58 



AUSTKALASIA AND POLYNESIA. 



was dissolved, and a new election ordered 

 within four weeks by the Governor. Upon the 

 assembling of the new House, the Government 

 was defeated by a majority of two, where- 

 upon Sir George Grey resigned, and a new 

 Ministry was formed under Mr. John Hall. 



In 1876 New Zealand, previously composed 

 of nine large provinces, was divided into a 

 large number of counties. The census of the 

 colony by counties was taken in March, 1878. 

 The total population of New Zealand, includ- 

 ing Chinese, half-castes, and persons on ship- 

 board, but exclusive of Maoris, was 414,412. 

 The North Island had a population of 158,208; 

 Middle Island, 255,757 ; Stewart Island, 251 ; 

 and Chatham Island, 196. The provincial dis- 

 tricts are still retained for certain purposes, 

 and their population was as follows (exclusive 

 of Chatham Island) : 



PROVINCES. Population. 



Auckland 82,661 



Taranaki 9,463 



Wellington 51.069 



Hawked Bay 15,015 



Marlborough 7,55T 



Nelson 25,128 



Westland 16,982 



Canterbury 91,922 



Otago 114,469 



Total 414,216 



The number of the Chinese was 4,382 r of 

 whom only eight were females. The number 

 of the Maoris was 42,819, a decrease since 1874 

 of 3,197. The males considerably exceeded the 

 females, the former being 23,533, and the lat- 

 ter only 19,286. But the most characteristic 

 i feature of these figures was the great disparity 



PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, SYDNEY 



in the proportion of adults and children. Of 

 the total of 42,819 in 1878, no less than 14,533 

 were males and 11,802 females over fifteen 

 years. In European countries the men usually 

 average one fifth or one sixth of the popula- 

 tion, while at present among the Maoris they 

 constitute one third. 



The Chinese question, which agitated all 

 of the colonies of the Australian continent, 

 also assumed considerable dimensions in Ta- 

 hiti, the largest of the Society Islands, and 

 which is under a French protectorate. An 

 order was issued in the beginning of the year 

 that no Chinaman would be permitted to land 

 on the island without a residential permit from 

 the Government. Any Chinese wishing to re- 

 side in the country must apply for leave to the 

 authorities, who will make the necessary in- 

 quiries as to the character and the ability to 

 work of the applicants; and any Chinaman 

 presenting himself without authority will be 

 sent back by the first ship. If he has not the 

 means to pay his passage, he will be made to 

 work in the Government dockyards until he 

 has earned enough to pay the sum necessary 

 to defray the expenses of his repatriation. 



A revolt broke out among the natives on the 

 island of New Caledonia, belonging to France, 

 in the latter part of 1878. It was completely 

 suppressed by February, 1879, and the cap- 

 tured natives were transported to the Isle of 

 Pines and other small islands in the neighbor- 

 hood. 



The later efforts of Protestant missionaries 

 among the aborigines of Australia show that 

 those people have a higher intelligence and a 

 greater capacity for civilization than they had 

 been credited with. The failure of the earlier 

 attempts to instruct them had left an impres- 

 sion that they would hardly receive even a 

 rudimentary civilization. The colonies of na- 

 tives connected with the Moravian and Episco- 

 pal missions have, how- 

 ever, made a respectable 

 intellectual advancement 

 and acquired consider- 

 able skill in industrial 

 labor. The Moravians 

 have two stations in 

 Gippsland, to which neat 

 churches are attached, 

 with 125 native Chris- 

 tians living in a civilized 

 manner. The Presbyte- 

 rian Church of South 

 Australia has a mission at 

 Point Maclay, of which 

 a similar report is made. 

 The Anglican missiona- 

 ries have schools from 

 which favorable results 

 have been gained, and 

 missions have been es- 

 tablished by colonial so- 

 cieties and the German 

 Lutherans. The natives 

 connected with the Moravian mission received 

 a medal at the Vienna Exhibition for arrow- 

 root. The Anglican, Presbyterian, and Wes- 

 leyan Churches have also missions among the 

 Chinese immigrants. 



Missions are carried on among the Maoris 

 by the Anglican and Wesleyan Missionary So- 



