THE CAPTURE OF RUA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1532, 6 April 1916, Page 2

THE CAPTURE OF RUA.

A correspondent who lived in the district between Gisborne and Rotorua, and saw a good deal of Rua and his followers several years ago, supplies the following particulars of the Maori prophet: “The story is that Rua, in the beginning, had a good deal of luck in prophes} ing regarding the weather and Maori crops. Later on he developed a turn for oratory, an accomplishment to which the Maori mind is always ready to bow to. Encouraged by his success, he boldly claimed to be a prophet, in fact I think his claim was that he was the Messiah. At any rate be soon gathered a number of followers about him. He had three wives with him when I first met him on the track, each mounted on a grey horse, and his secretary, a small hunch-back, completed the party of the elect; behind them rode about 50 followers, long-haired, and riding in single file. They carried on conversation by yelling their remarks at the top of their voices. Rua must have had a strong personality, for he induced his followers to go out shearing, bash* felling, and grass sowing, and they handed their earnings over to him. Rua giving each one enough for their wants. These Maoris were good workers and loyal to Rua throughout. In shearing shed or paddock they objected to any slighting remarks being made about him. “On one occasion Rua got a big crowd of Maoris on the beach near Gisborne for the purpose of seeing him walk on the sea. After haranguing them he asked if anyone doubted that be could walk on the water. All expressed their firm belief in bis powers. Then Rua said it would be a waste of time to do it, since they all believed he could.

“He had a circular temple or church at Mangapohatu, and whenever he felt like it he would ring a bell and address his people from a platform built out at the side of the temple. I believe he sometimes entered the temple ; but very few others did.- Quite a number of people used to ride out there at limes from Gisborne. Rua received the rangatira pakeha with much dignity and ceremony, but the common pakeha got a poor reception, and had to pay through the nose for accommodation and stores. Mangapohatu is 70 miles ‘from Gisborne, so the visitors had to take what they could get. “I believe that in his prime Rua had a good effect on his people. Those I saw were clean, healthy-living savages, and, at that time, Rua was against drink being taken into his village. He had quite a lot of country cleared and grassed round Mangapohatu and sheep running on it. Four years ago he had eight wives. When they rode out in state they all carried umbrellas, and if any settlers or other spectators laughed at the queer retinue, the swashbucklers in the bodyguard became most threatening. Altogether, he was a remarkable fakir, and no doubt his luck changed when he styled himself the Maori Kaiser, claiming to be an emissary of the Germans, who would eventually give the Maori back his land that had been bought by the pakeha.”