THE LATE MR. HONE HEKE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 439, 23 February 1909, Page 3

THE LATE MR. HONE HEKE.

; : ,. ... A,G,REAT TANGI. . , : .{Hi T&LEGriArii—ritnss ; ■■■•' ■'■-"'" .:■•"■'. •;■. Auckland February 22.,' Tho remains of Mr. Hone Heke, the late' number for : the.Northern Maori.district, were, interred in the cemetery at Kaikoho-yester-day in the '.presence of ■ a large number cf his fellow-countrymen and residents of the district.■ vThe.tangi.;was attended by at least 2000 Maoris of both;,sexes, ; the majprity.of whom arrived on the firstday and reniained to; the close. .They camo 'from■'all parts of the Dominion.! • ; ■ ■'.]■ • ■','.;. ..When tho remains of the late Mr. Heke, attended/by many Maoris/ arrived,'-.a party of challengers advanced to the" party escort-; ingthecoflin at'a given signal, and tlie'otherparty ..stopped-and' sent'out their challengers in", return. Both parties then made a halt, and the warriors stepped-out.. Then followed , tho war dance, in this case merely a"ceremonial.' When it was concluded, '. the cortege moved forward; The ceremony ' was. the' greatest military/honour that tho Maori! accords to tho dead: AH'the. Moaris joined iii the procession to tho; spot, ■'where' the tangi was'to; be- held,-and, "on arrival there, thoy : wero niet by tho old women mourners— the "criers"—who were waiting. in two, rows/' ■These'.'women.>wero. robed in funeral: black,' with evergreens twined round their ;bodies and.in their.bair. 'As tho party, ofmen approached, bearing the corpse, they burst,into a melancholy dirge, swaying their bodies; ih: rhythmic'timo to 'the mournful 'cries.' A ."strange, contrast was another .group of old women'crying out a Maori wolcomo to the' bearer's.-..' , .,'-''.-. , . . : ■". : '. ' ■ :: - '.- •'■;

.: The body .was taken to tho mourning-house; proparfid.for.it, there to lie in state-while the tangi lasted.'.; It was surrounded by tho personal"* effects .of tho deceased,- and by tho wreaths sent by.friends. .These were brought up ou a .carriage .with tho coffin. -As the tangi proceeded, the coffin and tho space at 'the foot .of; it became covered; with 'handsome Maori mats and "Na'tive.curios, the gifts of; great ;chiefs, who wished to do a last honour, to'the dead.. Two big marquees,'each capable of accommodating 1000. people, were. sent : up; by 'the'.Government. At Kaikohe, : the-crying continued without a pause from Saturday night-(the last night of' the tangi) till the funeral took place, about next midday. > ; The Minister far; Public Works (the.Hon. ■R.; M'Kenzie) "'.visitedVtli'o. tangi bn;Saturday, deviating from his , itinerary of the north in order to/do: so. Ho was received by.-'..the Hoh'. Jas. .Carroll .-.' (Minister, ." for Native Affairs).';•: Mr. M'Konzio was accorded the honour-of a.haka, and was then escorted to one; of tho large marquees where several hundred Natives were';.■assembled! v'"Mr v Car-, .■'roilyintroduced .him'to.' ; the'. gathering in, 'a characteristic speech in Jho Maori tongue; Mr. :M'Kenzio's remarks'-iri-reply were interpreted ,by Mr. Carroll. . At .their, conclusion the.Natives;gai?«vhim the v.'ell-known Maori ka mate," etc ■■■ '■;...