![The Maori of the immediate past were noted for the extraordinarily
elaborate tattooing or, rather, carving, which embellished their faces
and, sometimes, their hips. When the Pakeha arrived a Maori with
beard, whiskers or moustache was as rare as the moa; for tattooing
necessitated a smooth face, and each warrior was careful to pull out
every offending hair from cheek, lips and chin.[25] Thus, neither the
process nor the result was interfered with, and this was important,
for every line, curve or mark of any kind had its significance.
Tattooing was by no means universal among the Polynesians, and
the Maori tradition is firm that the faces of the immigrants from
Hawaiki were innocent of tattoo, or moko, as the Maori method is
styled, while beards were worn or not, according to individual taste.
It has always been a principle with savages to frighten their enemies
by noise, facial contortions, masks, weird head-dresses and so on.
When the Maori began to quarrel and fight, it occurred to one genius
that a tremendous moral effect would be produced upon the enemy
if he—the genius—were to blacken his face before going into battle.
One would hardly suppose that a shade only two or three degrees
deeper than the original would bring about any startling result; but
our genius evidently succeeded, for the next time his tribe took the
field the faces of all were black as the back of Tui, the Parson-bird.
Then it occurred to a wise old chief, named Rauru, that, if something
permanent could be devised, much time and trouble would be
saved. Remembering a visit he had paid to an island where tattooing
was in force, he called a council and vigorously advocated the
adoption of the practice. The suggestion was accepted and, as the
process of moko is decidedly painful, there must have been many
wry faces while it was being carried into effect.
No doubt, when their faces had been rendered sufficiently terrifying,
this particular tribe had things all their own way for a time. But there
is a sincere form of flattery known as imitation and, once the secret
leaked out, matters took a turn. Before Te Ika A Maui was many
moons older, every able-bodied man on the Island had tricked out](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-15-320.jpg)
![his face in the new style, and was ready to meet the inventors upon
equal terms.
Note.—Tattoo is a Polynesian word, not in use among the
Maori. A skilful professor of the art of moko and whakairo
(face and body decoration) was held in rare esteem.
Instances are on record of slaves having vastly improved
their status by the artistic use of the lancet and mallet
employed in tattooing.
FOOTNOTES:
[19] White man. Literally, "stranger," as opposed to Maori,
"native."
[20] Really, He mea hi no Maui, "A thing fished up by Maui."
[21] Mount Egmont.
[22] Metrosideros robusta. It belongs to the myrtle order, and is
one of the most ornamental trees in the New Zealand bush.
[23] Clianthus puniceus. New Zealand pea.
[24] A variety of clematis. In the flowering season the effect of
the white stars amid the dark green of the overhead foliage is
most beautiful.
[25] This was done with a pair of cockle-shells, which in
Maoriland represented the volsellae of the Romans, and our
modern tweezers.
CHAPTER III
THE LAND TO WHICH THEY CAME
Where Nature is constantly in a tempestuous mood, where
volcanoes spout and earthquakes convulse, and where, on the other](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-16-320.jpg)
![hand, "Man comes in with his strife" against Nature herself,
comparatively few years may suffice to bring about great changes
and to alter the face of a country almost beyond recognition.
Thus, the New Zealand on whose shores the Maori landed differed
materially from the New Zealand of to-day. Not only has Nature
cruelly destroyed some of the most beautiful of the vestiges of
creation, but the white man has cleared off scrubs, eradicated
forests, said with effect to the sea, "thus far and no farther," and, by
radically altering the original features of the country, has actually
influenced the climate.
New Zealand is a land in every way desirable. Save for a trick Nature
has of tumbling into convulsions now and then, it is hard to see how
any land could have been created more beautiful, more comfortable,
more blessed. Not large; indeed, a kind of "Pocket Venus" among
countries; for, though there have been smaller, there have been
none more beguiling to the senses, more charming to the eye, more
responsive to the attentions of its lords. Surely, from such a soil
must spring a worthy race.
Before colonisation, and for some time after, New Zealand included
only the North Island, the Middle Island,[26] and Stewart Island, and
was in area about one-seventh less than that of the United Kingdom.
No; not a large country; but packed to overflowing with good and
desirable things, and lacking much that is undesirable.
Early in the present century the Cook, or Hervey, Islands were
included in the colony; an interesting addition, because Rarotonga,
the largest of the group, is said to be the island where the
emigrating Maori built some of their canoes for the voyage to Te Ika
A Maui, and where they rested when Hawaiki lay far behind them.
The new boundaries of the Dominion of New Zealand embrace
several other island groups.
Hawaiki lay within the tropics, while the northern extremity of New
Zealand is a clear eleven degrees south of Capricorn. As the country
tails southward, it falls more within the temperate zone, until, as](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-17-320.jpg)
![Stewart Island is reached, the latitude corresponds almost exactly
with that of Cornwall in England.
Coming thus from a hot climate to one warm indeed, but cooler than
that to which they had been accustomed, it behoved the Maori
without delay to make some alteration in their dress. At first they
used coverings made from the skins of their dogs; but this was
expensive, so they presently began to look elsewhere for what they
wanted. Like most peoples unvexed by over-education, they were
keen observers, and it was not long before they found the very thing
they required.
One day, a certain Te Matanga,[27] The Knowing One, took matters
in hand. Winter was coming, and girdles of cocoa-nut fibre would
scarcely suffice to keep out the cold. For some time he discovered
nothing likely to be useful, and it was in a disconsolate mood that he
stood at the edge of an extensive swamp and wondered what was to
become of his friends and himself.
The swamp was covered with plants whose like Te Matanga had
never seen. Each grew in the fashion of a thick bush; but the leaves
—there were no branches—were flat and tapering, yet stiff and
irrefragable, while they towered, upstanding, half as high again as
the height of a man. Moreover, the leaves were so tough, that Te
Matanga had some ado to cut through one with his flint knife.
Flowers upon long stalks were in the bushes, and the plant with a
red blossom was larger than that which bore a yellow blossom,
though both were stately. And, perceiving that there were two
varieties of the plant, Te Matanga named the finer Tihore and the
larger Harakeke.[28]
When he had prodded here and sliced there, and observed the
leaves to be full of strong fibre, Te Matanga immediately perceived
that he had found that which he had set out to seek and, his anxiety
upon the score of clothing relieved, he began to feel hungry and
thirsty. The swamp water did not look inviting and, while he
deliberated, he aimlessly plucked a flower and regarded it.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-18-320.jpg)
![deep woods. Kuri, the dog, and Maungarua, the rat, they also ate;
for Maungarua[29] multiplied exceedingly, while Kuri took to the bush
and ran wild.
Ngara,[30] the lizard, frisked in the sunshine; but no son of Maui
looked upon him if it could be avoided; for Ngara were dread beasts,
in whose bodies the spirits of the dead found an abiding-place. Even
such stalwarts as Ngahue and Te Turi would blanch at sight of any of
that terrible race. Moreover, Taniwha,[31] the great, the horrible,
whom to mention was unsafe, and to set eyes upon was to perish,
was not he, too, a lizard? Nay; close the eyes and mutter a
karakia[32] should Ngara cross your path.
How blessed the Maori were in the absence of other reptiles they did
not learn till much later. Australia abounds in snakes, from the huge
carpet-snake, cousin to the boa, to the "deaf-adder," whose bite is
almost certainly fatal; but in New Zealand, as in Ireland, not even a
toad is to be found wherewith to point the sweetness of the "uses of
adversity."
The clever men now sought food among the birds, and found on
land pigeons, plovers, rails, ducks, quails and parrots innumerable.
Of these last, one, the kakapo, was almost as big as a fowl, like
which it ran about the ground, feeding; for its wings were short and
feeble, and it rarely used them except to fly from a bough to the
earth and up again. Conscious of its weakness, it chose the late
twilight or the night for its rambles, hiding away during the day. Like
so many of the interesting birds of New Zealand, it is now nearly
extinct.
Among sea-birds, many of which were eaten, particular choice was
made of Titi,[33] the Mutton-bird. These birds flew inland at night,
and the Maori, anticipating their coming, would choose a likely spot
upon the verge of a cliff and build a row of fires. Behind these they
lurked, armed with sticks and, as the birds, attracted by the light,
flew past, they were knocked over in immense numbers. As the flesh
was oily, they were preserved in their own fat, packed in baskets of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-21-320.jpg)
![seaweed and stored until winter, when they formed a staple and
highly flavoured dish. The inland tribes made annual pilgrimages to
the coast for the purpose of procuring a supply of mutton-birds.
Of all the birds which the Maori found on their arrival the most
singular were those which are either extinct or fast becoming so.
These were the Struthidae, or wingless birds,—such as the ostrich,
the rhea, and the emu,—which were represented in New Zealand by
the gigantic moa[34] and the kiwi.[35]
The moa was long ago exterminated by the Maori, who saw in its
huge bulk magnificent prospect of a feast of meat. All that is left of
it to-day are bones in various museums, one or two complete
skeletons, and a few immense eggs.
There were several species of this bird, the largest of them from
twelve to fourteen feet in height; but, huge as they were, they
appear to have possessed little power of self-defence, though a kick
from one of their enormous legs and long-clawed feet would have
killed a man. But, like all wingless birds, they were shy and timid,
never coming to a knowledge of their strength; so they fell before a
weaker animal, but one of infinitely greater ingenuity.
The bones of birds are filled with air, for the sake of warmth and
lightness; but the leg bones of the moa, like those of a beast, and
unlike those of any known bird, were filled with marrow.
Diminutive in size, and in appearance even more extraordinary than
its cousin, the moa, is the kiwi, as the Maori named the apteryx from
its peculiar cry. Several species were plentiful in the Islands, but
some of them have become extinct, and the rest are fast
disappearing. The Maori attract the bird by imitating its call and, as it
is rather stupid, it is easily caught and killed.
The kiwi was served up at table, as were most things in New
Zealand which walked or swam or flew; but what gave it surpassing
value in Maori eyes was its plumage of short, silky feathers, whose
beauty they were quick to recognise, and which they employed in](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-22-320.jpg)
![fashioning one of the rarest and most ornamental of their mats
(kahu-kiwi).
There was little difficulty about the erection of houses and forts, the
building of canoes, the shaping of spears and clubs. Given the ability
to construct, there was material in plenty. Throughout the land
spread magnificent forests, whose plumed tops waved above trunks
uprearing one hundred feet, or more, some of them of an age well-
nigh incredible. Few and short appeared the years of man beside the
life of the giant kauri[36] which for close upon four thousand years
had towered there, stately emperors in a company of kings.[37] How
brief the age of their forest court compared with their own—the
totara[38] with its eight hundred years of life, the rimu[39] with its six
hundred, the matai[40] with its four hundred. What are they beside
the dominant kauri? Mortals, looking up to an immortal.
Crowded in those forests primeval were trees bearing wood with
capacity for every class of work to which man could put his hand.
