EVOLUTION OF THE MAORE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 6

EVOLUTION OF THE MAORE

ORIGIN, MIGRATIONS, AND FUTURE. LECTOR*' BY DR. BUCK. I Dr.. Te SUnci Hiboa 'Dr. P. H. Buck), of I tho Health Department. lectured to a krg* audience at the Lots institute hut evotuag j on the subject of the evolution of the Maori | raw. Mr. T. \V. Ley* presided. I The Maori, said Dr. Buck. Patina first of all with the origin of the race, •**.< a I branch, and the most important branch, of i tho Polynesian race, »nd an investigation S into his origin involved tho entire history sof tlio Polynesian raw. Tho lecturer pro- ; eroded to deal with the application of Poly. ! nosiar traditions to the solution of fit*' I Maori's origin, quoting authorities, who had I come to this conclusion from a study of the i language*, physique and build, and tradii tions and genealogies, "handed down by j word of mouth from father to son. and j taught Mint much ceremony and seoroey so i tho tolunigas, or priesthood, in tho what'* | wananga*. or sacred house?, of learning Tho Polynesian memory, added too doctor, | was cultivated to Mich an extotit that it, formed one of tin- racial eharactoriitics; >>' ; the people. Going further back into romot" j antiquity, the Polynesians at one .tune formj ed part of a very ancient Gangetiu raw. | Later they had come info contact with ft ! Semitic or Jewish race there. Between • 500-400, 8.C.. tlie Aryans according ■.» j Smith, pushed tiro Polynesians into th« ] rcsany-is'ed sea. -Now oral tradition. ; though marvellous in the raw of tho Po'-v----i ne!>i»nt." said the lecturer, "cannot toll < * j of tho infancy of tho race any rao*o than J any of us can recount, our own history from ) tho moment we entered the world. I'm. Lan ! gttago, custom 1 , and bodily conformation i art) records more enduring than tablet* of ] brass." i STUDY OP ANTHROPOLOGY. j Tho language phase of the question «■<■ j dealt with first in an interesting manner. i showing the contact of tho PolvneH.m with j cither races, and to confirm the theory art--1 vnnced as to his origin. The science ol anthropology added Dr. Buck, found race differences most clearly in Mature arid pro- ! portions of the limbs, conformation of the ; skull and brain within, character of the teai hires, etc.. and mental and moral t'Uiipeia i menr. The Eastern Polynesian.", were ■•:<■ second tallest raw in 'he world, and '.hey could not, therefore, ho derived from i InMalay or ncgritto races, both of whom were short. Their .skulls hi shape were longheaded, like tho northern division of the Caucasians. The brain «a- largo, and in the first-class us regards size us in tin; Caucasian and Mongol divisions. The lecturer drew other similar comparisons, adding that the nose was somewhat flattened, probably from the habit of rubbing noses. '•The tall, well-made figure* of tho Poly- ■ nesians, with well-developed calves, and i oval, pleasing face.-, reminded the early European explorers of their own people,'' said Dr. Buck. "The Caueasic theory is now accepted by most authorities,'and, that being so, the Polynesians are Caucasians of tho same division as, yourselves, the AngloSaxons, who enjoy the honour of being tins highest-developed branch of that division. The. Polynesians were the forerunners of Mm Aryan-speaking people. They broke tho bounds of this ancient home, and. overcoming all obstacles in field, forest, and flood, plunged through mountain posses to the-occ-an, to carry the typo of the Caucasian over tho islands' of the tea coast and south, till no more -islands lay empty before them, and they had no more, lauds to conquer, though they sought them in the Antarctic Ocean. Wiethe. - my ancestors came through the nortli-wcfit pastes into India, or down through the ancient Empire of Irani... it little matters. In one of these countries they came into contact with an Egyptian, Semitic, and Aryan influence, ad of which factors aided in the evolution of the Maori. In Sumatra or Java, they came into contact with another type, of Oaucasie influence. They mot with the indiiicsinns, who had been more in contact with tho Mongol?, and in the subsequent mixture, of the two Caucasian races they gave to the Polynesian the cult of tho greenstone and tattooing." THE SIX CANOES. Dr. Buck passed on to refer in an interest ing manner to tho seacraft of the race, and to the landing of the six canoes at Kawhia. in 1350. According to the ancient song nl Peon: —

