494 Proceedings. 



were aware that in 1837, before any of the present settlements in New Zealand 

 were occupied by Europeans, a writer on these islands, Mr. Polack* had stated 

 his conclusion from the stories he heard from the natives, that a large 

 struthious bird existed still in Victoria, as he called the South Island, and 

 was only lately extinct in the Northern. He had received a very interesting 

 letter from the highest authority and ablest writer on old New Zealand, 

 Mr. Maning, Judge of the Native Lands Court, and, although he had not his 

 permission to do so, would venture to read from it some extracts which 

 would satisfy all who heard them, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the 

 Maori knew the Moa perfectly well l 



"There is no subject, except perhaps the history of their wars and 

 migrations, none on which the traditions of the Maori are so numerous and 

 particular, as those regarding the Moa — none which have that freshness and 

 vraisemblance which are perfectly convincing to those who know them: 

 indeed, the natives would be much amused if any pakeha from Europe should 

 set to work to persuade them that their forefathers had not hunted the Moa, 

 and at no remote date. 



"The natives are particularly remarkable as acute observers of everything 

 coming under their notice; they have named every tree, shrub, plant, and 

 insect in the country, and, what is more remarkable, have classified the plants 

 to a great extent, and upon very sound principles. 



"The Moa was of such incalculable value to them as animal food that to 

 facilitate its capture they have evidently, as in the case of smaller birds used 

 for food, studied with the greatest keenness its habits, food, character, and 

 everything possible to be known about it. Their songs contain allusions to 

 hunting the Moa, and tradition tells how they caught, cooked, the fat melted, 

 and preserved, and in fact everything about them. 



"The Moa appears to have been a stupid, inert bird, except at certain 

 seasons, when it is supposed they came together and fought with great 

 obstinacy, when many were killed. There is a Maori saying which is parallel 

 to our "stupid as a goose"; they sometimes say of a man, "he is as inert as a 



Moa, 



Maori 



Moa 



hunting. 

 "The 



as are to be expected. * * That it was called in sons, 'Hokioi of the 



mountain 



under certain circumstances, was considered ominous; that it came often 

 accompanied by thunder and lightning, probably driven to the low grounds 



storm, and 



* See Trana. N. Z. Inst., V., p. 413. 



