J.M. PEEBLES ON NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1239, 28 August 1875, Page 5

J. M. PEEBLES ON NEW ZEALAND.

Mr. Peebles, in his book, "A Voyage Bound the Worid," has a very generous appreciation of the qualities of the people of the different nations he visited. Ke~ ferring to New Zealand, he says : " Though one of the finest in the world, the climate is far warmer and more genial on the western than on the eastern coast lof this group. The atmosphere is light and buoyant ; while the winds are continually freshened by traversing an immense expanse of ocean. Not a flake of snow is seen in the northern island of this group, save in the highlands. These islands, unlike many in the South Pacific, are eminently adapted for agricultural and pastoral pursuits. The sunny valley of Taieri, the undulating plains, the neatly tilled fields in the rural districts, with millions of choice yet unoccupied acres, inclines one to ask : Why do tens of thousands remain in Britain to starve ? England has colonies and provinces enough to supply multitudes with homes, thus feeding her overcrowded population. Why do they not emigrate? " Here, too, are gold-fields, and enticing fields for the naturalist. Here, among the natural wondeis of this island group are the geysers, . . . and not far distant the Tarata Falls, fringed with weird shrubbery and incmsted "boughs. The sprays and glassy sheets, pouring over molded alabaster, and strikingly beautiful. Then, up the coast is the Jittl dreamy Akaroa, whose harbour is really a goni, set between two mountain ridges, afar up which juts out from its blue depths a sunny isle, which the Maoris consider one of the habitations of the dead. They declare that apparitions walk this ghoat-ilke isle by night. But Akaroa is famous, also, for its fruits orchards and gardens were burdened with figs, peaches, apricots, apples, peara and plums." When referring to a lecture delivered atKangiora, Mr. P. says : " Though this portion of New Zealand had been settled only about twenty-one years, it seemed like an old oountry. Along the line of the railway were eucalypts, poplar and elm trees, with handsome fields <>f white | and red clover, thickly dotted with gra. zing herds." We further read : " Those yet living (of the Maoris) are the decendants of a noble ancestry. In social life they were industrious, good-natured, temperate and cleanly. They dwelt together in large fenced villages. . . . Their housebuilding and architectural conceptions generally were infinitely superior to those of the Australian aborigines. They excelled in some few manufactures, " especially in weaving mats and garments from the New Zealand flax They did not buy and sell, but dealt in ex. changes and gifts. Priests generally named the children. They practised polygamy." . . . Now arises the important question : " Whence came these Maoris ? From the different Polynesian group? Certainly not from Australia, as their colour, habits, religion and language demonstrate ; nor from the Sandwich Islands. . . . The New Zealandei'3 carry their biudens on their backs, much like our North American Indians ; while the Sandwich Islanders cany theirs on a balance pole, something like the Chinese. Further, these N. Z. Moaris have no words for swearing, no temples for rehgious worship, no idols, no refuge-cities j nor did they ever practice circumcision. Many of their taboos were utterly unlike those of the Hawaiians. But affirmatively, the carvings of the Maoris agree wondef ully with those of the ancient inhabitants of Central America, Like the latter they obtain fire by friction," (hence sacred perhaps;) "steep kernels of karalta (?) for food ; have religious and many other customs resembling those remote nations, as late discoveries at ! Uxmal and Palenque plainly show.