WATAPU NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 350, 26 February 1902, Page 1

WATAPU NEWS.

(Times Correspondent.)

WAJAI'CJ, one of the most promising districts in the colony of New Zealand, whose fertile plains and wooded hills equal in richness the very best land in the North Island, a district that will eventually reach the highest pinnacle of prosperity, although at present kept back by the native land policy of the Government; Waiapu, the foster mother of hundreds of thrifty, law-abiding and contented aboriginals, has suddenly been aroused from its normal peace to a state of frenzied excitement by tbo advent of two full-blown tohungas, introduced here by Mr to cure all the ills that Ngatiporou flesh is heir to, and which has quite upset the equilibrium of theso law-abiding people. The Tohungas; with the sanction of the Government (so it is said), have been located on a piece of Crown land near Waiomatatini. There they have raised quite a canvas, or rather calico, village, and in visiting the place it puts one in mind of nothing so much as a colony of bees, only that the b,ee colony does not emit the dense steam and strong odor of stewed bark and leaves of trees. It is astonishing the implicit faith the Maori has in the quack medicine of the Tohunga. Here we have men and women who think it beneath their dignity to do a hand’s turn for hire, voluntarily giving their whole time to assist in the concoction of these barky mixtures. Scores of otherwise sane people flock. to the TohuDga camp to be bathed in and drink of the steamy juice ; fortunately for all, this tohunga craze does not last long, from two to three months is ah jut its term of life, here it is pretty well annual epidemic. Tho present tohungas so far ha,ve been rather unfortunate ; their first patient after three days’ treatment laid down and died half an hour after partaking of the last dose. Thoro was an inquest held, and an examination post mortem, whereon the jury found that the medicine of tho tohunga was not harmful as deceased was bound to have died eventually. The jury certainly deserve some credit for making the discovery that deceased was mortal. This finding of course cleared the tohunga from all blame, the consequence of which is tho calico village is daily enlarging. Notwithstanding the law abiding and contentment of the majority of the Natives of Waiapu, there are some few who are not so, and the settlers are continually annoyed by their petty thefts, p; n stealing is of quite a common occurrence, but tho perpetrators are such adepts in the art, that it is seldom it cau be proved against them. Some of the move robust prefer the excitement of knocking others down. There was a case of the kind tried in court last Monday, two of our respected Justices of the Peace presiding, viz., Messrs Ludbrook and Jackson. One Henare Ilinkino was charged with knocking a man named Heta down, and breaking one of his ribs by kicking. The evidence was very conflicting, and to an outsider it appeared almost an impossibility to unravel tho knot judicially, hut when the judgment of the Court was given it was secretly applauded by all who had heard the evidence. Tho offender had the option of payin" a substantial fine or one mouth in «aol. °The fine has been since paid. There is to be a great hui held at Waiomatatini on March 22nd next, whereat visitors are expected from all parts of the North Island. There are some 50 natives employed in the preparations. Three immense sleeping sheds are course of erection, one of which is 150 ft long by 60ft wide, calculated to accommodate 500 people ; the other two will hold about half that number each. New hakas are being devised for the occasion, and miles from the scene of action is nightly heard the thunder of practice. An interesting feature of the hui will be that. very graceful performance, the poi. It is said the Premier aud the Hon. James Carroll will he among the visitors coming for the express purpose of tvitnessing the poi. danced by 100 of the Ngatiporou maidens, the elect aud beauty of some fifty hapus.