In Maori Land (1936)

[Music] On the shores of Lake Roarua in the heart of New Zealand, a dominion of the British Empire as far south of the equator as New York is north of it, are two quaintly situated ated townships occupied by Mouries, most stalwart and intelligent of all Polynesian people. One of these villages is Mutu, built about a wide open square. At its farther end on the shore of the lake is the Maui Anglican Church of St. Faith, richly carved as is the little kiosk in front of it, sheltering a statue of the late Queen Victoria in true Maui fashion. Most of the native dwellings both in Ohinimu and the neighboring village of Haka Raa Reva are in fine harmony with the landscape highly and artistically carved. In this one lives Rangi, known to everyone who has visited Roarua as the most intelligent, quick-witted Maui girl in the entire region. Roarua and the two Maui villages are situated in a hydrothermal area where geysers constantly play and where hot springs bubble up in almost every backyard. Paka has a community cauldron where most of the cooking for the neighboring households is done by placing pots and kettles in the constantly boiling water. Rangi has just dropped by to leave her afternoon nat tea flows away. It gradually cools eventually to be utilized for washing clothes and feet. Maui mothers and there are none better are almost as fond of their children as their children an opportunity undressing as they run to plunge into the agreeable warmth and softness of the silicated pool. Watch this perfect landing at the age of three. to learn. So while little brother plays with his newly acquired bicycle pump, he has been using it to squirt water on his playmates. Baby sister, barely a month old, is disroed for the bath. The procedure, mother takes her over to big brother, who is admonished to hold her tight. And as soon as she's in, all's right with the world. And why not? The water is just the right temperature. From time immemorial, the Maris have been expert carvers, first using as seen here, wooden chisels. Recently, lagging interest in the Mari arts has been revived with the establishment of a school of wood known as totara. Marshall figures representing ancient chiefs and heroes and to marry or fighting clubs are being fashioned chiefly for museums and admirers of the artes at the school do their first actual carving on pipes of calabash. As the Mauies are all natural carvers, the workmanship is generally uniformly good. These products of their craft are sold as souvenirs to smoke and fume as effectively as the landscape. These great panels revealing the spiral motive so frequently encountered in Maui art eventually will adorn entrances to native carved houses. This image glaring eyes of Halotus shell no doubt enjoys some mystic symbolism while this is a kumatee a bowl for storing preserved food. Some maintain that when the Mauies were cannibals they placed the brains of their victims therein. Sort of shell trumpet and twanging stick. This wooden flute resembling a bloated cigar was the only musical instrument the ancient Mauies had. Living in the south temperate zone rather than in the tropics, both men and women have always chieiftly robes and waste mats of flax, the latter suspended from the waist to the knees like a Scottish kilts. Even today, the young girls when they assemble in the village square to perform the po dance, don the poo poo. and dried. Each movement of the hips causes these skirts to make a swishing rattle. The dancer obtains its name from a ball made of the dry leaves of the bull rush plant is used. The chief charm of the po of which there are several varieties is the graceful rhythmic evolutions made in perfect unison by a group of young girls who are good-looking, well proportioned, prettily dressed and whose life point to the sentimental tune of a song of love that usually accompanies it. Note how the balls twist forward, backward, overhand, underhand, to right and to left, taps being made with them on hands and body without interrupting the continuity of motion. On a hill overlooking Haka and the thermal district, with its carved tikis of deified chieftains dominating the gateways, is a palisated paw or stockade. Whether in resorted when threatened by war. Before the introduction of firearms, this was virtually impregnable. A few still live within. Here comes one to salute her. It is a delight unknown to them, and pressing nose to nose twice seems to me a poor substitute. From the paw, let us follow Bella and Mary in their feathery robes down the hill slope to guide its varied forms of thermal activity. On the way we pass a glittering terrace of white center, in the center of which a restless geyser ceaselessly plays with a tremble of the ground and an allervading subterranean sound like working at some tremendous task below. Then the girls arrive at a steaming pool where they have been in the habit of coming every afternoon to boil potatoes in the regurgitating waters, the temperature of which is only 28. Bella smokes and rests while Mary just rests and talks. After 5 minutes they the potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Bella and Mary, both of whom are lunchon, hastened to divest them of their flax and containers and to convert them into more mauy. Meantime, the cauldron boils furiously on, symbolic of nature's hidden forces in this fair. A group of Maui men are leaving the quarters of the Tahhunga or high priest under orders to dance the haka, a physical exercise originated by the Mauies and designed to strengthen and harden every muscle in their the eyes. The time maintained is marvelous. The men working up to such a terrific speed, leaping, bounding, and shouting in common accord it seems possible that they may soon be, if they aren't already, The haka which in former years was always danced before engaging in battle exist among different tribes but all of them are indicative of attack and victory. A warrior's mind beat nor need he if he be fortified with a face like one of these. Nearly every Maui woman, however humble, wears suspended about her neck a tiki made of called jade. Worn as a charm, it is said to represent Tikki, the first man, the mythological father of mankind. Every Maui woman wears one, though not a few particular the haka habit, and they can roll their eyeballs, make hideous grimaces, protrude their tongues, and shake their hips with more effect and feeling than a whole regiment. Hoping in our hearts that the Maui, a genial, intelligent, magnificent race, will not perish from the earth. Regretfully we leave, passing into the setting sun in quest of still.