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A MAORI GIRL.

The Maoris are proverbially a fine race ; the men when in their prime possessing firea*". muscu'ar development, strength, and powers of endurauce, while the women are .tall, shapely, of noble bearing, and have features not unprepossessing. The more pronounced types, no doubt, present ifljhysical peculiarities which indicate inferiority, such as the thick negro* like lips, large oputh, fj.it heavy noses, and an unwontod breadth between the ears; but the generally of the Natives now to ba raot with approximate closely in apper-ince to the agricultural classes of some of the southern nations of Europe, ej^epfc that the r |km U , darker. According to an 'fueerutable law of nature, the savage deteriorates and melts a^rny before the presence of the whte man, and the rule which has been sa weil exemplified in Amend applies with efqual force in New Zealand. The Maoris are fast dying out. They are now confiaed, it may be said, to Auckland and Hawke'g Bay, where they have much intercourse with Europeans, and the Waikato pountry, where their King sullenly maintains the semblance of royalty under savage conditions, and defies the inroads of his civilised neighbors. Iv Wellington and i" the extreme northern ; parts the Natives -are also to be occasionally found, but they are few in number, mostly old' and decrepit. Intermarriages amongst the , Kuro-pean-i and Maoris are not uncommon. The daughters of chiefs are generally found well endowed, and under such jircurastancea fre(|!;e«tly become the brides of while settlers, although in many instances hey parry what might be desigonted the * arinarks of savagery, by being tattooeu upon ihe race. Many of the women have a s'iglu smattering of education, schools for that purpose being encouraged by the Government They are pail to make l^qiiut, domestic, and obedient wives. i Tlie barbarian instincts of the tace \ appear the have been eliminated by the lapse of time- and association with the English. Whpn, young the Maori jjirls are lively and plensiijg, taking delight \x\ being noticed, and freely exchanging words of salutation with those who address theTj. The elder , Maoris, however, are taciturn and , distant ia their manner They seem ' as through they had experienced a \ great wrong at the hands of Euro- j peansin being despoiled of their land, ' and do not readily fraternise with ' white people, exempt they find it in ! theif interest to do so. They are ex- ' i remely shrewd, and can drive a bargain with aaVmuch astuteness as an expen* enced Cliiiiitmau. They are fluent talkers, and have the sententious and , pictm'esque ■style' of delivering them- | selves peculiar to primitive nations. c Altogether the^^An^^^ be re- r tffl^tt^niiyHHjjj^^& Though I state of being

;»eha^d, : ind^chyuT agnuuilumis in limea^f^Hre^,! \

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/IT18801213.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1880, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
449

A MAORI GIRL. Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1880, Page 2

A MAORI GIRL. Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1880, Page 2

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