TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE, 



1905. 



Art. I. — Early Native Records of the Manawatu Block. 



By P. E. Baldwin. 



[Read before the Manawatu Philosophical Society, 23rd February, 1905.] 



The records we have in connection with the Maori occupation 

 and settlement of the place where we now live, and the im- 

 mediately surrounding country, are exceedingly meagre. The 

 reason is obvious to any person who has had any considerable 

 experience in the ways of the ancient Maori. As we are all 

 aware, the whole of this country, with very limited exceptions, 

 was originally bush-covered, and, if we except one or two tracks, 

 was not crossed by any highway. Moreover, these tracks were 

 by-paths — they did not form a recognised communication be- 

 tween densely populated parts of the country. Land so circum- 

 stanced — bush-covered and pathless — has never loomed large in 

 the history of the Maori people. Before the advent of the Euro- 

 pean the bush-covered lands were only of value to the Maoris, 

 and were only utilised by them, as places of food- supply and 

 game-preserves. And even in this connection the valued area 

 was limited. The native game of the country, especially the 

 wood-pigeon and the kaka, usually restricted themselves to cer- 

 tain more or less well-defined spaces, while berries grow mostly 

 on the outskirts, rarely in the centre, of the forest ; so that to 

 the old-time Maori bush country in general formed a possession 

 of little value, except in so far as the streams running through 

 it held eels. 



For, as far as the Native Land Court records run, the Natives 

 always proved the title of their tribe to the mana over certain 

 land by matters relating to the feeding of the tribespeople. Eel- 

 weirs, places for snaring birds or steeping berries, actual culti- 

 vations — these alone were matters of moment to the old Maori- 



1— Trans. 



