CoLENSO. — 0)1 a better Knoivledye of the Maori Race. 83 



sought (iu his own quiet persevering way) pieces of wood of various sorts 

 and shapes, and cut them and fixed his chords to please himself, making, at 

 length, sweet sounding instruments ; and often have I known him to spend 

 hours iu quietly listening to those soothing sounds, especially durmg one 

 long dreary and xDaiuful season, when he was in the doctor's hands for his 

 eyes, which ended in his totally losing the sight of one of them. At such 

 times I have been led to think upon Wordsworth's beautiful and appropri- 

 ate lines ; 



" And she shall lean her ear 



In many a secret place, 

 Where rivulets dance their wayward round, 

 And beauty born of murmuring sound 

 Shall pass into her face." — (Lucy). 



But there is much throughout the whole of that poem strictly applica- 

 able to the subject of this paper. 



Another lad, whom I had residing with me at a much earlier period, 

 also showed a fine natural ear for music. I bought him a piccolo flute, and 

 he early taught himself to play on it. I have known him after hearing a 

 tune a few times (at church, or elsewhere), to come home, and in a very 

 short time to play it correctly and harmoniously on his little flute. This, 

 too, he did with several of our tunes, of course, all without notes or pre- 

 viously knowing them. 



II. Of their Vocal Music. — Under this branch I have very little additional 

 to say ; the true old Maori singing difi'erhig so w^idely from our own ; 

 although some of it approached pretty nearly to a few of our more simple 

 chatmts. The vocal Maori music, as a whole, has, like their own 

 instrumental, almost become extinct. One remarkable feature, however, 

 concerning their vocal music I would relate, as I am sure it is but little 

 known ; — namely, that almost every song or poetical piece had its own 

 proper tune, — and must not be sung or recited to another ! Indeed, the 

 words alone of any newly-heard song, however sphited or approved of, were 

 not valued without its tune. When I first discovered this I was astonished, 

 and could hardly beheve it, until I had repeatedly proved it. For, in my 

 extensive yearly travelling, some 30-40 years ago, throughout the North 

 Island, always having Maoris travelhng with me, I found, in getting to a 

 strange place or people, that my companions could do nothing with a new 

 song they had brought with them, unless they also knew its proper tune. 

 And I myself, when sometimes quoting a line or two fi-om an unknown 

 song, should soon be teased about its tune — " He aha tana rangi? " would 

 be frequently asked. Here, then, is another addition to their amazing 

 powers of memory, already alluded to by me in this paper. 



I will conclude with two quotations from their earliest visitors, con- 



