The sun., 1908-12-06
rae DYING MAORI RACE.
white CIviIFzation Fatal 10 the Nativs
e9 New Zealand.


white CIviIszatiOn Fatal 70 tho Natives
e9 New Zealand.
The Maoris Of New Zealand. who have
often beon called the nnest aboriginal
race In tho world. are rapidly passing
away. The causes are described In q
book Just published BY the New Zealand
Institute and written by Arohdeaocn
Walsh. The whole story may bo summed
up In the statement that though European
civilization has brought 10 the natives
many advantages IL realiyaots upon them
Hike an insidious poison and saps the very
essence Of their life.
Several reasons are given for the belief
that when the whites first saw Now Zea-
land the Maoris numbered several hundred
thousand. The latest census showed that
f7.72i Of them were living.
The Maoris were onoe healthy. Wig
orous and prolific race, but the dying
remnant to-day is q people Of lowered
physique and declining birth rate. Arch
deacon Walsh says that nothing can aave
them and that at tho present death rate
Q comparatively short time will witness
their extinction. The Maorts themselves
are aware OF this and look forward with
grim resignation to the hnal extinction
OF their race. They cay:
sThe clover Of the white man killed our
fern. Tho European dog exterminated
the Maori dog. The Maori rat was de-
stroyed by the rat that came here In the
white mans ships: just % our people are
being pushed aside and will be exter-
minated by the Europeans
Ono OF the first steps toward the ex-
tinction Of the Maoris was the acquisition
Of firearms. When they first heard the
explosion OF guns and saw their warriors
drop without apparent cause they said
In their panic: "We can fight against men.
but who can Aght against the godsf'
] They soon learned the efficacy OF guns.
! and their greatest chief, Hongi. conceived
the idea that II he might only procure
plenty Of guns he could make himself
the supreme ruler of the Maoris.
When the British took him to England
quantity Of agricultural implements. He
sold them all In Sydney and bought guns.
The greatest passion In life among the
large part Of the race which he ruled
became the collection Of guns.
For ten years after he had formed his
arsenal Hongi kept the whole country In
fire and bloodshed, and it Is estimated
that fourth Of the whole Maori people
perished in those internecine wars. Owing
to the numbers killed In battle the women
greatly outnumbered the men when the
wars ended, and the poor creatures
utterly demoralized by the vices Of the
whites, were 30 enfeebled In stamina and
health that their descendants to this
day have inherited their physical and
moral dsbaaement. The feoundity Of the
women steadily declined and for many
years the death rate has continually or.
oeeded the rate Of births.
The Maoris have had two desperate
wars with the British, the last Of which
beginning in 1850, continued for ten Year,
and cost the white Government eo0, ,00o, 900
, All tho vigorous and robust men were
! withdrawn from their homes In this
desperate attempt to drive the white men
into the sea, and the women and nom
combatants were overtaxed in their
efforts to produce and transport food to
I the warriors. II was time Of suffering
, and prvation and resulted In the death
, Of tens Of thousands Of natives.
But long before this war causes were
. In operation that were steadily diminishing
the native population. At frst the
/ natives did not take kindly to spirituous
, drink, and in time strong drink became
ruling passion among them. Every fes-
tive occasion and even funerals were the
scene Of unlimited indulgence.
Strange to say. this craze for liquor
after holding the Maoris In bondage foI
several generations began to subsidt
some twenty -aveyears sago. anda drunken
effect Of the evil was not to be undone and
the ohildrenj born under such conditions
and their descendants suffered most.
The partial adoption OF European GUS
toms and ways Of living has also CON
houses built In European style. thetl
clotning fashioned on the European model
have had an injurious efeot upon their
health. There was no reason to be sur
prised At this. because the same effects
had been observed 6mong other prirni'
tive people, s,sm Of sns ,; psSie; I1Sss,v evan,
away and with It their prospeots Of mate.
chiefs made them work In great gang
and the soil and the fisheries gave them
iiberaiiy OF their wealth for the common
good. but for many years the Maor
His crops are likely TO be put In too lsts
The growing season. With the result thsi
the whole people lead q hand TO mouth
existence, and In large districts there Il
q chronic shortage Of provisions and otter
semi-starvadon. Many Of the whit
mans diseases, which the natives nevel
knew before bis edvent. are steadily deoi
mating the raos.
II is becoming rare to see 0 Maori
above tho middle age. Children an
diving wholesale and young men enc
women, apparently robust and healthy
. arc cut down In q few days By fever Snc
quick consumption. The nativee thcm
, selves have abandoned hope,
A Demonstrated Princes.