THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1284, 27 March 1872, Page 2

THE LAST OF THE CANNIBALS.

[FROM THE CORRESPONDENT OE THE THAMES EVENING STAR.] Ohinemuii, March 13. The death of the oldest native rangatira in New Zealand, took place this morning at 8 o'clock. The tact was loudly annoaneed by a discharge of firearms. The event having been looked forward to for some time back, everything was in readiness. Nearly twenty tons of flour, two tons of biscuits, one ton of sugar, with bullocks, pigs, potatoes and kumeras, ad. Zi6., are on the spot for the tangi. Maoris from all parts of the Island are invited, and expected to came to do honor to thememory of the departed great. Taraia was one ot the mast valiant of New Zealand's warriors, and quite a terror to antagonistic tribes. He on several occasions marched victoriously through the island, driving and scattering all bcfoie him. He must have reached; the age of one hundred years, as he remembers when Captain Cook was at liauraki, and other far back events which it would require a centenarian to know anything of. His demise breaks the link between, the pure cannibal and the semi-civilised Maori of the present day. His man-eating proclivities were well known;, and a subject on which he used to dilate wuii great feeling and gusto. It is stated. with what truth 1 do not know, that his favorite- breakfast in, his very savage days was a nice fat child, giving the preference to the female sex. Ever since British rule has been attenpted to be established in New Zealand, he has been a staunch friend of the pakeha. Governor Browne, in writing, testified to his being a well-disposed and friendly Maori He has been the recipient of Government bounty in the shape of a pension for a great many years. The old man. had been pushed on one side in the councils-of his. people for some years back. The natives pay no attention to the sick and aged. When once they get into a certain state they say, " What is the use ; he is sure to die, and therefore, let hiin see it out as best he can..

Foi months to come we shall have a continual stream of crying and howling with apparent feeling for the loss they have sustained, but more in anticipation of the feed, they are to have. The food that will he wasted over the obsequies would be a godsend to many a half-starving family outside.

The Newcastle Chronicle writes thus; truly and forcibly on the subject of theimpolicy of assisted immigration : " We are not of those who exclusive in the extreme, hold that New South Wales is for the New, South Welch only, we have room enough and to spate, and are prepared to welcome gladly all and every who come to assist us in building up a great, powerful, and prosperous state, but we do most decidedly object to the advent of any one single individual who comes to us only to be a burthen on. our resources and to retard our progress. The capitalist, the man with means to employ others to develope (he innate wealth of the country and to increase our export ; the yeoman with a competency; the farmer, with but a small banking account it may be, but with stalwart sons and hardworking daughters, whose capital consßs of bone and sinew; thesv are the immigrants we require; these are they who have in all time founded empires, who have made America the rich and powerful country she k First fill the country with these, men who neither want nor seek assistance, and then when they ask for— pronounce for assisted immigration; when they complain that owing to the paucity of labor, their efforts are being crippled,, it is time enough to carefally select and bring out to the colony, not the lame, the maimed, the halt, and the blind; not the unemployed of the mother country, who neither there nor here will accept work when offered *> them, but. the hard-working and industrious men to whom the mother country denies a living, and who will help their fellow colonists to rai.-e up in New South Wales a bu*y> manufacturing and wealthy conwuiinit\."