A SINGULAR MAN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 21 April 1908, Page 2

A SINGULAR MAN.

RUA AND HIS WORK* A VISIT TO THE MAORI PROPHET. Press Association. AUCKLAND, April 20. A special commissioner of the Herald, who has made a visit to the settlement of ltua, the Maori prophet, thus describes the prophet’s personality:— “Apparently 40 years of ago, slim built, and tall, liis long wavy hair worn as in the pictures of Christ, and his pleasing features (but slightly marred by the typical flat nose of His race) illuminated with a pair of fascinating eyes. Rua impressed me as a very charming personage, and the reverse of the overbearing despot one ( expected to meet. He affects European clothes, and is scrupulously clean. The profusion of hair completely removes any resemblance to the Maori, as he is commonly known. In fact, the greater number of his followers have rather the appearance Of Mexican Indians; others remind one forcibly of the fuzzy-headed Fijian; while those who allow' their hair to fall downi in ringlets, after the manner-of their leader, have a great likeness to characters depicted in Scriptural illustrations, which is perhaps not surprising, considering that they take old Israelites for a pattern. As far as I could learn, only Rua affects a plurality of wives, and during the talk that took place that evening in his commodious dwelling, tho heads of the various members of his liarem could bo seen slyly peeping from behind the many doors that open out on either side of the hallway. I may say, in passing, that the honor of being tho first European to enter the “sacred” house of the high priest was conferred upon me as a token of appreciation of my abstinence from tobacco.” The article concludes:—“l went into Maungapohatu a much prejudiced person, and would therefore like to place on record my impressions of this singular man and liis avork. In the first place, I certainly do not think Rua is the eccentric and dangerous person some writers would have us believe, for he seems, outside liis religion, sensible, kindly-disposed, and amenable to reason. True, lie speaks of gold-bearing reefs in the Urowera, for the right to work which he demands staggering royalties, but recent prospecting parties have put those ideas into liis head. He also disturbs the Native inind by dwelling upon the Treaty of Waitangi. Rua also wishes to have a reserve made of some 20,000 acres surrounding liis settlement for the entire benefit of his race, but he is reasonable enough to wish to have the remainder, which he computes as 300,000 acres, cut up for European settlement. Possibly future events in ay show that his policy is one for his people and two for himself, but in this ho is no more than human, though, literally speaking, religion is his strong point. It is also his most vulnerable spolyfor through continually basking in its limelight, the pakelia only sees this side of his character. In liis plurality of wives lam sure he is interpreting an Old Testament passage. When I touched upon this subject, lie said, ‘I am a poor mail compared with Solomon.’ Only those who are intimate -with .the Maori can fully appreciate the fact that Rua has, so far as his settlement is concerned, completely eliminated that, poverty-making foolish generosity of the Natives, so conspicuous at reunions and tangis. One who, in a remarkably short space of time, can induce some of his race to abandon old traditions and customs that we have been endeavoring to eradicate for close on a century, cannot be altogether a fool.”