“neolithic.” There seemed no reason for the Maoris to have brought reverence for jade with them to New Zealand in order to make it valuable in their eyes. It was true that in many parts of the ancient world —Egypt, Europe, China, America, &c.—jade was looked upon as a sacred as well as a precious stone, but its rarity in New Zealand would make it considered of high value even if the few articles of that material handed down from time immemorial had not been hallowed by passing through the hands of mighty ancestors. For instance, one well-known ear-drop of greenstone named “Raukaumatua” was supposed to have been brought here by Ngahue, the discoverer of New Zealand, and to have been part of his celebrated “fish.” Another piece of jade in the shape of a hatchet, having the name “Awhiorangi,” was not only valuable because brought hither by Turi, in the Aotea canoe, but was regarded as the identical tool with which were fashioned the props, the supports, on which the sky rested to prevent it coming crushing down on the earth. When the knowledge of the locality where plenty of greenstone existed became known beyond the small tribe of Ngatiwairangi it soon spread. Parties set out with goods to trade for the stone, and expeditions went from other places to fight for its possession. Even when it became comparatively common its extreme hardness, its usefulness, its beautiful appearance, the reputation or sanctity which attached to the successful weapons of great warriors, and the fact that the ornaments had been worn by mighty chiefs, would induce a reverence for some of these greenstone articles quite sufficient to account for the high value placed upon them, without our having recourse to the supposition that jade was a sacred stone to them because they had inherited the belief from having dwelt in other lands. He had mentioned that the Maoris considered greenstone as a “fish”; he did not know why. They also believed that when found it was quite soft, but that it grew hard when exposed to the air. This showed that until comparatively modern times they really knew nothing of the material, and that they only judged by the few and rare ancestral heirlooms. The paper was of value, as all Mr. Rutland's papers were, because they evoked discussion; and if he wished (as he certainly did) to know more himself and to impart knowledge to others, he could not do better than by continuing writing his thoughtful papers. It was only by discussion and by free scope being given to dissentient views that they could peer into these interesting anthropological matters with hope of any profit or a chance of finding matter worth investigation.

Mr. Hustwick said this was a very interesting paper. He would like to know the origin or composition of this greenstone, and to what its colour is due.

Sir James Hector replied that it was an anhydrous silicate of magnesia, and the colour was due to chrome. The New Caledonia jade was only slightly stained, probably by nickel. In Sir George Grey's collection there were three kinds of greenstone. In Barn Bay there was a vein of it, and they cut it up to take to China, but it did not sell. It was marked with chromic iron, and was quite different from greenstones from other places. There was a fine block in the Museum from the west coast of the South Island.

The President said that in a pamphlet published thirty years ago Major Heaphy described how the Maoris worked up the greenstone into ornaments. It would be a good thing to reprint that pamphlet. Mr. Colenso said the natives thought the greenstone lived, and some called it a fish. There were sacred stones in almost every country.