A MAORI ROMANCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3009, 21 February 1917, Page 6

A MAORI ROMANCE

SUCCESSFUL TREASURE HUNT IN! OTAKI.

The main topic of conversation amongst the Natives of Otaki and district just now is tho recovery of somo hidden jewellery at Otaki, under somewhat extraordinary ', circumstances. In connection: with these hidden articles an interesting: Maori Tomance is interwoven. It issaid that the late Puke-to Ao, a onetime member of. the House of Represent tatives, representing tho Western Maori District (brother to the late Ropato te Ao, M.H.E., and uncle to Mr. Hema B. to Ao, of Otaki), became enamoured of! a Maori maid, who presented him with: a gold watch and chain, and other jewellery. Puke was a married man, and,, being afraid of his wife discovering these, presents from his latest lady-love, put them in a tin box and buried them intending to remove them later, when his wife had gone away. However, he died, and the jewellery remained where it was. This was about forty years ago. It was known that' Puke had buried some treasure, but its whereabouts remained a mystery. Some time ago a Maori prophet pro'fessed to know where the jewellery was bidden, and an attempt was made tosecure it by digging, but the only thing the excavators met with was an old Mahoe stump. „.,■,,*' A few days ago Winnie Eaika, of lo Kuiti (daughter of a well-known Otaku Native, aad herself for many years resident at Otaki),.paid a visit to Otaki, and informed the local Natives that she was possessed of powers which enabled her to locate the treasure buried by tna late-Puke te Ao. The Natives were, somewhat sceptical, but Winnie persisted to such'purpose that an expedition was arranged on Wednesday last, when the visitor declared she' would recover the lost property. There must have been.' over a hundred: Natives in theband that set forth for this .purpose. Winnie lert the way to the top of a sandhill riot far from the Waitohu, at. a spot calletf. "Tararua," the site of an old Maon. house. This house was for years unoccupied, being held "tapir" by the datives, and many years ago » o» building was destroyed by hre. J-"*": was nothing left whatever to mark t&» 6pot where the building had stood. - ~ After a little examination of the local-* ity Winnie indicated a spot, and declared that the treasure lay.hidden there. She said that beneath "tho spot she mart* ed the main front post of tho old bouse, which had been embedded, an* tho jewellery would be found alongside. & Maori -woman, who accompanied _ Winnie,, at once set to work with a spade, wtalo the orowd of Natives gathered round, exhibiting much curiosity in the proceedings. Some six or eight inches below the surface the spade came in contacßwith a charred post-the lemonus of the. old front post of the Maori nouse-and: at a depth of a little over two feet,j aeafi the post, tho spadeswoman -unearthedthe-longsooked-f or treasure. The articles^ had evidently been braried in a tin box tfiuctt ■had crumbled almost, away. However, the contents were intact; and comprised a email gold watch, gold chain, goW. ring,' and a greenstone pendant. Ai( these artioles were in a fair statei 08 preservation, though discoloured., /IMJ delight of the Maoris at the success o£ the search knew, no bounds, and the woman who had been responsible received, hearty congratulations from all P s ""** 31 ** The recovered pronerty has been banded to Mr. Hema E. te Ao. • T t The woman Winnie Raika d«clnres thai, she knows the whereabuots bf v some) greenstone valuables, supposed to have been sunk in a Maori canoe in one of the lakes on Mr. Sinacox*s property, Otaki (Forest Lakes). She says she will dive into the-lake and secure the canoe and its contents, and has intimated that after a time she will fulfil her claim. , Stories are current that this woman has recovered valuables sunk, in a lake near Te Kuiti, ■ and especially after the success of her venture at Otaki on Wednesday - the Natives are inclined to the opinion: that Winnie possesses some mysterious, powers that appeal to their imaginativeminds.