ORIGIN OF MAORIS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1011, 30 June 1930, Page 1

ORIGIN OF MAORIS

PACIFIC ARCHAEOLOGIST’S INTERESTING WORK

MOVEMENTS OF “GREAT RACE’

In New Caledonia Mr. Arthur Vogan, F.R.G.S., a noted archaeologist, is unearthing evidence of what he thinks may prove to be the old centre of that ancient civilisation and sun-culture which came originally from the “Great Race” which once occupied what is now the Gobi Desert and which ultimately gave the Maoris to the Pacific.

It is a fascinating work, and in volves long and arduous days of ex ploration, inquiry and personal dis

comfort. Mr. Vogan arrived from Sydney this morning by the Aorangi and will go on to Fiji tomorrow. There he hopes to find the answers to several conundrums (as he calls them) which obtain in his chief seat of inquiry, New Caledonia. After spending some time in Fiji Mr. Vogan will go back to Noumea to continue his quest. In his possession Mr. Vogan has a wonderful collection of ancient fabrifacts illustrating the advance of Asian sun-culture in the Pacific. These may eventually find a home in the Auckland War Memorial Museum which desires to have them. At one time Mr. Vogan worked as a journalist and artist on an Auckland newspaper. His brother, now well known in London, designed the Devonport dockyard. “My speciality is following the clues connected with the ancient symbolisms of the early inhabitants of the islands of the Western Pacific,” he stated this morning, on the Aorangi. Mr. Vogan, in the books he has writ-

m on the subject, describes the anient inhabitants of the former Gobi ►esert as the “great race.” They were

driven southward by the breaking up of their home-lands and came south through the Indus (ancient Sindhu) into the Persian Gulf and gave the Phoenicians and gipsies to Europe and the Sindhs (or Scinds), Malays and Maoris to the Pacific. RESEARCH IN NEW CALEDONIA From 1921 to 1922 Mr. Vogan carried on research work in New Caledonia, where he says there are very wonderful wood and stone carvings which will some day attract much attention. At present the country is very rough and travelling is difficult —so difficult in fact that the ordinary tourist does not see much of the interesting carvings. To the archaeologist, he says. New Caledonia is a wonderful place. Unfortunately, Mr. Vogan strained his heart while he was working there and was forced to return to Australia to recuperate. Now that he is well again he is setting out on further exploration, in the hope of definitely proving his theory. Mr. Vogan has received every assistance from the French authorities in New Caledonia, and Sir Dudley De Chair and Sir Philip Game, past and present Governors of New South Wales, have both interested themselves in the great work he has undertaken. Today Mr. Vogan spent some time with Mr. Gilbert Archey. administrator of the War Memorial Museum, to discuss the collection of curios which may soon be housed in Auckland. This much-travelled man has been in turn artist, author and archaeologist. He has been a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. England, since 1886; he is a member of the Polynesian Society and the National Geographical Society of the United States, and has always been concerned with Pacific migrations research. For many years in Australia he was artist-correspondent for the ‘lllustrated London News.” That was before the days of the camera. His writings include ‘‘Black Police,” which was published by Hutchinson. Tarawera,” ‘‘A Rice Across Australia,” “The Rule of the Red-Haired” and “Dangers of Local Government.” In his early Auckland days Mr. Vogan was captain of the City Rowing Club. Despite his interesting work, Mr. Vogan is little known to the general public. “I’m better known in London than New Zealand,” he remarked this morning.