CoLENSO. — On a better Knowledge of the Maori Eace. Il3 



What influence had they on the people ? Were they ever acted upon ? 

 And here, with reference to some of them, I can personally bear testimony ; 

 especially to those referring to general industry, to kindness, and to hospi- 

 tality ; to quickness, diligence, and expertness ; to endiu'ance, patience, 

 courage, and advice ; to good manners, and to good temper ; — all these 

 manly and noble qualities I have seen largely practised by the old New 

 Zealander, before Europeans came generally among them. The chief and 

 the lady worked hard and regularly, as well as the plebeian and slave ; and 

 as to their hospitality, it was beyond all praise ! — not unfrequently giving 

 the whole of their meal (including that of their children), and that, too, in 

 a time of scarcity, and contentedly going without ! While ill-manners, ill- 

 temper, and ill-natm-e, — slander, lying, theft, and disobedience, — idleness, 

 laziness, and begging, gluttony, and anger, — I have not unfrequently heard 

 rebuked with a timely-cutting proverb, and that with good efl'ect. In nearly 

 all those things the Maori has deteriorated fearfully since his close contact 

 with " civilization," and his becoming largely possessed of money ! — the 

 "love of which,"* in his case, has tru.ly been "the root of all evil" to the race! 



Before, however, that I give you some examples of their proverbs and 

 proverbial sayings, in proof of what I have already said, I would just make 

 two brief remarks concerning proverbs, which alike pertain to proverbs of 

 all countries, viz. : (1.) There are some which are wholly untranslateable, or 

 which, when translated literally, lose their meaning. (2.) There are others, 

 again, which from their very brevity yet well-known allusion in their own 

 vernacular, are without any meaning when rendered into a foreign tongue, 

 and can only be made intelligible by a long and perhaps a tedious translation. 



The Jirst arises from the total want of anything of the peculiar kind 

 whence the simile is drawn in the proverb, being used among the people mto 

 whose language the proverb is to be translated. Of what use would sueh 

 common European sayings as, "As hard as steel," "As heavy as lead," 

 "As precious as gold," be to a people who knew nothing of metals? Or, 

 such allusions as, "As cold as ice," "As white as snow," be to the 

 inhabitants of the tropics ? Or, such proverbial sayings as, " Sour grapes," 

 " Great cry, but little wool," " Boy and wolf," be to a people who did not 

 know anything whatever of the things mentioned ? 



The second arises from a similar cause, only here it is the peculiar 

 event — the doing or saying — which is wholly unknown to the people into 



* Lest any slioiild say I have Paul's well-known and often-quoted passage in my 

 mind (which I have not), I will give a notable passage to the same effect from the Greek 

 tragedians, 500*b.c. : — " For no such evil institution as money has arisen to men. It lays 

 waste cities ; it drives away men from their homes ; it seduces and perverts the honest 

 inclinations of mortals to turn to base actions ; and it has taught men to learn villanies, 

 and to know the impiety of every deed." — Sophocles : Antigone. 



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