Fermented liquors, like the Kawa of the South Sea Islanders, or the Chicha of the Indians of Southern and Central America, seem never to have been known to the New Zealanders.[32] The only fruits from which liquors are occasionally prepared are the Tawa (Laurus Tawa) and those of the Trepa-Kihi (Coriaria Sarmentosa), the latter of which, however, when the stamens of many are mingled together, is apt to be followed by symptoms of poisoning, resulting in violent convulsions and death.
Although their short stay at Auckland, coupled with other indispensable business, did not admit making an adequate number of measurements of the physical proportions of both
sexes of natives, we nevertheless had an opportunity of measuring some individuals, whose appearance seemed to present a very fair average.
Here we ought to remark that many years ago, Dr. A. Thomson, surgeon of the 58th regiment, impressed apparently with the value of these experiments as aiding the diagnostics of various races of men, had made a great number of measurements of the natives during a long residence on the island. These, however, were mainly confined to height, weight, magnitude of chest, and physical strength of individuals, but which are of much value, having been compared at the time with similar results obtained from an equal number of British soldiers, thus furnishing most interesting standards of comparison for the two races. Dr. Thomson measured, for instance, the height of 147 natives, and found them to average 5 ft. 6 3⁄4 inches. Of these, 35 measured 5 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. 7 in.; 20 from 5 ft. 5 in. to 5 ft. 6 in.; 2 from 5 ft. 11 in. to 6 ft.; one 6 ft. 1 in.; and one who measured 6 ft. 5 1⁄2 in. Of 617 men of the 58th regiment, the average height was 5 ft. 7 3⁄4 inches.
Like the English, the Maories attain their full stature after they have completed their 20th year, the average height of 46 individuals between 16 and 20 being 5 ft. 6 in., whereas of individuals between 21 and 25 it was 5 ft. 6 3⁄4 inches, the average height of the human race in the temperate climes of Europe being 5 ft. 5 in. to 5 ft. 6 in., according to Haller.
The weight of New Zealanders, as compared with that of English soldiers, gave the following remarkable result in the
case of 150 men of both races who were examined at Auckland:—
| 8 | Maories | weighed | more | than | 112 | lbs., | but | less | than | 126 | lbs. | avoirdupois. |
| 25 | " | " | " | " | 126 | " | " | " | " | 140 | " | " |
| 54 | " | " | " | " | 140 | " | " | " | " | 154 | " | " |
| 41 | " | " | " | " | 154 | " | " | " | " | 168 | " | " |
| 19 | " | " | " | " | 168 | " | " | " | " | 182 | " | " |
| 3 | " | " | " | " | 182 | " | " | " | " | 196 | " | " |
The average weight of a Maori, deducting their mats and clothes, is about 141 lbs.; of 617 Europeans (both English and Irish), who were weighed, the average weight was 143 lbs. Dr. Thompson found the natives under 21 less fully developed than soldiers of the same age, but after that the Maori began to turn the beam as regards weight.
The girth of the chest, measured above the nipples, gave as the average of 151 natives 35.36 inches; of 628 soldiers of the 58th regiment, 35.71 inches. Between 16 and 20 the chest of the native is more than half an inch less than that of the European; a little later it is found to be about the same.