The free press., 1894-08-16
MAORIS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING.
The Finest of the Polynesians No Longer
t,ar Out white Visitors

The Finest of the Polynesians No Longer
Bar Out white Visitors.
The barriers reared by the Maoris
of New Zealand against the outside
world are at last Frustrated, says the
New York Sun. 1t will surprise all
who know their strange story to hear
the news that Mr.. Seddon, the pre-
mier of New Zealand, brought to
Wellington a month ago He had
been travelling through the King
Country, which for many years was
forbidden ground to all white men,
Chief after chief told him that here
after there would be for them only
the law of the Queen Of England.
Tawhiao, Maori King, also wrote,
asking for an interview and saying
that he wished to follow the example
Of the chiefs; so the king and the
most important men In the big Maori
district has been invited to visit
Wellington during the next session
of Parliament. Forty years ago.
when the Maoris drew the aukati, OF
sacred boundry line, the English IN
New Zealand were not desirous to IN.
cur the opposition of over so, 900 ma
tives. Exclusive possession Of thCif
lands had already been promised 10
the tribes; and the Europeans mate
no protest when the natives drew
their boundary line around large
part of this reserve, named 1t the
King Country, declared that the white
men should make no roads within
the area, and forbade them, under
penalty of death, to enter the land.
Until quite recently the Maoris
conducted themselves as they pleased
In the King Country. Eleven years
ago this large district in the North
Island had not been surveyed, its re-
markable geographical and geologi-
cal features were almost unknown,
and the maps of 1t were merely out
lines. Then the Englishman Kerry
Nichols was bold enough to enter
the country in spite of the prohibi-
tion Of the Maori king. After q
Journey of 600 miles, during which
be collected great deal Of fresh in.
formation, he returned unscathed.
After this the government secured
permission from the ntaive chiefs to
survey route for a railroad through
the King Country.
MaOris are widely scattered over
the North Island, but for many year,
thousands of natives have confined
themselves to the region from which
they have wholly excluded the white
race, that has pressed closely around
the forbidden area. 1t Is not until
this late day, when the white popu.
laton of New Zealand numbers abous
700, 900 souls, when it is no longer
to retain the role of semi-independ.
ence. that the proud Maoris have an
last bowed to their Inevitable fate OF
complete subsection to the will OF
the white cOnquerOrs. We are in
clined to think that the latest phase
Of the Maori question Will only
hasten their eXterminatiOn. The
finest specimens Of the PolynesiaD
race, they, like all their kinsmen
scattered over the Pacific, are hasten.
ing on the way toward total extinc.
tion. All of them, outside the King
Country, are nominally converts tc
Christianity, and have adopted many
of the ways of Caucasian civilization.
Those who have been most Influenced
by contact with the white newcomers
have most rapidly diminished In
numbers, and now the last strong
hold of the Maoris will before long bt
permeated by the influences of civil
ization, which seem to have upor
the hapless Polynesians the effect o.
q poisonous atmosphere in which
they cannot live.