Show i 1 The The South South Pacific Islands Prepared repa ed for the Natu Natural l Histo History y of Ut Utah Utah h 1 f LYING in the great oceans b between tween Africa and South A America erica are num numberless numberless number number- berless ber- ber less islands varying from the small coral f formation not yet occupied by man to the continent like continent like Australia with land and resources enough to sustain a great nation All these are known collectively collective collective- ly as which however has three main divisions Of these divi divisions divisions divi- divi Malaysia and lie for forthe the most part between the South Pacific and Indian Ocean while Polynesia comprises comprises comprises com com- the Islands of the Pacific But the Polynesians are not confined to Polynesia Polynesia Polynesia Poly Poly- nesia they also oc occupy the islands of New Zealand geographically a part of so that in speaking of the South Pacific Islanders reference is made to the Polynesian race not in Polynesia s alone but also in portions of The languages of the different branches branches branches bran bran- ches of the Polynesian races the races the Haw- Haw Samoans the Maoris and others are ar very closely related In many cases words have the the the- the saI same ame f form rm and y ari and al also also also al- al so the same ame meaning in ith inthe the languages of these people now living thousands of miles apart parL Then there is such a striking striking striking ing resemblance in iri their physical and mental characteristics that no one can doubt their common origin and that atno at atno no noo very ery early date in the history of the world But these people are no more distinctly characterized by the close ethnological relationship between the tribes themselves than by their characteristics characteristics characteristics charac charac- which so closely separate them from their neighbors Who are they and what is their origin is a question that has been much discussed but never fully answered Modern philology is a great aid in the study of ethnology but all we have learned from this source is that the Polynesian languages in their idioms idioms' more clos closely ly resemble the Hebrew than they do any other ancient language known to scholars It has been bean eNn argued r that the Polynesians must have come from Malaysia or r India but they are so so unlike t the e. e Malays and the that such a theory seems not in the least plausible The unlikeness is still more striking when we compare them with the like animal-like Australian blacks or the conservative peaceful Mongolians Having Having Having Hav Hav- ing exhausted the neighbors on the west we can only look eastward and compare them with the American Indians Although there is a marked difference between the Polynesian and the American Ameri Ameri- can Indian yet that difference is not s so great as it is between the Polynesian and any other race There is more direct evidence of their relationship to the Indian Indian Indian In In- dian in the fact that their traditions point to the rising sun as the place from which they migrated also in the fact that on un Easter Island and in other places monuments are found resembling those in Central America although less ma mag mag- g- g I It It- Itis t. t is the purpose of these papers to speak of the Maori people people people-as as a a a type type of f the Polyp Polynesian esi an rac race and nd t to to call calf call atten at atten attention ten tion to toa a a f few of their I peculiar customs ms ms and religious r rites tes The TheM Maoris oris are an n not the of New Zealand They invaded these islands about about- the year year 1000 A. A D. D and exterminated ed or enslaved enslaved en en enslaved slaved the peaceful who then occupied occupied occupied oc oc- the the- soil They came to fo New Zealand in large sea fearing canoes i.e. i.e. i.e. i. i e. e two candes fastened tog together ther to prevent prevent pre pre- vent capsizing Arriving in sep separate rate companies and at vari various us times th they y formed independent settlements ts arid and from these developed the various tribes Accordingly when the Maoris Maoris' became known to the Europeans they had no no general government but on the contrary ry were composed of numerous independent ent tribes which were const constantly constantly- at at strife with each other So fierce had bec become their for war for and me passion war revenge revenge re re- that they were never at rest A tribe was vas liable to attacks attacks' attacks attacks' at any time If they could find no better cetter cause for forwar war they would simply go out after beef human beef human beef beef and and then feaston feast feaston on the flesh of their victims According to tradition they were not cannibals when they first settled In m New Zealand This savage custom custon was acquired during their numerous wars and through bloodthirsty superstitions But it is more agreeable to speak of customs less repugnant to human nature marriages and family and social These have been modified somewhat by European influences and ann are here treated chiefly as they may be observed today Marriage is a very interesting subject to the old people in because to them falls all alj the pleasure of making the preliminary arrangements There is r no no o word in the Maori language that corresponds to our word courtship neither is there any act in the life of a Maori that might be described by such sucha a CL word When the boys and girls come cometo cometo cometo to marriageable age wh which ich is very young young with with them th the tribe tribe is assembled and the matter i is is' publicly publicly- u blidy The ones to be disposed of generally exhibit little concern rather they are J resigned to the opinion that the old people know v best best- and so the youth is content