STRANGE TABLETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23011, 12 April 1938, Page 15

STRANGE TABLETS

INSCRIPTIONS SOLVED EASTER ISLAND MYSTERY ANTHROPOLOGIST'S CLAIM The fascination of New Zealand for the anthropologist, more particularly on account of the traces of a Melanesian sub-stratum which were to be found in the Dominion, was described yesterday by Professor C. Tauber, of Zurich, a distinguished author and anthropologist, who is a passenger on the world cruise of the German liner Reliance. The almost legendary history of the Melanesian race is Professor Tauber's absorbing interest, and he announced that within a few months he would be officially announcing the fact that he had solved the mysteries of the script engraved on tho wooden tablets lound on Master Island. These unique tablets, which were first noted in 1864. have baffled experts but Professor Tauber stated that, while pursuing investigations among the Chip-

peway tribe of Indians in North America, he found a clue in the form of an explanation bj' a sorcerer: "What is a ghost? It is he who goes with the snake on earth." The same idea was represented in a symbol on one of the tablets found on Easter Island and, from this beginning, he was at length able to read the inscriptions on all the tablets. "Melanesian is a much older culture than Polynesian, and the tablets tell the legendary history of the greatest seafarers of the Melanesian race," he said. "In my opinion, these people came from Melanesia to New Zealand, to Tahiti and possibly to the Marquesas. Only the keenest reached as far as Easter Island and it is in the tablets that we find something of the story of their ventures." Professor Tauber's discoveries were made only in recent months and the results of his research will be announced in a paper to be read in Paris shortly. He said most of the evidences of Melanesian occupation were covered by the subsequent spread of Polynesian culture, but traces were left in many places, such as Bali and Timor. To-day it seemed that the Melnnesians were a dying race, although there was still a strong group to be found in the Solomon Islands. At one time in the world's history they had ranked second only in culture to tho Australian aborigines, but to-day the latter were regarded as representing tho lowest form of civilisation. "New Zealand is one of the finest subjects for anthropological study I know," he added. "Not very much has been done in the past and it would be regrettable if the facts that can be gleaned by research should not be obtained."