Rolleston, when Under-Secretary for the Native Department. Their publication had been deferred until more complete, but they were quite at Mr. Thomson's service. So far as he could venture an opinion from an examination of the Mori-ori implements, and from what he had gathered respecting their language, he considered that the Mori-ori was merely a section of the same race as the Maori. All their rude stone implements could be matched by similar forms found in New Zealand, although the more highly finished forms were in more common use among the Maoris.
Mr. Henry Travers said that he experienced great difficulty in getting correct information about the Mori-oris, as they endeavoured to conceal everything relating to their own race. He understood that Mr. Shand had collected a good deal of information, which probably formed the records now in Sir George Grey's hands. The features of the Mori-oris would, he hoped, soon be made known, as Mr. Ritchie had engaged a photographer, who was now on the island, and his attention had been specially directed to this subject. He still adhered to his opinion, that the Karaka trees were individual property, and thought that their distribution on the island was much more local than Captain Mair had stated. He considered the language quite different from that of the Maori.
Mr. H. T. Clarke, Under-Secretary for the Native Department, said that instructions had already been sent to Mr. Deighton, the present Resident Magistrate, to collect all the information in his power relating to the language, customs, and past history of the Mori-ori. Having listened with interest to the discussion, he would take care that these instructions were repeated, while he would gladly do anything else he could to render the Mori-ori history more complete.
Mr. Travers, in reply, was glad his paper had excited so interesting a discussion, and hoped that Government would take the subject up before it was too late for the collection of data. They had neglected their duty in this respect, as most of our information about the Chatham Islands and their inhabitants had been acquired through the exertions of private individuals, and even the flora of the country had been published by the Victorian Government.
The President said that, just 21 years ago, he visited the Chatham Islands, and remained there a week. The observations which he was able to make in that limited period led him to the conclusion that the aboriginal Mori-ori were a very distinct race from the Maori, although in lapse of time they had to some extent become blended with their conquerors, whose language, manners, and habits they were rapidly adopting. At the time of his visit, there was a considerable number of pure-bred Mori-oris on the main island, and the Mori-ori language was still in use amongst them. So different was this from the Maori that he found it quite impossible to understand it, although occasionally he detected a word having a resemblance to the latter. There was less euphony in the sound, and the structure of the language appeared to be different. He had succeeded in reducing to writing a number of the words, and would have much pleasure in placing the list at Mr. Thomson's disposal. He hoped that Mr. Seed would do the same, as he was aware that he had devoted some attention to the subject during his official visit. He mentioned other reasons for considering the Mori-ori a distinct race, and stated that as a rule they were several shades darker than the Maori. The race was fast becoming extinct, and would ere long, like that of Tasmania, exist only in history. It was, therefore, of the utmost importance that such information as that which Mr. Travers had collected should be placed on record in some permanent form for the use of future ethnologists. Much information of an interesting nature relative to the early Mori-oris, and especially