TE KOOTI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1110, 2 September 1871, Page 2

TE KOOTI.

pFUOM TUB NKLSON EVBNIJSO MA.IL.J Tiie " Life and Adventures of Te Kooti " migtyt be made the theme of a moderately-sized pamphlet which would possess the most thrilling interest for the public, and be attended with highly satisfactory pecuniary results to any competent person who should take upon himself to write the biography of the great Maori hero. ITir escape from the Chatham Island", and return to his native land ; his honible deeds at Poverty Bay; the numerous engagements in which he took part, and from none of which—if we are to believe all we have been told—did he escape without se vere, and occasionally mortal, wounds ; his death, and burial in the great ocean, which refused to retain in its bosom the mortal remains of the renewed chieftain, but ca*t them up on the beach, where they were seen and recognised by his mourning followers ; his subsequent return from the spirit land to which we had all hoped he had for ever been despatched ; his oft-repeated games of hide-and-seek with the Armed Constabulary, Volunteers, >md Native Contingent ; his interesting conversation with Mr Firth at Thompson's; monvrnent; and, filially, his numberless escapes from those who were in search of him, and who, just at the moment of their sanguine anticipations being realised, found that they were not quite near enough to their quarry to sprinkle upon him the proverbial pinch of salt that would have ensured his capture—all these various incidents might, by a skilful pen, be so worked up that the romances of Miss Brad don, Mrs Wood, and even of the distinguished authors of the exciting '.ales in that most fasci nating of periodicals the London Jour-1 nal, would be thrown completely into the shade before the vouched-for events connected with the life, death, and resurrection of the many-lived Te Kooti. We have alluded to the pecuniary results that would attend the sale of such a work, but, as the incidents related therein have all of them taken taken place on New Zealand soil, we should like to see the task taken in hand by some philanthropist who would not write for the sake of benefiting his own pocket, but would be disposed to devote the proceeds to some benevolent I object connected with the colony— say, for instance, to supplying the Maoris with firearms. While admitting the deep interest that would attach to such a narrative on account of its romance-like character, but which would be of but a temporary and fleeting nature, and, in ai! probability, would cease with the closing of the book, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that j there is another feature connected with | the proceedings of our hero that is not altogether so pleasing—one that unfoitunately will be found to partake of stern reality without the slightest savor of romance—we allude to the little bill that will be presented to the Assembly in the coming session in connection with the numerous expeditions that base been titled out with a view to j capturing this representative of the ''native difficulty," on the i)a.st Coast ; expeditions, with regard to which, however sanguine the individuals who were engaged in them may have been in Do ► their expectations, were anything but sanguinary in their lesults, Major Rojtata, of whom we are constantly hearing as being just on the point of making Te Kooti a prisoner, may be a very fine fellow and an excellent commander of a native force, but there is one thing wanting to render his services as valuable as they arc represented to be, namely, success He is constantly rushing about- in the most energetic manner, but tor all the results ho has yet achieved in his peculiar line, he might just as well have devoted himself to thp exciting task of chasing a Will-o'-the Wisp, and we fear there- is only too much reason to believe that in reply to the enquiries that will doubtless bo made of Minis tors, we slii',ll learn that his little amusement has uoj, been indulged in auit. amort'., but that the expense en tailed upon the Colony by his expeditions is quite as groat as has been his want oi success, There are- very many persons to be found who ha\e not that Jaiye amount of faith in van native allies that is possessed by the hou. Mr M'Leun, and they even go so

far as to say that it is the height of folly to suppose that the force under Major Ropata woiikl secure Te Kooti even if they had the chance, as in such an event their occupation would ho gone. We have not that intimate acquaintance with the Maori character necessary to the formation of a decided opinion on this head, hut supposing the members of our native contingent to he human, and allowing that the cessation of these frequent expeditions would injuriously affect their pecuniary circumstances, we are hound to admit that circumstantial evidence is in favor of the views entertained by the sceptics.