Trees with wood of iron hardness; trees with wood so soft that it fell
away in silky flakes at the touch of the knife; trees with wood of
medium consistence, durable as stone; trees whose wood under the
hands of the artist-polisher took on a beauty indescribable; trees
whose bark was rich in all that the tanner needs; trees which yielded
invaluable resin and turpentine; trees which gave up no less valuable
tar and pitch; trees which could be reduced to wood-pulp for the
making of paper when the time for that should come: all these there
were, and more.
So the Maori set to work, building houses and forts, and hewing out
canoes. For the last, those who dwelt in the north chose the great
trunks of the kauri, often forty feet in circumference, and of such
diameter that a tall man with outspread arms could not stretch from
rim to rim of the cross section. In the south they used the totara,
likewise a pine, and great, but a pigmy beside the imperial kauri.
While the builders built, explorers traced the swiftly flowing rivers
from source to sea, or gazed with awe at the snow-capped peaks](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-23-320.jpg)
![and glimmering glaciers. Others moved northwards towards those
giant mountains from whose cones poured tall pillars of smoke,
threatening shadows of dire events to come, or stood upon the
shore of a lake, marvelling to find the water hot instead of cold.
Imagine one, agape with curiosity, holding in his hand a dead kuri,
designed for dinner. Suddenly, with hiss and roar, a column of water
shoots hundreds of feet into the air, almost at his elbow. With a cry
of terror he starts back, losing his grip of the dog, which drops into
an adjacent pool. Too much afraid to run, our Maori stands
trembling, and the spouting column presently falls back into the
bowels of the earth. Marvelling, he gropes in the pool for his dinner,
and with another yell withdraws his hand and arm, badly scalded.
But he has got his dog and, to his amazement, it is cooked to
perfection.
Small wonder if the Maori muttered a karakia, deeming the miracle
the work of the demon of the lake. But their fear departed as time
went on, and the hot springs and lakes became health-resorts,
where they bathed and strove to be rid of the pains and aches their
flesh was heir to. Those who dwelt within reach of this marvellous
region soon became familiar with its phenomena, and made full use
of the natural sanatorium and kitchen.
Other immigrants gathered for ornament the precious greenstone
from the Middle Island, with blocks of jade and serpentine; the
snow-white breast of the albatross; the wings of birds; the tail
plumes of the infrequent huia;[41] the cruel teeth of the shark. They
found another use for the greenstone, fashioning it with infinite toil
into war-clubs, or mere, too valuable to be used in the shock of
battle without safeguard against possible loss. So a hole was drilled
through the handle, and a loop of flax passed through, by which the
club was secured to the wrist.
How in the world could they pierce that defiant mineral—they, who
had neither iron nor diamonds with which to drill a hole? Their
method was as ingenious as it was simple. They took a sharp-
pointed stick of hard wood and half-way up secured two stones,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-24-320.jpg)
![land of unsurpassed magnificence, of radiant beauty, of unbounded
fertility.
FOOTNOTES:
[26] Designated South Island in New Zealand Official Year-Book
for 1907.
[27] Te Matanga never had existence outside these pages. He
typifies those energetic men, found in every nation, who devote
themselves to the service of their fellows. The discoveries
attributed to Te Matanga were the outcome of the application of
many minds to various problems, as the Maori spread over the
country and became acquainted with its capacity and products.
[28] Phormium tenax, the so-called New Zealand flax, flourishes
in swampy ground. In appearance it is a collection of broad, stiff,
upstanding leaves, tough enough to stop a bullet, dense enough
to conceal a man. Many a fugitive has escaped by dodging from
the heart of one bush into that of another. Both of the varieties
come to highest perfection in the north.
[29] The grey rat, which accompanied the Pakeha, exterminated
the native rat, and was never eaten by the Maori. Curiously
enough, during the wars, the Maori were accustomed to speak of
the "Pakeha Rat" just as in the days of the first George,
Englishmen spoke of the "Hanoverian Rat," and with the same
significance.
[30] Not any particular species of lizard, but a generic term for
the whole family.
[31] A mythical monster, presumed to have had the shape of a
saurian, inhabited the sea and, according to some, the depths of
vast forests. The powers of this demon for ill were boundless, and
it was regarded with the deepest awe by every Maori.
[32] A charm.
[33] Oestrelata neglecta (Schlegel's Petrel).
[34] Dinornis moa.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-27-320.jpg)
![[35] Apteryx.
[36] Dammara australis, the kauri pine.
[37] This is no exaggeration.
[38] A pine.
[39] Red pine.
[40] Black pine.
[41] Heteralocha acutirostris.
CHAPTER IV
THE GROWTH OF THE RACE
The various Maori tribes were not bound by any common tie save
that of race, nor did they own allegiance to a chief chosen by all to
rule over the whole nation. Their laws and customs were for the
most part similar; but cohesion between them gradually dissolved as
each tribe realised its ability to stand alone.
The tribes (iwi) took origin in the family,[42] and were subdivided
into sub-tribes (hapu), and, if the latter were large, into family
groups, also termed hapu. Every division had its acknowledged chief,
and the ariki, or chief of the highest class, who by right of birth
stood at the head of the whole, was styled the Paramount Chief.
Powerful though such a man was, his actions did not go unchecked;
for that ancient principle, noblesse oblige, was strongly implanted in
Maori of rank. For a chief to be convicted of lying, of cowardice, of
tyranny was black disgrace, and were these vices proved against a
lord paramount or the head of a sub-tribe or hapu, action was at
once taken. The offender was not deposed, but another man of rank
quietly took his place for all practical purposes, save one.
A second check upon the chiefs was that mighty power which has
been styled "the voice of God," namely, the voice of the people.
General assemblies were from time to time convened, at which every
man, and woman too, had the right to express opinions.[43] So, if](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-28-320.jpg)
![only to escape the shame of exposure, the chiefs strove to conform
to the established code of honour; but it is fair to say that they seem
to have been animated by higher motives than concern for public
opinion.
Each tribe was thus practically a republic, governed by a perpetual
President, whose dignity and office were hereditary, but who was
obeyed by the people only so long as he continued to deserve their
allegiance.
The ariki was hereditary chief priest as well as chief citizen, and was
a man apart. His back was not bent, nor his hands gnarled with toil,
his person was inviolable, his sanctity great, and he was all in all to
his people. He helped and consoled them in time of trouble, read
their fate in the stars, their future in a host of natural objects, and
interpreted their dreams. On one day he saw visions and
prophesied; on the next he was busy with the work of a Lord Lyon
or Garter King-of-Arms, instructing the Master of the Moko on behalf
of some lusty warrior desirous of commemorating his own doughty
deeds;[44] while he selected on a third a name for an infant, or
presided at the obsequies of some notable chief or rangatira.
In Maori mythology Rangi, Heaven, and Papa, Earth, long ago dwelt
in happiness with their six children, but the brothers, with the
exception of the god of winds and storms, rebelled against their
parents, and cruelly dragged them apart.
Yet their love remains unshaken, and Earth's sighs of longing,
draped in clinging mist, every day ascend to Heaven; while Heaven's
tears, a rain of refreshing dew, fall all night long upon Earth's
sorrowful breast.
Rangi and Papa were in part avenged. Their dutiful son, Tawhiri-ma-
tea, rushed against the rebels, thunder rolling, lightning flashing,
hailstones rattling and hurricanes raging in his van. Scared by this
stupendous manifestation of wrathful force, Tangaroa hurled himself
into the sea, Rongomatane and Haumiatikitiki buried themselves
under the earth they had insulted, and Tane Mahuta called upon his](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-29-320.jpg)
![disgust he feels would be the height of ill-breeding.
At last, when every article which their unwilling host has thought it
injudicious to conceal has been secured, the "collectors" reappear,
laughing and eagerly expectant of an invitation to dinner.
It comes. The stricken gentleman courteously expresses his delight
at this "unexpected" visit. Had he but known earlier he would have
made adequate preparation. As it is—he waves his hand in the
direction of the feast—there it is; and he bids his "dear friends" fall
to.
Gorged and happy, the myrmidons of this queer law depart by and
by, having carried out the muru, and left behind them a sorrowful
gentleman, stripped of worldly gear. However, the unfortunate has
the consoling knowledge that he has comported himself under trying
circumstances as a man of breeding should, and also that, when
opportunity shall arise, he will be entitled to go and do unto others
as they have just done unto him.
FOOTNOTES:
[42] Shown by the frequency of the prefix Ngati, "children of."
Thus, Ngati-Porou, Ngati-Awa, etc.
[43] New Zealand was one of the first countries—if not the first—
to admit women to the franchise and to represent their fellow-
citizens in municipal affairs. The first instance of a woman having
been elected "mayor" occurred in New Zealand, where, perhaps,
the spirit of some old-time Maori is awake and influencing his
Pakeha successors.
[44] The Maori, not content with ordinary tattooing, cut and
carved intricate designs upon brow and cheek and chin
(sometimes also on the hips), thus making it easy for all to read
their personal history and the record of their deeds of derring-do.
The absence of such scars indicated extreme youth, or a lack of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-37-320.jpg)
![The canoe is finished—begun, wrought at and completed with never
an iron tool, with not one iron bolt to stay or strengthen. Yet it is
beautiful and strong and serviceable, and will skim the stormiest sea
as safely as would a gull.
The whare was often rendered attractive on the outside by elaborate
carving, and quaint by the grotesque figures surmounting the
gables. It was within only a wide, low room, with roof of raupo-
thatch[45] and eaves within three feet of the ground. A stone-lined
hole served as a fireplace, the floor was strewn with fern upon which
were thrown the sleeping-mats, and a sliding panel formed a door,
which was blocked when privacy or warmth was desired. Furniture
there was none; but this mattered little, since the house was rarely
used save as a dormitory, or a shelter during cold or wet weather.
Within the village a piece of ground was set apart for the marae, or
public square, whither folk repaired for gossip or recreation when
the work of the day was done. Without the enclosure were home
fields of kumara and taro, where the women laboured as many
women labour in the potato and turnip-fields in Scotland.
The heavy tasks as a rule fell to the men, and were undertaken
cheerfully enough, though the Maori became less careful in this
respect after years of intercourse with the Pakeha. To the men also
belonged the duty of supplying the commissariat and, while some
hunted or fished, others cleared the forest trails, upon which the
undergrowth reproduced itself with extraordinary rapidity. The
question of animal food was always a vital one in the days before
the poaka, or pig, rioted through the bush, and there were many
days on which the Maori were forced to content themselves with
fern-root and kanini berries for the two meals in which they daily
indulged.
Though they had neither books nor writings upon parchment, stone
or papyrus, the Maori were not without a literature of their own.
Great deeds of heroic ancestors, notable events of the past were
immortalised in song and story, and handed down from generation
to generation. On summer nights an eager audience thronged the](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-39-320.jpg)
![he were alive, speaking panegyrics and chanting laments, often of
singular beauty, in his honour.
