Dumont d'Urville
had taken full advantage of the vocabularies of the islands
recorded by previous voyagers. He had sufficient command of
the language of the New Zealanders to communicate well, and
during his visit he was able to record several long
discussions
with different individuals. His first encounters however were
rather shocking to him, as he realized that
technological societies
do not have a monopoly on thinking. While exploring
the islands,
d'Urville requested the assistance of a native named Makara
who helped him to navigate a difficult channel.
Makara's obvious
breadth of knowledge and sharp intellect surprised
the European:
"I
must record
that Makara, in this difficult navigation, gave
proof of a degree
of calm control, attention and intelligence that would really
have done credit to many a European pilot."
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D'Urville's
narrative includes a brief description of the canoes of the
New Zealanders:
"On
our way, we met Rangui's three canoes coming to the ship. The
largest, adorned at the prow and the stern with feathers and
tufts of fur, displayed along its gunwale a series
of carvings
in bas relief, painted red, and often enhanced with
inlaid mother-of-pearl;
the whole thing carried out in the best style of New Zealand
art."
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