Origin of the Maoris

Origin of the Maoris By John Q. Adams, President of the Samoan Mission A very interesting bit of narrative was given me by Brother James Southern of this mission, who, himself, remembers it dis- tinctly from reading it in a current magazine, the Australian Re- view of Reviews, a decade since. At the time, for some strange reason, it impressed him deeply, and since joining our Church, some seven years ago, its real significance becomes more ap- parent as an additional light upon Book of Mormon truths. Here is the narrative as Brother Southon relates it: A certain Captain Barclay, of H. M. S. Orpheus, cruising in New Zealand waters, was at one time the guest of Sir George Grey, the governor of New Zealand. In conversation, the topic discussed turned to the origin of the Maoris. The governor in- formed the captain that on the island of Motutapu (forbidden or sacred island), there were at that time two stone gods which were looked upon by the Maoris as so sacred as to be viewed by no one except attending priests, upon pain of death. The governor himself had been permitted this privilege, however, through some favor extended the natives in days gone by. The result of the conversation was that Captain Barclay became suf- ficiently interested to desire a glimpse also of such relics. Through intercession of the governor, the captain obtained permission to visit the island. He was greatly struck with the enormous size of the two images, upon coining to examine them. Both were some fifteen feet in height, and of an estimated weight of more than a ton each. Upon inquiry as to the source of the origin of the images, the Maoris informed him that they had been brought from an island called Hawaiki, which place they were accustomed to visit in former days. On one occa- sion, an attempted usual visit resulted in failure through their inability to locate the island, and they returned from their fruitless quest to New Zealand, firmly convinced that it had sunk into the depths of the sea. As regarding the stone from which the images had been sculptured, no similar material of like formation existed in New Zealand. This gave Captain Barclay the idea that, providing he could trace the source of the origin of the gods, he would simultaneously be able to connect the origin of the Maoris with their present abode.

508 IMPROVEMENT ERA Some two years after this event, the captain was cruising in his vessel in the vicinity of Easter Island, some four thousand miles from New Zealand, engaged in survey work. Upon setting foot ashore he was astonished to see several gods very similar to those encountered in New Zealand. Some were in a perfect state of preservation, while others were partially de- molished, some being in the sea where they could be seen at low tide. Here again the search was instituted for the quarry from which the images could have been taken, but all to no purpose. Puzzled but still persistent, the captain later on heard of such a quarry having been discovered in South America on the banks of the Orinoco River, in Peru. Having occasion to pass that way, on one of his cruises, he made it a point to call, and found the identical sort of god in material shape, size, and in every particular that he had originally observed in the New Zealand images! Although these three strangely encountered places where he had providentially stumbled upon his clue, were thousands of miles apart, and in isolated sections of the earth, yet they became at once well connected links in a chain of perfect evidence as to these sacred images originating in South America. In the face of such a remarkable and incontrovertible fact as this, that in some olden generation the Polynesian island groups could have been peopled by inhabitants from the Ameri- can continent far to the eastward as easily as that such massive handiwork of theirs could thus be transported across an ocean, how can skepticism of the most pronounced character, scoff at such unimpeachable testimony? Bit by bit conclusive evidence of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, with its history of the ancient Israelitish inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, is accumulating as the years pass, and in the hope that this very interesting and thoroughly authentic discovery of the captain may assume the full value of external proof, these facts are submitted for publication. Apia, Samoa Optimism There is a bright side every time, Sit up and stop repining. Though clothes are old and jobs are few And living keeps on climbing. Hold up your head, be bright and glad, "Wby fume and fret and waste your breath? Why should you trouble borrow, When things may change tomorrow? Dorothy C. Retsloff