THE ORIGINAL ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1120, 17 June 1867, Page 4

THE ORIGINAL ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Herald. Sir, —The Rev. Mr. Buller, in hia recent lecture upon " Our New Zealand Homo," stated as follows: " The Maoris landed on its shores, in the first expedition, not far from whnre we are now ueßembled, about 500 years ago, and it does not appear that they found it occupied by any prior race." About fire years ago the late Mr. White, then an attache, of the Native Office, gavo a lecture upon New Zealand at the Mechanics' Institute, and the writer of thia letter at the close of that di-coarse, asked that gentleman the question, whether there was any evidence extant of the existence in these islands of any aborigines at the period of the Unding here of the Maoris ? Hiß , reply was in the affirmative, that they were of a lighter coloured race than the Maori people, and that some of their descendants ware found, at a comparatively recent date, in the Midd o Island. It appears from what Mr. White stated, that the original aborigines of New Zealand were of a lobs warlike character than tho Maoris, and that they were in time overpowered by the latter, and subsequently became their slaves. The Maoris having thus become dominant, took possession of the whole of those islands by the right of conquest, and now it ia ordained by the current of pasning ovonts that they will in their turn have to succumb to the march of civilization and the power of the white man.—l am, &c., June 15, 1867. Observes.