HORRORS OF EARLY MAORI LIFE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1172, 15 August 1884, Page 3

HORRORS OF EARLY MAORI LIFE.

who seethe Maoris in their I prese it metamorphosed condition are apt o suppose they were ever thus—a people, on the whole, peaceably inclined and apparently generous, and not altogether relentless an their quarrels—and perhaps imagine the missionary's task was not so difficult or trying; very unconscious or forgetful of the great revolution which, uuder the blessing of find, has so changed the Maori—once so cruel and relent less, fiendish in his ferocity and wanton in his cruelty. In those days .it required no very great stretch ot imagination to fancy the possibility of one’s flesh creeping off. one’s bones when one saw the uncertain tenure on which the aborigines held possession of their own. Shaking off this mortal coil was as facile as taking off one’s coat, and as little thought of—-unless perhaps relations required a change of compliments. Shortly after my arrival in this country my attention was drawn to the left-hand side of Mr Hanson’s doors which I found chipped ail over. This was done to obliterate the hloodmarks of a poor woman whom her master murdered at the wash tub be cause she refused to become his wife. This, L believe, was the first murder which came directly under mv notice Mr Taylor has already, in his work on New Zealand, given an Recount on the wholesale murder at Hongi’s Point, at the Kerikeri; that account was furnished by me. One poor man was dragged into the water and drowned. His legs were then drawn up and tied to a bush, and the body left to rot away, bit by bit. hree unfortunates were shot down a mile or so from the Kerikeri Mission Station, their bodies anchored off in the middle ol the river (to the great annoyance of the passers by) till they rotted away. Two other men—one, I believe, a sick one— T saw pulled into the water by hare Hongi (Hougi Hiku’s eldest son, killed at Kaipara) and another Native, their feet tied to the sides of the canoe. Tiio bodies then, trailing in the water, were paddled off to the other side of the river. I witnessed their death struggles. The details are too horrible io relate. Hare Hongi another day fired a pocket pistol loaded with small shot into the back of a poor slave. I once purchased a slave boy to help me with my cauoe when [ wont fishing. Two days after I missed him. I found a headless body. Heart sick and anxious, I continued my search, till I found a head I knew to be his, from his hair, which J had cropped. Details too horrible to write.

When Hongi arrived from one of his fighting expeditions from the South he brought a poor lad, who being lame, could not travel from the Bay to Hokianga. His master hereupon, to Save furthertrouble, gave him a knock on the head with his club, and left him to die on the road. Hero some children found him, and, with hereditary cruelty, they tied his hands and feet on either side of the road, picked out his-eyes, then stuffed his mouth with filth. When told of it I went and untied him, and he was unab’e to )ise. 1 stayed by him until near evening, when he died. I buried him, while the Native children stood round and derided him Other cruellies would have be n practised upon him but for ray presence Another time a little hoy about 10 years of age—a slave,—stole some sacred food. Home children told me the master of the boy would certainly drown him. Utterly despairing of preventing this, I narrowly watched the slave when the deed was likely to e perpetrated. I had not to wait long. I saw by the assembling of many children that what I feared was being done. He was thrown into water about 3ft deep, and was still sti uggling. 1 jumped in and drew him to the shore. A large stone was tied round his neck I "inhered a few sticks and prevailed upon a lad to get me a little fire. 1 warmed him and he seemed recovering, but could not rise, I implored of the bystanders to go and get Messrs Kemp and Clarke to help me to take the boy to the mission station, but could not get one to move I thought, as the evening was closing in, and the poor boy would certainly die for want of clothes, that I might, perhaps get assistance and save his life; bull was mistaken. I ran as fast as I could, and was not many minutes away Ho was shot dead during my absence by his m s er, who had been all the time watching ray movements, with a loaded pistol in his hand, ready to shoot the lad if I attempted to get him away. Shortly after this last event tho chief Rowi’s son died. His relatives and ftiends consulted together, and came to tire conclusion that a slave must at» tendon him at tho reinga, or place of spirits Orders were then given to “ cut down that sow thistle,” meaning a slave woman about 26 years old, who was standing by, busy lighting the native oven. When this was done a man gave her a blow on the head, which stunned her. The - then in* stantiy began cutting her bowels open with a shell. All this I saw rlo She was cooked in the very oven she had lighted. It was an old custom of tho New Zealanders, when they re turned from war, to kill a few of lire slaves they had taken and cook them a few miles from home, that their wives and families might partake of • the trophies of war. When a great

