78 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



preferred to take them from Sir G. Grey's published collection, or, at all 

 events, to refer to such when found therein (although, in several instances 

 a different version, having been altered, as is frequently the case) as, in 

 my so doing, the published Maori originals could be referred to by those 

 possessing that book. 



In conclusion, I would make a few remarks on their musical talent, this 

 being a natural and necessary part of the subject, seeing that the old Maoris 

 either sung or chaunted all their poetry. And I am the more inclined to do 

 so from the fact of so very little being known about it for this — the music 

 (unlike the words) of their poetry — has nearly become wholly lost both to 

 them (their descendants) and to us. 



This I purpose considering briefly under two heads — I., Instrumental ; 

 and II., Vocal. 



I. Of their Instrumental Music. — Here, however, little can be said, save 

 that they did possess such ; and that, rude as it was, they sought to vary it 

 in many ways, showing (1) their musical faculty, and (2) their endeavours 

 after its improvements. But to do them justice, we must never lose sight of 

 this one great fundamental fact, already mentioned by me*, their utter igno- 

 rance and want of all and every kind of metal ! How, then, it might well be 

 asked could they possibly manufacture a musical instrument ? Still they 

 strove to do it, and, to a certain rude extent, succeeded. Their attempts in 

 this direction have always served to remind me strongly of what the ancient 

 Greeks related concerning the early endeavours of Apollo himself in con- 

 structing his first lyre, or harp, from the castaway shell of a tortoise and a 

 few strings drawn across it ! 



First I would observe that their instruments were nearly all wind instru- 

 ments, which they played or sounded with both mouth and nose, having, 

 however, separate instruments for each ser\ice. Of these, fortunately, we 

 have a few accurately drawn and described by their first European visitors ; 

 also a few deposited in museums at home. Yet, while the proper names of 

 several of them still remain (though some are for ever lost) an accurate de- 

 scription of all of them is not now to be obtained from the Maoris. I my- 

 self, in all my researches during a lengthened residence, have seen but a few 

 — a poor remnant ! They were all made of wood, bone, or shell, and may 

 be conveniently classed under three familiar names : (1) trumpets, (2) flutes, 

 and (3) whistles. 



(1,) The trumpets were made of wood or shell; for this latter purpose 



the shell of the large Triton (T. australis) was used, its apex was neatly cut 



off, its mouth scraped, and the whole shell polished, and a mouth-piece of 



hard wood, suitably hollowed and carved, was ingeniously and firmly fixed 



* See "Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. XL, p. 80, 



