Newman.—On Causes leading to the Extinetion of the Maori. 465 
To gain a clear view of the effects of the different causes leading to the 
extinction of the race it will be well to study very briefly the Maoris in their 
former wild and their present civilized conditions. Before we came to these 
islands the natives were dotted in clusters all over the islands, but more 
thickly in the northern one. These clusters were generally on small or 
lofty hills, with a wood near and a river at the base. As they were divided 
into many tribes, which were always ready to fight for their own protection, 
each small tribe, or parts of bigger tribes, entrenched’ themselves on the 
spurs of a mountain or the brow ofa hill. One side of the hill was usually 
a steep ascent, and the other sides frequently defended by a ditch and ram- 
Part. In these highly-placed forts they slept, descending by daylight to 
the damper lowlands or the swamps and rivers for fishing. Any food they 
got was irregular in supply, and nearly always hardly earned, almost always 
was bulky, but very innutrient. Their clothing was very scanty, and put on 
or off without any regard to so-called decency. They intermarried largely. 
Their lives were always harassed by actual warfare or a dread of assaults. 
They had few diseases, and as communication with different parts of the 
islands was rare, epidemics did not do much damage. The Maoris enjoyed 
an immunity from very many diseases which have long affected us, ¢.9., 
smallpox, syphilis, measles, scarlet fever, whooping-cough, typhus, and 
_ Probably typhoid. But though they had few diseases, those few were 
deadly, Consumption in its various forms killed old and middle-aged and 
_ Young. They suffered from a malarious fever, from diarrhoea, from bron- 
a chitis and pneumonia, and many from rheumatism. Rheumatism was a 
‘Requent scourge. Scrofula thinned the children’s ranks. Epilepsy and 
: dropsy were not infrequent. A species of leprosy (ngerengere) was preva- 
lent. In addition to these and other diseases, cannibalism was the cause of 
‘cath to many. Infanticide, especially female infanticide, was very com- 
mon. Old people, both men and women, chiefly the latter, were allowed to 
tie of neglect or starvation. They sometimes died from eating unhealthy 
- Mls or from a, surfeit of lampreys. Suicide was exceedingly common, but 
_ _ toWrare. Murders were numerous. In the olden times, if a husband 
Hed the woman nearly always killed herself. Under the painful operation 
tattooing some died; and lives were lost by the old warriors’ dislike of 
8 in bed, for when they felt death approaching they used a 
vss to the teoth, and thon at night, gathering their remaining energies 
® last struggle, would rush headlong into one of the enemies’ camps, 
gee eine 
