PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 93

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE PASSING OP TE WHITI. (Concluded.) 111. This Chat is made up of information gathered from various sources, and the three Chats give a connected outline, which will make tolerably clear Te Whiti's life and what actuated him. ALL ROADS LEAD TO PARIHAKA, THE MECCA OF TE WHITI-ISM. This morning, with the dawn, Piripiri stepped from his whare at Waitaia; Ariki left he-r oven, at Wanganui ; Tamaiti put on his Sunday clothes at Opunake. But every toilet was finished with a ruakura feather — a.n emblem of Te Whiti and peace — and every face was turned towards Parihaka. Sinuously through the green dunes of Taranaki creep the enake-like roads to Parihaka ; softly and continuously small whirlwinds of dust flow up fcrom the hedgerows and fray off into the air ; gig wheels mark tfie rosCds, and the dust comee up in the distance to tell that the la&t is not yet. Some hundreds of men of Ngatiiwa, Taranaki, Wanganui, Ngatiruanui, and Waikato have assembled under the mountain. Every hour brings in it** caravan, and even now, as the siro falls blood-red into the eea beyond the Sugar Loaves, the Ngatiawa of Waikartae and Waitara are filing sadly into the murae, and the villagers, in welcome, are chanting a frenzied takitaki : "This is the fall, the great, great fall." The road from New Plymouth to Parihaka would be beautiful even if the errors of early days had not hallowed fl> with marks of struggle. Every dune is a fortification fertilised with blood; every turn of the road shifts the view to some new squire settlement of Maori freedom; every shrubgrown pa harbours the memory of Maori chivalry. But the Mecca of to-day's pilgrimage is the bier of a, man who placed not his strength in pas nor his pride in war — a man to whom peace was religion and all. "And," the writer of the above added 1 , "Te Whiti coirid read his Bible from beginning to end. There is not a place where you could ask him so and <L but he could tell you btraight fro.n his lips without opening the Book." WELCOMING MOURNERS FJROM AFAR. At times, parties arrived, and these were welcomed in true Maori fa-shdon. ; One contingent of 150, accompanied by Dr Pomare and Wi Parata, -when sighted from (Fort Roberts, which dominates Parihaka, was met by the firing of hundreds of buoU and b>y over 100 wiften attired j

in piu pius and greenery. They were led by the master of ceremonies, Tukeuioohu, with splendid body movements seldom witnessed nowadays. THE LYING IN STATE. The following description of this part of the funeral obsequies is taken from the Stratford Evening Post: -The body of the great seer is lying in state in a speoia'lyerected" tent In the marae. Surrounding the corpse are quantities of white leathers, the badge which was always worn in the hat or hair by Te Whiti's followers to distinguish them from the adherents of the recently departed Tolm Around the body are handsome and costly fancy and feather mats, while on the -wall behind hang valuable and historical greenstone meres and other warlike weapons. Seated at the head of the^ body ia the prophet's daughter, Mrs Charlie I Waitara. She is eparsely olad in the oldI time custom. Other women are also seated near the body. Their grief seems very real, and as each party enters the house of the dead, the wail of ihe mourners goes Torth in solemn cadence. The visitors pass round the bier and gaze on the features of the great man to whom in past years many had paid such loyal homage. Many of his followers press their lips to the brow of their departed leader, and as they pass out the ho«gi (salute by rubbing noses) is exchanged by the chief mourners. ' The features of the departed chieftain depict great and calm repose, and look stately and kingly in death." • THE PLACE OF BURIAL. A great korero was held to decide the place of burial. "The leading Te Whitiites favoured interment in a small concrete marae near where the body lay. Others advocated a graveyard. Others again, the principal marae where the prophets in the heyday of their power harangued their followers by night." Tfre Tohu-ites pointed out that it had been the custom of the prophets from the time they started to preach the doctrine, 47 year® ago, to bury their followers without a coffin and to throw the body into the hole like a dog. They advocated that he be buried in the same, manner as the others. The korero was kept up until 4 o'clock in the nrorning, and renewed before noon. The Eev. Haddon, a relative of Te Whiti, and Tohu, a man who lived at Parihaka 16 years ago, and 1 had learned, the old Maori chants and incantations, and, then became a Wesleyan missionary, wanted a burial according to religious rites, but they would have none of it. The final agreement was that he should" be buried without any coffin, in a- vault, and that the hole should be covered in. Eventually a large monument will be built over the remains. • The speeches were interrupted by the announcement that a party of southern Natives were approaching. Volleys were--fired for some time, and then body-dancers went out to meet them. T-here was an animated scene when the party was being conducted to the marae. The ■welcoming Natives were Bedecked from head to foot with greenery and mats, their faces besmeared with red, daubed with black. There were Maoris of all ages — small children, old women, withered and. frail. The adults adhered religiously to the true movements of the dane&, some of the more youthful in the ba<ck ranks keeping time gaily and cakewalking. A brass band marched at the head of the visitors, and lent life to the proceedings. The whole of the Natives assembled in front of themarquee, and the tangi-ing was kept up for an hour. THE FINAL SCENES. Just before midday th-e iomfo was finished, and shortly after Botoeteiti, a g.rl Te White had practically adopted, commenced decorating the interior. "The bottom of the grave was lined with mats, on the top of which was laid a feather mattress covered with immaculately whUo sheets. Two pillows were placed at the head of the grave, and on them was exquisitely worked 'Te Whiti Orongomai.' The sides of the tomb were draped with valuable possum and feather mats, the~ lining being completely cemented. " When th-e body was- about to be removed to the final i>esting place, the wailing of the wa- j hiiies increased in intensity. gSThe j escort was headed by Charlie Waitara, clad io a piu piu and carrying a tewhatewha — another account says a patupatu. He was followed 'by 60 patu dancers, who formed an avenue from the death-cham-ber to the grave. The grief of Mrs Waitara, who had sat by the body since Monday, was pitiable to behold. Weakened by the long vigil, she was too w.eak to support herself, and the strong arms of attendants raised^ her while she poured out her sorrow in weird and heart-piercing lament. The funeral oration of Waitara, continually interrupted by expressions of dissent, ended with these words: "Now Te Whiti is going to his rest. I have in my hand some earth, which belongs to God, as does all the land." Turning to the dead dody, and sprinkling the earth over it i "Now I commit you this day to the earth. You shall return to the earth from which you came." Then, facing the people t "All nations, present here to-day in this courtyard may hear and see. It is finished ! Now let us shout 5 express our grief each one as he thinks best." Then the body, covered with beautiful -white feather mats and a very valuable putohenua, was viewed by the Maoris and pakehas present, after which an iron arch was placed over the tomb and the whole covered with concrete. ! "The Native band struck up a lively air, hundreds of guns were fired, and while the -women continued their weird grief cries the younger blood commenced to dance a lively haka," NO MORE PHOPHETS. Immediately after Te Whiti'e death a korero mzrs held to discuss the future of Parinaka, and the discussion did not conclude until 3 a.m. on the Tuesday morning. The principal speaker was , Charlie Waitara, Te Whiti's Bon-ia-law,

aiid among the others present was Willia Te Whiti, the late chief's son, and a son, of Tomi, who was for years Te Whiti'a colleague, and then his hostile rival. Tha feeling seemed strongly in favour of Wai* tara, who has now assumed the headship of Parihaka. He is said to have a» income of £5000 a year. Be has resided at Parihaka for about 18 years, and! practically built the town, and he has been head steward to Te Whiti for a long* time. Willie t e Whiti had no ill-will shown him, but he had lived away iron* Parihaka, and is therefore not so much it