Then followed the last act but one in the drama of death. "No
useless coffin enclosed the breast" of the dead man, whose body,
wrapped in flax mats, was either buried beneath the floor of his
house, or hoisted to a high stage in the vicinity of the village and
allowed to remain there for a twelvemonth.
The year of mourning over, the dead man's effects, his valuable
greenstone clubs, other weapons and ornaments were distributed
amongst his heirs.[46] A great feast was also arranged and, while the
attention of all was occupied with eating and drinking, the priests
stole away, bearing the remains with them, to hide them for ever in
some solitary sepulchre within the scarred bosom of the hills, or
deep in the green twilight of the silent forests.[47]
FOOTNOTES:
[45] Typha angustifolia.
[46] Some remained undistributed, tapu for ever.
[47] In the case of chiefs of great fame, the remains were twice
or thrice exposed to the veneration of the tribe before the final
sepulture, which might then be delayed longer than is stated
above.
CHAPTER VI
GRIM-VISAGED WAR
Animated, for all one knows, by mere lust of strife, the men of
Waikato on the west soon after their arrival in New Zealand marched](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-42-320.jpg)
![Few were courageous enough to be cowards in a race so uniformly
brave. Few, however much they might prefer peace, ventured to
skulk at home when the war-gong clattered and the huge trumpet
brayed its summons. The man who remained deaf to the call to
arms incurred the contempt of his fellow-men, and knew that the
meanest slave would not change places with him. A solitary life, an
unlamented death, his lonely passage to Reinga "unwept,
unhonoured, and unsung"—such was the lot of the Maori who dared
to be a coward.
The Maori fought with frightful ferocity when once the battle was
joined, but went to work leisurely enough over the preliminaries,
occupying the time with councils, dances, orations and embassies
from one set of contestants to the other.
The council was presided over by the principal chief, or by the
paramount chief when a tribe's interests were involved. If age or
physical infirmity prevented him from leading in the day of battle, his
place would be filled by one of the "fighting chiefs," men of little use
in the Maori "War Office," but terrible in the field.
The council over, the tohunga was sought and requested to ascertain
whether success would attend the arms of the inquirers. As this was
a very important function, the rules of Maori etiquette were rigidly
observed in dress and demeanour.
The high chief was splendidly arrayed. His fine, Roman face, scarred
with records of his daring, was set and stern; his dark hair, combed
and oiled, supported a coronet of huia plumes, and from the lobe of
each ear dangled a gleaming tooth of the tiger-shark. Around his
loins he wore the customary katika, or kilt, while a vest of closely
woven flax covered as with mail the upper part of his body.
A collar of sharks' teeth, or of the teeth of slain foes, encircled the
massive column of his neck, and from the former was suspended his
household heitiki,[48] which lay like a locket upon his broad chest. In
his hand he held a long spear, elaborately carved, like the rest of his
wooden weapons, and from his right wrist dangled his favourite](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-44-320.jpg)
![mere, or war-club, of purest greenstone. Upon his shoulders,
fastened so as to leave the right arm free, he wore the kaitaka, the
valuable robe of flax already referred to.
But no matter how sumptuously garbed before the fight began,
every particle of clothing was usually discarded at the moment of
onset, and the Maori rushed into the fray naked and unashamed.
The war-dance usually followed a favourable augury, and was
heralded by a terrific commotion, which drew every inhabitant of the
village to the marae, in the midst of which a cleared space was
occupied by a hundred or more lusty warriors.
Stripped to the skin, their brown, muscular bodies gleaming, their
scarred faces aglow with excitement, the warriors stand in two long
lines awaiting the signal. Suddenly the long-drawn wail of a
tetere[49] sounds, and a hush falls upon the crowd. A moment, and
with a wild yell a magnificent savage rushes from the rear of the
column to the front, brandishing his spear and hideously contorting
his face. For a short minute he leaps and capers at the head of the
column; then, abruptly coming to rest, sings in a rich bass the first
words of the war-song.
Another short pause and the warriors behind him leap from the
ground with a pealing shout, flourish their weapons and set off at
the double round the court, while from their open throats comes the
roaring chorus of the chant.
Twice they circle the marae; then, forming once more in column,
with, or without, the soloist for fugleman, they dance in perfect
time, but with furious energy, gesticulating, rolling their eyes and
protruding their tongues, while the ground trembles under the heavy
tread of so many strong men.
At last, with a shout so horrible and menacing that the hearts of the
watchers beat faster as they hear it, the dance comes to an end as
abruptly as it began, and on all sides are heard prophecies of
success, since no one among the dancers has fallen under the
exhausting strain.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-45-320.jpg)
![For some time after the opposing forces had come within striking
distance of one another, jeers and insults were freely exchanged.
The chiefs on either side would harangue their men; but rarely were
the initial speeches so inflammatory, the early gibes so stinging as to
precipitate the conflict. It was almost a point of etiquette to measure
the stabbing power of that unruly member, the tongue, before
proceeding to test the keenness of spear-point, the smashing
capacity of club.
But the tongue was put to another use; for, while eyes were rolled
and faces contorted in hideous grimaces, Arero, The Little, was
poked farther and farther out of the mouth with telescopic power of
elongation, till it rested almost upon the broad, scarred chest below
its proper frontier, the lips. The visage of a Maori at such a moment
was indescribably hideous, and would probably have scared away
the enemy, had it not been that their faces were equally appalling.
Arero, the tongue, having played its part in facial distortion, was now
drawn back into its proper territory and again put to its legitimate
use, abuse of the enemy. Once more the wordy war raged, till some
taunt too savage, some sneer too biting, some gesture too insulting,
brought the long preliminaries to a sudden, dreadful close, and the
men of war with startling swiftness broke ranks, and with howls of
fury clashed together in mortal combat.
For a few moments all other sounds were drowned by the rattle of
spear-shafts and the crash and crack of stone axes and clubs,
mingled with a ferocious roaring; but a yell of triumph soon rang
high above the din, "Ki au te Mataika! Mataika! Mataika!"[50] The
combatants for a single instant held back, while hundreds of envious
eyes glared towards the spot whence came the cry. The next, as a
huge warrior, seizing his opponent's hair with his left hand, dragged
back the head and with one shrewd blow clubbed out the brains, the
roar of battle swelled again, and the fight raged with redoubled fury.
"Vae victis!" growled the old Roman, and these brown men with the
stern, Roman faces made good the sinister words. A defeat meant
not a rout, but a slaughter of those who fled and were overtaken, a](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/765-250322034759-932be0fb/85/Test-Bank-for-Project-Management-The-Managerial-Process-with-MS-Project-6th-Edition-Erik-Larson-46-320.jpg)
Test Bank for Project Management The Managerial Process with MS Project 6th Edition Erik Larson
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- 5. 1-1 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Project Management The Managerial Process with MS Project 6th Full chapter download at: https://testbankbell.com/product/test-bank-for-project- management-the-managerial-process-with-ms-project-6th-edition-erik-larson/ Chapter 01 Modern Project Management Multiple Choice Questions 1. A professional organization for project management specialists is the A. PMI. B. AMA. C. MIS. D. IPM. E. PMBOK. 2. Which of the following is NOT considered to be a characteristic of a project? A. An established objective B. A clear beginning and end C. Specific time, cost and performance requirements D. For internal use only E. Something never been done before 3. Which of the following activities is NOT considered a project? A. Developing a new software program B. Designing a space station C. Preparing the site for the Olympic Games D. Production of automobile tires E. Developing a new advertising program
- 6. 1-2 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 4. Which of the following activities is the best example of a project? A. Processing insurance claims B. Producing automobiles C. Writing a policy manual D. Monitoring product quality E. Overseeing customer requests 5. Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of a project life cycle? A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing 6. In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle, project objectives are established, teams are formed, and major responsibilities are assigned. A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing 7. In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle, a major portion of the physical project work performed. A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing 8. In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle you are more likely to find status reports, changes, and the creation of forecasts. A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing
- 7. 1-3 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 9. In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle the project's schedule and budget will be determined. A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing 10. In the _____________ stage of the project life cycle project the product is delivered to the customer and resources are reassigned. A. Identifying B. Defining C. Planning D. Executing E. Closing 11. Which of the following is NOT typical of a project manager? A. Managing a temporary activity B. Overseeing existing operations C. Managing a nonrepetitive activity D. Responsible for time, cost and performance trade-offs E. Work with a group of outsiders, including vendors and suppliers 12. Which of the following is NOT one of the driving forces behind the increasing demand for project management? A. Compression of the product life cycle B. Knowledge explosion C. Increasing need for multiproject management D. Declining need for product customization E. More sustainable business practices 13. Project management is ideally suited for a business environment requiring all of the following EXCEPT A. Accountability. B. Flexibility. C. Innovation. D. Speed. E. Repeatability.
- 8. 1-4 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 14. Which dimension of project management centers on creating a temporary social system within a larger organizational environment that combines the talents of a divergent set of professionals working to complete the project? A. Communication B. Sociocultural C. Social D. Technical E. Scheduling 15. Which of the following statements is true? A. Project management is far from a standard way of doing business B. Project management is increasingly contributing to achieving organizational strategies C. Project management is being used at a consistent percentage of a firm's efforts D. Project management is a specialty that few organizations have access to E. All of these statements are false 16. Project management is important to understand when people are a part of a project team because they A. Work with others to create a schedule and budget. B. Need to understand project priorities so they can make independent decisions. C. Need to be able to monitor and report project progress. D. Need to understand the project charter or scope statement that defines the objectives and parameters of the project. E. All of these are reasons it is important for project team members to understand project management. 17. Project governance does NOT include A. Setting standards for project selection. B. Overseeing project management activities. C. Centralization of project processes and practices. D. Options for continuous improvement. E. Allowing project managers to plan the project the way they see fit. 18. Projects should align with the organization's overall strategy in order to A. Complete the project safely. B. Reduce waste of scarce resources. C. Ensure customer satisfaction. D. Secure funding. E. None of these are reasons why projects should align with the organization's overall strategy.
