MAORI GANNIRALISM

Dunstan Times, Issue 1204, 27 March 1885, Page 3

MAORI GANNIRALISM

A envious story was related at the last sitting of the Native Lands Court in Wanganui, to prove how t certain of land caino into the p 'ssession o a particular fami ! y. the facs as relate! ity a contributor to the Wanjanui Herald are as folio v ; A woiinn of Wanjanui inirried a man from Tongariro. T mpo. an I after wards went wi hj him to live on bis lauds at Mnrimotu (in the Upper Wanganui district. The result of this marriage, after a number of ye n-s, was six children, all bovs In the course of time the woman w is se : z-d with a desire togiaad see her relations at Wanganui ; so, lidding her husban 1 to take care of the young-ters she stuted away on her j surney. Shortly after her departure a severe storm c mo on. which for violence and duration of time was without prece-1 d-nce. Snow felt heavily for ten | days, covering the face of the country lying near the base of Ruapehu ami Tongai im mountains, and the Patea I and Mnrimotn plains. Day after d >v i passed, but still the snow fell, and bnri d, cue afrei the othe«, all of the plantations, kuraa;a, and tar > pits The very houses even were buried, ar d the snow lay thick in the forests and on the trees. In a few days’ time the stock of food i i the hj mse where this man lived with his six sons was consumed, and hunger s:ared them i i the face. Thev dug their way out of the hut, and cased around; but nothing but snow and the line of forest met their view. No food was procurable, and the fall of snow showed no signs of abating. Two more da s passed over. At length the father, roused fo action by the cries of starvin' chi dreu, said to the youngest son, “ Son, let yon and 1 go the forest to try and get some birds and firewood, est we nil starve to death.” T ie young lad assented, and following hifather’s footsteps they struck for t le nearest p nut of the forest. Un reach ing their destination, the nia > said to the boy, “ See, there lies a bird.” The boy turned to look, and was at once killed by a blow from his father T e flesh was stripped fiom the bones, and made np into small parcels, and taken back to I lie house and there cookeo and eaten. The other children we e made to believe it was preserve I birds’ flesh. Time rolled on, and the man again requested another of his sons, the filtu, to accompany him to gs: food, and to assist him in search i.ig for his brother, whom he had dec'ared had 1.-st himself in the foiest. On reaching the bush, this lad m it the fate of his brother. The flesh was removed from the bones, and done up in leaves to r present Hua Hua, but one limb was left in the fork of a tree. Back trudged the man with his terrible burden, which he cooked for food on his return. The (allowing day the snow began to melt away b fore a warm northerly wi:,d. Pina, the mother of these lads, had been frightened at the had weather in Wan gauui, and on the first signs ef clearing she started on her journey homeward On arriving at the settle meat she asked her husband how he managed to procured food. He told her that ne had picked up some froz3n birds in the bu-h, adding : “ We have still some of the fle hj left; you are hungry, and had better eat of it.” Pina said, “ I cannot eat until I see all my children; only four are here ; where are the two youngest 1 ” “ They were here just no v," repl ed the man. Riit at last he said they 'had lost themselves in the forest dfiring the snowstorm while searching for birds. Pina’s suspicions were now awakened,

and, cntching np a mit, «hj« «aid.-“ I will return presently " She made straight f.>r the bush, and in a short time she found the remains of her two so ib, and their heads' On her lotiirn home s'ie sent her husband away on an errand to the bush, and in his absence she left for Taupo with her family do seek protection and revenge on her husband. The presiding chief, on bearin'' her story, sent an armed party to capture or kill the man, but on reaching the settlement he was not to bo f .und, nor was he, they say, ever heard of. All his land was confiscated as payment, by order of the head chief of tint district.