THE DECREASE OF THE MAORI RACE. 59 
Mr. Bryce had told him that these enumerations could not be re- 
lied on, as every chief was anxious to make his following appear 
as large as possible. 
Dr. Hector said it could not be denied that this very impor- 
tant subject had hitherto been neglected. Although, however, 
comparatively few papers had appeared in the “ Transactions,” 
he was not aware that any had been rejected. He took the op- 
portunity of saying this, because a Hawkes Bay correspondent 
(Mr. Colenso) had lately complained of unfair treatment in this 
respect, whereas his papers (which were not on Maori subjects), 
had only been delayed, not refused ; and it seemed to him un- 
reasonable to make this a ground of complaint against the Insti- 
tute. He entirely concurred in the views put forward by Dr. 
Buller in regard to the Maori race. The census returns were 
quite delusive, as he had satisfied himself by careful inquiries in 
various parts of the country, and he gave the meeting several in- 
stances in point. As to the urgent necessity for collecting a his- 
tory of the Maori people, he was quite in accord with the presi- 
dent, and would suggest that the minutes of evidence in the 
Native Land Courts should be carefully preserved, on account of 
the historical information they contain. 
The Hon. Capt. Fraser said he thought the decay of the 
Maori people was by.no means so rapid as was generally supposed. 
He also demurred to some of Dr. Newman’s observations, and 
that gentleman immediately replied. 
Dr. Buller said in general reply, that his conclusions were not 
based on the evidence of any particular locality, but were drawn 
from a pretty extensive knowledge of the various native districts. 
He had instanced the Otaki district because it was at our very 
doors. But other districts with which he was equally familiar— 
Kaipara in the far North, Waikato, Rotorua, Taupo, Wanganui, 
&c.—all told the same melancholy tale. These districts were 
populous when he first knew them, and now the natives might 
be counted by dozens where formerly there were hundreds. As 
to Maori census returns, they were mere approximations and 
very often misleading, as he could state from personal experience. 
He was much struck with the rapid mortality as disclosed also 
_ by native titles ; and he mentioned several instances within his 
_ own professional knowledge, where, in a certificat2 of title con- 
taining originally from 50 to 100 names, from 10 to I5 per cent. 
had died off in an incredibly short space of time. Amalgamation 
ofraceshad beentalked of, but this would not save the Maoris. The 
half-castes were undoubtedly a fine people physically, but he had 
noticed that when they married back into the Maori race the 
offspring had:no stamina, and seldom reached maturity. He 
quite agreed with Dr, Hector about the value of the Land Court 
evidence if carefully arranged and collated. He had suc- 
ceeded once in interesting Judge Fenton on this point, and 
circulars were then addressed to the various Judges, asking 
them to hand over their note-books for public record, but he had 
never heard the result. For his own part, for twenty years past 
he had been carefully preserving everything of the kind. 
