The Lore of the Maori.

It was in the 'Nineties, when Mr. Smith was Surveyor-General of New Zealand, that I first made his acquaintance, and greatly I treasure the memory of the friendship that became established when I came to know him well, chiefly through our common interest in Maori-Polynesian research. He was always a most kindly mentor and guide whenever I sought his advice on matters of history and such recondite lore as the interpretation of difficult passages in the olden traditions and poems I collected from the elders of the tribes. Often they were not agreed themselves, those elders; they repeated the songs as they had been handed down, and some words had become obsolete and many passages cryptic. But Percy Smith and his friend, C. E. Nelson, of Whakare-warewa—a greatly-learned linguist who knew Arabic and Hebrew besides Maori and many European languages—were bright torches of enlightenment in the mazes of the ancient tales and poetic recitals.