NATIVE FUNERAL AT WAINUI.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 200, 18 June 1878, Page 2

NATIVE FUNERAL AT WAINUI.

I In our last issue wo expressed a hope I that we might lie in a position to give onr readers a description of the funeral of Pirihira (Prise-ilia), the daughter of Eli Tihau, chief of Wairewa, or Little River, who died at Wainui on the Bth inst. Owing to the influx of Maoris to attend the funeral, we opined that some, at least, of the old Maori funeral customs woilM be observed, but, as far as we have been able to gather, such was not the case. The Wainui Maoris were, as is Maori wont, lavish in their hospitality to their guests, who were very numerous, no less than thirty-two having arrived by the Akaroa on Tuesday last. Whilst we are anxious to acquaint our readers with the doings of our Maori neighbors, we are compelled out

of common decency, not to mention Christian charity, to draw a veil over the details of the religious part oE the ceremony which took place at Tikao's Kainga on Saturday, for it would be indecent in the extreme to dwell upon the intense grief manifested by friends and relatives at tbe funeral —grief too deep to describe, grief too deep even for tears on tho part of those who bore it.

The heavy rain of Friday had prevented Mr Morey and his workmen from completing the brick vault prepared for the reception of the corpse, but by 3 p.m. on Saturday all was in readiness. The body of the deceased was laid in .tlie manner customary amongst us in an ordinary coffin with a plate bearing name, date, &c, &c, ar.d soon after 3 p.m. the funeral procession left Tikao's house. Seldom have we seen a funeral conducted with greater or more becoming reverence. The coffin was borne by four adults, and there were also four pall-bearers, whose names we failed to obtain. The service was the burial service of the Church of England, and was read, of course, in Maori. The Rev. Mr Anderson, of Akaroa, read the opening 'sentences.as the body was borne to the grave, and assisted in the service. The lesson and prayers were read by the Rev. Geo.-Mutu, in a way so reverent and impressive that the few Europeans present could have experienced little difficulty in following the service whether they understood the Maori language or not. The only noticeable feature —to a the externals of the funeral was that nearly all the natives ! present wore wreaths o£ green leaves on the head.

It appears that the deceased Pirihira was a woman of high standing amongst the natives. She was related to Tarnati Tifcao, and was to have been married to his son, and she was granddaughter of one Takatahana, who was one of the leading chiefs of Akaroa in days of yore. She was also related to Wakatau, the present chief of the Kaikoura natives, nearly a score of whom attended her funeral. At the early age of 19 she has been cut off by consumption.' Her illuess, we learn, was borne with exemplary patience, and her calm devotion was striking.

Amongst the Rangatiras, or Maori gentry present at the funeral were Pera, chief of Raupaki, in Lyttelton Harbor, and Wi, chief of Kaiapoi,

We understand that Mr Mutu has made all necessary arrangements for the native visitors to Wainui to return to Lyttelton by steamer to-day.