POLYNESIAN RESEARCH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18180, 17 September 1924, Page 9

POLYNESIAN RESEARCH.

AiMERICAN EXPEDITION. DR. BUCK TO REPRESENT N.Z. (SPECIAL TO "IBS fBISB.") WELLINGTON, September 16. At the second Pan-Pacific Congress, which was held in Melbourne and Sydney last year, tha question of further research work in Polynesia from the ethnological point of view, was discussed. American ethnologists have been working in Polynesia as the result of a bequest by Bayard Dominiek, a former wealthy American and graduate of Yale University. The Bishop Museum, at Honolulu, has also interested in this work. The result of the discussion at the Congress was that it was decided to concentrate i<u rsearch work in the Polynesian area of the Pacific. This decision was arrived at owing to the fact that the race is gradually decreasing in numbers, and is also being affected by intermixture with other races. The Americans have sent out several expeditions, and a good deal of work has been dono, the records of which have been published by the Bishop Museum. The work done relates more to the northern islands, but now attention is being given to some of the islands in the British area under the- control of New Zealand. The scientists engaged in tho work have been given a ship with twelve berths, so that the work mw be more expeditiously and thoroughly done. Recently the director of the Bishop Museum. Professor Gregory, of _ Yale University, lias been in communication with the New Zealand authorities with a view to co-oneration in the work that is to bo "undertaken in such island at Manihikt, Penrhyn, and others which are under the jurisdiction of New Zealand. The American scientists, who are on very frisTidly terms with New Zealand scientists, were particularly anxious that the Dominion should participate in the expedition that is to be made to these out-of-the-way islands in tha Cook irronp towards the clos3 of the present year.

Commur.ications were opened up with the New Zealand Maori Ethnological Research Board, with the result that it recommended, and the Government lias agreed, that Dr. P. H. Buck should accompany the expedition as the New Zealand representative in the capacity of anthropologist and ethnologist. Dr. Buck and Ms Wort.

For such a position it is generally agreed that no better selection than that of Dr. Buck could be made. Dr. Buck is an M.D. of the New Zealand University, of which he was a brilliant student, and he is not only a Maori scholar, but has also a knowledge of the dialects of the islands in which the 'expedition will make its investigations. He has also done considerable research work in connexion with Maori ethnology, has taken measurements of Polynesians, and has studied their arts and crafts, such as wood carving, weaving, plaiting, and netting. He went through the war as an officer with the Maori Battalion, eventually rising to the rank of Major. Dr. Buck was for several years a member of Parliament, and since the war was appointed director of the division of Maori hygiene. To the natives he is known by his Maori name of Te Rangi Hiroa. The omnion is sometimes expressed that there has been deterioration in the Maori race since contact with civilisation, but Dt. Buck points out that there is no scientific proof of this. Seeing that .in the past no physica. measurements of the people were taken, there are' no two sets of data to compare with each other. As the same question is likely to arise in tho future, he endeavoured to supply data for the present generation 'by making anthropometrical measurements of 424 full-blooded Maoris of the Maori Battalion when returning from the war. . These men were in the pink of condifion when their measurements were taken, so that the average weight of list 10)b was fairly high, while the height of over oft. 7in placed the Maori, like his Polynesian kinsman, among the taller races of the world.

The figures also disclosed the interesting fact that the Maori has proportionately a longer body and shorter legs than Europeans. Dr. Buck also made measurements showing the proportions of the head, face'; nose, and iimbs, and took notes of the colour of the hair and complexion.