CorENsOo.—On the Maori Races of New Zealand. 419 
were the life of the New Zealander. They were perhaps the three rotten 
hoops round the old cask, but they kept the cask together. Slavery (though 
an ugly word) might have been ameliorated in New Zealand, where its form 
was mild compared with what it was in ancient Rome, even as it was both 
there and in Asia Minor by Paul. Polygamy might have been far better 
dealt with, for the time, according to the lenient dealings of God with the 
Jewish. fathers, and with New Testament teaching, than according to 
ecclesiastical dogmas. And much of the taboo might have been softened 
and altered, and borne with too for a time, until a better and not altogether 
distinct scheme, suited to uphold and expand the moral character of the 
neophyte Maori Christian, had been got ready. An Eastern sage has said, 
“In time the mulberry leaf becomes satin.” The writer of this essay has 
seen a chief,—a lineal descendant of ancient kings,—whose nod yesterday 
was life or death, who had several wives, many fine children, and a number of 
slaves; whose home was full of merry laughing faces, food, and hospitality ; 
he has seen him afterwards a baptized man, without servants or helpers, with 
little food and less clothing, ashamed and vexed at not having the means to be 
hospitable; with one weak wife (soon brought to be so through extra daily 
labour) and three children, for whom he himself had daily to work very hard, . 
and yet could not procure for them the fish and birds and pork of former days ; 
while any one of his late slaves was far better off thanhe. The writer has seen 
with secret grief that man (and several such) more than once, and he has asked 
Christianity, “ Was there really a necessity for all this?" Very likely, had 
those notable Maori kings been only gradually altered, and not so suddenly 
and rudely abolished, and had fitting short Christian services obtained 
instead of wearisome long ones, the principal chiefs, heads of tribes, would 
have kept their status, order would have prevailed, the rising generation 
would have both known and kept their proper place, the decrease in their 
numbers would have been considerably less, they would have confidence in 
the Government, missionaries, and settlers, instead of suspicion; in all 
probability there would have been now no war with the Government, and the 
degrading fanaticism which now obtains would never have found support. 
Fuit Ilium! Cook found the New Zealanders healthy, happy, and con- 
tented in the midst of all their wars and poverty ;—are they so now ? 
VL—Turz Fvrvmr. 
65. Seeing but very little of a cheering nature in the late past and pre- 
sent of the New Zealanders, the mind, ever hopeful, naturally looks forward 
tothe future. But where is the seer who can truly decipher the mysterious 
signs of the times; much less prediet the state and position of the Maori 
race at the end of another period of twenty years? But why say twenty 
