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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 1908)
WHAT . At X XbiE rTirui. HADR02. AIT AUCKLAND 2EALAHD BT JAMES EICALTON. A KTER rao Pago, followed t.y a voyace cf several thousand miles in tropical seas, the lanKee bluejackets will experience a homecom ing exuberance of spirits when they en ter the seaport of Waitamatn. as the harbor of Auckland is often called; for they will be asam among a kindreu peo ple speaking their own language. They will then be about S7 degrees south of the equator and in the South ern Hemisphere, and although more Ulan a third of the distance froift the equa tor to the South Pole, they will be in a climate corresponding to Northern Italy. They found the harbor of Honolulu hemmed In by grim old craters; here they will find the splendid harbor of Auck land and the old capital of New Zealand surrounded by more than 6D extinct globe chimneys, not grim and somber like those in the Hawaiian elyslum. but green to- their summits and set In the midst of fertile plains dotted with suburban vil las. On their first shore leave they will no doubt land at Queen street pier, near which the ocean liners have their docks and at which intercolonial and coasting boats arrive. If the men of, our fleet have been under the impression that New Zealand is an unimportant South Sea Island and that Auckland is an insignifi cant seaport town, the busy and exten sive maritime hurly-burly at the Queen Ftveet pier will tend to dispel their- in competent geography; the forest of masts, tall chimneys and towering warehouses will announce a large city, and they will see a harbor filled with ships from all , parts of the world. One may realize that New Zealand is something more im portant than is Implied by an Australian island when It is stated that the three main islands extent more than 1200 miles north and south and that the most north ern Is larger than the State of New York, and that the second or middle isl and Is larger than the State of Illinois, that the member of the group outstrips the stunt member of the American Union, "Little Rhodle.-" by 1000 square miles. Their extent may bo better understood when It Is stated that the three Islands are only a triOe less In area than the three constituting Great Britain, and from their corresponding number and area might appropriately have been called New Britain instead of New Zealand (New Sea Land). With a fertility equal to that of the mother country and a su perior climate, along with many much extolled Ideals in government, one won ders why the population should remain so sparse. Many lines of fast steamers to and from have made time and dis tance Inconsiderable, yet the population of the three islands falls below that of one of our smallest states. To account for this fact is difficult, unless it be the unwillingness of migrants to go far away from world centers. Like most modern cities Auckland has fine, broad streets, on which electric cars rush along; Imposing public buildings, parks, museums, libraries and theaters; but these are' to be seen In every city, and a newcomer Is looking for something unusual, something peculiar to the coun try. What will he find in New Zealand? The primitive inhabitants are among the most interesting things In any part of the world visited for a first time. The Maoris are the aborigines of New Zealand, and the country still contains some 40.000 or 50,000. The visitor in Auckland will not be long on the streets before he will meet a dark-vis-i-.ged type which is most likely to be a Maori, whom he will more readily iden tify, having seen the Kanaka of Hawaii and the S-amoan. They are considered y be of Malayan origin, and their tra ditions say they came from an Island i ailed Hawaikl; and this word so much corresponds with Hawaii, or Savaii, of the Samoan group, as to warrant the conclusion of their having come, within the last few hundred years, from those islands; and' this conclusion Is appar- THLBOYyi GREAT HILT 3da ONE CF THE rtWE KIAORJ CIRLfrS OF ently confirmed by an affinity of lan guage and by a similarity of mental and physical characteristics. Many of them are now seen in the towns and engaged in commercial pursuits like the Europeans. They formerly prac ticed tattooing, but the habit is disap pearing with the' incoming of European ways. An occasional deeply tattooed face may still be seen when an old chief visits Auckland with some of his mod ernized descendants, as was the case when the writer secured the picture shown of a tattooed chief besides his daughter and his two grandchildren. The Maoris had no written language before the mislsonarles made one for them.' A hundred years ago they were savages. Now there are excellent Maori college graduates. Maori gentlemen own ships and speak the best London English. They are a merry, open-hearted people, like the Hawaiians and the Samoans. The Kanaka salutes you with "Aloha," the Samoan with "Talo fa" (both salutations signifying "love to you"), and the Maori, without the formality of an Introduction, will greet you with "Ten-a-koe" (that's you), em phasized if you like by the nasal salute known as rubbing noses; but rubbing noses, too, has given way to handshak ing In all but "way-back" Maori com munities. Near the landing pier in Auckland the newcomer may see large warehouses with the unusual sign or notice, "Kauri Gum," or "Kauri Gum Merchants." This attracts the attention because gum-digging is a rare occupation. Primeval forests of great extent once covered large portions of the northern island of New Zealand; they were forests of con iferous trees, pine trees (Demraa Aus tralia), or Kauri pines; some of these trees still exist and are used for lum ber; they are not unlike the California big trees and often eight or