MAORI BURIAL CUSTOMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 28 June 1912, Page 6

MAORI BURIAL CUSTOMS.

■.■■■ (ffy .Teieg^ti^PrcEs/Association 'SfV: '"' :'..■■.■.■„■■ '■£/':■'; v /V^^kland, 1 Jrintf :to'ins; : .;was :, tad:;in! : th'c. : Jlagistvate\s Court lye'sferda^'inorningiby"a-witness' who was tlioWyhitoJhusbaiid'; of. a , Maori 'wife. Hβ ;cx'p]ai'ned ; ;.Uiat;V]io,6Owi!C(l some kind at ;]liyorJieatlJi'mi;jrliiclt 1 .-Jib allowed :his wife's' ■'pareiitsyio.livc'.' One moniiiif;', aboutthroo years'"'ago,;-when lie was in-, : tovcii, bo rc-'ediyed.α-telccraiii from some Natives toll■:ing:;'him\,that they.-.were-bringing a body 'down;;from'.yWa.imatc North.-.' On making some;,inquiries' he -learned that they had -Bone.-up'X-t-piU'hoi.liarboiir. with tho body, ' their-jdestination' being his place. He fol-Joy.-'cd'-ns'soon. as. possible, nnd on nrriv- j 'ing.■• ftt/;Kiyerlie.«i<lfound' a large gathering a tangi over the body, >iHiich;'wii'3Vin-.a ; frightful state. TJicy ex"]ila'iiicd': that death had taken place a'week .previously ,\ahd'.'they, intended eventually ■'.toV b\iry ;: ;th(S body , at Taupiri. The irat'o landowner ,,, ', naturally entered a protect, find lie-arranged to. have the body buried at.Vbncs.-hi.:\a grave a few. yarils, from wh'erojt-lay;" :;. : /.."'.' .■■■'■

;j. .''.'J'iicrp wp.Vno.'cemetery within miles," he/exp'ained, , ; '-'and tho only filing to <lo 'wrts-lo; bury- = t,bo-bedy at once. As for. taking. ifr.lo,.Taupiri'l am sure the Rail-'vifiy-pepartment would have refused to ca : rryMt.,='l didn't like, the job, and (he been, a bloh On tlie place' ior. mo;.ever;since." ..,;.; -\X- ...