- 9. 1-5 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 19. Two dimensions within the project management process are A. Technical and sociocultural. B. Cost and time. C. Planned and unexpected. D. Established and new. E. Unique and reoccurring. 20. Which of these is NOT part of the "technical dimension" of project management? A. WBS B. Budgets C. Problem solving D. Schedules E. Status reports 21. Which of these is NOT part of the "sociocultural dimension" of project management? A. Negotiation B. Resource allocation C. Managing customer expectations D. Leadership E. Dealing with politics 22. Corporate downsizing has increased the trend toward A. Reducing the number of projects a company initiates. B. Outsourcing significant segments of project work. C. Using dedicated project teams. D. Shorter project lead times. E. Longer project lead times. 23. Which of the following is NOT a reason why project management has become a standard way of doing business? A. Increased need for skilled management of stakeholders outside of organization B. Projects need to be done faster C. Organizations are doing more project work in-house instead of outsourcing D. Organizations are executing more and more projects E. Increased product complexity and innovation
- 10. 1-6 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 24. Which of the following is typically the responsibility of a project manager? A. Meeting budget requirements B. Meeting schedule requirements C. Meeting performance specifications D. Coordinating the actions of the team members E. All of these are typical responsibilities 25. A series of coordinated, related, multiple projects that continue over an extended time period and are intended to achieve a goal is known as a A. Strategy. B. Program. C. Campaign. D. Crusade. E. Venture. 26. Which of the following is NOT true about project management? A. It is not limited to the private sector B. Many opportunities are available for individuals interested in this career path C. It improves one's ability to plan, implement and manage activities to accomplish specific organizational objectives D. It focuses primarily on technical processes E. It is a set of tools 27. As the number of small projects increase within an organization's portfolio, what is a challenge an organization faces? A. Sharing resources B. Measuring efficiency C. Managing risk D. Prioritizing projects E. All of these are challenges 28. Governance of all project management processes and procedures helps provide senior management with all of the following EXCEPT A. A method to ensure projects that are important to senior management are being implemented B. An assessment of the risk their portfolio of projects represents C. An overview of all project management activities D. A metric to measure the improvement of managing projects relative to others in the industry E. A big picture of how organizational resources are being used
- 11. 1-7 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 29. Which of the following is a good example of a program? A. Planting a garden B. Developing a new residential area that includes six custom homes C. Developing a new marketing plan D. Taking notes each class meeting to prepare for the final E. Planning a wedding 30. Which of the following represents the correct order of stages within the project life cycle? A. Planning, Defining, Executing, Closing B. Closing, Planning, Defining, Executing C. Defining, Planning, Executing, Closing D. Executing, Defining, Planning, Closing E. Planning, Defining, Closing, Executing Fill in the Blank Questions 31. Project management is not limited to the __________ sector. ________________________________________ 32. The initial stage in the project life cycle is the __________ stage. ________________________________________ 33. The final stage in the project life cycle is the __________ stage. ________________________________________ 34. A professional organization for project managers that has grown from 93,000 in 2002 to more than 520,000 currently is the ___________. ________________________________________ 35. A major part of the project work, both physical and mental, takes place in the ___________ stage of the project life cycle. ________________________________________ 36. The project's schedule and budget will be determined in the ___________ stage of the project life cycle. ________________________________________
- 12. 1-8 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. 37. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result is a(n) _________. ________________________________________ 38. In today's high-tech industries the product life cycle is averaging _________ to 3 years. ________________________________________ 39. The advent of many small projects has created the need for an organization that can support __________ management. ________________________________________ 40. Increased competition has placed a premium on customer satisfaction and the development of __________ products and services. ________________________________________
- 13. Exploring the Variety of Random Documents with Different Content
- 14. Most of the women and girls are weeping, for tears come easily to the Maori wahine (woman) even in moments of joy. But bright smiles presently flash out everywhere, showing dazzling teeth, while, though all are talking at once, their voices are so melodious that the babel is rather pleasant than otherwise. Considering them more closely, we know that we are looking at a people exceptional, if not unique among savages. Their intelligence is obvious; the voyage demonstrates their enterprise, and they will later prove their courage upon many a stricken field. Prudent they are, for they have brought the seeds of food-plants, while for companionship and, to some extent, for food, they gave their dogs a place in the canoes. Perhaps the rat, always a bit of an adventurer, stole aboard as a stowaway. They are emotional, but not less brave because tears stood in their eyes as they listened to Te Turi's prayer. Their great chiefs solemn chant and the exclamations which greeted the forest in its summer dress show their poetic mind and their capacity for felicitous speech. Moreover, they are fond of fun and have a trenchant wit, if not a very lightsome humour. They are quick at repartee, and eloquent in discourse. When their villages are built, you shall note how kind and hospitable they are to strangers of whatever race. Also, you shall be convinced that among the gentlemen of their tribes a lie is a thing abominable and abhorred, and the word of a chief, once passed, most rarely broken. Are they then faultless, these newcomers to the land which Maui fished up from the sea? No; for they are men, and men yet stumbling in the night of paganism. There is no need to catalogue their faults; they are those common to savages, and too many of them will show clearly as this narrative progresses. Till then let us pass them over. Take one more look at the faces of these old-time Maori. They differ from those of their descendants, for they are unmarked by tattoo.
- 15. The Maori of the immediate past were noted for the extraordinarily elaborate tattooing or, rather, carving, which embellished their faces and, sometimes, their hips. When the Pakeha arrived a Maori with beard, whiskers or moustache was as rare as the moa; for tattooing necessitated a smooth face, and each warrior was careful to pull out every offending hair from cheek, lips and chin.[25] Thus, neither the process nor the result was interfered with, and this was important, for every line, curve or mark of any kind had its significance. Tattooing was by no means universal among the Polynesians, and the Maori tradition is firm that the faces of the immigrants from Hawaiki were innocent of tattoo, or moko, as the Maori method is styled, while beards were worn or not, according to individual taste. It has always been a principle with savages to frighten their enemies by noise, facial contortions, masks, weird head-dresses and so on. When the Maori began to quarrel and fight, it occurred to one genius that a tremendous moral effect would be produced upon the enemy if he—the genius—were to blacken his face before going into battle. One would hardly suppose that a shade only two or three degrees deeper than the original would bring about any startling result; but our genius evidently succeeded, for the next time his tribe took the field the faces of all were black as the back of Tui, the Parson-bird. Then it occurred to a wise old chief, named Rauru, that, if something permanent could be devised, much time and trouble would be saved. Remembering a visit he had paid to an island where tattooing was in force, he called a council and vigorously advocated the adoption of the practice. The suggestion was accepted and, as the process of moko is decidedly painful, there must have been many wry faces while it was being carried into effect. No doubt, when their faces had been rendered sufficiently terrifying, this particular tribe had things all their own way for a time. But there is a sincere form of flattery known as imitation and, once the secret leaked out, matters took a turn. Before Te Ika A Maui was many moons older, every able-bodied man on the Island had tricked out
- 16. his face in the new style, and was ready to meet the inventors upon equal terms. Note.—Tattoo is a Polynesian word, not in use among the Maori. A skilful professor of the art of moko and whakairo (face and body decoration) was held in rare esteem. Instances are on record of slaves having vastly improved their status by the artistic use of the lancet and mallet employed in tattooing. FOOTNOTES: [19] White man. Literally, "stranger," as opposed to Maori, "native." [20] Really, He mea hi no Maui, "A thing fished up by Maui." [21] Mount Egmont. [22] Metrosideros robusta. It belongs to the myrtle order, and is one of the most ornamental trees in the New Zealand bush. [23] Clianthus puniceus. New Zealand pea. [24] A variety of clematis. In the flowering season the effect of the white stars amid the dark green of the overhead foliage is most beautiful. [25] This was done with a pair of cockle-shells, which in Maoriland represented the volsellae of the Romans, and our modern tweezers. CHAPTER III THE LAND TO WHICH THEY CAME Where Nature is constantly in a tempestuous mood, where volcanoes spout and earthquakes convulse, and where, on the other
- 17. hand, "Man comes in with his strife" against Nature herself, comparatively few years may suffice to bring about great changes and to alter the face of a country almost beyond recognition. Thus, the New Zealand on whose shores the Maori landed differed materially from the New Zealand of to-day. Not only has Nature cruelly destroyed some of the most beautiful of the vestiges of creation, but the white man has cleared off scrubs, eradicated forests, said with effect to the sea, "thus far and no farther," and, by radically altering the original features of the country, has actually influenced the climate. New Zealand is a land in every way desirable. Save for a trick Nature has of tumbling into convulsions now and then, it is hard to see how any land could have been created more beautiful, more comfortable, more blessed. Not large; indeed, a kind of "Pocket Venus" among countries; for, though there have been smaller, there have been none more beguiling to the senses, more charming to the eye, more responsive to the attentions of its lords. Surely, from such a soil must spring a worthy race. Before colonisation, and for some time after, New Zealand included only the North Island, the Middle Island,[26] and Stewart Island, and was in area about one-seventh less than that of the United Kingdom. No; not a large country; but packed to overflowing with good and desirable things, and lacking much that is undesirable. Early in the present century the Cook, or Hervey, Islands were included in the colony; an interesting addition, because Rarotonga, the largest of the group, is said to be the island where the emigrating Maori built some of their canoes for the voyage to Te Ika A Maui, and where they rested when Hawaiki lay far behind them. The new boundaries of the Dominion of New Zealand embrace several other island groups. Hawaiki lay within the tropics, while the northern extremity of New Zealand is a clear eleven degrees south of Capricorn. As the country tails southward, it falls more within the temperate zone, until, as
- 18. Stewart Island is reached, the latitude corresponds almost exactly with that of Cornwall in England. Coming thus from a hot climate to one warm indeed, but cooler than that to which they had been accustomed, it behoved the Maori without delay to make some alteration in their dress. At first they used coverings made from the skins of their dogs; but this was expensive, so they presently began to look elsewhere for what they wanted. Like most peoples unvexed by over-education, they were keen observers, and it was not long before they found the very thing they required. One day, a certain Te Matanga,[27] The Knowing One, took matters in hand. Winter was coming, and girdles of cocoa-nut fibre would scarcely suffice to keep out the cold. For some time he discovered nothing likely to be useful, and it was in a disconsolate mood that he stood at the edge of an extensive swamp and wondered what was to become of his friends and himself. The swamp was covered with plants whose like Te Matanga had never seen. Each grew in the fashion of a thick bush; but the leaves —there were no branches—were flat and tapering, yet stiff and irrefragable, while they towered, upstanding, half as high again as the height of a man. Moreover, the leaves were so tough, that Te Matanga had some ado to cut through one with his flint knife. Flowers upon long stalks were in the bushes, and the plant with a red blossom was larger than that which bore a yellow blossom, though both were stately. And, perceiving that there were two varieties of the plant, Te Matanga named the finer Tihore and the larger Harakeke.[28] When he had prodded here and sliced there, and observed the leaves to be full of strong fibre, Te Matanga immediately perceived that he had found that which he had set out to seek and, his anxiety upon the score of clothing relieved, he began to feel hungry and thirsty. The swamp water did not look inviting and, while he deliberated, he aimlessly plucked a flower and regarded it.
