REMINISCENCES OF THE MAORI.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 7

REMINISCENCES OF THE MAORI.

',"■'. .. . — i ... : , ~ ' i» < 'OiECTIOtE BY'mR.' A, ■£!'©!: PRASEIir- J 'I r pw' more 'familiar with. Bio liffr iijuT eiis'toiiis "(if ■ tfi'e Maori''than , ; Mr!."AV"ljt IT i'niS^rJLHllC' L Tjie .iupihbUi- Ifbr "Niipidjr (s" sfcKp6U'"iii Ui« lore "hrid, .lffljifmls;' of , ,jhg Maori'irtiee,, ami. the/glow;, of his ri enthusiasm faW'tlie'embers' of''rWiiiiiscehee info I'/figm and genial llaiii'c'.""Last'night lib "Was'-a't 'llii best, and his, lU'niii.iis.ee;!ees oLXh,.&ksti kept a largo audience in ■the Concert China" ber'6f"tiie v J'ovvn Hall'ialort a'ndvimt'hiieiastic ■ 'riiS'hittirrinvasi'tlio '-Idiit of the 'present'seas sort,- •"■gifoii under.'the auspiciis'/of-tho-'City , Council/Mr.- J. G , . W'.'-Aitkeii-presided;' , and on" tli«s'"i)ltitfornii - ; wore.-Mossrs.:: Haraia>:aud i\g'atii; , .. ! ivl.H'.H.'s,-'.' ..: .••'. : ;.- ■'; ;.:•*'.;; ■■■'■'ln o! (ipt!hhiij' t)tti':procecdings theclihinmA, ■ statnd'thiit ■•thii-I'cctuivr probably- kncw-iWore about tile- Maoris thaii any qtliur -Euionoua iii'lliri country.- :Huwas:a profoulill -ii'aoVi il!'hdlai";"he' not Only-know tlitfjaiiguiigevjilft kneiV'thc-'Jlaori'liimsclfi-" :><>*<i>. >"... ..i-iiV« ■■The-lecturer, ivho was well -rccdiveJ, state'd tliaf bis'-'riiiterks'-would'be"..rivol-»! iri'tlie-naf- \ ureof' a; tribute tp the' Maori ■■p(i6])le;"- i His information■ caine , 'iiot■ from books,-' but , from tliK ; living .pooplo.-- -He regretted -that Eufi-opeiiiis-'were. too '.proiil! to nogleut 'aAd liiil at.'tlieir 'true Value 'tlie-'Jlaori people; '■ •wlio were not only-ifollow ■ luuiiim beings' but- follow-'<:itixens of a- great>Empire-, and ".they had ■ borne-..: the heat • and:- liiir,-Ueii-of the"day,.in building thc-foniidatioii'S . and ■:rani[)arts.*qf-; , tlio iioW'-prosiicroiis^Jtehil- - -were-a> racO: to" aiid lvorthy ..to','bu takeiV:--into.-the. heirt.i-and friendship of the- white inliabitauts.-:: -All .' (lliildren of the one (ifeatr Creator,- tlioywero in- their ■ hearts 'an- tnuvas-'tlie typical -J.'i'itislier: --UiiiloKiiDii-tli '" the - vi>iii'oi- of diil>dehce.v,v..lliHio.v! was. .to'i bo". ..found!'/"a . nobleiie'ss '. .that.,: was :" of toll. .;.'.cdil>temptliously described' an the "nobk'itesss iff the) savage." They were inclined to lcok with ir certain aniilunt of coiitompt , oii'-rlio iMaoris,"but' 1 were tliyKilropeiina'vbla-iifuleas?' He (lid'not think so. ■"■'J'lu , y.' had, something to : hnswer. for ;.in their treatint'ut: of : the ' Maoris. .-.■■ They., lmd 'minimised. , thev'potoiftialitics of 'the' nut ivo> race: had , sjioilcil , tlwiii and- deprived -fcliein oi their, -imliridiialitiy. They^liad■ bunii treated as : spoiledu'childreu', and' tbo. spoliation , .of 'their laiidS'.iuid .'goiio on by successive Governments. If tiny had beeii'-treated.npro'perly itliere-wouUl.-iiow' be iii6re,represeiitatives..oPtliu rtativo race taking f-lu! part they wiVre entitled to' in , the :ilfairs- of- the Doininioli. -'Cnllegos- wore provided, 1 . .but , . (jlic'ru,.-.wasn.n6thing'; for them -ib do',.aftci-,.tliey ■.left;' tlitsreftii'o , . they- drifted back to the old life of the pah,:- without encouragement,, hope, or ambition. Mr. Frasor then went on to refer to tlio origin of the Maori. Turn, where they would, to America, to'the hoiiie , of the Incus, along pf t!ii.\Nilo,' away back to the lMiueniciajl's aiiil -VViblcti' Babylonia, and everywhere. thiiy found traces of the , ' Maori. It was proved tl)iit-.iblK'.y,!'Were a ; part.of a great migratory pMiplOj- ; ;and-had r .passed, down through tho ages, untilVth'ey,.lind become spoiled by ci\v - ilisa(,ion.,,:l?lmfing theii , ancient nrigin, ho qiiotcd f|:om :a,. book - published that year, call.udH-'.'The Devils and Evil Spirits of liabyjiniia.'v- tra|isl,iUed fiynr. tablets found,,,,-jji JJabylon-.,- .Jii it .tlie.iji was a chapter devotfd to,..\vhat.,Avas' knoAvn-as tapu— making tilings sacred.- 'riiat. was. : identical .with; what,.thoy ,|,()iiJi(l aniongst-'tho,,Maoris ,(if T,ho iechn'Or kept ;liis. mldioiico; dee])|y interested and-ainused -:at tuimsi witli ..quotations from , tho■quaint-.awl beautiful old; legends.,of ..the race ,iind diverting; reminiscoi|ces.. : 1n,,.c0;).iclusiou ho apptolod-tp Europeans to got more closely.-into, timch .with the, Maori. racev>nii(i Jielp,itho.iu, gonorgusly to .w.ork.. out.-.tlieir, di) - ,tiny..;-. i. •.-:.-:;.,..-. ~.;. ••..-..; .-. -,•■ ■,: ■■. ,-,i, ■ .Votesof-tliaiiks-were-passod-t-o Mr,.Fraser and the cbnirnicii. " ■;.,,..,