to abide by the de decision ision of his grandparents parents uncles and aunts and chiefs of the tribe Th There re is a striking striking striking ing resemblance between this manner mann r of regulating marriages and the stories of similar contracts formed in ancient times among the He Hebrews Furthermore it is isa a Maori custom that when a man dies childless and leaves a widow she sh shall l be married to her husbands husband's brother r This is a parallel custom to the well known custom of ancient Israel prescribed in the law of Moses Polygamy has been a common practice among the le leaders ders of the tribes In their family relations filial obedience obedience obedience obedi obedi- ence is not not- confined to the period of immaturity im im immaturity maturity but is regarded as a long life-long duty S So long as they live men and women are the advisors not only of their children but for their grandchildren and andall andall andall all th their it descendants Uncles and aunts are called fathers and mothers and cousins are brothers and sisters A Maori may be grandfather while he is yet a youth and childless The eldest so son is is is' heir to the priesthood and political political cal cal- position of his father in some cases however his birthright birthright- may have to be I forfeited as was also the case among ancient ancient ancient an an- peoples Before native customs were mod modified by British influence leading leading leading lead lead- ing families were were served by numerous slaves who may have been of as honorable honorable honorable honor honor- able birth as their masters but were un unfortunate tin tin- n- n fortunate enough to have been taken captive in battle Women slaves often became concubines of their masters as there were two ranks of wifehood Fierce as the Maori was in battle he lie yet had a high sense of honor He was free to kill rob and nd plunder boldly and openly but tre treachery chery arid and sn sneaking aking th theft ft were to him him- im most despicable His ene- ene j Y f mies were f received in fair battle but a all all other comers comers' although they might be be be- strangers were treated with a hospitality rarely known among more civilized communities com com The Maori is in rn duty bound to give food and shelter to tb travelers even though they come in large c compan companies mpa 1 ies and such a thing as paying for or these accommodations is is never thought of A k The manner of b burying burping ying the dead and and the custom of f sometimes r removing moving the bones bones- of the dead to their ancestral homes are of great importance to the Maor Maoris s. s They have a superstitious superstitious- dread of a corpse Everybody that touches it becomes ta tapu u unclean and must be kept apart from the people until purified When any anyone one of of rank dies th the relatives or tribe make a great mourning and feast feast feast-a a Maori cannot weep veep on an an- empty stomach unless he feels sure that food is in the ovens vens Large companies sometimes remain to together together together to- to gether for weeks and do Ii little but weep eat talk and sing Odes to o the Dead Oftentimes a gathering o of this kind is called to mourn for a chi chief f after he has been dead a anum number ber of years But they also have a custom of literally resurrecting resurrecting resurrect resurrect- ing the dead to the extent of taking up their bones According to Maori ideas a person should be buried with his ancestors ancestors ancestors an an- and as he may have removed to some distant part of the country he lie he may have to be placed in a tern temporary p sepulchre until there is little left but his skeleton Then another gathering is called and great ceremony is is observed in taking up the bones and conveying them to their proper place Sometimes this is done by the wholesale a score of f bodies being taken up at one time As the period of interring is not very long the bones generally have to be scraped A man is set apart for this work and h he hev he v becomes so ta tapu u unclean that not only does he have to live apart but he can cannot cannot can can- i not even touch food or cooking utensils He must have a feeder feeders f eder s someone ap ap t l T pointed to t take talce k fo food dt T to j him hini J. J and n i r A put it J s. s into his mouth v If these cust customs ms are compared with the the customs of ot the the Hebr Hebrews ws under the the Mosaic law and even in patriarchal patriarchal patriarchal patri patri- archal times there cannot cannot but be seen a a striking resemblance blance between them Probably the they would compare equally well with the customs custom's of some other othet- branches of pf the Semitic race if there were pi proper per data The question naturally arises Is this this' striking similarity similarity similarity simi simi- larity beca because the Polynesians are a branch of the Sem tic race assuming that all races had one common origin or is it because man is so constituted that parallel customs custom's are developed in primitive minds independent of a common common common com com- mon origin or any it These questions are furnishing thought for some of the best minds of our our age 1 Taking the latter view we are con con confronted coral coral- fronted by the fact that this similarity of of development is much more marked markel be between between be be- tween some races than it is between others others' while by taking the former view this difference is is' accounted for by y assuming assuming assuming as as- suming that races having similar customs customs customs cus cus- toms are closely related while races races be between between between be- be tween whose customs there is little resemblance resemblance re re- sem semblance blance are correspondingly remotely rela related ted J Milton on B Benmon J |