124 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



It appears from their language, customs, and traditions, 

 as well as from their physical characteristics, that the 

 Morioris were closely related to the New Zealand Maoris, 

 from whom, indeed, none but an expert could distinguish 

 them, though Mr. Shand considers that they are, if anything, 

 a shade darker and perhaps even more of a Jewish cast. 

 Mr. Travers, in his extremely interesting paper on the 

 "Traditions and Customs of the Morioris," * gives good 

 reasons for believing that they are of mixed origin. 



The discovery of the island, known to the 5lorioris them- 

 selves as Rekohu, in 1790 by the brig "Chatham" may be 

 said to have sealed the fate of these unfortunate people, 

 though it is doubtful whether any serious injury ensued until 

 the advent of the whaling and sealing vessels in 1828. These 

 vessels took many undesirable visitors to the island, and pro- 

 bably introduced a disease which soon played havoc with the 

 native race. On board some of these vessels were Maoris 

 from New Zealand, who, on their return, painted such a 

 glowing picture of the land of plenty that a large number of 

 their fellow-countrymen determined to emigrate to Chatham 

 Island — or, as they called it, Wharekauri — en masse. In 

 order to effect this purpose they took possession of the brig 

 " Rodney " at Port Nicholson about the beginning of Novem- 

 ber, 1835, seizing the crew and by fair means or foul com- 

 pelling the captain to take them to the island, whither, in two 

 trips, about nine hundred Maoris were transported and let 

 loose upon the unfortunate inhabitants, already decimated by 

 some virulent disease. 



Those who are fond of extolling the virtues of the Maori 

 race would do well to study the history of their occupation of 

 Chatham Island. At the time of the invasion the Morioris 

 are said to have numbered some two thousand, and had they 

 attacked the new-comers on their first arrival, when they 

 were too weak from the effects of their voyage to resist, they 

 might have exterminated them with little trouble. Unfor- 

 tunately for themselves, however, the Morioris had lost the 

 noble art of self-defence ; killing was forbidden by their laws, 

 and, like the wingless birds of New Zealand, they fell an easy 

 prey to the first enemy. The invaders proceeded to parcel out 

 the country amongst themselves, claiming not only the land 

 but also the inhabitants thereof, who were speedily reduced to 

 the condition of slaves and put to hard labour for their brutal 

 masters. Mr. Shand tells us how " Te Wharekura, of Te 

 Raki, with his hapu, killed and roasted fifty Morioris in one 

 oven — it might have been more than one — for no reason what- 

 ever that could be assigned " ; while at Waitangi one Tikaokao 



* Trans. N.Z. lust., vol. ix., p. 15. 



