Manawatu Philosophical Society. 



MANAWATU PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



Sixth Meeting : 10th November, 1911. 

 Captain Hewitt, R.N., in the chair. 



The Chairman spoke of the removal of the Museum to the new pre- 

 mises, the use of which had been generously lent by the Borough Council, 

 and of the great assistance which Mr. Hamilton had given in the 

 arrangement of the collections. 



Mr. Hamilton, after a brief reference to the history of the New Zea- 

 land Institute, and to the interest he had taken in the establishment 

 of the Palmerston Branch, gave a very interesting lecture, illustrated 

 by lantern-slides, on the " Arts and Crafts of the Maori." 



He showed that the Maori, before the advent of the whites, was by no means — 

 in the dictionary sense of the word — a savage, but possessed considerable knowledge 

 not only of his own genealogies and tribal history, but also of natural history, astro- 

 nomy, and the white magic found among other nations. Nor were they naturally a 

 lazy race, but, apart from fighting, expended much time and labour on the cultiva- 

 tion of the ground and on the building and decoration of their houses and canoes, 

 in which they displayed not only great excellence of execution, but a remarkable 

 originality and absence of mechanical repetition in their designs. The education of 

 those fitted by birth and mental powers to receive it was provided for in three 

 "houses," in the first of which, open from dawn to noon, was taught genealogy and 

 matters relating to the gods and the laws of tapu ; in the second, open from noon 

 to sunset, all that related to war ; and in the third, open from dark to dawn, witch- 

 craft and black magic. The breaking-up of the old system on the coming of 

 Europeans and the destruction of the power of the chiefs had caused the loss of 

 nearly all the knowledge and most of the virtues of the Maori, the introduction of 

 money had done away with the necessity of labour, and European vices and clothing 

 had introduced many diseases ; but in the last ten years great improvements had 

 taken place, and the prospect for the future was much brighter. 



After the lecture a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Hamilton. 



Annual Meeting : '28th November, 1911. 



Captain Hewitt, R.N., in the chair. 



Life Member. — In recognition of his services to the Society, Mr. 

 Kenneth Wilson was elected a life member. 



Annual Report. — The report and balance-sheet for the year were 

 adopted. 



Abstract. 



During the year four members have resigned, and sixteen new members have 

 been elected, making our present number seventy-six. 



The following papers were read during the year : " Report on Work at the 

 Observatory," Captain Hewitt, R.N. ; " Ramblings and a Little Philosophy," Mr. 

 H. T. B. Drew; "The Astronomical Structure of New Zealand Piperaceae,'" Miss 

 A. F. Ironside, M.A. ; " Some New Zealand Moths." Rev. A. Doull, M.A. ; " Moose 

 and Wapiti in New Zealand," Mr. R. Henry; "Pike as Health Officers," Mr. R. 

 Henry; "The Alpine Flora of New Zealand," Mr. Justice Chapman; " Notes on a 

 Specimen of Volcanic Rock from Mount Erebus," Miss Souper ; "Memory : What 

 is it? " Sir R. Stout, K.C.M.G. ; " Recent Local Weather," Mr. J. E. Vernon, M.A., 

 B.Sc. ; " The Arts and Crafts of the Maori," Mr. A. Hamilton. 