My son, if thou art asked to recite thy genealogy, .Say "I am hot a child, a prattling child, of little memory; "This I know, Tainui, To Am wo, Tokoman'-, Tokitoma, Mata utun, Kurilkaupo: "These were the canoes of my ancestor,*, "In which they crossed the wide expanse of ocean that lay stretched before - them." Reference was made to the colonisation of tho two inlands by the crews, and how they absorbed the original migration, who worn their own kith and kin, and developed a stronger and more sturdy race in the climate, while their,art. reached the highest development of any division of the rue-:. In spite of ancestor.-, advice to them not to fight, they were in a perpetual state of warfare. They followed up the old proverb, ,L Let no man die tamely submitting like a f»t, lazy terakahi, which comes up from the pea without a struggle, but let him die 'fighting like the farnoua urtirua (shark), which struggles to the last ga<;p of life." The roc" in New Zealand proved thcmsclveJi expert in militarism, as was evidenced even to the present day by their fortifications fo, instance. EFFECTS OF CIVILISATION. At the end of the 18th century the population of I'olyneeia was 1,290.000 last census it had fallen to 131,233. The Maoris were 250,000 when Captain Cook reached New Zealand, and otherwise the cited* of civilisation were very apparent, continued the Intnrer._ Before the pakcha came hero ' tho Maori lived on the hill tops, choosing fine, healthy sites. His sanitation, as Captain Cook said, was better than that existing in many European cities. When the white wan came ho went down to the swamp.-, and tinold system of sanitation could not bo carried out. Physically the Maori had deteriorated : lie was weak-chested, and consumption had him in its deadly grip. His morality had not improved; it had become lower. In intellect a few of the race had improved, but not the masses. They did not poßeest the mental acumen, or the power of application and oratory of the olden Jay.-'. And as to his work there was indolence now where there was no nutting off till to-morrow then, '"What we hope for," said Dr. Buck in conclusion, '" is a better understand between the two races. We are both born of tile same division of the Caucasians, and have much in common. The Maori offers a better foundation for development than any other dark-skinned race with which the Anglo-Saxons have come into contact, and a» the old order of things passes away, anndoubtedly it is passing, a permanent reform must take place." A number of young Maori- were present, and joined in the incarnations illustrating the lecture, at the conclusion of which I>r Buck was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The audience was .no large that a nunjivt were unfortunately unable to obtain admission.

Tho Australian Mission Sister.- continue their mission services as the Grange Road Baptist Church to-morrow- and every oven lax next, week tili Friday. A spec:?! children"; gathering will bo held to-morrow afternoon. A concert in aid of the funds of the Remuera Children's Home will be held o.i July 13. The trustees of tho Auckland Tabernacle have generously offered the free use of their building for the occasion. An excellent programme \.. bonis arranged. The usual monthly appropriation meeting under the auspices of she Auckland Co operative Tennitmtiu'j; Building Sncierv will ho hold at -St. .Tames" Hall on Wedne»da> evening, when £3200 will be distributed by ballot and sale. For Children's Hacking Cough at night Woods' Great Peppermint Cure !s oil. 2s i-i-Buyers of corduroy velveteen should ny McCuilagh and Goww'- 'Join quality, inicn. brown, • and uaiy, at 1- .ijd. worth Is *?•!; soil stripes, in b»o\vu, yreuat," and navy, •■'. Is d-,>l yard, worth 2*. 2d: special value iu all plain colours, from is 6|d yard.