The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-12
SOME NEW BOOKS.
New Zealands Native Race.

equally fond OF those OF hls neighDoT
baked industrious all his days. he wa
without store devoted to truth. he wa
yet a liar in grain; the bravest Of men
he was swayed by nsensate terror, con
servative Of the type in his family. he wa
prodigal Of the individual: such. in fine
a congeries Of oontrad otorics a. to stamf
him altogether man, yet none the les'
difficult 10 comprehen when this has
been said
To render a consistent account Of the race
has been the task set be ore Edward Ire
gear in The Maori Race "A. b. willis
WanEanui New Zealand. For the student
Of the Polynesian peoples il IL a storehouse
Of facts each one supported by the best OF
authority For the lay reade- it forms a
smooth and interesting narrative of the
life OF savage community which proves
abundanty worthy Of such attention a.
may DO given IT, Seldom indeed has such
a combination been so happily made with
; out sacrifice Of scientific accuracy on the
one hand and without a slnckening Of the
readers interest on tho other To the task
Mr. Tregear has come with qualifications
not to be surpassed by those of any student
in New Zealand and certainly NOT to be
attained Wy any investigate outside that
colony under the Southern Cross. A.
Secretary of the Ministry Of Labor of his
colonv ne bos been brought into close a4so-
ciatiop With tbo-e educated Naoris who
are upholding the interests Of their people
Ia the colonial legislature He has written
much on the Polynesian race, with rarticu
lar incidence upon the lngustics Of the
Pacific. He las served a president OF
the great New Zealand Institute. He is
little more than n ve.,r ont of fine chair Of
tho poIv,osio, Sol,o,y th,t obo..n land
or enthusiasts in vew Zenland In tine islc.
~ tine seo o,d GA, ,rcr. ra,,,,to hefors
whose keen investigation the secrets Of
the mvster, Of Polynesia are becoming an
omen scrou
Coreacr,tod from, t,;,tb ,t.o, l,.roro 10
tn the ere,t god of war the Maori was
aIwovs NJ his host A. n f,b,ipc r,an He
&c not rho onIv s,y,ga sho has onnosad
courage and dash to the soldiers of the
British line vet few have excelled him in
that lower reolli.ite of the warrior. But
beyond this the Maori wars will he long re-
,neub ered for the skill in tactical dispo-
eitions and the genius in mventlug new
methods Of the old tale of war with which /
the Maori chieftains set kriegspiel problem |
before British commanders which was never /
eaRilN. and not ALWAYS successfully. solved ]
In fact the Maori exists in peace TODAY in .
New Zealand not as one battled down by
superior might but as AN ally ENJOYING by
right Of treaty his own In TIN. and in
more neaceful wavs the condition md tbe
custom Of the Msori NAV serve n. the vet
surviyinR antetype Of the c,lriouslv inter
esting experiments in national economies
now being prosecuted bv the higher race in
has attained 10 much the same idea of com
which the lower has practi, ed
from time immemorial
Nor is this work of intelligent research
upon the Maori devoid of a closer annlica-
ton to some of the problems Of dominion
over sea which we are called upon to face
Some scholars regard the Tagalor Of the
Philippines. others the Cbamorro Of Guam.
as of the same ethnio stock as the Maori
Without more than noting this nossil,ilitv
here arc two Of orr new r9oaseesions where
va are brought face 70 eace With rrol,leus
n adrninistrstioD ~ raorles ,l,no., co.,.,,s
german ~ tho Nav iceland ,rihesrror
-hese bejno in Hawaii md in r,,t,,iI, vvi,b
ia outliers-a vanishing rac, in the Nor,b
Pacific. one in a resting alta 20 south ~ the
line. No race Of savage man has ever
spread over n vvider rs,,. 80 o,r,h ,h.n
the Polyneeian. that folk which in frai
canoes has put ont unon uncomnas.ed
sea and has limited its dauntless eynlora.
ton only with the last speck Of habitable
earth between the utmost confne. Of the |
Pacific OF all the kindred folk the Maori
represents the finest flower OF the race
10 the north the scene opens with Kane
hameha fighting down in turn each moi or
petty king of each island in our nresep,
territory OF Hawaii. vet in - century rho
fighting fury Of Kamebsmeha che Great
had descended to such reprearntanon no
the comic tinsel OF a David Kols-
kaua To the east the last Pomara
OF Tabiu found oblivion as a di.snluie
puppet Of France In the central sea
the last of the great Polynesisns nasaed
when George Tubou Of Tonga xea ried
with weight OF vean5 But in New Zealand
the old stock had found new strength IN
n less eneryatinR climate tbe condition.
under which life had become a -truggle
unwonted to tropical Polvnesians gave
them a reserve vitality which secures them
= chance and more than a chance 10 sur
yive in the new conditions forced ,,nor