WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 54, 27 November 1926, Page 8

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

That mankind was created Maori is the opening contention put forward in a substantial volume which reached The Dominion yesterday. This is the new book written by Miss Ettie A. Rout (Mrs. Hornibrook), to which the eminent surgeon Sir William Arbuthnot Laue has contributed a preface. “I am not expressing any opinion on the great authropological questions involved in this report,” somewhat cautiously remarks Sir William Lane, but he adds more hopefully: “If, as a result of further research it be found that the Moroccan Mauri, the American Maya, and the New Zealand Maori are one and the same, a new view of the race history of man will have been presented.” This seems a perfectly true statement, for there is not the least doubt that the book puts forward quite a new view about mankind’# past Miss Ettie Rout lays stress on the fact that she is a New Zealand law court reporter, and on page 225 prints herself a certificate signed under her own hand stating that she was formerly a New Zealand Government Authorised Reporter, licensed under the hand of His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand by warrant issued by the Minister of Justice in accordance with the Shorthand Reporters Act 1900. The contents of the book, states Miss Rout, are a faithful transcript of the evidence of Hohepa te Rake, an Arawa noble, late of Rotorua t New Zealand. Miss Rout adds in her preface her record consists of “accurate evidence and fair comment,” but whether the comment is her own or Mr. Hohepa Te Rake’s is not quite clear. However, Mr. te Rake gives a further certificate that he has read the proofs and all is well, and Messrs. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, have issued the whole in a handsome big

book, price one guinea. One striking feature of this book is that there is free quotation from the “Encyclopaedia Britannica” and Mr. H. G. ''Velis’s “Outline of History,” but practically none at all from anything personally written in New Zealand about Maori history and tradition. The laborious researches of the Polynesian Society do not get a start in these pages, and Mr. Elsdon Best’s delvings into the past of the Maori are unnoticed, though Miss Rout suggests that one or two subjects—already dealt with in Mr. Best’s ’ monographs—badly need investigation.

However, here is the whole truth about the Maori at last cleared up. “The Holy Land, the land where Mankind (Maori) was created,” we are told, “was Assyria (Irihia), the land of Western Asia. When this land became overpopulated different sections of mankind migrated in different directions: the White Maori went to the North; the Black Maori to the South; the Yellow Maori to the East; and the Brown (New Zealand) Maori to the West.” . . . Here it may be noted that current Maori tradition in New Zealand records a land of Uru as the home of the Maori before the residence ■in Irihia, but apparently the residence in Uru must have been at a period prior to the creation of mankind.

To proceed with tire story: “There, were originally twelve nations, or houses, of the Brown Maori in Assyria, all descended from Ha-kopa (Jacob), and they first emigrated to Egypt,' where they built cities; after a time they returned to Assyria, but a few ■ generations later they split into two parties, and one party began its Great Migration to the Vest. Two nations remained in Assyria, but ten crossed the Caucasus until they reached 'a cold climate’ (i.e., the Black Sea), where most turned westward and journeyed • across Europe.” Three nations broke off during this journey, and much opposition was encountered from the White Maoris inhabiting that part of the world. Eventually, however, representatives of seven nations reached Po-tu-kera (Portugal).”

The above extract shows clearly that Portugal got its present name, at a very early date in the world’s history. The Greeks and Romans, for some obscure reason, departed from the ancient name and called the country Lusitania, and there is a theory' cherished by European historians that Portugal tyot its later name from the Roman seaport of Portus Cales, at the mouth of the Tagus, and now known as Oporto. Now, we have the clearest testimony, under the Shorthand Reporters Act, 1900, that the name Portugal is an European corruption of the original Maori Potukera.

“Five of the seven nations, and certain noble women of the other two nations,” the narrative proceeds, "sailed west from Portugal and reached Mexico (Hawaiki-nui), where they remained one strong nation, built the seven cities referred to in their legends, and remained for many generations. Of the two nations left in Portugal, some members migrated to Morocco, others to the Canary Islands and elsewhere, and others remained in Portugal. The settlers in Mexico had long been in possession when the White Maori came down from the north and made war upon them.” The Brown Maori were then scattered in defeat, and settled over central America, the West Indies, and Guiana. The Maori name of Guiana, it appears, is Waini, and in this region settled the Arawak (Arawa) tribes.” . . . This rules completely out the idea that the Arawa took th’eir name from that of the canoe in which their ancestors arrived in New Zealand.

The Brown Maori, or portions of them, next founded Eperu (Peru) "At last a great council was held at Titicaca, nnd one nation, the Arawa, decided to migrate still further west. They established a colony i n Easter Island, where they took a great stock of roots, seeds, and foods with them, especially a great stock of tubers (taro, kiimara, etc.).” From Easter Island some of the Arawa went to Hawaii, and others to Tahiti "Passing throuch the South Sea Islands and leaving monuments to mark their passage, the Brown Maori ultimately reached New Zealand, some eight hundred strong, in seven canoes, arriving separately in different parts of the country.” And that is the latest history of the Maori arrival in this country.

An old mininy prospector was being solaced on his sick bed bv a cl ere vman, who told him of the Heavenly Terusalem. “the streets of which are paved with rold.” “Excuse me, parson,” interrupted the dvinc man. "are vou anotin" from the prospectus or from the battery report?”

Daughter: "And rm didn’t smoke when von were a girl? Why, mother, what did vou do whop vou felt H-nt vou co’ddn’t live another minute without a cigarette?”

MY PERSONAL PPPPETY. I hon oht ouite recently a chow, Who bites my bedroom shoes: And tliouch a chow it’s true I chose. The chow it is who chews! —“Bystander” (London).