MAORI MEMORIES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1938, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES.

CANNIBAL SECRETS AND FLAX. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age”) Macaulay’s History of England, a book no student should miss, even among the mass of good works, compares New Zealand in 1780 with Britain when first invaded by ’ the Romans. Constant warfare was the lot of both; but the Maori compared favourably with the Scottish Highlanders of 1700, with the one exception of the abuse of their sacred communion of cannibal rites.

Captain Cook’s associate, Mr Foster, estimated the Maori population in 1770 as 100,000, but their method of counting (tatau) included only the fighting men, so possibly the numbers were nearer 300,000. Cook observed that the Maoris were without money—“that universal incitement to human' industry.” The then rare misuse of cannibalism furnished seasoned food for vulgar minds. Their intelligent selection of useful articles and their contempt for attractive beads and baubles in commerce, gained the attention of learned and philanthropic people. Dr Franklin’s estimate of their judgment was fully justified when he decided that the ship’ should be loaded with articles for daily use. New Zealand was proposed in the House of Commons as a field for British convicts, but her evil repute for cannibal propensities overcame every other argument. In 1791 Captain Van Couver anchored in Dusky Bay, but not one of the vessels visiting the locality at that period dared to enter a harbour. The silky texture of the Maori-dress-ed harekeke attracted the attention of British factories and the House of Commons; but then as now, no machine could attain the same result. No Maori would disclose their simple secret of scraping the leaf with a pipi shell. A chief and a priest were captured and taken to Norfolk Island, but both declared they knew nothing of the process.