ORIGIN OF THE MAORI

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1921, Page 1

ORIGIN OF THE MAORI

—*•*>> SIB CONAN DOYLE’S THEORY DISCUSSED. WANQANUI, January 8. Quite a lot of interest has been aroused in West Coast circles m regard to the opinion oxprossed by Sir A. Conan Doyle at Sydney, that the .Maoris were orignally Europeans, though lie was puzzled how they got to Now Zealand. Several of those deeply interested in Maori lore, and who may be accepted as authorities on Maori his tory, are convinced that Sir Conan Doyle spoke without l^iowledgo. One New Plymouth authority expressed himself as follows: -‘H dont think Sir Conan Doyle has lmd sufficient time to study the question of the origin of tl.e Maoris. They are not Europeans in the sense in wlnei refers to them, though they are a branch of the Caucasian race as we all •u-e the English, French, 'eotc.h and other, hut the connection dates very fa rbnek. Wo know that some ot them on me to New Zealand from Hawaii and others were from the Solomon Islands spreading over Eastern Polynesia and thence to New Zealand. It w cjiute true that they have a marvellous meZ, .. h,« Ml «*. «M* serint. Even at the present day this can be noted and some of the old people of the races can recount hundreds of proper names and give stones which can be verified very closely by natives in other parts of the islands.’’ With regard to the Maoris interest i„ spirit, this was inherent in the race. They have a considerable knowledge of the occult and believe in the existence of spirits.