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| THE MAORI MESSENGER. TE KARERE MAORI. VOL. VII.] AUCKLAND, MAY 31, I860.AKARANA, MAI 31, 1860. [Nos. 9 & 10. THE MAORI OF THE PAST AND THE MAORI OF THE PRESENT. In former times gross darkness pervaded the land. The Maori was a savagesuper- stitious, cruel, bloodthirsty. "Blood for blood" was his only law. Every man's hand was against his neighbour, and his neigh- bour's hand against him. Wars and rumours of war convulsed the people. No tribe was exempt. The aggressor of to-day was the besieged of to-morrow the tyrant of one lime was the oppressed of another. The thick veil of heathenism clung around the minds of men, and the service of the Evil One prevailed. The Maori of the past was little better than the beast of the field. He wore no clothing; his house was rude and uncom- fortable, he subsisted on fern-root, rarauhe, wild rats, and, occasionally, human flesh. He knew no quiet through life, and in death he entered a dark and unknown eternity. Thus lived the Maori of the past and thus he died. TO MUA MAORI ME TO NAIANEI MAORI. IMUA. i kapi te whenua nei i te pouritanga. Te tu o te Maori i reira he tu kinoko te ahua kuare, ko te riri, ko te whakaheke toto. Tana ture o taua takiwa, "he toto mo te toto." Hapai noa te ringa a tena tangata a tena tangata ki te patu i tana hoa, me tana hoa ano hoki ki te whakangaro i a ia. Tana tikanga i mau tonu, he pakanga, he rongo pakangahurihuri noa, hikoi noa te iwi. Tena hapu tena hapu uru tahi ki te kino. Whai haere te taua i tenei ra; he ra ke kua whaia ia e tetahi taua. Whai ngoi te tangata i tenei po, huri ke he takiwa ano, kua horo, kua takahia. Taiawhio noa te hunga tangata i te arai o te whakapono kore, o te karakia Maori tupu noa ana nga hianga o te ngakau me nga whakawa a Hatana. I rite to mua Maori ki te mohuao o te koraha. Ara, ko te haere kirikau; ko te whare ahua kore, pai kore; tana kai he aruhe, he rarauhe, he kiore maori, a, i etahi takiwa ano, he kai tangata. Kahore he oki- okinga mona i tenei ao, a mate noatomo kau atu ki tera ao o te mutunga kore, he kuaretanga, he pouritanga. Tana tu tenei, ta te Maori onamatatona mamae ki tenei ao, tona matenga atu. |