nine feet in diameter. The ancient gum-producing forests have mostly disapeared, and the gum from them has accumulated in lumps In the earth, often five or six feet beneath the surface. Gum pros pectors traverse the gum regions of the north island for gum. This curious In dustry might be called gum mining. The lumps of gum vary In size from one pound to fifty. Prospecting is done by using a slender steel rod from six to eight feet in length, which Is thrust into the earth, and when It comes Into contact with gum a grating sound or sensation locates gum, when digging is commenced. The gum Is sent In sacks to the warehouses In Auckland, where it is scraped, assorted and clas sified, then boxed and shipped to Eu rope and America for varnish making. In the course of mllleniums and under different chemical conditions these great accumulations of gum would have be come vast deposits of amber, which Is only a mineralized resin. Kauri gum diggers, I was told, are mostly scapegraces and fugitives, who follow this occupation because gum fields are in remote and unfrequented regions which offer good hiding places. This fact accounts for the absence of a picture to show gum digging. The writer tried every persuasive of "tip" and tongue to THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, AUGUST 9, 1903- They- "Will TVU "1 X , w5is"'- v. i secure one, but in vain. One gum mer chant in Auckland told me his shipment of Kauri gum to one varnish-making firm In Brooklyn amounted to several hun dred tons annually. The traveler will find the scenic fea tures of New Zealand Improve as he pro ceeds southward until he reaches a cul mination of majesty in the fjords and mountains of the southeast coast. It is a thermal district, 120x30 miles in extent, abounding in all the phenomena of a geyser basin and surrounded by lakes and mountains. It is called Rotorua, It Is a health resort on account of its thermal and mineral' springs ; It Is the most fre quented tourist's resort on account of Its geysers and varied lakes and moun tain scenery. The lakes abound in trout which make it a sort of Waltonia for devotees of the rod and reel. Before reaching Rotorua the train stops at a small station In a partially cleared moun tain, district; at this place Maoris offer for sale something which will greatly In terest the entomologist it is a "vegetable caterpillar, that is,' a caterpillar ' which has become a plant, paradoxical as It may appear. Bishop Butler would .have gloried over this caterpillar for his "An alogy," In which he refers to the trans formation of a caterpillar Into a butter fly as no more wonderful than and being analogous to the emanating of the spir itual from the material, but in the case of the New Zealand larva it is the change from an animal substance into a vegetable, from a caterpillar (hairy cat) into a plant; but when explained there Is nothing supernatural; the larva feeds on the leaves of a vine which grows on tall trees in this particular locality; In eat ing the leaves the microscopic seed of the vine is sometimes eaten and when the larva burrows in the ground for its Jchange of form the seed may happen to Then, be Apxong a. 4 i s 5 , i v . J p.' . -ty z,- i i fit. 4.' ' 4 4 "If r THEY "WILL AGAIN J3E? . AMONG A KINDSEU P-EOPXE S-FEAINS THEIR OWJSC LANGUAGE WfiAKTJERE.'VA'ROWA STOVE : yV THEEMAL BATH. .AT ROTORUA -NEW ZEALAND dies, and the vegetable growth takes the exact form of the caterpillar, much as an infiltration of mineral substance takes the form of the animal or vegetable in petrefaction. The skin and form of the caterpillar are unchanged, but the interior becomes -a solid piece of vege table pulp like that of a potato, and a slender stem from six to ten inches high, bearing terminal seed spores, grow up out of the earth from either or both ends of the vegetating caterpillar, so that the substance of the caterpillar has been changed into that of a plant, and the paradox is no paradox. It is only a unique example of the universal ex change that goes on between animal and vegetable life. At Rotorua the visitor will find ex tensive bathing establishments mod ernly equipped, and thermal baths of all temperatures, of all sensations, and with all kinds of curative properties, especially when there Is no shortage in faith. The Rotorua thermal region is evidently geologically very old and the geyser activity is apparently waning. The chief geyser in action la a mile or two from the town of Rotorua at Whakarewarewa, a Maori village where at intervals of a few days you may see several small geysers play to a height of 16 or 20 feet. One is reputed to spout from 80 to 100 feet when it has an inclination that way, which is seldom unless it be persuaded 'with several bars of soap; but then its waning en ergies are so conserved that soap lu brication is not permitted save for the advent of some high and mighty Gov ernment fnctionary; therefore one's chance of seeing a. fine geyser display Is rare. There are, however, besides the geysers the usual accompaniments of thermal activity, thermal cooking by the natives, thermal bathing, thermal washing, and thermal vapors rising Nr.W.AF . ' :i I 1 2S- wff' Jit'1 from many points over the plain and sulphur fumes with suggestions for some people. Two Maori maids have been acting as guides for many years; they are sis ters Maggie and Bella Papakura and are well-known to all who have ever visited Rotorua. They are well-educated and said to, be wealthy. Maggie, the elder, has traveled abroad; she owns a pretty native cot in the center of Whakarewarewa; it contains a fine piano and she relates w.th pride how Paderewski visited her home and played on her piano. The Maoris at "Whaka" (as the place is called for short, and it truly needs shortening) have erected a native hall or assembly