THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, May 4, 1854. MEMOIR OF THE CELEBRATED CHIEF HOOK NOSE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VI, Issue 140, 4 May 1854, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, May 4, 1854. MEMOIR OF THE CELEBRATED CHIEF HOOK NOSE.

(Continued from our last.) In presenting this Memorial to the native reader, our desire is much more to exhibit The sterling character of the deceased, as a man, than to parade him in the showy but sanguinary aspect of a warrior. By all civilised nations, war- is[hcld in abhorrence, as the greatest curse which can be inflicted upon society. To avoid war. the greatest and the bravest of nations will incur any sacrifice short of national injury and national dishonour. War is of advantage to noneIt is alike disastrous to the victorious and to the vanquished. It is the destroyer of all the arts of peaceful industry; and its bitter fruits arc desolation, blood, and t^irs. Of war and conquest, Hook Nose bad bis full share; yet, even in the heat of battle, it stands recorded of him that he was always inclined to show mercy and compassion. His great fame was not owing to his great bravery, but to his kind deeds. Hook Nose wa-, one of those New Zealandcrs who had the honour of being introduced to England's distinguished navigator, Captain Cook. " I was,"—said the old chieftain, pointing to an European between fourteen and sixteen years of age,—" iwas as tall as this person when I visited tbc ship of your ancestor,—Cook.— There were several native youths present, and while we were feasting our eyes on the wonderful things we saw for the first time, Captain Cook camo forward and patted mo on the head. We were very friendly with the people or the ship during their stay at Coromandel."

The friendship for the Europeans which was thus insiillcd into the Youthful heart of Hook Nose, was one of iho animating principles of his whole after lire. At all limes, and under all circumstances, he was indeed the white man's friend. When, in the days or the " Coromandel," they were getting 'limber at Waiau, Waiomo, "and Waiwhakarunga, tlio Ngatinarti, a tribe from the Thames, wished to take the timber away. liulTaipari, Porua, and other chiefs of the Ngatiwhanaungha were also interested in the white people; and Te Ilorcia, never weary in his attentions to the Europeans would not permit them to be disturbed. After the " Coromandel," came another voyager, and the tribes were disposed to treat the people evil'y, but Tc Iloicta again interposed, and insisted upon their being dealt will) kindly. "My children," said ihc good man, " we must protect Hie white people and use them well." Again, when gold was discovered at Coromandel, the influence of Hook Nose was at once cserlcd in favour of dm Europeans. He was prompt in tendering his assistance to the Government. Then, as ever, all his relations with Ihc Europeans were of the most conciliatory character. On all occasions, he manifested the greatest readiness to serve ihcin, and to espouse their cause. His fisheries, bis forests, and bis lands were always at their service; and many a threatened storm which must have overwhelmed the old settlers, was dissipated through his mediation. In the early intercommunication or ihe_Eiiroppans and the New Zcalandrrs, it was customary for Iho former to place themselves under the protection of particular chiefs, and any insult offered was immediately punished by these protectors. Not a few sought the protection of Hook Nose, and, certainly, none had reason to complain of his lalheriy QSZ2, fCl' (here is abundant proof on record that he sacrificed his own interests to promote theirs, Hook Nose was the last chief of the Thames of the by-gone generation. The chiefs of the olden time have all departed. The survivors are the young chiefs only. The very aged chiefs that long outlived their contemporaries were Hook Noso and Irai Taharoku. Both have died lately. TJio memory of Hook Nose will long be depr to the early Auckland colonists. His Jioary locks pud venerable appearance] at-

