Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19
About tie M)aori8
tves of the Land of the Wingless Bird Who Are Be
ing Reached BY Outstanding and Civilizng
Infuences--They Are the People Who
Originated Nose-rubbing Custom

By WILLIAM EDGAR CELL. r. r. @. 8.
Copyright 1908. by Church News Association9
New Zealand Is a batch of islands lying
a long way from everywhere. And the
New Zealanders are q long way In advance
Of many more pompous peoples. Every
Islander loves his sea-girt country, and.
I am glad also to say. thinks kindly. even
affectionately. Of his dark skinned native
race. Here are no paupers. no miiiionaires.
no strikes! But the Land boasts OF wing
less birds. flying fish and q lizard which
moved so slowly that 1t was left out of the
ark. Here are also to be found the Maoris,
who. In a few score years. have changed
from cannibals to politicians. Some sour.
inquisitive people ask What is the DIFF
ference?" I leave the question 10 be an
swered by the ghosts of departed warrior
chiefs and the shades OF the toaEtmasters
at banquets on human flesh.
The oldest and the youngest Of the popu-
lation In New Zealand receive great care.
This Is a proper expression of humanixed
population. Every one in civilization agrees
that wee ones. the very young. should have
the best care which conscience. culture and
Christianity can provide. But the number
who hold that equal consideration should be
given to extreme old age Is unfortunately
out of proportion to the need. In New
Zealand there are pensions for Old people.
In New Zealand there are sheep railway
excursions for young people. 1t is not an
infrequent sight. that Of train loads Of
children being brought into the cities
at a rate Of four miles for 1 cent,
and. vice versa. strings of railroad car
riages bullying out with city children en-
route to the beauties and exhilarations of
the rural districts.
Geographically. geoiogically and ethno-
logically. these islands are packed with in
terest. In the realm Of mineralogy there
Is plenty for the scientist and the financier
The tourist sees Mount Cook and its con-
tiguous mountains. with their dark heads
enveloped in sheets of snow and tie valleys
flied with living green. The North island
particularly is a mixture OF Paradise and
colored birds. trees of semi-tropical aspect
and q wide range Of landscape suggest
the first home of Mr. and Mrs. Adam. And
then the active mud puddles, hot springs,
squirting. sparkling geysers and smoking
mountains tell of regions closely aided to
the internal tract.
A glimpse Of the Maori race. Whence
came these nose-rubbing. wood-carving.
mystical. parable-speaking. copper-colored
people Of the wonderland of New Zealand?
The Maoris. being a wandering. shifting
race without literature or historical rec
ords. their knowledge of the past being
wholly confined to oral tradition, little can
with accuracy be said of their origin. Eth
biologists attempting to trace theiI wander
ings find that they trod lightly on the soil
and their naked footprints were long since
obliterated. was the lot of many of their
abiding places, by volcanic eruptions, tidal
waves and invading hosts. with all the
carnage and devastation accompanying in
tertrfbal wars.
Whence are these good-natured,- orator.
loving folk going? 1t may be that the
wonderful vigor and splendid physique of
the Maoris will preserve the race. They
arc come out of the darkness of the past,
chased by a strange and tenacious destiny
from their birthplace. and unless Chris
tianity rescues them they are doomed, like
other unfortunate people. to humiliation
before their time. In the meantime they
furnish a study of markud interest.
1t Is offered that as their idea Of creation
is identicai with the Peruvian, the Maoris
came from the west coast of South Amer
lea. The argument Is scarcely worthy Of
serious attention, for Max Muller says that
the idea of the creation is similar in all
cosmogonies. The Maori legends relate that
the people came from an island in the
south Pacific which would have been but
a resting place. This is sufficient for our
present requirements. leaving 1t for For
nander, Tregear. Hale and Muller, and
forty other philologists, to give 1t as their
opinion that the roots or the language of
Polynesia are from the Sanscrit.
The last census gives the Maori popula-
tor as AZ, ISL. which is an increase of 1928.
Too much store must not be made Of this
increase, because the figures of the previous
census may have been inaccurate. found
however. a consensus OF opinion among
men who know things about the Maoris