‘Mopsus’ on his Gambles.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1029, 28 January 1882, Page 2

‘Mopsus’ on his Gambles.

It was on the May voyage of the Orient boat Cuzco to Melbourne, two or three trips ago, that one of the lady passengers in the saloon excited attention by her eccentric manners. On nearing Melbourne, the poor creature, who did not seem to have any friends on board, one day ran up on deck. On reaching the bulwarks she began to throw overboard articles of clothing. A sealskin jacket went first, then her gloves and hat and feather followed. She endeavored to cast herself into the sea, but was saved by the Quartermaster. Some calamity seemed to have befallen her. She landed at Melbourne and remained for some months, her means being ample having a draft of some £BOO. No strangeness appeared in her behaviour while remaining on land. At the lapse of three or four months she took her departure for England in another of the Orient boats. Out at sea her infatuation to destroy herself by drowning, came strong upon her. The Captain had to land her at Adelaide. On shore the suicidal mania disappeared. But being lonely and friendless, she sought to return to England, and accordingly again entered upon the voyage. The last mail brought the news of the sad result. I had the account from the lips of a fellow passenger of the unfortunate creature. One night, when far out at sea, and nothing but the broad expanse of ocean was visible, with hero and there a solitary sea bird hovering above, a female form, with wild and dejected mien, clad in a nightdress, stalked by the saloon passengers who were lolling on the deck. Momentary surprise ! A headlong plunge ! That form disappeared—the ocean received its victim —the waves rolled on with their ceaseless roil —and thus ended the sorrows of one who loved “not wisely but too well.” *** So Gordy won’t go after all, at least he’s going to remain for an indefinite period, which amounts to about the same thing. Sir Arthur Guidon can quit his gubernatorial duties in this country with the fond assurance that he is unregietted by the great mass of the people of New Zealand. Sir Arthur put too much “ side ” on for the Colony, especially coining after such Governors of the suaviter in modo type as Sir George Bowen and the Marquis of Normanby. No doubt his Excellency’s early training when graduating under the Fijian sky of despotism, fulfilling the office of High Commissioner, has had much to do with his making himself unpopular here. Then there is the ghost of Te Whiti constantly before him. There can be little doubt that Sir Arthur, when he goes home, will have satisfaction out of the Native Ministers, Bryce and Rolleston, for their conduct in the Waiinate Plains affair. Exeter Hall will back him. It was a card well played for Sir Arthur Gordon’s hand. Bishop Sutroroling into Rolleston over his Native policy. Wait until Ilis Excellency ami His Lordship, who are both going home, set their feet on “Albion’s seagirt shore,” and then we will learn how the heathen in his blindness, while his attention was diverted in bowing down to wood and stone, was plundered of his land by the tyrannical legislation carried on by the firm of Bryce, Rolleston and Co.

I have often thought if it is not altogether a farce—a judicial farce — enacted in our law courts in putting the Book of Holy Writ into t he hands of Maori witnesses and swearing them in the conventional manner. In fact whether it is much use placing people on their oaths at all. Against Natives tried for perjury it is practically impossible to bring about a conviction once out of a hundred times. In the case against the boy Rua, heard before Judge Kenny a day or two ago, the evidence in the Resident Magistrate’s Court was not taken down in the Maori language. If Rua signed any depositions at all, he signed the evidence as written in English. This, of course, would be translated to him, but it wonld not be reasonably expected that Mr Woon, the interpreter, could from memory repeat at a considerable distance of time, with minute verbal accuracy, the words used by Rua The country has been put to expense over the trial, when even if the prisoner were morally guilty, it was impossible to legally prove him so. In many cases the ordinary aboriginal’s estimate of an oath is,to tell his tale to the Magistrate, and hero and there preserve the chiaroscuro as occasion

may direct or the exigencies of the case demand. If the tale, concocted or otherwise, be well told, so much the better for the narrator. His appreciation of the safeguards of the European law courts against falsehood is in creased tenfold. Oftentimes a Native not being allowed to tell a tale his own way, gives appearance to the impression that he is speaking falsely. On the other hand, if they were allowed to make their statements as they pleased, time being no object to them, a trial would become interminable. *** Apropos of the boy Rua, I see that Mihaka Kaipau, who was sent to the Napier gaol for kicking the Native Rewi, whose leg got broken, died of an abscess. Thus we see, because Rewi would not shout for Mihaka, the former got his leg broken ; Rua was charged with perjury, and Mihaka himself is taken away from his people, and dies a prisoner in Her Majesty’s gaol. Fanatical members of antishouting Associations have been known to aver that in some cases departed spirits go to certain realms, Where “shouting” is not known. The custom itself though sometimes agreeable is an absurd one, a relic of the days of the Californian and Ballarat gold fever. *** It seems as if Mr. Barker is really going to sell Whataupoko this time, and no mistake. It makes one smile to think of the flaming advertisements that have been published notifying the sale of this estate. The advertising panic took last November twelve months. Then the persons who gave the land to Barker as security for a fabulous sum were going to dispose of (ho “ mortgaged premises,” as the lawyers call it, and from what the sale would realize pay of principal money, some £40,000, or £50,000 (£lO,OOO here or there does not matter,) and then distribute the trifling sum of £60,000 among the Natives, and any outsiders in want of a pound or two. That was the first sell. Then Barker tried his hand. This was last March. That was another sell. *** Mr Barker has been getting some information during the past twelve months, so he isgoingto sell Whataupokd on the 7th of February. *** The East Coast Land—l mean the New Zealand Land and what-do-you-call-it Company—are, I hear, hankering after Whataupoko, and offer —or are about to offer, if they can raise the wind—£lo,ooo on account of Barker’s claim, a sum of thirty odd thousand. The balance to remain on mortgage. Of course there will be no more litigation about it. 11l fares the block to legal flaws a prey, Where writs accumulate through Law’s delay. *** A friend of mine has promised to go to one of the local churches next Sunday to see the organist pare his nails. *** Quite a lively feeling was evinced by a number of ladies of an uncertain age in Professor Fraser’s lecture on Wednesday evening last, on Love, Courtship and Marriage. Some married men of a sanctimonious turn, were also present, apparently watching the opportunity of picking up a wrinkle. They would have been better at home saying their prayers. Perhaps they thought it was never too late to learu. *** Judge Kenny spoke strongly against two of the female witnesses for the defence in the prosecution against Sorry. Considering the relationship of one of them to the prisoner, the Judge seemed inclined to allow that to palliate the evident sympathy the woman had for the accused, Sorry himself, might well exclaim “ Save me from my friends.” Their anxiety to prove his innocence appeared to be “ too utterly utter.” Sorry knew that too. He remarked to one of them coming out of the Court-house, at the time of the adjournment, “ Why did you say so and so. That was the very point I wanted to work.” He has two years now to work points. *#• Speaking about Sorry’s case, I must point out to Judge Kenny and the police that they must be more careful with their prisoners in future. It is not right that a prisoner while undergoing his trial, should, at the different adjournments, be allowed to walk about the streets, mix with the jurymen, if so inclined, and be practically without any restraint. No mischief was done in Sorry’s case, but the ends of justice in other cases might, if such a course be allowed, be seriously interfered with. Mopsus.