IV.—Maoris as Planters.

There is a partially smothered, smouldering fire, deep in the hearts of the Maoris of this Island, that may, if any serious difficulty arises between England and any of the Great Powers, burst forth at a moment's notice, spreading death and destruction of property over a large area of country. If this widespread desolation, or rather, the chances of its ever occuring, can be lessened, I consider it the duty of all right thinking men to use every means at their disposal to prevent such a dreadful catastrophe, and so preserve from utter annihilation one of the best aboriginal races of the present day. There have been many schemes tried in most new countries for the civilisation of native possessors of the soil. Prominent amongst the processes were Christianity, wiskey, land sharking, and the sword. About the time the Ab's became thoroughly conversant with some of the most complicated principles of civilisation, there were none of him left. The other principles of civilisation—and, I believe, by far the best—are labor, continuous labor, and the school master abroad; a big bag of dollars as a result of the labor, and cultivated intelligence as a return for the teaching. In the case of the Maori, there is something of him left, and a tall, broad, strong something it is, too. And holding as they do, large areas of the best, agricul page 11 tural lands of the Island, who are in a better position to become tobacco planters than they? And planters they will become after it has been proven by experiments, outside their holdings, that prime leaf will grow here. There certainly must be some grand tobacco country for the best qualities of leaf up the North Cape way. There are people that say Maoris will not stick at work day after day and month after month. If this is so or not, I am not qualified to say, never having seen the Maori where the full dress is a tomahawk neat. I have, however, read everything about them I could get hold of, and the readings have convinced me that in the old days, at any rate, they were remarkably keen traders, and I am half inclined to believe, are so yet. Here is a little anecdote as an illustration, related by a French gentleman who was present. "In the early days of Akaroa, a priest on a proselyting expedition at a pah held service, sprinkled the heads with holy water, and gave the old chief a blanket. A few days after a baptist performed, and gave the chief two blankets. Some time after the priest returned and held mass. The old chief remained outside looking on. After service, the priest asked him why he had not entered. Then the old sinner opened his budget. 'See, first time you come you give me one blanket, ole one, you put water on my head ! kapi! Bime-by noder man come, he give me two blankets, ole ones, he put water on my head ! kapi! kapi! Now (holding up three fingers), if you give me three blankets, new ones, you can put water on my head ! kapi! kapi! kapi!' The priest smiled and gave in."Now, I maintain, that that old copperhead displayed a considerable amount of business capacity. He did not understand much about the water-sprinkling business, but he knew how to get six blankets a long way below cost price.