LECTURE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2425, 15 November 1892, Page 3

LECTURE.

The Salvation Army Barracks, Geraldine, was full to the doors on Friday evening, when Lieutenant llawei Francis lectured on the Maoris and their customs. Lieutenant Francis is a Maori by birth. He was born at a place called Peperiki, near the Wanganui river, and, while young, was adopted by a European lady, who got for him a fairly good education. When the Salvation Army got hold of him they sent him up the Wanganui river to labour amongst his own race of people. This he did, and, while there, entered into close communication with the Maori people in all their manners and customs, and thus he is able to give a very correct and amusing account of them. He commenced his lecture by pointing out that although the Maoris have a great deal to learn in the way of civilisation, yet they are vastly superior to the aboriginals of either New Guinea or Australia. In Australia, for instance, where the Lieutenant resided for some years, the natives live in the same primitive uncivilised state to-day as they did 100 years ago at the landing of Captain Cook. They had absolutely made no progress whatever during that period. The lecturer then went on to describe the Australian aboriginal's mode of living, and showed how he lived a lazy, useless life, depending on his wife to do everything. When an aboriginal got hold of a bit of food, as soon as he had filled himself, he threw the bone over his shoulder to his waiting spouse ; as soon as the mother had finished, she slung the bone over her shoulder to a row of halfptarved youngsters, and they in turn passed the remains on to the dogs. As a contrast to this he described the Maori. He always found the Maoris hospitable and generous, and he denied the general belief that because they lived huddled together in a whare that they were immoral. He declared the Maori in his simplicity was noble and pure-minded. The maidens were modest and simple, and daring the whole time that he lived with the Maoris he never once saw any misdemeanour or immodesty. The Maoris in everything were honest and straightforward. He then went on to depict a model Maori village, with its beautifully carved whares and well arranged streets, and touched on some of their "customs, habits, traditions, and superstitions. He spoke of the great " tangi" that was held whan Hemiteao, the Maori chief, died, and said they bought £SOO worth of grog and had a three weeks' spree. The Lieutenant next rendered a few Maori songs, gave a description of their songs and dances, and translated a chapter of the Maori bible into English. His account of the Maori wit was very comical. He told of an old Maori chief, on a visit to Wanganui, who asked a storekeeper how gunpowder was made. The storekeeper said " Oh, it grows ?" and the old Maori took some home with him to sow. It happened that someone saw him sowing the gunpowder and told him the storekeeper had been "having" him. On his next visit to town the storekeeper asked him when he ■was going to pay for the gunpowder. "Oh!" he replied, "when it grows." One Sunday, an old Maori woman, while coming from a public house with a bottle of rum, was bailed up by a policeman. He said " Who gave you this rum 1" She replied " You give me a drink of it, and I •will tell you." The policeman handed her the bottle and repeated his question, but this time the reply was " You did." The policemen felt quashed. The Lieutenant related a number of other anecdotes of events which had happened in his own experience, and then concluded a most interesting and instructive lecture. Lieutenant Francis has received his marching orders from Geraldine and will be leaving after this week.