Shorter and more coarsely built than the males, the women, even when young, are less attractive to the European eye, despite their bright glances and black, abundant hair.
It might well be thought that this muscular, bulky race, with ample room to spread about a fertile and exceptionally healthy country, would have increased and multiplied till it had filled both islands.
It did not, however.

It is doubtful whether it ever numbered more than a hundred and fifty thousand.

Except on the shores of Cook's Straits, it only planted a few scattered outposts in the South Island.

Yet that is the larger island of the two.

It is also the colder, and therein lies at least one secret of the check to the Maori increase.