^. Cozzwso.—On the Maori Races of New Zealand. 389 
name, and the word be changed for another. After his death, or after he 
began to be forgotten, such new names and words might drop, and the old 
words be again commonly used ; but if sucha chief had lived long, had great 
influence, and was either severe or greatly loved, so as to make him to be 
respected and the disuse of the said words more general and certain, it is 
easy to see that the old terms would not always be restored; which in time 
must tend to make a great alteration in the language. No doubt to this 
source not a few of its strange aberrant words are to be rightly attributed. 
44. They have many proverbs and sayings, and not a few fables, most of 
which are very amusing, even to a European. Their proverbs are mostly 
derived from observation and experience; many of them express much 
wisdom, and serve to prove how very highly industry and skill were prized by 
their ancestors. One or two may be here quoted, although, like all others: 
they lose much by translation :— 
* For the winter seek fuel, but Ede for the year." 
* Plenty of food, plenty of vig 
“Stand (to work) and thrive ; doge and want food." 
o dig." 
nd . 
* The seeker finds." : 
* Lazy hand, gluttonous throat." 
* A wooden spear can be parried, not so a € one " (an accusation). 
* Will the escaped wood-hen return to the ; 
“Dark skin and red skin united will do it” pun is, the cultivation by chiefs and slaves 
together ; formerly the chiefs always anointed themselves with a red pigment). 
ith the brave in war is great uncertainty ; with the brave in cultivation is sure 
“A lazy and sleepy man will never be rich.” 
* Labour's gains are carried off by do-nothing.” 
Their sayings were mostly laconical expressions of men of other Ege in- 
dieative of their feelings at having lost or gained; and (as their stories 
were well-known) were used as cautions and warnings. Their fables 
were very natural and correct, and mostly conversational between animals 
or natural objects; such as between the large rock lizard and the red 
gurnard, the cod-fish and the fresh-water eel, the common shark and the 
large lizard, the rat and the green parroquet, the sweet potato and the 
edible fern root, and the paper-mulberry tree and the New Zealand cork 
tree. Had they more and larger animals, they might have had a volume of 
fables rivalling those of Æsop or Pilpay. 
45. Their poetry was plentiful and various, and suited to all times and 
eonditions—peace or war, work and ease, love and death, constancy and 
despair. Béing naturally of a cheerful disposition, they were often humming 
a stanza or yerse ; and frequently beguiled the monotonous drudgery of 
some of their heavier work, performed together in, company, with suitabl 
inspiriting chaunts and songs, in which all joined in chorus, and which always 