room, in which at stated times they hold entertainments for the amusement of visitors. The "pol dance" and the "war dance" are the usual roles In which they appear. In both they execute a series of rythmic mo tions and grimaces to the music of an accordion. The motions are graceful, but the facial contortions are repulsive. The Maoris are fond of the hot ther mal bath, and many times a day in cold weather they may be seen Im mersed in the hot waters. The ther mal bath Is their stove in cold weather. It is curious to see a Maori cook standing by a thermal cooking-hole holding fast to several atrings, at the end of each is some article of food undergoing the necessary cooking proc ess. Should you wish to witness or experience a Maori salute, either "Mag gie" or "Bella" will cheerily inflict a personal demonstration. i New Zealand is a mountainous coun try, and the rugged character increases toward the south. The mountains vary In altitude from 1000 feet sto Mount Cook, the sovereign of New Zealand SEE rKOM STEREOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT 1908 BY ' UNDERWOODjdUNDEEWOOD 4 THE "BOYS WILL BE W-ELL JMAQRI GIRLS "WAT2 JQAUCt "1 ' f l s- It L .y.'qfi uomi! iwmi aawE ' : " t 5? is v peaks, with an elevation of 12,349 feet. No traveler can know the grandeur of New Zealand's scenery unless he visits the Milford Sound region in the south west, where the coast Is broken up Into a maze of sounds, and the valleys are blocked with stupendous glaciers. The southwest coast much resembles the fjord-locked coast of Nor.way, and A Plan to Measure Intelligence D R. VAN BIERVLEET, the .Dutch psychologist, has, tetter long years of research, come to the conclusion that the intelligence can be measured, and that because it depends upon mental application and reflection, Its "variant" can be found among all sorts and conditions of men. . Here is the argument he advances In support of his novel theory: The most complex intellectual opera tions are all reducible to a ratioci native process which depends for the results it gives on the soundness of the nervous system and its fineness. You cannot, for example, get from a 'cello the effects which are to be obtained from the violin, the reason being ex plained by the fineness of the strings. Although in their specific qualities the notes extracted from either Instrument may be supreme, there can be no ques tion that in far-reaching effect that of the more delicate instrument immeas urably exceeds the other. An almost Identical process takes place with the mind, the superior mental organism be ing that which is composed of most nerve-cells, or, as we should say, which is most highly strung. In projecting Its attention or ratioclnatlve power upon any given question which requires rea soning out the will simply calls upon its supply of cerebral nerve-cells. Naturally, eays the New Tork World, ine more there are of these the greater and more effective will be the "train ing" of the intelligence upon the sub ject under consideration. Now,' a fairly approximate gauge of the power of the nervous system can be obtained either from the sharpness of hearing or the sharpness of sight, says Van BiervieeL Take a dozen in telligent persons and you will find that the most intelligent among them are those who best apply their senses of hearing and seeing, the sense of touch being about equal in all normally con ditioned persons. The effect of a given m ALAND SCE1ZE ATT OUEEHST, "P1EK, portions of It are still unexplored; yet these enchanted places are visited by excursion steamers throughout the Summer season. New Zealand has a rich and varied agriculture, a grandeur of scenery rarely surpassed, an ideal climate, a solid, conservative government. She is entitled to fuller population and to a great share of the world's travel. "The climate's delicate, the air most sweet, Fertile the isle." incident upon a spectator, or of a state ment upon a hearer, can bo estimated from the number of images which are created in the sensorial apparatus. In the mind winch is capable of most con centration and, consequently, capable of exertir.g the most intelligence, these images will succeed each other in a logical order, and will be all closely related to each other. In the mind which is least intelligent, and In which the reasoning process is casual and haphazard, the images will be diffuse and incoherent, the whole kaleidoscopic scheme criss-crossing Itself and resolv ing into nothing definite. Provided that a fixed numerical symbol be given In the ratio of results derived from the experiments in hearing and in seeing upon a series of normal in dividuals, a definite Bcheme of mental mensuration, having as its basis the nerve-cell power, could be drawn up and applied in the case of all who had passed the age of puberty. Dr. Louis Martin, of , che Pasteur Institute in Paris, agrees that even in the case of retarded mental development it be ing an admitted scientific fact that certain minds, even among the most intelligent, only reach consciousness of their own power at a comparatively ad vanced age in life the results of the visual and auditory- test will afford amrle grounds for a sound calculation of the subject's mental "potential." The Willing Worker. Indianapolis News. Real Summer days have conio to pa. The mercury climbs up the a". The peek-a-boo now heads the claps, And wicker lids are all the k": Around one's walut a belt Is. which Helps keep 'em up with many a hitch; And he who works yearns to be rich So labor he would never know. Unless perchance he's in the frame That makes so many purses lame About thin time of year; the same That from your income takes a ,lce To hand unto the busy man Who labors through the Hummer's span From the dawn to dark all that he can To net rich selling- short weight ice.
