Tin: MM sorrii si:.i iiximur 



i30 



To the u'<'ii('r;il piiMic the cxliil))! iii llic new liall will he ot" interest, as 

 sliowiiiu llic (lei;i'ee of (ultiirt' wliicli couM he attained hy ])eo|)le who at the 

 time of their diseoxcry were wholly iunoraiit of any form of metal work. 

 Stone or shell ad/es took the place of iron tools, and e\( ii the hnuc heams 

 and rafters of some of the natixc hahitations were held in |)osition not hy 

 nails hnt hy a cordage known as " sinnet " made from eoeoamit (ilire. \v\ 

 with the crude a])pliances at their dis])osal the Maori were ahle to con- 

 struct laruc and richly decorated l)uil<lin>is, of which a fair idea is ui\('n 

 hy the model in the tower oil' the main hall, and they had skill to car\c 

 the hcautiful canoe prows which excited the admiration of early trax'clers. 

 The ( Ook Islanders i)ro(luced the ceremonial ad/es and paddles exhihited 

 in two npriuht cases of the I'olynesian section of the Hall; and the Mela- 

 nesians of New Ireland executed their sacred carvings which while not beau- 

 tiful accordinji- to otn* standards display a hi<i;h deuree of technical skill. 



The SxATt'E of tiik Maoiu Wakiuoh 



Dl RlX(i the i)ast winter a trouj) of Maori, the nati\(' people of 

 New Zealand, performed some of their old-time dances in the 

 Hippodrome and it was possible to lia\'e them j)ay sexcral visits 

 to the Museum, on which occasions they were photographed in \arious 

 |)ositions. It seemed highly desirable to .secure life-size representations 

 of memlx-rs of tlie eom])any in characteristic attitudes and after some j)re- 

 liminary discussion the chief Kiwi and one of the younger men, Hautuote- 

 rangi, consented to be cast. The pose suggested to the latter was that of 

 an ancient warrior in an attitude of defiance, with tongue protruding and 

 one leg above the ground. Thus originated the figure of the Maori warrior 

 at the entrance to the tower of the new South Sea Hall. 



Hautuoterangi felt highly honored to be the representati\(' of his 

 race, so that his descendants might .see the statue when they visited the 

 great city at any future time. His family pride was evinced in a desire 

 that his family register for many generations back be engraved upon the jade. 



