ETHNOLOGY OF THE PRESENT DAY. 293 



high intellectual organization. In the few arts known amongst them, — for 

 example, in spinning mats of the flax lily, in cutting tools, weapons, vessels, 

 &:c., often ornamented in the most ingenious manner, — they display uncom- 

 mon dexterity and skill, and even a degree of taste and elegance. Their 

 music is said to be more complete than that of many other South Sea 

 Islanders ; they even have national poems, constantly increasing in num- 

 ber, as new occurrences rouse up the imagination of their bards ; and 

 eloquence in the assembly is a quality as indispensable to their chiefs and 

 warriors, as valor in the field. All classes of people are fond of conversa- 

 tion ; especially of talking of what relates to their chief and his family, or 

 of matters lying beyond the very narrow circle of their own experience or 

 tradition. They are, however, not inclined to believe all things, and often 

 cross-question for a long time, until they are satisfied with the explanation 

 given. Many are well acquainted with the geography of their country; and 

 notwithstanding the want of roads, travel over the island in all directions. 

 Next to singing, dancing {pi. 40, jig. 7) affords them the greatest pleasure. 

 The martial dance is hideous, and accompanied by horrid pantomimic 

 motions and twistings of the limbs, clashing of weapons, huzzas, and scream- 



ing- 



Many of their truly disagreeable faults, as their restlessness, fierceness, 

 and sanguinary disposition ; their slyness, jealousy, and dissimulation ; their 

 suspicion, and lying, and slandering, indicate not so much a want of 

 understanding, as of moral principle. They are the fruit of intellectual 

 powers allowed to grow wild and without their natural and requisite 

 nourishment, as is not unfrequently found to be the case with intelligent 

 children, in whose education Httle judgment has been manifested. The 

 English missionaries have established several schools ; not, however, with- 

 out meeting many obstacles in the outset. Yet, with all their savageness, 

 most of the children made very rapid advances in learning to read their 

 mother tongue in the primer prepared for their use. When their attention 

 was once fixed, their quickness of comprehension was found equal to that 

 of English children. After a while they were taught writing also. 



All that has hitherto been done for the civilization of New Zealand is the 

 work of the last thirty years, and the honor is due to certain religious 

 associations in England, particularly to the Church Missionary Society, 

 who have several settlements, with three clergymen of the Church of 

 England, and five schools at three diflferent stations, frequented by almost 

 two hundred children, and some adults. At all the settlements the houses 

 are built in the English style. English agricultural and horticultural 

 systems have even been introduced upon the estates of various chieftain:S. 

 The lay members employed by the society not only render assistance in 

 instructing, but carry on various trades in the new country. 



Upon the whole, the civilization of this nation has commenced in a very 

 promising manner. Their mode of greeting each other is that of many 

 other islands of Oceania ; namely, by touching the tips of their noses {pi. 

 41, fig. 1). The houses of the New Zealanders are less ingenious than 

 might be expected. They are small and low huts, of seven or eight feet in 



ICONOGRAPrilC ENCYCLOPyEDIA. — VOL. III. 30 465 



