I was assured by a member of the House of Representatives that the native race is not decreasing, but actually increasing slightly.  It is another evidence that they are a superior breed of savages.  I do not call to mind any savage race that built such good houses, or such strong and ingenious and scientific fortresses, or gave so much attention to agriculture, or had military arts and devices which so nearly approached the white man’s.  These, taken together with their high abilities in boat-building, and their tastes and capacities in the ornamental arts modify their savagery to a semi-civilization—­or at least to, a quarter-civilization.

It is a compliment to them that the British did not exterminate them, as they did the Australians and the Tasmanians, but were content with subduing them, and showed no desire to go further.  And it is another compliment to them that the British did not take the whole of their choicest lands, but left them a considerable part, and then went further and protected them from the rapacities of landsharks—­a protection which the New Zealand Government still extends to them.  And it is still another compliment to the Maoris that the Government allows native representation—­in both the legislature and the cabinet, and gives both sexes the vote.  And in doing these things the Government also compliments itself; it has not been the custom of the world for conquerors to act in this large spirit toward the conquered.

The highest class white men Who lived among the Maoris in the earliest time had a high opinion of them and a strong affection for them.  Among the whites of this sort was the author of “Old New Zealand;” and Dr. Campbell of Auckland was another.  Dr. Campbell was a close friend of several chiefs, and has many pleasant things to say of their fidelity, their magnanimity, and their generosity.  Also of their quaint notions about the white man’s queer civilization, and their equally quaint comments upon it.  One of them thought the missionary had got everything wrong end first and upside down.  “Why, he wants us to stop worshiping and supplicating the evil gods, and go to worshiping and supplicating the Good One!  There is no sense in that.  A good god is not going to do us any harm.”

The Maoris had the tabu; and had it on a Polynesian scale of comprehensiveness and elaboration.  Some of its features could have been importations from India and Judea.  Neither the Maori nor the Hindoo of common degree could cook by a fire that a person of higher caste had used, nor could the high Maori or high Hindoo employ fire that had served a man of low grade; if a low-grade Maori or Hindoo drank from a vessel belonging to a high-grade man, the vessel was defiled, and had to be destroyed.  There were other resemblances between Maori tabu and Hindoo caste-custom.