VISITORS ANNOYED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 121, 14 January 1932, Page 5

VISITORS ANNOYED

ELDERLY MAORI ON MOKOIA ISLAND GETS UP HIS "FIGHTING BLOOD" THREATEN'ING BEHAVIOUR "" Strong exception was taken by Mr. R. Hasted, of Rotorua, and a paj-ty of ,zis friends, to the reception they received from one of the Maoris on Mokoia Island when they made a brief visit to the Island yesterday to see Hinemoa's Bath. Mr. Hasted who is a well known angler in Rotorua, had taken a few friends out in his launch for a day's sport and had pulled in to the wharf on the island to make some adjustment to the engine. While at the island he thought his friends might like to see the historic pool of many Maori legends, so the party walked over to it. They met on the way a young fiative who smiled and passed the time of day, said Mr. Hasted, describing the incident, but on their return to the launch they were stopped-. by ah elderly Maori who said. -that they were lucky to be able to land without paying. To this he retorted that the natives were lucky to he allowed to sail on the lake, which was now Government property, without paying. This apparently raised the old Maori's ire and according to Mr. Hasted he then produced a taiaha which he is4 alleged to have flourished in the air and then flung to the ground in a fury, at the same time using most ohjectionable language to the party, regardless of the fact that one of their number was a lady; "He then rolled up his sleeves and made threatening gestures," said .M . Hasted, "demanding that we get 'off the island which, he claimed as his property. He said that his fighting blood was up and that if we did not go he would shoot us, and continuin'g his abuse, followed us down to the boat." Mr. Hasted said that this was the first time that he had ever heard of a charge being made to land on Mokoia Island, and even if this was the case, there was no excuse for the language used in front of the lady an his party.