Walsh. — The Passing of the Maori. 163 



nation of the Maori asserted itself, and the crops were often 

 put in too late, or under improper weather conditions, to be 

 neglected during the growing-season ; or, perhaps, in the middle 

 of a job a death would occur in the neighbourhood, or some other 

 reason for a hui would eventuate, when all hands would clear 

 out for a week or more, and leave the work to take care of itself. 

 The consequence, is that the Maoris have become disheartened, 

 and the whole thing is done in an abortive and slovenly manner. 

 There is less and less cultivation done every year ; large areas of 

 fertile land lie waste. In many districts there is a chronic 

 shortage of provisions — often even semi-starvation. 



Introduced Diseases. 



In his original state the Maori seems to have been ideally 

 healthy. As a usual thing he only died of old age, unless he 

 were slain in battle or fell a victim to maakutu or witchcraft. 

 Tradition states that some six generations ago — perhaps 150 

 years — a plague, which appears to have been a kind of spotted 

 fever, swept over the country with very fatal results. In Taia- 

 mai, a fertile and populous district inland of the Bay of Islands, 

 the number of deaths was so great that the survivors cleared 

 out in a general stampede, leaving the place to be occupied by 

 the Ngapuhi, who spread from Hokianga. It is very probable, 

 however, that as many of the deaths occurred from panic as from 

 the effects of the disease. The visitation passed away, leaving no 

 evil results ; but with the advent of the pakeha new diseases came, 

 and came to stay. Certain (venereal) complaints which appeared 

 for the first time do not seem to have made the havoc that 

 might have been expected, though there is little doubt that they 

 helped to lower the system and weaken its power of resistance to 

 other maladies. By great good fortune smallpox has never 

 made its appearance among the Maoris, but measles and typhoid 

 fever have proved most fatal. The former has swept through 

 the country on several occasions, sometimes almost exterminat- 

 ing whole settlements — e.g., when only two individuals escaped 

 out of a popiilation of three hundred in a kainga near the Moly- 

 neux River. The remedies used for the measles were often more 

 fatal than the disease itself. Finding that a bath in cold water 

 would cause the spots to disappear, whole parties would im- 

 merse themselves in a running stream, with — as might be ex- 

 pected — the most fatal results. Typhoid fever makes its ap- 

 pearance every few years, and once it has visited a settlement 

 it is sure to recur whenever the atmospheric and other condi- 

 tions are favourable for its development. Of late years many 

 of the Native-school teachers have tried to cope with this in- 

 sidious disease. They have supplied the Maoris with medicine, 



