ORIGIN OF THE MAORIS.

Marlborough Press, Volume XXIII, Issue 1348, 31 August 1882, Page 4

ORIGIN OF THE MAORIS.

Theories on this point have been both many and curious. One of the latest is, if we can find where a certain beetle—the saprimus psetidocyaneous—comes from, we shall assuredly hit upon the original habitat of the Maoris or, at all events, as children say at blind man’s buff, we shall “ burn.” Another theory which is quietly held by certain scientists in Zew Zealand is that if we can study and interpret the various tribal and other tattoo, marks of the Maoris we shall have an avenue open before us with its revelations and interests which will eclipse altogether, at least to those living in and concerned with New Zealand, the interpretations of the famous hieroglyphics upon which ages for ages have been at work with only recent success. The Maori house attached to the Museum would not be a bad place to study these tattoo marks. In that house the figure—slave—supposed to be guarding the door, is unquestionably a Cinga lese, suggesting the fact that from whatever quarter the Maoris came, they made captives of, and employed as slaves, the Cingalese, race. This might of itself afford a clue to the habitat of the Maori. Again, it is well known that to those who study the question there is almost as much difference between the tattoo marks of various tribes as there is between the crests of different English families. The late Mr Barnard Rhodes, of Wellington, had in his possession a deed of sale of land from sGine Maoris to himself which was signed by the Maoris, not in ordinary writing recording their names, but in ink marks representing the distinctive tattoo signs of their tribe, and of their own standing in that tribe ; just in the same way as the barons of old would affix their seals to a document. Dr Hector who has interested himself in this subject with many others, is of opinion after brief study of the carvings on .the figures in the Maori house in Wellington, that in them lies the secret of the original habitat of the Maoris, and that anyone who will study and interpret them will have solved the riddle at present so very difficult to answer.