MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 December 1939, Page 9

MAORI MEMORIES

MAORI INTELLECT. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) Writers who have studied the aboriginals of other countries, comparing and contrasting them with the Maori, are amazed to find so little in common, and so much diversity in custom, character, thoughts, habits, and intelligence. Had this marked difference appeared in another hemisphere or between races near the opposite poles them would be less reason to ask why. Bur the physical, mental and spiritual crudences of the aboriginal Australian as compared with the Maori only a few weeks canoe journey apart, is a source of wonder even to the Maori people. With greater variety in wider fields and climate, rich animal life, and irn need for intermarriage and its degeneracy. we would not expect to find the low sloping forehead. poor physical form crude language, and inability to count beyond "five" as in the Australian Black. As for laws, customs, and religion or any reasonable guidance or evolution, if they had any we have no record. The Maori, on the other hand, with his limited field of action developed an intelligence, a memory, and personal resource which compared favourably with those of people ten centuries ahead of them in what we call civilisation.

Their habit of silent contemplation even caused them to embarrass our intelligent early teachers in theological subjects by asking how the children of the first man and woman in the Garden overcame the degeneracy from intermarriage. The only reply to this was "that is a profane thought, and strictly forbidden,” but. it proved a bar to the Maori conversion.