DR. NEWMAN'S MAGNUM OPUS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1148, 8 June 1911, Page 4

DR. NEWMAN'S MAGNUM OPUS.

A BREEZY TALK,

• Dr. A. K. Newman' gave the Philosophical Society last night a characteristically bright and interesting chat about his recent, travels and his successful endeavours to collect data for his book on tho origin of the Maori. lie gathered much that was useful in London, with the help of tho Anthropological Society, and other learned bodies. Then he went to Holland to study tho Jlalay exhibits in the museums, and 011 to India, where, during his stay at Benares, he found many evidences confirming the theory thai the Maoris caino from that country. "The Maori people in India were a very great people indeed," he said, "but you will read all about that in my magnum opus." Ho obtained some carvings from 'Tibet, and found them purely Maori in character. He went on to Burma—conquered by tho Maoris in the year 1000. He found that pataka houses were built there, and the native greeting was "tenanoki"—which was almost tho "tenakoe" of the Maori Ho was not surprised to sec a' little Javanese god like Kongo, for (lie Maoris lived a long time in .lava. Their traces were also discernible in Sumatra, Borneo, and other islands. It would all bo in the book. (Laughter and applause.) _ "I think, Mr. President," said Dr. Newman, "that you needn't suggest that I'm trying ito work off an 'ad.' on this occasion. I am merely showing how interesting these things are—and you will find tho book just as interesting." (More laughter and applause.) Dr. Newman concluded by remarking that after oil his studios in different lands, lie considered that Mr. A. Hamilton's book 011 "Maori Art" was 0110 of the finest books 011 Native art published anywhere, and that tlw museums in Auckland and Wellington excelled many in other parts of the world in .their collections of small tilings that enabled 0110 (0 realise what the daily life of tho Native people was like.