THE PRE-MAORI RACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17776, 9 May 1921, Page 6

THE PRE-MAORI RACE.

EVIDENCE ACCUMULATING.

OTHER ANCIENT DRAINS.

Widespread interest has been awakened by the publication in the Hfrat.d Supplement of April 16 of particulars of the evidences found in the Awanui Swamp, near Kaitaia, of an ancient civilisation, long anterior to the immigration, of the Maori, and the subsequent exhibition at the Auckland Museum of a curious carving, found in the swamp, entirely unlike that of Maori artists. The curator of the museum, Mr. T. Cheeseman, has placed the exhibit in question, an old lintel, in close contiguity to a genuine Maori carving of another lintel, found in the drained land of the Hauraki Plains, and the contrasted curios are daily attracting large numbers of visitors. The discussion which has been aroused by Professor McMillan Brown's articles commenting upon ancient Polynesian art has led to the production of further evidence of the existence in long-past eras of an advanced race quite different from the Maori. The writer of the original article upon the ancient drains in the Awanui Swamp has received an interesting letter from Mr. H. E. R. L. Wily, of Mauku, who says:—" I was a good deal interested in the matter, because exactly the same system of draining that you describe was apparent on my own land after 16ft of peat had disappeared. A heavy forest and that depth of peat had grown since these drains were made. The drains, and a peculiar. doable-edged weapon of wood, of rapier-like form, which one of my men excavated from below two forests and 10ft. of peat, with other presumptive evidence, induced me two or three years ago to write an article indicating my belief that New Zealand had been occupied by a numerous pre-Maori race, ; . . I am convinced that there is a good deal of interesting work ahead of anthropologists. I have never considered it was possible for a race like the Maoris to have executed in half-a-dozen centuries the heavy earthworks that are in evidence all over the country. It is very likely that when the Maoris came here they encountered only the decadent remnant of a once numerous and energetic people, but, of course, this is mere surmise."

In the same letter Mr. Wily encloses a copy of a note published by Mr. Elsdon Best, of the Dominion Museum, upon the curious steatite figure found on the Wily property. Describing M, Mr. Best says : —" The figurine is undoubtedly Oriental in design and workmanship. It reminds one of representations of the Manchus in old •works. A work on the clay figurines of China contains no illustration resembling it. The object is 2|in. in height, and lfin. "wide at the broadest part; material, a soft, friable soapstone. The figure seems to be in a sitting position. There is no hole for suspension. It is no rude Nampa image, but a carefullyexecuted work, though having the grotesque aspect so common in Oriental designs. Some form of turban-b'ke dress* is also depicted, also a loose cloak, or widesleeved garment. The round face shows a wide, sbort nose. The hands clasp some long object of cylindrical form, the upper end of which seems to show something protruding, and the object bears two transverse serrated designs. The headdress shows a wide pendant flan at the back. Altogether this snub-nosed Tartarlooking figure represents an interesting discovery when the conditions of that discovery are noted."