capture of slaves wa- intuit', the custom was <o mu a spear through one foot to prevent escape In ni Iter cases holes were ma<le through the pilm of the hand or ear, through winch a rope was drawn, connecting , eight or ten more slaves togetier, so that they might he all under the eye of the keeper. In illustration of Maori strategy in war, I might cite the followin', the scene of which lies in our neighborhood:— A little beyond Ahipara, a ranch of the hills that line the westernern coast of New Zealand terminates in a somewhat remarkable spur, stretching to the sea with steep ravines on either side. A deep cutting on the summit of the ridge formed a stronghold, and re dered the spot impregnable. This was held bv a tribe of war riors for years against a powerful enemy, who vainly strove to dislodge them At length the seige was raise!; the assaulting party disappeared, where the besieged could not r ell, and seemed moreover, not much to care, so strong was their confidence in their chosen seat. The departure of the eoemy drew off much of the wai restraint. Meanwhile years passed, and a strange tribe ensconced itself at a small port on the wesievn coast, known as Wh ingape. The chief characteristic of this tribe appeared in their somewhat singular passion for reaving dogs Bach member vied with the other in the possession of dogs ; dogs outnumbered their masters by tens and twenties. Suddenly however this flagged the masters seemed embittered against their old pots, and the settlement; so resonant with the barking of these animals was now quiet and almost oppressively still. The dogs were all killed and the skins cured, and the tribe set off for the north carrying their dogskins with them. They were no strangers to the spot th°y reached—the stronghold 1 hav-> described—and the tribe, the farmer assailants. Stealthily they came; no suspicions roused the once again bese-ged. Secretly and diligently the be-eigers wrought, in a covett spot, their dogskins in o a wonderful mass. The fabric competed, large quantities of fish were caught and attached to differ ent parts of this strange dogskin tent, as it seemed one starry, yet dark night there arose a stir among the tribe, and they moved on for the rah Silently they raised the dark dome, covered with strong fish, on the beach underlying the sTonghold. Within crept a chosen party of fighting men,; another lot sto e stealthily up the valines, and crouched under cover within rushing distance of the pah. Calmly the night wore on. With the faint glimmer of approaching day the young of the pah looked out for their wharef. ‘‘ Wuat attracts that do id of sea-birds ” say they, “ What da' k massliesstrelched onthesand yonder?” | “ A whale ! a whale ! ” they shout and j youths and hale men rush along down the steep ridges to the prey beneath none but decrepit age and children and woman, busy lighting tiro hangis (Native ovens) for the anticipated feast. ow they reach the beach. Only a few moments of time, and death, in many firms, springs yelling from the whale ; the monster disgorges its dark band of enemies. The victims cast a back look on their home. Oh, for their arms ! they stand unarmed ; their homes are all ablaze ; and down on them draws a cloud of destruction, around them surges a wave of despair I What is bravery now 1 Without an effort, without a sound, young men and halo men and old grey headed warriors bow down to their death. The end is complete the design of years is accomplished ; the coveted stronghold knows masters, and, from its beetling heights and wild ravines (ho wily children of the stranded whale look grimly down on the scene of their stiategy and triumph —From a letter by the Kev. W. G. P-iksy, of the Church Mission, Kaitaia, to Archdeacon Butt, of Blenheim,

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