WEKA PASS ROCK-PAINTINGS. 53 
There is no need, as remarked in the first portion of this pa- 
per, to refer to the Maori traditions, or absence of traditions on 
this subject. I think experience has shown that scientific men 
who have formed a theory find little difficulty in twisting Maori 
traditions any way they please. Some, for example, hold that 
the moa has been extinct for untold ages, and lightly and airily 
discard or adopt Maori tradition as they please, setting no value 
on it if it happens to be somewhat strong against them, or at- 
tempting to refer it to some ostrich or cassowary in distant 
islands if they cannot get rid of it altogether. Whether the cas- 
sowary ever inhabited any island whence the Maoris could have 
travelled, I cannot precisely say, and the point has been a little 
neglected I think in moa controversies. But, totally apart from 
the absence or presence of Maori traditions as to these paintings, 
the question remains whether in a matter of so small importance 
to them it is worth while laying any stress upon their opinion. 
The moa was, of course, an object of the very highest importance 
to whatever race of people were living here with it, and one can 
very easily understand that it would occupy an exceedingly high 
place in their songs, legends, histories, etc. But aset of coloured 
daubs, on an obscure rock hidden away ina secluded valley, even 
supposing that at the time of their first execution they could at- 
tract attention, would very soon pass out of the minds of a race 
of savages who had many other more important matters—war, 
fishing, feasts—to think about. So that, in all probability fifty 
years or so after the first appearance of the paintings, the natives 
(who can scarcely be credited with archeological tastes) would 
have forgotten all about their origin. And then the natural re- 
sult would follow. MHistorical truth having been lost, legend— 
that is to say, confession of ignorance—would take its place, 
When a Maori, or any other savage, ascribes anything to mythi- 
cal ancestors, fabled gods, monsters, etc., that simply means, to 
my mind, that he knows nothing whatever about it, and being 
disinclined to say straight out that he does not know, he takes 
refuge in legendary fog. I by no means desire to undervalue 
native tradition, provided it ascribe anything to ordinary human 
ancestors and their agency ; but when it comes to ogres, Te Ka- 
hui Tipua, monsters, Nga-puhi, and such like, I take it that all 
this simply means, “we don’t know anything about it; we have 
forgotten the whole affair.” A native gentleman of the name of 
Mataiha seems, from Dr. von Haast’s account, to set down the 
paintings as the work of the Nga-puhi, a mythical archaic race, 
from which I should be inclined to say that Mr. Mataiha’s opi- 
nion may be set aside as possessing no value whatever; and he 
is stated to be “ the best living authority on Maori traditions in 
the South Island.” ‘ 
Lest I should be misrepresented on this point, it is necessary 
to observe here clearly that it is not Maori tradition as a whole 
which I would depreciate, but Maori tradition in particular. 
Nobody, I suppose, would deny the enormous value in many 
ways of the legends, genealogies, histories (if they can be so 