- 19. What was this? At the bottom of the floral cup was a considerable quantity of fluid, resembling limpid water. Not without a qualm, the Knowing One tasted the liquid and found it delicious, resembling water sweetened with honey, or the eau sucrée beloved of Frenchmen. He hesitated no longer, drank off the delightful draught, smacked his lips and drained another flower-cup of its nectar. Having found so much, Te Matanga told himself that more should be got from so accommodating a plant and, sure enough, he discovered an edible gum in the roots and leaves. What wonder that, with a winter outfit in view, his thirst quenched and his hunger stayed, clever Te Matanga should assume a few excusable airs when telling his joyous news. Thus, that Providence which they had not yet learned to know, gave to the Maori food, drink and clothing, all within the compass of one specimen of God's marvellous handiwork. The plant which Te Matanga found is not related to the true flax, though it serves every purpose to which the other is put. The Pakeha speedily recognised its virtues; in 1906 twenty-eight thousand tons of the fibre were exported from New Zealand. Great ingenuity was displayed by the Maori in the manipulation of the fibre and its manufacture into many useful articles, from the little baskets in which food was served, and which were never used twice, to the magnificent robe, or "mat," known as the kaitaka, which occupied nearly a year in the making. This was peculiarly the costume of people of consideration, and the gift of one was regarded as a mark of high favour. Among the many varieties of flax mats, the pureki had an interest all its own, for the makers managed to render it rain-proof, so that it was in a sense the prototype of our mackintosh. One might also say that it was the Maori substitute for khaki; for a native, wrapped in his pureki and squatting upon a barren hillside, was scarcely distinguishable from the boulders surrounding him.
- 20. Te Matanga went to work again and experimented with the berries of the tutu or Coronaria, extracting thence a beverage as grateful as that which he had quaffed from the chalice of the flax-flowers. Yet the berries, eaten whole, are poisonous. The beverages which Te Matanga gave to his countrymen were neither noxious nor degrading. It was the civilised Christian who introduced to the pagan savage that "enemy which steals away men's brains." Left to themselves, the Maori showed no inclination towards intoxicating liquors. Even in later days they proved remarkably temperate, their barter with the Pakeha rarely including a supply of what they characteristically designated "stink-water." They did not even brew the highly stimulating yaqona, so popular with the South Sea Islanders; which is remarkable, since the plant (Piper methysticum) grows wild in New Zealand. Our wise man also taught his compatriots the value of the edible fern, Pteris esculenta, whose bright-green fronds waved ten feet or more above the ground. The underground stem was cut into plugs and matured, and, this done, was eaten plain, or cakes were baked of the flour beaten out of it. It was not ordained that the Maori should subsist entirely upon a vegetable diet. Te Matanga searched for something more stimulating and readily found it. He showed his people fat eels in creek and river, while from the sea they drew Mango, the shark, Tawatawa, the mackerel, Hapuku, the cod (not that of northern waters) and a hundred other varieties of fish, which they cooked or dried or smoked. It was sometimes their good fortune to slay great Ikamoana, the whale, and Kekeno, the seal, both of which they ate with relish; while for sauce, Tio, the oyster, sat upon the rocks and gaped while they scooped him from his shell. The dwellers inland had eels and the delicious little green, whitebait- like Inanga of the lakes to eat with their fern-root and kumara. And well for them it was so; for, with the exception of Pekapeka, the bat, who swept by them in eerie flight when the long-lingering day grew pale about them, not a mammal roamed the plains or haunted the
- 21. deep woods. Kuri, the dog, and Maungarua, the rat, they also ate; for Maungarua[29] multiplied exceedingly, while Kuri took to the bush and ran wild. Ngara,[30] the lizard, frisked in the sunshine; but no son of Maui looked upon him if it could be avoided; for Ngara were dread beasts, in whose bodies the spirits of the dead found an abiding-place. Even such stalwarts as Ngahue and Te Turi would blanch at sight of any of that terrible race. Moreover, Taniwha,[31] the great, the horrible, whom to mention was unsafe, and to set eyes upon was to perish, was not he, too, a lizard? Nay; close the eyes and mutter a karakia[32] should Ngara cross your path. How blessed the Maori were in the absence of other reptiles they did not learn till much later. Australia abounds in snakes, from the huge carpet-snake, cousin to the boa, to the "deaf-adder," whose bite is almost certainly fatal; but in New Zealand, as in Ireland, not even a toad is to be found wherewith to point the sweetness of the "uses of adversity." The clever men now sought food among the birds, and found on land pigeons, plovers, rails, ducks, quails and parrots innumerable. Of these last, one, the kakapo, was almost as big as a fowl, like which it ran about the ground, feeding; for its wings were short and feeble, and it rarely used them except to fly from a bough to the earth and up again. Conscious of its weakness, it chose the late twilight or the night for its rambles, hiding away during the day. Like so many of the interesting birds of New Zealand, it is now nearly extinct. Among sea-birds, many of which were eaten, particular choice was made of Titi,[33] the Mutton-bird. These birds flew inland at night, and the Maori, anticipating their coming, would choose a likely spot upon the verge of a cliff and build a row of fires. Behind these they lurked, armed with sticks and, as the birds, attracted by the light, flew past, they were knocked over in immense numbers. As the flesh was oily, they were preserved in their own fat, packed in baskets of
- 22. seaweed and stored until winter, when they formed a staple and highly flavoured dish. The inland tribes made annual pilgrimages to the coast for the purpose of procuring a supply of mutton-birds. Of all the birds which the Maori found on their arrival the most singular were those which are either extinct or fast becoming so. These were the Struthidae, or wingless birds,—such as the ostrich, the rhea, and the emu,—which were represented in New Zealand by the gigantic moa[34] and the kiwi.[35] The moa was long ago exterminated by the Maori, who saw in its huge bulk magnificent prospect of a feast of meat. All that is left of it to-day are bones in various museums, one or two complete skeletons, and a few immense eggs. There were several species of this bird, the largest of them from twelve to fourteen feet in height; but, huge as they were, they appear to have possessed little power of self-defence, though a kick from one of their enormous legs and long-clawed feet would have killed a man. But, like all wingless birds, they were shy and timid, never coming to a knowledge of their strength; so they fell before a weaker animal, but one of infinitely greater ingenuity. The bones of birds are filled with air, for the sake of warmth and lightness; but the leg bones of the moa, like those of a beast, and unlike those of any known bird, were filled with marrow. Diminutive in size, and in appearance even more extraordinary than its cousin, the moa, is the kiwi, as the Maori named the apteryx from its peculiar cry. Several species were plentiful in the Islands, but some of them have become extinct, and the rest are fast disappearing. The Maori attract the bird by imitating its call and, as it is rather stupid, it is easily caught and killed. The kiwi was served up at table, as were most things in New Zealand which walked or swam or flew; but what gave it surpassing value in Maori eyes was its plumage of short, silky feathers, whose beauty they were quick to recognise, and which they employed in
- 23. fashioning one of the rarest and most ornamental of their mats (kahu-kiwi). There was little difficulty about the erection of houses and forts, the building of canoes, the shaping of spears and clubs. Given the ability to construct, there was material in plenty. Throughout the land spread magnificent forests, whose plumed tops waved above trunks uprearing one hundred feet, or more, some of them of an age well- nigh incredible. Few and short appeared the years of man beside the life of the giant kauri[36] which for close upon four thousand years had towered there, stately emperors in a company of kings.[37] How brief the age of their forest court compared with their own—the totara[38] with its eight hundred years of life, the rimu[39] with its six hundred, the matai[40] with its four hundred. What are they beside the dominant kauri? Mortals, looking up to an immortal. Crowded in those forests primeval were trees bearing wood with capacity for every class of work to which man could put his hand. Trees with wood of iron hardness; trees with wood so soft that it fell away in silky flakes at the touch of the knife; trees with wood of medium consistence, durable as stone; trees whose wood under the hands of the artist-polisher took on a beauty indescribable; trees whose bark was rich in all that the tanner needs; trees which yielded invaluable resin and turpentine; trees which gave up no less valuable tar and pitch; trees which could be reduced to wood-pulp for the making of paper when the time for that should come: all these there were, and more. So the Maori set to work, building houses and forts, and hewing out canoes. For the last, those who dwelt in the north chose the great trunks of the kauri, often forty feet in circumference, and of such diameter that a tall man with outspread arms could not stretch from rim to rim of the cross section. In the south they used the totara, likewise a pine, and great, but a pigmy beside the imperial kauri. While the builders built, explorers traced the swiftly flowing rivers from source to sea, or gazed with awe at the snow-capped peaks
- 24. and glimmering glaciers. Others moved northwards towards those giant mountains from whose cones poured tall pillars of smoke, threatening shadows of dire events to come, or stood upon the shore of a lake, marvelling to find the water hot instead of cold. Imagine one, agape with curiosity, holding in his hand a dead kuri, designed for dinner. Suddenly, with hiss and roar, a column of water shoots hundreds of feet into the air, almost at his elbow. With a cry of terror he starts back, losing his grip of the dog, which drops into an adjacent pool. Too much afraid to run, our Maori stands trembling, and the spouting column presently falls back into the bowels of the earth. Marvelling, he gropes in the pool for his dinner, and with another yell withdraws his hand and arm, badly scalded. But he has got his dog and, to his amazement, it is cooked to perfection. Small wonder if the Maori muttered a karakia, deeming the miracle the work of the demon of the lake. But their fear departed as time went on, and the hot springs and lakes became health-resorts, where they bathed and strove to be rid of the pains and aches their flesh was heir to. Those who dwelt within reach of this marvellous region soon became familiar with its phenomena, and made full use of the natural sanatorium and kitchen. Other immigrants gathered for ornament the precious greenstone from the Middle Island, with blocks of jade and serpentine; the snow-white breast of the albatross; the wings of birds; the tail plumes of the infrequent huia;[41] the cruel teeth of the shark. They found another use for the greenstone, fashioning it with infinite toil into war-clubs, or mere, too valuable to be used in the shock of battle without safeguard against possible loss. So a hole was drilled through the handle, and a loop of flax passed through, by which the club was secured to the wrist. How in the world could they pierce that defiant mineral—they, who had neither iron nor diamonds with which to drill a hole? Their method was as ingenious as it was simple. They took a sharp- pointed stick of hard wood and half-way up secured two stones,
- 25. which acted after the manner of a flywheel. Above the stones two pieces of string were attached, and these, alternately pulled, imparted a rotatory movement to the stick, whose sharpened point at length pierced the sullen stone. Their travels over, the pioneers returned, to be welcomed with tears of joy, while prayers were chanted and cherished ornaments offered to the gods in thanksgiving for their safe home-coming. They neither embraced nor kissed; nor did they shake hands after the European fashion. They saluted one another in a manner all their own. Bending forward, they pressed their noses together, sniffing strongly the while; and this act of friendly greeting they called the hongi—the verb hongi signifying "to smell." One drawback to residence in these fortunate islands was the scarcity of animal food—of red meat there was none, save when a dog was slain for the pot. Still, there was food enough—vegetables and fruit, birds and fish, so that starvation was not a common fate, except a man were lost in the dense bush, where never sight or sound of life was seen or heard. A real evil was the tendency of the earth to tremble, shake and gape, sometimes overthrowing the evidence of years of toil on the part of man, and occasionally slapping Nature herself in the face. In other words, a large part of New Zealand being within the "earthquake zone," the country is convulsed from time to time by shocks of greater or less severity. Since the arrival of the Pakeha there have been severe disturbances, and one or two heavy shocks have occurred, greatly disfiguring the beautiful face of the land. In the North Island are many dormant craters, which have on occasion sprung into fierce activity, resulting in widespread devastation and some loss of life. The early Maori were fortunate in escaping eruptions of any magnitude, but the North Island, long before their arrival, must have been in a state of intense unrest. The hot springs and lakes, the geysers of Rotomahana and Rotorua, the more than boiling mud among the smouldering hills, the fiercely smoking cones of giant Tongariro, are so many evidences of that
