﻿CoLENSo. 
  — 
  On 
  a 
  better 
  Knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  Maori 
  Race. 
  105 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  proof 
  that 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  modulation 
  like 
  the 
  above 
  still 
  survives, 
  I 
  

   shall 
  produce 
  as 
  nearly 
  as 
  my 
  ear 
  could 
  discern, 
  the 
  modulation 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  

   the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  melodies. 
  * 
  ''' 
  * 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  here 
  beg 
  to 
  state, 
  that 
  though 
  with 
  great 
  care 
  and 
  the 
  assistance 
  of 
  

   a 
  graduated 
  mouochord, 
  and 
  an 
  instrument 
  divided 
  like 
  the 
  intervals 
  of 
  the 
  

   Chinese 
  Jcin, 
  I 
  have 
  endeavoured 
  to 
  give 
  an 
  idea 
  of 
  those 
  airs 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand 
  

   which 
  I 
  heard, 
  yet 
  so 
  difficult 
  is 
  it 
  to 
  discover 
  the 
  exact 
  interval, 
  that 
  I 
  will 
  not 
  

   vouch 
  for 
  the 
  mathematical 
  exactness. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  I 
  must 
  also, 
  in 
  justice 
  to 
  

   myself, 
  add, 
  that 
  the 
  singer 
  did 
  not 
  always 
  repeat 
  the 
  musical 
  phrase 
  with 
  

   precisely 
  the 
  same 
  modulation, 
  though 
  without 
  a 
  very 
  severe 
  test 
  this 
  would 
  

   not 
  have 
  been 
  discernible, 
  nor 
  then 
  to 
  many 
  ears, 
  the 
  general 
  effect 
  being 
  to 
  

   an 
  European 
  ear 
  very 
  monotonous. 
  But 
  I 
  may 
  say 
  that, 
  when 
  I 
  sang 
  them 
  

   from 
  my 
  notation, 
  they 
  were 
  recognised 
  and 
  approved 
  of 
  by 
  competent 
  

   judges, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  New 
  Zealander 
  himself 
  said, 
  ' 
  he 
  should 
  soon 
  make 
  a 
  

   singer 
  of 
  me.' 
  "* 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Davies 
  has 
  also, 
  in 
  his 
  letter, 
  given 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  Maori 
  New 
  Zealand 
  

   songs, 
  set 
  by 
  him 
  to 
  music, 
  as 
  examples. 
  

  

  I 
  may 
  here 
  also 
  mention, 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  scientific 
  visitors 
  to 
  

   New 
  Zealand, 
  Dr. 
  Forster, 
  who 
  accompanied 
  Captain 
  Cook 
  on 
  his 
  second 
  

   voyage, 
  has 
  left 
  a 
  statement 
  on 
  record 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  kind. 
  Here 
  is 
  a 
  short 
  

   quotation 
  from 
  it, 
  given, 
  partly 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  learned 
  German's 
  feeling 
  

   and 
  truthful 
  deduction 
  therefrom, 
  and 
  partly 
  because 
  his 
  valuable 
  work 
  is 
  

   scarcely 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  Colony. 
  (And, 
  to 
  the 
  everlasting 
  honour 
  of 
  the 
  good 
  

   Doctor, 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  further 
  noted, 
  that 
  he 
  does 
  this 
  immediately 
  after 
  relating 
  

   several 
  acts 
  of 
  killing 
  and 
  cannibalism 
  perpetrated 
  by 
  the 
  New 
  Zealanders 
  

   on 
  Europeans, 
  among 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  very 
  recent 
  one, 
  in 
  which 
  ten 
  seamen 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  Captain 
  Cook's 
  expedition 
  were 
  killed, 
  etc., 
  so 
  that 
  Dr. 
  Forster 
  

   did 
  not 
  allow 
  his 
  reason 
  to 
  be 
  carried 
  away 
  by 
  his 
  feelings.) 
  He 
  says, 
  — 
  ■ 
  

   " 
  The 
  music 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zealanders 
  is 
  far 
  superior 
  in 
  variety 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   Society 
  and 
  Friendly 
  Islands. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  The 
  same 
  intelligent 
  friend 
  who 
  

   favoured 
  me 
  with 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  songs 
  at 
  Tongatapu, 
  has 
  likewise 
  given 
  

   me 
  another 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  music 
  ; 
  and 
  has 
  also 
  assured 
  me 
  that 
  there 
  

   appeared 
  to 
  be 
  some 
  display 
  of 
  genius 
  in 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  tunes, 
  which 
  

   soared 
  very 
  far 
  above 
  the 
  wretched 
  humming 
  of 
  the 
  Tahitian, 
  or 
  even 
  the 
  

   four 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  at 
  the 
  Friendly 
  Islands." 
  (Two 
  specimens 
  of 
  their 
  

   tunes 
  set 
  to 
  musical 
  notes 
  are 
  then 
  given.) 
  "The 
  same 
  gentleman 
  likewise 
  

   took 
  notice 
  of 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  dirge-like 
  melancholy 
  song, 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  

   Tupaea." 
  (The 
  musical 
  notes 
  of 
  this, 
  with 
  the 
  words, 
  are 
  also 
  given.) 
  

  

  * 
  [Note. 
  — 
  See 
  " 
  Polynesian 
  Mythology 
  and 
  Ancient 
  Traditional 
  History 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  

   Zealand 
  Race, 
  as 
  furnished 
  by 
  their 
  Priests 
  and 
  Chiefs." 
  Appendix, 
  p. 
  313. 
  By 
  Sir 
  

   George 
  Grey 
  ; 
  Murray: 
  London, 
  1855. 
  — 
  Ed.] 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  