Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 12.djvu/190

158 appear to have reached the third stage of colour-sense development, when all at once the arrival of Europeans revealed to them the entire scale of colours possessed by the highest races of mankind. But although even elderly natives can now readily distinguish blue and brown, as distinct from each other, and from black, I do not think that any of the race see violet, magenta, orange, or any of the paler tints of any colour as we do. I have already alluded to the æsthetic taste of the Maori; their employment of such colours as they knew—red, black, and white—in scroll-painting and other kinds of decorative art, never offended the eye, and the effect produced was always pleasing. But no one can say so now their range of colours is so much wider.

They seem to have lost all sense of harmony in colouring, and to be blind to the hideous effects their false combinations produce. While only a few have had an opportunity of seeing the glaring mistakes made by the uninstructed native painters, in the use of varied colours, most persons have had an opportunity of observing the incongruous colours in which a Maori belle arrays herself, when seeking to attract admiration in our streets. Her mode of adornment proves that her sense of colour is still very defective. She knows each colour by name, but she has an imperfect mental conception of it, and therefore cannot realize what a fright she makes herself by wearing colours that will not harmonize.

The sensations produced by colours upon the organs of the colour-blind, are thus described by Mr. Pole:—"They see white, and black, and grey, just like other people, provided they are free from alloy with other colours. Yellow and blue they see, if unalloyed; and these are the only two, excepting black and white, of which they have any sensation. Red is merely yellow, shaded with black or grey; and green, orange, and violet, are confounded with black, red, white, and grey."

On comparing Mr. Pole's remarks with the evidence submitted in this paper, it will be seen that the Maoris were not colour-blind. For although, in common with the colour-blind, they confounded the lighter tints of several different colours, they, unlike them, could distinguish red and green, and were blind to blue.

The rapidity with which they have learnt to distinguish the colours unrecognized by them till pointed out by Europeans, seems to indicate that their want of previous perception was not the result of imperfect organization, but only of imperfect education. The only apparent difference between the Maori organ for discerning colour and that of the European was, that it was less cultivated.