THE MAORI.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 531, 8 January 1913, Page 7

THE MAORI.

: •;-y ; , (ByRB.G.) /,-';; .;'■■ toanybne familiar with the Par North of New Zealand, the name of judge Manning--the "Pakeha-Maori" —will be no new name, fprheisßtill spoken of to-day as the "pioneer of pioheetß" that is, as , far as Hokianga is concerned. The writer, having had the privilege of several times visiting his famous bullet-proof house situate at Oroke, on the Hokianga river, has derived much pleasure and profit from a perusal of Judge Manning's book,"01d New Zealand," and in this article intends to pass on a thought or two culled from the abovementioned book.

Judge Manning arrived in New Zealand from Tasmania in 1833,, and after a short stay at Kohukohu (Hokianga) returned to Hobart to complete business arrangements for it was his intention to spend his days in this 1 then, almost terra He lived with the natives and spent his life in trying to do them good. When Governor Hbbson paid his first official visit: to Hokianga in 1840, Manning presented himself and declared that he conscientiously believed that the natives would be degraded under our influence. He therefore stated his intention to urge the natives not to sign the Treat? of Waitangi. Dopot think that he was disloyal or showed lack of patriotism. This was his firm conviction, and we of to-day are wondering whether his words were-true or not. In 1865 he was made a judge of- the Native Land Court, and performed the arduous Work of such an office in-a splendid manner. His humorous maldm is still remembered, "Every native who is in actual possession of land must be neld to have a good title—until someone else shows a better, by kicking him off the premises." He was a great favourite with the natives and had their confidence, notwithstanding the fact that often in addition to the "strong arm of the law," he brought the "strong arm" of F. E. Manning into operation. But this was typical of the, man and quite in keeping with those early.days when might was power and power was might. Possibly, the last link of these early days was broken when John Webster passed-away ..last year. But to proceed. The following is an, incident which happened very shortly after Judge Manning's arrival in New Zealand. The speeches at a certain tangi not being very interesting, he. took a strjll to a little rising ground at about ■IOO yards distance where a small company of natives, apparently better dressed than the majority, were seated. They wore the best orna merited cloaks and had feathers in tneir heads such aB the common people could not afford tu, wear. The judge therpfora concluded that "they were magnates or "personages" of some kind or other and determinud to introduce himself. As he approached, one of these individuals nodded to him in a very familiar manner, ; and be, not wishing to appear rude,, returned the salute. The rest of the story is better tcld in the judge's own words. "1 then stepped into the circle formed by my new frienda and had just commenced a 'tena koutou' (how do you do?) when a breeze ot wind came singlv along the hilltop. My friend nodded again, his cloak blew to one side. What do I see,, or rather, what do I not see? The head has no body under it. The heads had all been stuck on slender rods, a cross stick tied on. to represent the shoulders and the cloaks thrown over in such a natural manner as to deceive anyone. I fell back a yard or two, so as to take a full view of this silent circle. I was going on with my observations when I was saluted by a voice from behind with 'looking at the 'eds, sir?' (It was a pakeha sailor who spoke, evidently a run-away sailor who was living" with the Maoriea). Yes,' said "Eds has been, agettin' (scarce.' said he. M should:think .so,'.said I. 'We ain't 'ad a "'ed this long time,' said he. 'The devil!'said I. 'One of them 'eds 'as been 'urt bad,' iaid he.. 'I should think all were rather so,' said 1. 'Oh; no, only one on 'em,' said he; 'the skull is split and it won't fetch nothing,'said he. This was all very well, but fresh news an.l further revelations concerning "eds' were in store for the judge. "Yes." continued the pakeha '"eds were so wery scarce that they had to tattoo a slave a bit ago and the willian ran away—tattooing and all." "What;" saye Manning, "ran away!" "Yes," returned his informer, "rah away afore he was fit to kill:" "Stole off with his own 'ed," said the judge. "That's jest exactly it," as the • reply. With "loose'notions about heads in this country," the judge walked away, involuntarily putting his hand to his own "'ed" to make sure. But why this'careful preservation of heads? In the early days a shameful trade in tattooed heads was carried on between the natives and traders who sold the heads to various museums. Often slaves would be tattooed for this express purpose. In fact it is true that on one occasion the head of a live man was.sold and paid for beforehand, afterwards honestly delivered as per agreement. : At a later date the account of Honi Heke's war as related by an old chief to Judge Manning will be found interesting reading.