REVIEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8962, 28 January 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

REVIEW.

Australasia : A Description and Pictorial Account of the Australian and New Zealand Colonies, Tasmania, axd the Adjacent Lands. By W. Wilkins, late Under-Secretary for Public Instruction in New South Wales; author of " Geography of New South Wales." London : Blackie and Son, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dublin.

[N his preface the author states that the book is " rather designed for use of a reading book for advanced classes, and as such will require to be supplemented by explanation from the teacher."' It is a capital work, and is well done in every respect. Chapter [. gives a definition and general description of Australasia; IT., Physical Features and Climate of Australia ; 111., Natural Productions and Aboriginal Inhabitants of Australia ; IV., the Colony of New South Wales ; V., Queensland ; VI., Victoria; VII., Tasmania ; VIII., South Australia ; IX., West Australia ; X., New Zealand ; XL, New Zealand as a Colony ; XII., Fiji; XIII., New Caledonia and its Dependencies ; XIV., Papua or New Guinea ; XV., the Solomon Islands, New Britain, and New Ireland ; XVI., the Papuan Islands. The book is well proportioned—that is, the subjects occupy the space in accordance with their importance. Each colony is described, its natural features detailed, plants and animals mentioned, mineral wealth, etc. Altogether, the book, although consisting of only 252 pages, is scarcely to be surpassed as a compendium of information about these southern lands. To show the style, wo quote a passage from Chapter 111., on the Australian aborigines : —W hen the country was first discovered the people were undoubtedly a much finer race than their descendants. Allowing for such differences as would among any people result from variation in the quantity and quality of food, and the influences of climate, the same description will apply to the aborigines in all parts of the continent. In stature the men were at least equal to the average of Europeans, and some tribes exceeded that limit. Their colour was a sooty brown differing widely from the jet black of the African negro, and individuals wore not unirequently met with of a dark chocolate. These variations in hue are probably analogous to the differences of complexion among the white races, and do not indicate any essential distinction between such individuals and the race generally. With regard to muscular development, they were robust, though formed more for activity than great strength or endurance, had deep chests, and were well proportioned, except that their lower limbs were thin and the legs wellnigh destitute of calf. The head was large, with a broad, projecting forehead, from beneath which their bright dark eyes looked out with a steady but piercing and fearless gaze. The nose was in general broad, especially at the nostrils; the mouth wide and garnishod with strong, white teeth. Their carriage was upright, their gait easy and graceful, and their demeanour bold and unembarrassed.

It is more difficult to describe their mental qualities. Their sight was keen ; they were good marksmen, and able to secure their quarry when hunting with weapons which would be useless to a white man. They could track a man or other animal by indications which to a civilised European would be simply non-existent; and in short, in all matters requiring the exercise of the perceptive powers, they were surpassed by no people upon the face of the earth. In the higher qualities of judgment and reasoning, however, they appeared to be mere children. These contradictions are forcibly exemplified in their languages, which, though possessing the same structure throughout, totally differed in their several vocabularies, so that adjoining tribes were

mutually unintelligible. These languages abound in expressions for denoting physical actions, and even minute variations in such actions, and for naming physical objects; bub in none of them have words being discovered expressive of such notions as we understand by the words "God," "right," " love," or " five." As with other savages, the better qualities of their moral nature were displayed only to members of.their own tribe ; with all others their usual condition was one of war and violence. They seem to have respected the rights of property, of which their wives formed the most important part; but their power of selfrestraint being small, even their low standard of right was not always regarded. Towards male children parental affection was, in general, strongly manifested ; but the women were treated with the utmost brutality—by those tribes, at any rate, that had come into contact with the whites. As regards religion, it is now believed that they had no idea of God or a future state, though they had some superstitious notions by which many of their customs and practices were regulated. As a companion picture to the above quoted description of the Australian aborigines, w egive what is said about the Maoris :—

New Zealand is the only part of Australasia inhabited by a race of people which is neither Papuan nor Australian in its origin and relations to other peoples. The " Maori," as the aboriginals designate themselves, are, however, an intruding race which, in times probably not far distant, settled in New Zealand. Six successive waves of immigration are recorded in the traditions of the Maoris, each of which resulted in the establishment of one of the six principal tribes or septs into which they are divided. There is reason to believe that, as is still the case in the Chatham Islands, a weaker and probably Papuan race occupied the land before the immigration of the Maoris, by whom it was either exterminated or absorbed. Occasional traces may yefc be seen in the darker skin, crisp black hair, and differently formed nose and lips of individual Maoris, of the Papuan element so incorporated with the invading race. In colour and features the Maoris resemble other Polynesian tribes, being brown, with good features, the nose well formed, and the black hair long and straight, though sometimes wavy or curling. Their language also is Polynesian, closely resembling that of Rarotonga, but having such near affinity to other dialects as to be intelligible to most of the Polynesian islanders. In their manners, customs, and superstitions they exhibit further evidences of their connection with the Polynesian race. The superstitious custom of "Tapu" and the horrible practice of cannibalism they shared with other inhabitants of the Pacific islands, but their intertribal wars were conducted with a ferocity peculiarly their own. Apart from these darker traits, the Maoris exhibited many of the higher elements of character. They are undoubtedly brave, and their athletic forms and skill in the use of the national weapons rendered them formidable antagonists even to white men. As their country yielded neither edible grain nor fruits of any consequence, they were compelled to turn their attention to agriculture, and they became skilful cultivators of the sweet-potato, the tara, and the gourd, and they were, moreover, adepts at hunting and fishing. Building houses and fortifications, constructing canoes, weaving cloth and mats from the so-called native flax, and making weapons and other implements, were also pursuits in which they excelled ; and, further, all their possessions were ornamented with elaborate carvings, showing some appreciation of art. Tattooing was practised extensively. They had a national religion, which included a belief in a future state; and though they had no written language, they were great orators. Their language abounds in vowel sounds, but, notwithstanding its, consequent softness, ib is forcible and energetic when , needed.

In noticing the city of Auckland, Mr. Wilkins says :—lnteresting as the spot first occupied by the Maoris, and as one of the earliest of the European settlements, and long the capital of New Zealand, the city of Auckland continues to be the most populous town in the whole colony. Its position, whether regarded from a mercantile or merely picturesque point of view, can hardly be surpassed. Situated on the south side of the Waitemata Harbour, the numerous branches of which extend far inland, the city has practically unlimited facilities for the formation of wharves and other kinds of accommodation for shipping, and the waters are of sufficient depth to allow of the largest vessels entering the port. With these advantages it is natural that the trade of Auckland should be large and increasing. On the west the Manukau Harbour approaches within a few miles of the city, and in time will doubtless be made to communicate with Waitemata Harbour. Railways connect it with various places that lie north, south, and west. Though not remarkable for handsome buildings, either public or private, the beauty of its situation gives to Auckland a large amount of interest. From the higher parts of the city the view of the harbour, with its bays and promontories, and of the island-studded Hauraki Gulf, is exceedingly fine, while the environs present scenes of great beauty. The population with suburbs is over t>o,ooo. Among its suburbs may be mentioned Devonport on the north shore of Waitemata Harbour.

The work is well printed, and we may mention, as an extraordinary fact, that only one or two trifling mistakes were noticeable in the spelling of native New Zealand names. We may notice these, that they may be corrected in the second edition, which will no doubt be called for. On page IS4 Waihou (the Thames river) is spelled Waiho ; on page 210 Waimate is spelled Waimato.