CUP AND CROSS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9165, Issue 9164, 14 March 1910, Page 2

CUP AND CROSS.

GODS OF THE WEATHER,

MR WRAGGE'S DISCOVERY

CHRISTCHITRCH, March 9. Professor J. Macmillan Brown, of Fendalton, who is deeply interested in ethnological studies, especially in relation to New Zealand, says that he will be delighted to learn that Mr Wragge's discoveries are genuine, and that the whole history of the Pacific has been linked for many ages back. Mr Wragge's speculations, lie said to a reporter, wero quite outside tho j mark, but his discoveries, if genuine, ! certainly were not outside the mark. If it could be proved that there had been tooling on the stones, they must be classified with the interesting stones at Kerikeri, in the Bay of Islands, with the Hamanga, or Great Dolman of Tonga, and with the enormous platforms of Easter Islands and the Marquesas. There was very little doubt, if Mr "Wragge had found a cross mark on one other, that he had hit upon a link connecting tho megalithic structures of Western Europe and those of the Pacific Coast of America. On the megalithic ruins of the Pacific Coast of America there was often found the cross mark; it was a symbol of the god of weather. The people of the coast worshipped the cardinal points of the compass, and the Aztec priest, when 110 plucked tho heart out of the living victim in tho sacrifice, held it in his hands to tho north, west, the j south, and tho east, and then ,to the I sun. Then he threw it before _ the gods. The weather to those primitive people was of tho greatest importance, and it was in this fact that the cross mark had its origin. Tho cup mark was found on many of the megalithio stones in Western Europe, and, indeed, all over the world, often with a ring; nobody had, however, boon able to explain the origin of tho sign. He was inclined to find a solution of the problem in the little cup found on 6tone statues in Central America, erected in honour of Tialoe, the God of Rain. The cup of rain was intended to be used, primarily, to catch the rain, and, secondly, for incense. At any rate, the cross and the cup, if found in New Zealand, linked up the megalithic monuments all over the world. As to Mr Wragge's statement that the remains of acity have been discovered, Professor Brown said that its correctness is very unlikely. There was not the remains of a stone city found south of the Island of Ponape in tho Carolines. The megalithic monuments of Polynesia could not be regarded as the remains of cities. _ In his book "The Maori and Polynesia," he had tried to show that the megalithic habit, as a rule, ceased where the megalithic people reached a land of ancient forests. It was much easier to make great wooden blocks with 6tone implements than to quarry stone blocks. There was, however, an exception to that. It occurred in Central America, where, during his recent visit, he had seen great megalithic jruinis amidst tropical forests. If Mr Wragge was correct in his speculation in regard to the remains of a city in New Zealand, it would have to be assumed that, in this country also there was an exception to the rule, and that the megalithic people who came here and saw a land covered with immense forests, adhered to their megalithic habit in spite of the forests. If Mr Wragge's photographs showed that he had discovered tooled stones, the fact must be accepted as proof that the megalithic people were over the whole of tho Pacific. As to Mr _Wragge's written records, if they existed, they would be perhaps the most extraordinary discovery made the 'Pacific. In conjunction with hieroglyphic tablets on Easter Island they would seem to show that hieroglyphic writing had come across the Pacific. The conclusion to be drawn from that was that there had been a people in the Pacific who could symbolise their ideas in hieroglyphic forms. Professor Brown added that ho would be greatly interested to see how far Mr Wragge's photographs confirmed the reports sent from Auckland. If the reports were substantiated, they would show that megalithism had been much more widely spread over the islands of the Pacific than the specimens at Samoa. Tonga, Easter Islands, Tahiti, the Marquesas and Kapauiti would warrant people in believing. He hoped Mr Wragge's statements would lead to a thorough investigation of the subject, and that the whole question of megalithic remains in the promontory north of Auckland would be inquired into. No doubt should be left in the people's minds as to whether the stones described by Mr Wragge were in their natural state, or whether they were actually tooled stones. In regard to the statement made by Mr Percy Smith, Mr Wragge says it is nonsense. "Basaltic action would never do what I have seen. Basaltic action may have been a factor, but it would never make the marking on the rocks that I saw. I have every respect for the opinion of Mr Percy Smith, but I do say that before he or anyone else claiming to be interested in anthropological research, should presume to judgment, they should make a special exploration of the neighbourhood."