- 26. terrible time of earth-pang and convulsion, of belching out of smoke and flame and rended rocks, with vomitings of broad rivers of molten lava, which flowed over the land, effacing everything in their course. This was the land to which the Maori came; a land of "mountain, lake, and stream," which, could it have remained as the Children of Maui found it, must have endured "a thing of beauty and a joy for ever." But the blind forces of Nature and the needs of the white population have done much to alter the face of the country, and have shorn it of some of that loveliness which once was almost universal, but of which much—very much still remains. If New Zealand is now so surpassingly beautiful, what must it not have been before thousands of acres of noble forest fell before axe and flame; before the mountain, clad from base to summit in primeval growth, stood bare and grey and grim, pierced with a thousand unsightly wounds, deep in which man bends his back and delves for mineral wealth; before the valleys, radiant with the beauty of fern and flower, were trodden into mud by the marching feet of the "army of occupation"; before the rivers, racing towards the shining sea, tumbling merrily among rapids, glissading recklessly over the falls, were chained to the log of commerce, their banks shorn of the fringing green to make way for the houses of the moderns, their pure and limpid waters polluted by the refuse of factories and the filth of towns? If those who have seen it now and love its loveliness could but have seen Maoriland as it was then! There is no help for it. It is inevitable that, when Man steps in, Nature must in large measure lose her sceptre and resign her sway. Such was the land to which the Maori came—a land with no extremes of heat or cold, though it sometimes showed a little ill- humour and shook down a house or two; a land which gave them most that they could desire and all they really needed, if it denied them overmuch strong animal food; a land in which, but for their turbulent passions and their lust for war, they might have lived out their lives in peace and comfort and almost unqualified happiness; a
- 27. land of unsurpassed magnificence, of radiant beauty, of unbounded fertility. FOOTNOTES: [26] Designated South Island in New Zealand Official Year-Book for 1907. [27] Te Matanga never had existence outside these pages. He typifies those energetic men, found in every nation, who devote themselves to the service of their fellows. The discoveries attributed to Te Matanga were the outcome of the application of many minds to various problems, as the Maori spread over the country and became acquainted with its capacity and products. [28] Phormium tenax, the so-called New Zealand flax, flourishes in swampy ground. In appearance it is a collection of broad, stiff, upstanding leaves, tough enough to stop a bullet, dense enough to conceal a man. Many a fugitive has escaped by dodging from the heart of one bush into that of another. Both of the varieties come to highest perfection in the north. [29] The grey rat, which accompanied the Pakeha, exterminated the native rat, and was never eaten by the Maori. Curiously enough, during the wars, the Maori were accustomed to speak of the "Pakeha Rat" just as in the days of the first George, Englishmen spoke of the "Hanoverian Rat," and with the same significance. [30] Not any particular species of lizard, but a generic term for the whole family. [31] A mythical monster, presumed to have had the shape of a saurian, inhabited the sea and, according to some, the depths of vast forests. The powers of this demon for ill were boundless, and it was regarded with the deepest awe by every Maori. [32] A charm. [33] Oestrelata neglecta (Schlegel's Petrel). [34] Dinornis moa.
- 28. [35] Apteryx. [36] Dammara australis, the kauri pine. [37] This is no exaggeration. [38] A pine. [39] Red pine. [40] Black pine. [41] Heteralocha acutirostris. CHAPTER IV THE GROWTH OF THE RACE The various Maori tribes were not bound by any common tie save that of race, nor did they own allegiance to a chief chosen by all to rule over the whole nation. Their laws and customs were for the most part similar; but cohesion between them gradually dissolved as each tribe realised its ability to stand alone. The tribes (iwi) took origin in the family,[42] and were subdivided into sub-tribes (hapu), and, if the latter were large, into family groups, also termed hapu. Every division had its acknowledged chief, and the ariki, or chief of the highest class, who by right of birth stood at the head of the whole, was styled the Paramount Chief. Powerful though such a man was, his actions did not go unchecked; for that ancient principle, noblesse oblige, was strongly implanted in Maori of rank. For a chief to be convicted of lying, of cowardice, of tyranny was black disgrace, and were these vices proved against a lord paramount or the head of a sub-tribe or hapu, action was at once taken. The offender was not deposed, but another man of rank quietly took his place for all practical purposes, save one. A second check upon the chiefs was that mighty power which has been styled "the voice of God," namely, the voice of the people. General assemblies were from time to time convened, at which every man, and woman too, had the right to express opinions.[43] So, if
- 29. only to escape the shame of exposure, the chiefs strove to conform to the established code of honour; but it is fair to say that they seem to have been animated by higher motives than concern for public opinion. Each tribe was thus practically a republic, governed by a perpetual President, whose dignity and office were hereditary, but who was obeyed by the people only so long as he continued to deserve their allegiance. The ariki was hereditary chief priest as well as chief citizen, and was a man apart. His back was not bent, nor his hands gnarled with toil, his person was inviolable, his sanctity great, and he was all in all to his people. He helped and consoled them in time of trouble, read their fate in the stars, their future in a host of natural objects, and interpreted their dreams. On one day he saw visions and prophesied; on the next he was busy with the work of a Lord Lyon or Garter King-of-Arms, instructing the Master of the Moko on behalf of some lusty warrior desirous of commemorating his own doughty deeds;[44] while he selected on a third a name for an infant, or presided at the obsequies of some notable chief or rangatira. In Maori mythology Rangi, Heaven, and Papa, Earth, long ago dwelt in happiness with their six children, but the brothers, with the exception of the god of winds and storms, rebelled against their parents, and cruelly dragged them apart. Yet their love remains unshaken, and Earth's sighs of longing, draped in clinging mist, every day ascend to Heaven; while Heaven's tears, a rain of refreshing dew, fall all night long upon Earth's sorrowful breast. Rangi and Papa were in part avenged. Their dutiful son, Tawhiri-ma- tea, rushed against the rebels, thunder rolling, lightning flashing, hailstones rattling and hurricanes raging in his van. Scared by this stupendous manifestation of wrathful force, Tangaroa hurled himself into the sea, Rongomatane and Haumiatikitiki buried themselves under the earth they had insulted, and Tane Mahuta called upon his
- 30. forests to cover him. Only Tumatauenga, father of men and god of war, stood firm, scowling defiance at his brother of the storm. So has it been ever since, and Tawhiri-ma-tea, unable to overthrow his brother, continues to take a bitter vengeance upon the war-god's children. Men, whom he pursues on sea and land with tempest and tornado, ever seeking to slay and make an end. Under the collective name of Atua, the above were the principal gods of the Maori. Every tribe possessed an honoured tohunga- whakairo, or woodcarver; but the quaint finial figures upon the gables of their houses were not adored as gods, the Children of Maui never having been idolaters. The Maori looked forward to a future existence wherein their state and condition would remain very much as they had been in this world. A slave in life continued a slave after death, and, when a great chief died, several of his slaves were slain, that he might not go unattended among his fellow shades. The abodes of the departed were Rangi, occupied on different planes by gods and men of heroic type, and Reinga, under the sea at the extreme north of the North Island, where dwelt only the spirits of men. There was no question of reward or punishment. The dead simply continued to exist in spirit form, occasionally revisiting the scenes of their former life. These visitors preferably occupied the bodies of lizards, which explains the abhorrence in which these reptiles were held by the Maori, who, though they revered and prayed to their ancestors, were terribly afraid of meeting their pale ghosts, or transmigrated souls. The tohunga, or sorcerers, exercised unbounded influence over the minds of the Maori. Their duties on occasion coincided with those of the ariki, and their position, too, was hereditary; but, while men revered, and often loved their chief, their respect for the tohunga was tinctured with fear and, not seldom, with hate. The chief could lay tapu upon a man, which was bad enough; but the tohunga could
- 31. bewitch him outright, condemning the poor wretch to loss of worldly gear, aches and pains, and even to death itself. The ariki thought it no shame to go in dread of the tohunga, while, let the tutua, or common fellow, be once convinced that the malign eye of the wizard had bewitched him, and he not infrequently laid him down and died. There did not exist among the Maori a middle class as we understand the term. Every Maori whose birth placed him in a position between the aristocracy and the tutua class was a warrior by choice. Among such were men of property, poets, philosophers, literary men who did not write, but told their stories to eager audiences—in a word, gentlemen of leisure until the need for fighting arose. In the infrequent intervals of peace these, if you will, represented the middle class; but, once "let slip the dogs of war," and they cried "havoc" with the best of them. The Maori warrior, or toa, unlike the Japanese Samurai, did not live for war alone, but was ever ready when it came. When speaking of the conduct and character of the high chiefs, it was mentioned that they were rarely deposed. The reason why, may be expressed in one word—land. Bad or good, the chief had a fuller knowledge with regard to land than any other person concerned. It is necessary clearly to comprehend what follows; for the misunderstandings which arose between the Maori and the colonists over the tenure of land had much to do with the origin of the long strife between them. When the canoes from Hawaiki had discharged their passengers at the various spots selected by the chiefs in command, each one of the latter took possession of a district which became his property, and the property of all his followers, every free male and female among them being part proprietor. In other words, the land was common to the tribe. In consequence of this community of ownership every additional person born claimed ownership by right of descent. As time went on only the few could have told exactly what their rights were; but
- 32. every Maori was assured that the land belonged to him and that it could not be disposed of without his sanction. The chiefs share was the largest, because of his direct descent from the chief who originally took possession of the district; but even in this distinguished instance the voice of the people made itself heard, and the chief himself could not part absolutely with the land unless by common consent. The land might be leased to strangers, but the only way in which the owners could be dispossessed was by conquest. As with chiefs, so with humbler folk. The land held by a family was not theirs to dispose of without the consent of the tribe. A family of one tribe might lease to a family of another tribe; or an entire tribe might transfer its holding; but the land was not given away for ever, and could be reclaimed at a future date. The colonists could never understand this principle; nor could the Maori comprehend that land, once exchanged for money or goods, had for ever passed away from them. Endless difficulties arose with the Pakeha, because every descendant of the original possessor of land claimed a share of the property and of the price. It is indubitable that this conflict of the laws of one race with the law of another caused much of the bitter strife which arose later. The position of the chief thus rendered him the person of most importance with regard to land. In his family were kept records, such as they were; in his memory were stored facts concerning the district, which he had received from his father, who, in his day, had received them from his father. Who, then, so well fitted to decide an argument, adjust disputes, settle the right and wrong of any questions concerning land? The deposition of such a man might have been followed by his withdrawal from the hapu, perhaps from the tribe itself, an irreparable loss to those who relied upon him for correct information respecting their landed property.