traded us niiTcli attention from the European :is lliey excited the strong sympathy of his own countrymen, who would loitchingly remark—" His sun is shout to set." Let it not be forgotten that ;i morning sun succeeds, anil tliat limy Nvho set in grace will rise in Christ. It was Hie -more encouraging part of this old warrior's history, that he had an anxious desire to obtain religious knowledge,—that knowledge wnicli makcth wise unlo salvation.. About a month or six - weeks before his death, be was received into the Christian Church, by baptism, at his own particular request. The interesting ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. I.anfear, a zealous clergyman of the Church of England, residing at the Thames. It can hardly be j supposed that the good old man's ideas of Christianity could be at all matured; but remembering that, even at the eleventh hour, he who is almighty and all compassionate, has declared—" Him that comcth unto me, I will in no wise cast out'" let us hope that the mortal has been enabled to put on immortality. The following touching letter, penned at his own dictation to an European friend, will show the spirit of love and charity with which the veteran departed : Friend! —Salutations to yon. How great is nty love towaids you. Farewell.' A lor I am gone, you will be children? With you is the thought as regards the Europ?ans and the natives.—You will guard the interests of both Europeans and Natives, and advise them for their good, so tbat the inhabitants of this island may dwell in harmony. I wish you to watch the evils which may arise amongst our famliy,* for you have been called to the chieftainship or guardianship of the speeches of the natives. This is the whole of my sentence to Signed Tc Tuniwhn (Hook Nose), when dying. My place will be occupied by my son Kitalii.

The young man wlio wrote this loiter, and who was instructed to convey it to Auckland, died iind was buried before lite death of Hook Nose look place. There, were many great thoughts in the heart oflfook Nose, hut who is üblctoscarch them out? The good that has resulted from liis early deeds of love arc now beginning lo be seen and felt. In his passing " Farewell" he used (he ancient proverb of his [forefathers -"Hold fast the shell fish/" as if by that metaphor, he sought to impress upon tho tribes, his own anxiety to maintain good principles, which he considered as invaluable to the moral, —as, the oyster and the cockle so prized, are essential to the material support of the New Zealandcr. Much of this brief memoir has been drawn from the narrative of Wircmu Maihi Te Mokungohi of Corniuudel, a relative, and apparently an honourable one, of our dc-r ceased friend Hook Nose who thus concludes his history:— " Hearken, still further, O, my European friends; if wc the children ofl'c.lloreta—follow in the footsteps of our father with regard to doing good, wc shall meet with your encouragement and approval, as lie did; but if we forsake his good way, and trample under foot his wise counsels, then his sou, or any of us who do these things, will be despised by you, and become unworthy of your notice." We have no fear of any such backslidings— On the contrary, wc feel firmly persuaded that (he good instructions and the upright example of Tcliorcta have been too deeply implanted lo be ever !;„",',', i no licaris of his children. If there were no higher and holier tic lo bind the European and the Maori to each other, they have become linked by the chain of mutual interest which dtiily.oiid hourly grows stronger; since no mishap ean occur to the one without inflicting a corresponding injury upon the other race. The wish of the dying Hook Nose that the inhabitants of these islands should dwell together in harmony, wc look

* The European friend is licrc addressed as ono of themselves, and hisinlercslsaro supposed jo lie identical wHh (hose of Hie natives.

tipon as certain to be gratified. In all that rclalts to tlic great Imsiness of life—as (Sirmors, sailors, buyers, sellers, and, better still as Christians, wo find the native treading closely in the footste|)s of the huroncanr Tl.c fine <iualicios that cuoblcd the cliaractcr of our respected and regrcllcd 'friend Hook Nose were not peculiar to himself. Many of l |is coadjutors wore alike ureat valiant and humane, Let but occasion call for the c\ercis(!ortheir benevolence, their eeiicrosilv, or Uieir compassion, and llicse high qualities will be exhibited, as they have been, in the most conspicuous and conWndablc manner. The days have passed when llto tomahawk ol the IScw Zealander was uplifted against Ins fellow. Jho war dance has become obsolete. 1 be. war <oh2,is giving place to the better and blither Taryest Song. The peaceful and prosperous iralTlc. of the Steam ship, is rendering the war canoe noihing more iban a happy medium for the transport or produce, the fruits of successful native industry. In short, (lie lime, we trust, is at hand when the benign influence of "Christianity shall spread its liraling power through the length and breadth or this pleasant and prosperous place. '■