An Ancient Brave.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1656, 12 March 1886, Page 2

An Ancient Brave.

* I> ¥W* J 6p*Stikr ihsMtfK J flras notides the death of r native ebief : — "Last night difeß pnel" of; the Tmost^ Trenowned;-' 6ld warrior chiefs ln^thVjJay of Plentjr^Te Uhi. ' ' It is 'difficult to get at the ex;aci ? age of these oldiuen, wha have" lived t iil-. most a life time before .the advent ;pjT the. Pakeha, Jbut as far as we can learn 'Te' Uh; miist'have been about ninety. 1 Many anecdotes are told of his" prowess jin old '■ fi^h'is.ng'tune)j; (%ad)so) gre^t^* [name did he make for himself fef pluck ®d* brayprythat his enemies 1 'stood' iri «dontL siderable awe of Him. The following episode is related of him : — Te Uhi was m command of a pah. near Whakatane, his native place, and at this time a deadly feiid existed between t\yb rival factions. .His enemies ; were powerful and daring and at one of their meetings a fejy 6f ttie pidst daring yolunte6red ! to 1 enter his pah on some dark night and* 'Autiier 'him. Their offer was accented;' and they chose a stormy,' dark, wet night for their enterprise. Their entrance was stealthily, effected, and ; the whare m which' he; slept was found, but.tney f9.und niiii'surrbunded by a large following, tq6 inanyfor them (to attempt a surprise, so they lay-in the darkness near the door m- 1 the hope that he.wpuld cjome: out,! when they would murder him; . After hours of suspense they were obliged to retire, but as they looked upon the feat of having entered the enemies pah something to -be— proud of, sa in order to prove to Te Uhi vrhafr they, had .done they removed a quantity of. clothes from a line and on tlTejiollowiug day sent them with a child as^a'pre^'ntto Te Uhi. >As soon |as he learneoVthat Ins enemies; had forced th^yr. way. "in to' -liis pah^ lie got into a terrible j rage and abused his meu right royally f or theiV^tfegleot.; ' He looked? on it as an insult and' a slain on his hbnor, which must. be]\yiped out,; so some ' time ] af teri wards he determined, on a similar kiad of night, when tlie r elements -were ! m his favor, to have-revenge. So alone and unattended he entered ihe < , pf hf of (h J enemies iwhen all were: burited^in sleep, | and with -his tomahawk chopped down the tall paimarire pole, ;which stood m the' centre ; of the^ Ullage > and . ' arotlnd' which they danced arid ;prayed. : In falling it crushed m' the.roof of,a!whare I and the noise roused the whole: pah, , but m the darkness he got off frtfel The 1 next morning the enemy knew, that the dreaded Te Uhi had been in' their midst, as his foot tracks had a peculiarity 'well 1 fcnoiwnto them ;all,. his: great (toes; beingconsiderably^ (Shoffer than ! the smaller; ones, i The first' time I we> hear r= of the pakehav having cause to, dread him vjras when' the crew of the^ohdoner Kate was murdered, the i vessel burned, 1 * »nd Mr i Fallon, ? Government :Sucveyor* ( VKak - also murdered. In late- years ; the ; i|atiye| ; affirmed that he practised mafaitkl^ancr attributed the death of several thenrelatives to this evil agency*. ■■, ■