- 33. The origin of tapu, that tremendous engine of power, that law above the law, is lost in obscurity, so very ancient is the custom, and all that we know about its curious working is derived from observations made in the South Sea Islands, where alone it is now found in anything like its old power. The law of tapu served as a fairly efficient, if vexatious, promoter of law and order. Broadly stated, tapu stood for two principles— protection and punishment, and the person or thing affected by it was a person or thing apart, not even to be touched under pains and penalties the most severe. Chiefs were permanently tapu, as it was necessary that their exalted state should be clearly recognisable; so they were placed upon a pinnacle of isolation which extended to their property as well as to themselves. Food of many kinds was permanently tapu; for animal food was always scarce, and choice vegetables could be cultivated only after a tough struggle with the land. Therefore, since one tribe frequently infringed the rights of another it became necessary to render the common stock of provisions secure against depredators from within. Ordinary food which happened to come in contact with anything tapu, was instantly thrown away, lest by touching or eating it some innocent person should himself become tapu. Swift retribution fell on him who with greed in his heart stole, or even touched with itching fingers, the succulent kumara, if the mark of tapu were upon them. Such a fellow was stripped of his possessions, cast out, perhaps, of the tribe, or, for the worst offence of all, had his brains deftly scattered by order of his chief. The plight of the poor wretch who touched the dead, accidentally or in the way of business, was dismal in the extreme. For the dead were tapu in an extraordinary degree, and who touched a corpse became as a leper, shunned by all, lest they, too, should be tainted. Among other disabilities, such an one must not touch food with his hands. Did he so, the food became tapu, and was thrown away from
- 34. the very jaws of the hungry one, who was consequently obliged to put his mouth to the platter and eat like a dog, or else submit to be fed with a very long spoon by some friend more sympathetic, or less timid than the majority. This principle of noli me tangere was also applied temporarily. Trees from which canoes could be made were tapu, while stretches of coast abounding in shell-fish, the haunts of sea-birds and rich fishing-grounds were preserved for the common good. Many customs, related to tapu, were followed in time of war by the warriors, while non-combatants by prayer, fasting, and the practice of severe austerities, proved how closely the idea of tapu was allied with that of religion. Tapu was simply imposed, but its removal was a serious business. Prayers were chanted, water freely sprinkled over the person or thing to be released, and the ovens were busy cooking food during the whole time of the proceedings. Here it seems possible to trace a connection between tapu and parts of the Jewish ceremonial law. As sacrifices and burnt-offerings were required before an unclean Jew could be pronounced clean, so among the Maori it was impossible to lift tapu without the simultaneous cooking of food. How, if ever, the Jews influenced the Malays, Polynesians, and Maori, antiquaries may be able some day to determine. When the Pakeha first came to New Zealand, they often ignorantly violated tapu, and how much they suffered in consequence depended upon the character and temper of the community. The Maori were not ungenerous, and in cases of inadvertence frequently made allowances and spared accordingly. On the other hand, two great navigators, Captain Cook and Marion du Fresne, were slain because of their trespass on ground which was tapu, and sacred in the eyes of the South Sea Islanders. Tapa—to command—was in effect the law of might against right, that
- 35. Good old rule, the simple plan, That they should take who have the power, And they should keep who can. In practice it consisted in commanding, or, as we might say, "commandeering" anything one fancied to one's own use. Indicating the desired object, the claimant would observe, "That club"—or tree, or canoe, or whatever it happened to be, "is tapa to me. It is my skull," or "my eye," or "my backbone. I command it to myself." The article thus denominated was held to belong to the claimant, since no one could justly urge that a man's skull, eye or backbone was not his own. Yet, if the practice were abused, an appeal could be made, and a chief had power to undo the tapa and order restitution of the property claimed. After a battle, disputes frequently arose between those who claimed priority in having applied the tapa to articles in possession of a foe whom they had then still to vanquish. This was the law of muru, which the Maori accepted philosophically enough, because, though vexatious, it fell with equal severity upon all. If a man committed an offence against the community, he was punished by the community, his fellow-tribesmen adjusting the fine and collecting it with a generous appreciation of their individual requirements. For example, if one accidentally killed another, he was punished for depriving the community of a useful member. If a man carelessly damaged public property, he was punished by the loss of his own. Even if the damage done merely affected another private person, compensation was assessed by means of muru, and, as no money circulated in those days, the fine was exacted in goods. The victim of his own indiscretion, sighing at the crookedness of fate, always made provision against the day of reckoning and, having politely inquired on what day muru was to be enforced,
- 36. issued instructions to the ladies of his family to prepare the best feast possible in the time at their command. On the appointed day the avengers arrived, yelling "Murua! Murua!" An idea of the justice of what followed may be gathered when it is stated that muru means "plunder." Each member of the party is armed, and so is the rueful sinner who awaits developments with sensations much resembling those of the Jew in presence of King John and his rough-and-ready dentists. A lull occurs in the yelling, and the dolorous knight inquires ingenuously, "What is this, O my friends? Why do you brandish spear and club as though to point the road to Reinga?" "You killed my brother!" a tall fellow shouts in return. "Now I am going to kill you. Step forward at once to be killed!" With horrid grimaces the bereaved gentleman capers before the doomed one, who divests himself of his mat, flourishes his spear, and replies with great fervour, "Since you so greatly desire to be made mince-meat of, you shall not be disappointed. I am for you!" With that the two fall upon one another with frightful ferocity—or so it seems. Blows are dealt and thrusts exchanged amid the continuous howling of the champion's bodyguard, who, singularly enough, make no offer to rush his antagonist. Why not? Because it is point of honour that no great harm is to be done. A gentleman is to receive punishment at the hands of his peers, but life must be left him, though almost everything which makes it worth the living is to be snatched from him. So, after a few bruises and scratches have been given and taken, the mimic combat ceases. There is a short pause while the champion recovers his breath. Then he shouts at the top of his voice, "Murua! Murua!" which, freely translated, means "Loot! Loot!"—advice which is promptly followed. As the sack proceeds the principals chat cheerfully, the plundered taking no notice whatever of the plunderers; for to betray the
- 37. disgust he feels would be the height of ill-breeding. At last, when every article which their unwilling host has thought it injudicious to conceal has been secured, the "collectors" reappear, laughing and eagerly expectant of an invitation to dinner. It comes. The stricken gentleman courteously expresses his delight at this "unexpected" visit. Had he but known earlier he would have made adequate preparation. As it is—he waves his hand in the direction of the feast—there it is; and he bids his "dear friends" fall to. Gorged and happy, the myrmidons of this queer law depart by and by, having carried out the muru, and left behind them a sorrowful gentleman, stripped of worldly gear. However, the unfortunate has the consoling knowledge that he has comported himself under trying circumstances as a man of breeding should, and also that, when opportunity shall arise, he will be entitled to go and do unto others as they have just done unto him. FOOTNOTES: [42] Shown by the frequency of the prefix Ngati, "children of." Thus, Ngati-Porou, Ngati-Awa, etc. [43] New Zealand was one of the first countries—if not the first— to admit women to the franchise and to represent their fellow- citizens in municipal affairs. The first instance of a woman having been elected "mayor" occurred in New Zealand, where, perhaps, the spirit of some old-time Maori is awake and influencing his Pakeha successors. [44] The Maori, not content with ordinary tattooing, cut and carved intricate designs upon brow and cheek and chin (sometimes also on the hips), thus making it easy for all to read their personal history and the record of their deeds of derring-do. The absence of such scars indicated extreme youth, or a lack of
- 38. courage exceedingly rare among the men of the race. Each line had its own significance; and a celebrated chief who visited England early in the nineteenth century, directed the artist who painted his portrait to "be sure to copy accurately every single mark" upon his face. CHAPTER V THE LIFE OF EVERY DAY The Maori of old had two habitations—the kainga, or village, wherein they dwelt in "piping time of peace," and the pa, or fortress, in which they shut themselves up when harassed by war's alarms. Fire- eaters though they were, they had their moons of peace, during which they accomplished some astonishing results, considering their ignorance of iron, and that their tools were fashioned out of hard wood and yet harder stone. With incredible patience they ground and rubbed and sand-polished, until from lumps of greenstone, jasper, or granite they produced bevelled edge and rounded back. The head was drilled and fitted to a hardwood handle, and there was axe or adze. Imagine the labour of it, you who put down a piece of money and receive the perfected tool of iron! Axe and adze were blunt enough; yet with them the Maori hewed through the mighty bole of the kauri-pine; and it was with tools of stone that they chopped and gouged and scooped, until there lay before them the shell of a canoe, eighty feet in length, and capable of holding close upon a hundred men. To work again with knife and awl and chisel, each of stone, and presently the stern-post, ornately carved, rises in an elegant curve to a height of fifteen feet. The prow, too, rises in a curve, but not so high, and is adorned by a huge, grinning head, correctly tattooed, with goggle eyes and defiantly protruded tongue. Paddles are shaped from the tough wood of the ti-tree, one for each of the rowers, who kneel in equal numbers on each side, facing the prow, while the steersman wields an oar nine feet in length.
