Canterbury and Westland. 427* 



different type. "When Dr. Eilhol, the "French naturalist paid us a visit 

 some years ago, he collected a number of skulls in the sandhills, on 

 the east coast of Otago, which are now in the Paris Museum. Professor 

 C. de Quatrefages, another celebrated craniologist, under whose charge 

 that Museum is, informed me, in one of his letters — " Les cranes que 

 nous possedons ont permis d'affirmer la presence d'un element Papoua 

 par mis les Maoris." 



The last, and no mean authority, writing on the subject, is Professor 

 "W. H. Elower, F.E.S., the eminent conservator of the Museum of the 

 Eoyal College of Surgeons, in London. In a lecture lately delivered 

 before the Eoyal Institution of Great Britain, the following passage 

 occurs, which strongly confirms the opinions of the two former 

 naturalists : — " The Maoris, or native population of New Zealand, if 

 true Polynesians, as is usually supposed, have departed considerably 

 from the Samoan type. They are darker in colour, have usually more 

 curl in their hair, stronger beards, more prominent and aquiline noses, 

 longer heads (the average cranial index of all that I have measured 

 75), rather lower orbits (89), and slightly wider though still leptorhine 

 noses (47). It is possible that this change of type may have taken 

 place, simply as the result of three or four centuries isolation under 

 different conditions, and is therefore something similar to that which 

 appears to be in process among the English in North America ; but 

 it is very suggestive of an admixture of Melanesian blood, as every one 

 of the points mentioned, form an approximation more or less pronounced 

 towards that race. Although it has been doubted by some authors, it 

 is asserted by others, that there are Maori traditions indicating the 

 existence of an aboriginal population, though probably not a numerous 

 one, upon these islands before they were invaded from Earotonga, in 

 the beginning of the fifteenth century. If this were the case, they 

 were probably Melanesians, and their absorption into the ranks of the 

 conquering race would cause the physical changes noted above." 

 "We thus observe that there is a general agreement as to the mixed 

 character of the Maori race, whether the same be based upon an exami- 

 nation of the skulls from ancient graves, or of those of the present 

 population. 



There is still another point of considerable importance, to 

 which I wish to draw the attention of the reader, namely — the 

 ancient rock paintings found in many portions of this Island. They 

 prove beyond a doubt, that New Zealand many centuries ago, has been 

 visited by a people having different manners, customs, and religious 



