THE PASSING OF THE MAORI.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12852, 10 July 1907, Page 7

THE PASSING OF THE MAORI.

A NATIVE VIEW. (special to "the press.") AUCKLAND, July 9. In taking part in a discussion which followed a lecture on "The Passing oi the Maori," delivered by Archdeacon Walsh last night, Dr. Pomare (Chiel Native Health Officer) expressed the opinion that the Maori was doomed not to extinction but to absorption. Nearly HU per cent, of the South Island .vlaoris now have European blood in them, while the North. Island Maorit, also .have a large admixture of pakeka blood. lie did not, however believe the Mitiris would entirely di< out, but the tixture would find a new race, in whose veins would be •omminjrled the blood of Anglo Saxon and Maori. Addressing the audience, Dr. Pomare thus continued in the poetic strain of the Maori: —"At the point where we two aryan races diverged, you had the good luck to turn westward. You were afraid of the sea in those days. My ancestors, having no such fear, turned eastward, and we travelled on until we arrived to people the sunny isles of this great southern soa. You had the good luok in turning westward to come across the metal we buy. Keeping eastward we were still in the stone age. Westward you met othor people from whom you leariieO in arts and sciences. We met nought but inferior negroid races. Thus it was that when in the years to come wr two branches of the same race met agnin, you were possessed of all which civilisation was able to lend you, while we wore still a stone age people. The British have been slowly arriving at their state for hundrexls, nay thousandof years. We had been brought into the fierce light of civilisation almost at a flash, and it naturally takes time for a people to adapt themselves to new surroundings."