Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-13

the kaurf gum exporters being among the
chief business men of Auckland.
This gum comes from the hauri pine, n
tree which is often $50 feet high and twelve
feet thick The kauri is about the best
timber of New Zealand and it is largely
used in building and furniture making. The
gum is the remains of the great forests OF
the past which have rotted away, leaving
this imperishable resin. Some of the trees
are barked for their gum like our turpen-
tine trees of the southern states. The most
however, still comes from the deposits In
the swamps.
Among the MaOris.
1t is wonderful how few Maoris you see
in travelling through New Zealand. The
aboriginal New Zealander is fast passing
away. There are now about 10000 left.
They are scattered over the country in
colonies, having their own reservations
and their own villages. They are repre-
scented in parliament by four members. and
they are largely governed by their chiefs,
although subject to the laws of the coun-
trE. L saw many Of them in the North
Island. The better class dress in Euro
pean clothes both men and women af-
fecting bright colors.
The men have magnificent physiques.
They are big. broad-shouldered, heavy
weights, with strong necks, big hands
brown compilations, high cheek bones
with noses more like those of the
Anglo-SaXon than The American Indian.
Nearly all of the men speak English. They
are inOffenSiVe, and even when drunk DO
not raise as much trouble as our American
abOrigines.
The Maori Women.
I rather like the Maori women. They
are not especially good looking, but they
seem we'll disposed, genial and pleasant.
Some of the younger ones are almost beau
tiful. At least, they would be were it not
for their custom Of tattooing cashmere
shawl patterns on their chins and lips The
tattooing turns the cherry red of their lips
to the blackness of INK. In fact, l would
as soon think of kissing an ink bottle as
one of these tattOoed Maori maidenS.
And, still, if you keep your eyes well
raised the experience might he worth the
trial. Many of them have rosy complex
ions. They have luXuriant hair heavy eye
brows and beautiful eyes. liquid black and
full of soul Some of them are clean and
nearly all are intelligent. Their beauty,
however, VaniSheS with years. They age
rapidly, until their faces look like wthered
apples punctured with ink spots.
The Land of the Tattoo.
The Maoris understand the science of
tattoOing. In the past both men and wo-
men covered not only their faces but the
greater parts of their bodies with such
decorations. The grand chiefs had their
faces covered with ornamental spirals
They were tattooed on the thighs and hips
in a Dolly Warden pattern, which often eX-
tended from the knees to the waist, giving
his royal nibs the appearance of having on
q pair of neat-titting trunks.
The women then, as now, We're tattOoed
chiefly on the hips and chin, With sort Of
fish-hOOk curl at the corners of the eyes.
Some of the women had also their thighs
and breasts decorated but | believe this
custom has since disappeared. The tattoo
81 a -
which was driven in with a mallet. The
pain was great that 1t could only be
done in sections, complete job often last
ing for years.
From Cannibalism to Christianity.
When the English first came here the
Maoris were Cannibals. Now they are near
ly all Christians. They have their own
churches and schools, and the most of
them believe in our religion. AS to canni
balism, it was quite general. The tribes
warred with one another, and after a bat
tie there was always a feast of human
flesh, in which the women were not allow
ed to join. 1t was a disgrace to a man to
be eaten, and for one to hint that man 8
father had been eaten was taken an
insult.
have before me paper which
tells just how one Of these Cannibal feasts
was conducted. One corpse was sacrificed
to the god Of war and the remainder were
given up to the braves who had taken part
in the battle. The cooking ovens We're
dug out of the earth. The human flesh
was thrown in and kept there for about
twenty-fOur hours. When it was roasted
the chief had the first bite. then his sons
and then the whole army. The eating was
interspcrsed with singing and dancing and
all gOrgcd themselves TO such an extent
that many died at every banquet. After
the feast was over the remains We're pack
ed up in baskets and sent around to the
neighbOring tribes. If they We're accepted
the tribes We're supposed to have made a
treaty of friendship with the senderS and
to be ready to fight with them thereafter.
The Maoris had Il far higher grade OF
civilization than American Indians
They had society of their own, the peo-
pie of each tribe being divided up into
classes consisting OF priests. chiefs, a mid
die class, lower classes and slaves. They
had their own customs of war and We're so
noted for their bravery that it is doubtful
whether the English could have gained a
foot hold on the island without great loss
OF life had it not been for their dissensions
among themselves.
Their customs Of marriage We're much
like those of Savages in other parts of the
world. Girls We're carried off by force the
friends of the groom and the friends Of the
bride fighting each other Both polygamy
and divorce were allowed and the chiefs
usually had several wives.
They had their own ideas OF religion
their gods being demons who We're feared
rather than reverenced worshiped. The
men We're fishers and hunters, and the wo-
men cooked the food. wove baskets brought
the fire wood and made the clothing and
worked in the fields.
All present the natives diminishing at
the rate of l per cent annually.
FRANK G. CARPENTER