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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 70, 28 August 1851, Page 4

THE ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND: Two Lectures delivered by the Rev. Thos Buddle, Wesleyan Minister, at the Auckland Mechanics' Institute, on the evenings of the 25th March, and 12</i May, 1851. LECTURE I. The great resemblance of language is fnl'y described by one of llio Wesleyan Alissionnries, in an essay on tlie Ftejenn language.* I may liere quote a few specimens.

They have also the same Gods. Each Island may have gods not known in the other Islands, but the principal gods seem common to all. Mawe seems universally known. At Tonga he is known as the god which supports the enrtli, and is the cause of earthquakes; at the Navigators, as the cause of earthquakes ; at Tahiti, the same; here, he is the god that fished the island out of the sea. Another god, generally known as Tiki called Tii among the Tdhitians, who, with Optra, were the parents of the human race, and resided in the Po, or world of night. At Rarotonga, Tiki was the name of the first man, who was supposed, alter death, to hare received dominion over the region of departed snirits; and in New Zealand Tiki was the creator of man. The word Tiki in Nukuhivan, and Tii, in Hawaiian, signify an image, and Heiliki signifies the ucly image the Ne* Zealanders suspend to their necks. Tangaroa u another name in Polynesian mythology, generally known. He was the principal god of the Tahiiians; a being, according to Mr. Ellis, who was uncreated, existed from the beginning 1 , or from the lime he emerged from the Po, or world of darknesst At Samoa his name was Tangaloa-langi —heavenly Tangaloa. At the Friendly Isles, Tangaloa resides in the sky ; sands forth thunder and lightning ; is god of the carpenters and ail foreigners. At Hawaii his name is Tanaroa j and here, Tangaroa, Among ike New Zealandcra he is the god that reveals secrets. Tangaroa piri whare. He sits by iho side of their houses, hears all their korero (conversation), then carries it to whom it may concern. It is not improbable that he was the original god of the Polynesians ; —perhaps before they inhabited these islands at all. The existence of these names strongly indicates common origin. The similarity, too, of many of their custom?, particularly the universal prevalence of tnpu, all support the fact of the comtiu n origin of these tribes. The next question that arises is, Whence originated the whole? to what great family of the human race do they owe their origin ? whence came they to people the islands of tbesc seas r Some incline to the opinion that their origin was Mexican ; others that it was Malavan. For the latter the evidences are most conclusive. In tracing the origin of the copper-coloured Polynesians, says Mr. Williams, I find no difficulty. At page 504 of his Missionary Enterprises, we read thus—- " Their physical conformation, their general character, and their Malay countenance, furnish, I think, indubitable evidence of their Asiulic origin. But to these proofs must be added the near affinity between the caste of India and the taiu of the South Sea Isles ; the similarity of the opinions which prevailed respecting women, and the treatment they received in Polynesia and bengal, more especially the common practice of forbidding them to eat certain kinds of food, or to partake nay in the presence of men ;—the inhuman conduct to the sick ; the immolation of the wives -* the funeral of their husbands;—and a great mber of games and usages. These, I think i clear indications of the Asiatic origin of is people."

The correspondence between llie languages is especially adduced as most decisive evidence on file subject. Mr. Williams says, " tlie jdcnlily is very remarkable in ilia speech of tlie New Zcnlandcrs, Rarotongans, and others who introduced the nasal sound and the hard consonants." The Malay numerals arc used with senrcely "ny Taiiaticn, and several words are precisely the same, or, with little difference in orthography, have sprung from the same root. The exigence of many Jewish customs furnishes collateral evidence of their Asiatic oripin, vtliich might lead to the conclusion, that either they are descendants of Abraham, or of some race that dwelt conligousto the Hebrews and miicd with and udopted many of their customs. I speak more particularly of the New Zealandcrs with whose customs I am best acquainted. As among the Hebrews the mother was lapu for ti season afier childbirth, so it is among the New Zealanders. She was not allowed to feed herself or engage, in any kind of wo.k Some sacied person was engaged to attend her; and that person litis to be fed by unnilicr; his hands were not permitted to touch any kind of food ; and no common person was allowed to nppioach. The Eastern custom of betrothing too is prevalent to this day. Daughters are frc<|ucntly btt'oihed from their birth, mid the persons to whom they arc promised never forget the claims thus given them. Any breach on the part of the girl's friends has often created a war. The Mosaic law, on the subject of n biother taking to wife a deceased brother's widow, ij n regulation in force anion? the New Zealandfrs the nearest kinsman can claim the widow as his rigid. Among the Hebrews—he who came nigh n corpse was considered unclean, and had certain ablutions to perform before he could come into the congregation,—so among the New Zcalanders. lie who touches a corpse is lapu ; cannot feed himself, nor do any kind of common work till tho lapu is removed. I have seen such an one sitting with his hands behind him being fed by another. The Jewish custom in reference to the firstfruits fii.ds also a similar rite anions: the New Zealanders. The kumira harvest was a sacred season, nil were lapu, and the first kumeras t:iken from the ground were snered 10 the gods, to whom they were oll'ered with yreat solemnity. Mr. Ellis tells us that a similar practice prevails among the Tnhitians. The first fish caught, the first fruits of the orchard and gardens, were always given to the gods, as it was supposed that death would be inflicted on the owner or| the occupant of the land if the god did not receive such acknowledgment. These corresponding customs are at least striking indications of Asiatic origin ; and Mr. Williams has clearly shewn how easy it would be to emigrate from tho Mai iy coast to any of these l.lmds. 'I lioukli their vessels might bo frail, nnd their knowledge of navigation very imperfect, the islands are so numerous and distances are so short, that they niiglu pass freni i»land to Island without difficulty j people the neare»t first, and gradually spread over tho Archipelago. A reference to the map, or to Mr. Williams' " Enterprises," will shew how easily canoes started from the Malay coast or Sumatra could reach these Islands. In his •' Enterprises," p. 507. Mr. W. says,— " Suppose that the progenitors of the present islanders had started from the Malay coast or Sumatra, what would have been tlitir route ? By sailing five degrees, or three hundred miles, they would reach Borneo, then by crossing the Straits of Macassar, which are only about two hundred miles wide, they would arrive at the Celebes. These are eight degrees Irom New Guinea, but the largest islands of Bessey and Ceram intervene Tlie distance from New Guinea to the New Hebrides is twelve hundred miles; but the islands between them are so numerous, that the voyage may be made by short and easy stages, Fiv<; hundred miles from the New Hebrides are the Fijis ; and about three hundred miles farther on, the Friendly Islands. Another stage of five hundred miles brings you to the Navigators ; but, bctwicn these two points, three other groups intervene. I'rom the Navigators to the Hcrvcy Islauds, the distance is about seven hundred miles, and from thence to the Society group about four hundred more. Thus, I think, every difficulty vanishes ; for the longest stag--, in the voyage Irom Sumatra to Tahiti, would be from the Navigators to the Hervey group, seven hundred miles ; and the themselves say thai their prog nitor came from thence.

* See Wcsloyau Mission Report, 1012, p: J3*.

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