MAORI CANOES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18507, 8 October 1925, Page 8

MAORI CANOES.

KAINGAROA ROCK CARVINGS. DR. BUCK'S OPINIONS. \SPECIAI. TO "THE FKZSS.") AUCKLAND, October 7. Reference to the rock carvings discovered on a cliff face in the Kaingaroa district was made by Dr. P. H. Buck in the course of his lecture under the auspices of tho Anthropological and Maori r ace section of the- Auckland Institute at the Auckland University College. . Dr. Buck first of ali traced the history of New Zealand peoples, and said that evidence was gradually being collected which seemed to indicate that, the Maori had been in New Zealand for a much longer period than tradition would lc-wl us to believe. Ho then, mentioned 'that from what could bo gained from a perusal of .photograph's of tho rock carvings sent down from Kaingaroa the canoes depicted on tho cliff Face greatly resembled tho Maori canoe, with slight differences that would bo expected at tho hands of a carver. He illustrated his moaning by explaining that certain features of canoe models wore usually exaggerated by carvers, for if such models were measured it would-he seen that tho bow and high etern were usually out of all proportion to tho rest of the hull. Such ,an exaggeration might easily have been imparted to tho rock carvings, and it was noticeable that a "series of double spirals had been added to tho sides of tho canoes —a*iother evidence of tho play of tho artist's imaghation. He would not say the earrings were not centuries old, but to his mind they looked like Polynesian canoes, and he thought, on present evidence, that tho people who made the carvings were related to the Maoris. If a search of the locality revealed stone adzes or other primitive tools, these would give quite a definite clue to the period of the work, and would indicate tho people who executed ib.