52 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



meuts are so loose that they hardly bear criticism. They neither induce 

 nor deduce anything, but weakly mix both luies of argument. Broadly, I, 

 with others, think and assert that the Maori originally came from some one 

 of the South Sea Islands, and support the assertion by deductive reasoning ; 

 pointing, in proof, to the traditions, similarity of language, etc., etc. The 

 only other course open is to oppose the assertion, and reason inductively 

 fact by fact to any given point, or at least to show that my facts do not 

 support the origmal supposition. The speculators adopt neither course, 

 and Mr. Colenso contents himself with asking, "Where did Mr. Phillips 

 get the idea that the bow and arrow was the familiar weapon of the Maori 

 ancestry ?" It will be quite time to ask such a question when Mr. Colenso 

 is prepared to show that the original deduction (the migration) is erroneous.* 

 I am also surprised at the following sentence contained in Mr. Colenso's 

 paper (p. 110) : — " My own testimony is this (the same indeed as that of 

 Cook and others) that the Neiv Zealander never knew the use of the bow and 

 arrow, nor of the sling proper (the italics are his own), as used, for instance, 

 by the natives of Tahiti." Such a sentence, without a shadow of proof, 

 coming from so great an authority is remarkable. I am quite convinced 

 that Captain Cook would never have so committed himself: while I am 

 fully prepared to admit that the modern Maori — let us say, since the time 

 of Tasman — appeared to know nothuig of the bow and arrow, I cannot, 

 nor do I think any one else will, agree in saying that the ancient New Zea- 

 lander, the immediate descendant of one of the partakers in the migration 

 to which tradition so definitely points, was also in a similar state of igno- 

 rance. Indeed I am inclined to take quite the opposite view, and say that 

 the New Zealander did once know the use of the bow and arrow, and I shaU 

 endeavom' to prove so grave a statement. That proof will be as follows : — 

 Polynesia may be roughly divided into East and West. The Western tribes 

 (Papvian and Malay) used and still use the bow and arrow as a weapon of 

 war. The Eastern tribes (Malay) used and still use it either sacredly or in 

 sport. The Maoris evidently came from the East. On landing they found 

 little use for their sportive weapon, the remembrance of which perhaps, and 

 not the weapon itself, they alone brought with them. They consequently 

 soon abandoned its manufacture. In their original home they had never 

 been accustomed to see the bow and arrow used, except sacredly or in sport. 

 A few tribes, in shallow waters, upon coral reefs, used and still use the bow 

 and arrow for shooting fish, but there were no coral reefs, with like advan- 

 tages, to be found in New Zealand. I am, therefore, entitled to consider 

 that the ancient New Zealander once knew the use of a sacred and sportive 

 weapon, the remembrance of which, the circumstances attending a new 



* See note A. 



