Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 9 Supplement.djvu/13

Rh

New Members.—H. C. Wilmer, W. D. Campbell, C.E., F.G.S., J. Burne.

1. "Notes on the Traditions and Manners and Customs of the Mori-oris." by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 15.)

Mr. Seed, in answer to the President, said he had visited the Chatham Islands officially in 1858, and what he then observed agreed, in almost every respect, with the interesting paper just read; his only doubt was whether the Mori-oris had any knowledge of the manufacture of fine flax mats, as he found none among them at that date, and he was inclined to think that they had learned the art from the Maoris of New Zealand. The fact was that seal-skin dresses were obtained so easily, and were so much more serviceable, that they had quite lost the art of weaving the finer mats. He was especially impressed with the similarity in the construction of their huts to those of the Samoa group, which he had more recently visited. Although he had some knowledge of the Maori language, he found it quite impossible to understand the Mori-ori. He made a census of the population and, by comparison, found that the decrease was quite extraordinary.

Captain Mair said that his visit had only been one of a few days' duration, so that his observations were not so complete as he could wish. Although well acquainted with the Maori language, he experienced great difficulty in obtaining information from the Mori-oris, who seem to avoid using their own language. He did not quite agree with the author regarding the individual ownership of the Karaka trees, as these trees covered a third of the island, and their fruit must be more abundant than the small number of the inhabitants could consume. He also differed from the author as to the mode of burial, as he observed corpses stretched out in the horizontal position, as well as in the crouching posture described by Mr. Travers. He considered there were two distinct races, as among the Maori—as individuals were met having a curious mixture of two kinds of hair, partly light and partly dark coloured, and of both coarse and fine texture. This character could only be accounted for by a mixture of races. At the time of his visit the Mori-oris numbered only 115, there being 11 more, women than men, and only 3 children. He thought the race was dying out rapidly.

Mr. J. T. Thomson regretted that no vocabulary of the Mori-ori language was available. He had endeavoured to procure one through the Hon. Mr. Reynolds, but as yet without success. He thought that an examination of a few of the primary words of the language would suffice to show whether the affinity of the language was to the Malagasi, Malay, or Javanese. He hoped the influence of the Society would be used in getting a vocabulary, however imperfect, of this expiring race. From what he had gathered, the language was so different from Maori that the English alphabet would not suffice for its expression. At the same time, from the paper just read, it would appear that their mythology was the same as that of the Malay races.

Dr. Hector had ascertained from Sir George Grey, that he had full records of the Mori-oris in his possession, which would no doubt be available for publication. Among the papers of the New Zealand Institute there were also brief traditions in the Mori-ori language, the collection of which had been commenced under the direction of Mr.