- 39. The canoe is finished—begun, wrought at and completed with never an iron tool, with not one iron bolt to stay or strengthen. Yet it is beautiful and strong and serviceable, and will skim the stormiest sea as safely as would a gull. The whare was often rendered attractive on the outside by elaborate carving, and quaint by the grotesque figures surmounting the gables. It was within only a wide, low room, with roof of raupo- thatch[45] and eaves within three feet of the ground. A stone-lined hole served as a fireplace, the floor was strewn with fern upon which were thrown the sleeping-mats, and a sliding panel formed a door, which was blocked when privacy or warmth was desired. Furniture there was none; but this mattered little, since the house was rarely used save as a dormitory, or a shelter during cold or wet weather. Within the village a piece of ground was set apart for the marae, or public square, whither folk repaired for gossip or recreation when the work of the day was done. Without the enclosure were home fields of kumara and taro, where the women laboured as many women labour in the potato and turnip-fields in Scotland. The heavy tasks as a rule fell to the men, and were undertaken cheerfully enough, though the Maori became less careful in this respect after years of intercourse with the Pakeha. To the men also belonged the duty of supplying the commissariat and, while some hunted or fished, others cleared the forest trails, upon which the undergrowth reproduced itself with extraordinary rapidity. The question of animal food was always a vital one in the days before the poaka, or pig, rioted through the bush, and there were many days on which the Maori were forced to content themselves with fern-root and kanini berries for the two meals in which they daily indulged. Though they had neither books nor writings upon parchment, stone or papyrus, the Maori were not without a literature of their own. Great deeds of heroic ancestors, notable events of the past were immortalised in song and story, and handed down from generation to generation. On summer nights an eager audience thronged the
- 40. marae, listening, rapt, to some "divine-voiced singer," or to some other, who told with every trick and charm of the finished orator the story of "the brave days of old," when Ngahue fought in far Hawaiki, or sailed the sea with Te Turi to find the land of Maui. Always decorous, the listeners applauded discreetly, and chewed incessantly the hardened juice of the sow-thistle, the precious gum of the kauri, or the mimiha, bitumen from the under-sea springs of the west. None of these was harmful like the opium of the Chinaman or the kava of the Polynesian. The Maori chewed his gum much as the fair American chews hers, or as the youthful Scot surreptitiously sucks his peppermint during the Sunday sermon in the kirk. As night fell quiet reigned for a time, for night is the council-time of the Maori. Encircled by pineknot torches, chiefs and rangatira sat together, gravely discussing the common weal, or planning great schemes of attack or defence. One after another, each stern-visaged councillor arose, and with dignified gesture and speech rich in metaphor expressed his views, his fellows hearkening with respectful attention, expecting, and receiving, the same when their own turn came to speak. So the discussion went on until the council broke up and the senators dispersed, stalking through the double row of armed guards who, themselves out of earshot, had stood like bronze statues throughout the deliberations. When the need for quiet had passed, the warriors gathered together and fought their battles o'er again, while those more peacefully inclined applauded the efforts of a flautist and a trumpeter, whose instruments were limited to five and two notes respectively. Careless youth sat here and there, asking and guessing riddles or playing that most ancient game, familiar alike to the English child and the aboriginal of Australia, "cat's cradle." Youngsters stalked upon stilts, played at "knuckle-bones," or gambled at "odd or even," and, in strong contrast, a group of philosophers discussed abstruse questions with a keenness and cleverness which amply proved the capacity of the Maori brain. Some, too, there were who wandered
- 41. off, as young folks will, youth and maid together, to whisper of matters unconcerned with logic or philosophy. The fires burnt low, the torches sputtered towards extinction, the various groups dissolved and, as a last good-night, the warriors raised their voices in a swelling chant, and from a thousand throats the chorus of triumph or defiance rose and rolled from hill to distant hill. A few short moments later the village was hushed and still, only the vigilant sentries giving evidence of the life which slumbered within its crowded whare. So the Maori rose and toiled and played and fought, until at last came the time, inevitable for all, when must "the silver cord be loosed and the golden bowl be broken," and potent chief, in common with meanest slave, yield up his life to God who gave it. No tangi was raised for the slave; but how different when the chief set his face to the north and walked with slow and solemn step towards the gates of Reinga. Even as their muffled clang resounded and the breath went out of the chieftain's body, the crowd of mourners who had till then been repeating with fervour the "last words" of the dying man, burst into noisy lamentations, many of the women gashing their arms and breasts. In some instances slaves were immediately slain, so that the dead man might not plunge alone into the waters of Reinga, or go unattended in the next world. The dead body was exorcised by the priests, dressed in its best, and allowed to sit in state. The dried heads and skulls of ancestors grinned from their pedestals at the latest addition to their ranks, who, with face painted, head befeathered, his costly ornaments upon him, his clubs and spears set ready to his hand, stared back at them with unseeing eyes, a lifelike figure enough among those musty relics of the long-ago dead. The pihe, or dirge, was sung, the choir standing before the body, and days went by, during which the long procession of relatives, friends, subjects and delegates from other tribes paid their respects to the mighty dead, grasping his cold hand, talking to him as though
- 42. he were alive, speaking panegyrics and chanting laments, often of singular beauty, in his honour. Then followed the last act but one in the drama of death. "No useless coffin enclosed the breast" of the dead man, whose body, wrapped in flax mats, was either buried beneath the floor of his house, or hoisted to a high stage in the vicinity of the village and allowed to remain there for a twelvemonth. The year of mourning over, the dead man's effects, his valuable greenstone clubs, other weapons and ornaments were distributed amongst his heirs.[46] A great feast was also arranged and, while the attention of all was occupied with eating and drinking, the priests stole away, bearing the remains with them, to hide them for ever in some solitary sepulchre within the scarred bosom of the hills, or deep in the green twilight of the silent forests.[47] FOOTNOTES: [45] Typha angustifolia. [46] Some remained undistributed, tapu for ever. [47] In the case of chiefs of great fame, the remains were twice or thrice exposed to the veneration of the tribe before the final sepulture, which might then be delayed longer than is stated above. CHAPTER VI GRIM-VISAGED WAR Animated, for all one knows, by mere lust of strife, the men of Waikato on the west soon after their arrival in New Zealand marched
- 43. across the North Island to Maketu on the Bay of Plenty, and burned the Arawa canoe. From this outrage arose a war, the end of which was not until generations later, and from which, as a forest conflagration from a spark, arose other wars between tribe and tribe, until from end to end of Te Ika A Maui men were in arms against one another. Peace there was, but more often war; and by the time Captain Cook visited the Islands the village was deserted and the pa predominant. Later, peace again prevailed; then wars again; and, as the quarrel with the Pakeha developed, strife filled the land till matters were adjusted at the end of the long struggle between Maori and colonist. The conditions under which the Maori lived furnished them with plenty of excuses to appeal to arms. There was always that burning question of animal food, and no more flagrant outrage could be perpetrated by one tribe than to poach upon the hunting or fishing- grounds of another. A man might insult one of another tribe by rude word or inconsiderate deed, and the aggrieved party might wipe out the injury by means of utu—payment or revenge—which was more or less the lex talionis of the Romans. But the individual usually carried his wrongs to his chief, when the matter became a tribal affair and, unless compensation were quickly forthcoming, war resulted between the disputants. Thus, what originated in a petty difference between two hot-headed fellows, might, and often did, result in a quarrel which brought hundreds—perhaps thousands—into the field. The Maori were a military race in which every able-bodied man became a warrior because he possessed an arm strong enough to strike. To lack courage to deliver the blow was to expose himself to the pointing finger of scorn. The man who shirked his military duties could not escape exposure. His face betrayed him. If that were bare of designs, he had small chance to establish his claim to be a man of valour, and smaller still to live in honour among his fellows.
- 44. Few were courageous enough to be cowards in a race so uniformly brave. Few, however much they might prefer peace, ventured to skulk at home when the war-gong clattered and the huge trumpet brayed its summons. The man who remained deaf to the call to arms incurred the contempt of his fellow-men, and knew that the meanest slave would not change places with him. A solitary life, an unlamented death, his lonely passage to Reinga "unwept, unhonoured, and unsung"—such was the lot of the Maori who dared to be a coward. The Maori fought with frightful ferocity when once the battle was joined, but went to work leisurely enough over the preliminaries, occupying the time with councils, dances, orations and embassies from one set of contestants to the other. The council was presided over by the principal chief, or by the paramount chief when a tribe's interests were involved. If age or physical infirmity prevented him from leading in the day of battle, his place would be filled by one of the "fighting chiefs," men of little use in the Maori "War Office," but terrible in the field. The council over, the tohunga was sought and requested to ascertain whether success would attend the arms of the inquirers. As this was a very important function, the rules of Maori etiquette were rigidly observed in dress and demeanour. The high chief was splendidly arrayed. His fine, Roman face, scarred with records of his daring, was set and stern; his dark hair, combed and oiled, supported a coronet of huia plumes, and from the lobe of each ear dangled a gleaming tooth of the tiger-shark. Around his loins he wore the customary katika, or kilt, while a vest of closely woven flax covered as with mail the upper part of his body. A collar of sharks' teeth, or of the teeth of slain foes, encircled the massive column of his neck, and from the former was suspended his household heitiki,[48] which lay like a locket upon his broad chest. In his hand he held a long spear, elaborately carved, like the rest of his wooden weapons, and from his right wrist dangled his favourite
- 45. mere, or war-club, of purest greenstone. Upon his shoulders, fastened so as to leave the right arm free, he wore the kaitaka, the valuable robe of flax already referred to. But no matter how sumptuously garbed before the fight began, every particle of clothing was usually discarded at the moment of onset, and the Maori rushed into the fray naked and unashamed. The war-dance usually followed a favourable augury, and was heralded by a terrific commotion, which drew every inhabitant of the village to the marae, in the midst of which a cleared space was occupied by a hundred or more lusty warriors. Stripped to the skin, their brown, muscular bodies gleaming, their scarred faces aglow with excitement, the warriors stand in two long lines awaiting the signal. Suddenly the long-drawn wail of a tetere[49] sounds, and a hush falls upon the crowd. A moment, and with a wild yell a magnificent savage rushes from the rear of the column to the front, brandishing his spear and hideously contorting his face. For a short minute he leaps and capers at the head of the column; then, abruptly coming to rest, sings in a rich bass the first words of the war-song. Another short pause and the warriors behind him leap from the ground with a pealing shout, flourish their weapons and set off at the double round the court, while from their open throats comes the roaring chorus of the chant. Twice they circle the marae; then, forming once more in column, with, or without, the soloist for fugleman, they dance in perfect time, but with furious energy, gesticulating, rolling their eyes and protruding their tongues, while the ground trembles under the heavy tread of so many strong men. At last, with a shout so horrible and menacing that the hearts of the watchers beat faster as they hear it, the dance comes to an end as abruptly as it began, and on all sides are heard prophecies of success, since no one among the dancers has fallen under the exhausting strain.
- 46. For some time after the opposing forces had come within striking distance of one another, jeers and insults were freely exchanged. The chiefs on either side would harangue their men; but rarely were the initial speeches so inflammatory, the early gibes so stinging as to precipitate the conflict. It was almost a point of etiquette to measure the stabbing power of that unruly member, the tongue, before proceeding to test the keenness of spear-point, the smashing capacity of club. But the tongue was put to another use; for, while eyes were rolled and faces contorted in hideous grimaces, Arero, The Little, was poked farther and farther out of the mouth with telescopic power of elongation, till it rested almost upon the broad, scarred chest below its proper frontier, the lips. The visage of a Maori at such a moment was indescribably hideous, and would probably have scared away the enemy, had it not been that their faces were equally appalling. Arero, the tongue, having played its part in facial distortion, was now drawn back into its proper territory and again put to its legitimate use, abuse of the enemy. Once more the wordy war raged, till some taunt too savage, some sneer too biting, some gesture too insulting, brought the long preliminaries to a sudden, dreadful close, and the men of war with startling swiftness broke ranks, and with howls of fury clashed together in mortal combat. For a few moments all other sounds were drowned by the rattle of spear-shafts and the crash and crack of stone axes and clubs, mingled with a ferocious roaring; but a yell of triumph soon rang high above the din, "Ki au te Mataika! Mataika! Mataika!"[50] The combatants for a single instant held back, while hundreds of envious eyes glared towards the spot whence came the cry. The next, as a huge warrior, seizing his opponent's hair with his left hand, dragged back the head and with one shrewd blow clubbed out the brains, the roar of battle swelled again, and the fight raged with redoubled fury. "Vae victis!" growled the old Roman, and these brown men with the stern, Roman faces made good the sinister words. A defeat meant not a rout, but a slaughter of those who fled and were overtaken, a
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