDUSTRY.

ADDRESS AT MUSEUM. EARLY FLEETS OF CAMOES. A social evening of an unusual nature was held at the museum last night by the Anthropology and Maori Race Section of the museum. About 120 guests attended and they were received by the chairman, Mr. M. G. Lee, and Mrs. Lee. A short talk 011 Maori ceremonial in the greeting and reception of visitors from another tribe was given by Mr. George Graham, and a Maori party then met another Maori party in traditional native style.

Mr. Lee later gave an address in the museum library 011 "Maori Industry in Ancient Times." Beginning with illustrations in the laborious felling of trees and tlie construction of canoes, the speaker pointed out that, despite the immense amount of labour involved, tribes had fleets of 50 or 60 of these vessels and Captain Cook recorded having seen at one time not less than 1000 canoes drawn up 011 a beach.

Passing on to the building of pas, Mr. Lee referred to the stockaded villages sometimes a mile or more in circumference, possessing three lines of massive palisades, containing posts up to 25ft. in height.

He showed a slidfe of the wide and high terraces on Mount Eden, and remarked that the formations often credited to volcanic action were in reality the result of the volcanic activity of the Maori workmen—a striking tribute to his industry.