Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-04-01
The New Zealand Natives.


The men are tall aud we'll formed. the
features regular, complexion from iiqbt
brown to darker shades of that color.
hair black and generally straight. Many
Of them are splendid looking fellows
with tbcir muscular and we'll formed
limbs they look every inch the noble
savage. Their powers Of endurance are
very great they are intelligent, quick
to learn, anl have splendid memories.
In trade they are shrewd, in morals
licentious.
They are n very inquisitive set. When
was living in Auckland a Maori was
one day passing the store and saw me
working a sewing machine he appeared
very much interested, came in aud
watched me some time, and then went
away. An hour after he came back with
several companions, and | was requested
to work the machine again. For week
! had no peace all the Maoris, think,
for miles around, came TO see the machine,
and at last they became such nuisance
that | would not allow them in the store
Some of them are good speakers. and
very clever in argument. They must
have a clear space Of at least thirty feet,
and at every sentence the speaker rams,
jumps, and dances down this space.
Running backward he gains time 10
think of what shall follow, aud down be
comes, dancing, with another sentence.
AS warriors, they are superior to any
savage nation in the world. They have
studied war as a science have good
knowledge OF engineering, and are brave
and active.
At bush-fgh;Ing one Ml0ri Is more than a
match for five white soldier In all other
countries tina; England has cOionizeI little re-
gard has been paid to the clai" of the natives
10 their own land but, in New ZEALAND. Gov.
ernment was forced to acknowledge the claims
OF the Naoris.
At Wellington / once saw rather
comical sight, showing how the chiefs
ape the whites. The steamer was just
about to sail, when hurrying down the
wharf came Maori, dressed as follows:
"a black f. fockcoat, black waistcoat,
black silk hat, white shirt and fancy
neck-iie; in one hand an umbrella and
in tbe other a new poutmanteau /; but
without pdntaIOORS or boots. They were
probably in the porimanteau. All trav.
elers carried baggage, SO be thought he
h'"se ~ sih, N'Nh IL ~ hCNCsolbhbGd bHG
taking off of some of his clothing.
The Maori mode of salutaiion is some
what peculiar, and especially SO when
the friends have not met for sometime.
Instead of shaking hands or kissing,
/ they rub their noses together for several
minutes, and then, sitting on the ground,
sway their bodies to and fro, all the time
shedding tears copiously, and talking
most mournfully in sing-song strain.
The crying is not necessarily because
some relative or friend has died, it is
simply custom of the people.
They begin their war-dance BY jump
ing, clapping the hands on the thighs,
and giving utterance to short, peculiar
noise from the throat, like ''Hu Huw
They all keep perfect time in this, and
as they continue the motions become
quicker and more exciting. Soon come
horrible grimaces, rolling of the eyes un-
til the whites only can be seen, thrust
ing out the tongue, and yelling in their
fury and excitement they sometimes tear
off what clothing they may have on,
and with violent gestures aud contor-
tons of body they continue until exhaus-
tion compels Them to desist.-E from
Life IN the Caanibag Lslanas," in
.Scri6ner'S for April