UNKNOWN.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 267, 26 May 1888, Page 3

UNKNOWN.

I With ieg..ul to tlio knowledge ot (he M.iou m cuiinu di-ea-e, eompaialiveiv 111 t K l- known po-"ihlv luv.ui-o they hail tew disease- with which to ioinh.it. They i mo" i lv consulted tlio Tohunga who waiheii |)!)3-ui.im a- well a- piu.-t. The Maun .should 1)0 a good enough -ui^eoii, anuny opportunities weie alfoideit them in " eotnpaiativ e anatomy.' et wo heai ht lie ot tneu "kill in thi- diieclion. \\ ouuds leeeiv ed quickly healed, but they cannot, ,i? .i inle, -tiiml the -hock ol an amputation. So many ot the wounded used to die undei the opeiation, that all the suigeon- le U"Cil to amputate ; and it "iiip: i"cd them not a little to -cc how many u-ed to leeover the use ot their limb", by ."iinph lea\ ing them tonatiuorombiued w nil eaiotul inn-ing, wlueli they could get tiom u -. bm not among-l theiiHelvc- Theio is a di-ea-o iho M.ion-. have -deemed by them uicuiable -called ngetengeie — lepiosy indeed. It gieatl> di-'toit" ihe teatuie", ami hugei- and toes often diop oil Jt is raid not to beinteeuouMM contagion-. W oknow ot man led people wheie eithei onooi the olhei ha" it, without the male being attacked The native" have a immib notion that it a w naie hab bi en unoccupied toi "oaiL time and bin nt dnw n, and ti pci "on eithei Mt or "leep o\ei the a^ho tlut iie will become etlected with ngeienneie. When a \laou is poi"oned with the tutu they "trip the patient and take him to the watei and beat him w ith tla\ leave ". \\ lien ."heep aic "O attacked the fhcpheuN eithei cut the eai or sepaiate die \unundei the e_\ c, which caU"C" the blood to How. The people m South Atnea tm a "lnular poi"ou mg gnea winegUu-"oi Mnegai. < v Miei^ would not \ megai aii".sci in the human "iilijeut ' The natnt- aio otten i)oi"Ontd by the kernel ot the kataka ben). Tin pulpy co\ cimg ot thi~> i- good to e.it. The Maoii" cook ihe kernel toi inan^ houi-and then -teep tliem in watci, when the\ become lit toi tood and aie very nututiou", but they -ometiniC" in cooking them try them diui it not Milhciently " eaine 1 poi-on ing en-ue" and a dieadtul death. The M .mil's unilci, ."Ueh ciicum--tance", dig a h >le and put the patient in up to the neck, -o that the head only can be moved ; and it i"thep.»it ot thoe watchmg to )vco[) the head a.s otJiez \\ i-e, thc\> vij, the lieul would be -clewed otl, neck di-located, we pte"it?ne, by the extiaoidmaiy -.ticngth ot the ->pa"in. Onh m tin- way can piopei coutiol bo liad ot the patient*' convulsive movement-. Inthe Chatham I-laml-, w hen v tlio kai.ika glow- m Mich abundance, pig- aie often -een w ith one . side tontoited, .md ."O, too, aie hoi.-e-. Tlie wild honey i" another -oincc of poi-oning. It the bee- teed on the fragiant b!o--'im> ol the wliaiangi ( \h/i<o/i< in unia) the honey become-. mo*.t \ u ulcnt l\ poi"onou-. Dr. O't'.uioll, of Tatanaki, ioimeily 3id Waikato Kcgiment, mentioned to u- the death of a Eiuopean tiom '' eating hones," but he did not "uem to know that it became poi"onoiid from the cause indicated. iNowhcic in New Zealand i 1i 1 - theie 11101 c of thi" beautiful than in the I'iovince ot Taianaki. \Vhen tivivelhng thiouirh the bii"h the Maon-5 aie mo'tL caietul that their hor-e-. do not eat the leave 4 - ot the whaiangi, it being a moie \ indent poison in thi" way than tutu. We once bought a native hoi.-c with the tip-, ol both Gars cut oil, to ."ave ii from the ellectot eating leave." of thi.-? plant. When a native is bitten by the katipo, Iho Miiall black ."pidei , who"O habitat is the gia^.s and toi bu-ho.- on the .-ea co<i-t, he endeavouis to cat the inject, and aftei killing it to rub the wound with the dead body, theie being, pre"Umably, some virtue in it that counteiaeth its own prison. Many Maoii" die from the ctlect-> ot the katipo bite, it i- surpri"ing that -o much constitutional distui banco can follow the bite ot an inject no laiger than a small pea. We one day nawtwo lying ill tiom thi" cau-e — one at Wliakatanc and another at Matata. The celebrated Ngatiruanui chief, To Ilanatan.i, who was %aid to have died ot his wound at the battle of Wauaka, actually died from the bite of a katipo.

Okatmky. Nothing shows the native to greater advautuge than when ongaged in flcl)ate, hi.s display of oratorical power, with aceompanimentof graceful gc&tuic, being manifest to the most casual obsoivcr, his deelamatoiy logic being often of a chaiactci the most convincing. To the native mind a certain mode of arguing is necessary, and what would be scarcely understood by a Eoiopcan, howcvor well versed he might bo in the language, would carry undeniable conviction to tho native hearer. They deal laigcly in metaphor, often the most apt. I'roveibs aloo enter largely into their discourse, lie who has a .stock ot trite proverbs, or whakatuaki, obtains an advantage over him who is not so fortunate as to remember them, or who has been fotestallcd in their use, though sometimes the adroitness of a subsequent speaker will, by a well-chosen whakatuaki, render worthless that of the previous speaker, such consummate debaters as Te AVhiti or Ngakau being peculiarly happy in this direction, and never failing to carry the listeners with them. A gifted orator will also make ,i sensation and carry a point, by quoting or repeating any well-known waiata, or song, bearing upon the subject discussed, especially it it have a retrain in which all join. So is their custom. Ono chief of our acquaintanco, Te Haikai, was so gifted in this respect, and had such a musical voice withal, that when he used to speak tho women would climb on to the roofs of the houses to see and to listen. We were once amused at a Native Land Court in Wanganui, presided over by Judge H , One witness was being examined, and he said there was a song that boro upon the question ; might he #ivo it in corroboration ? On leavo being given, he coir menced to sing it, and much to the

tl Yes ; you give mo plenty to cat and woiir, and a place to stay in. 1h that all that my work is worth to you ?" "Oli, no, Miuy ; but wlml in the world ;uo you driving at? 1-, not, en cry tiling hoio yours us much as it is mine?" "No, J think not. lOvorylhing on Lho place has boon bought" with your money — money you mado by your own labour and management, while I washed, cooked, sowed, and .saved for you, besides musing youi' ehildien, who aie glowing up to work t r you aI.M) ; and j got my boaitl and clothes. Whal do you suppo.se it would cost yci to hue bOino one to do my share oi the woik— that is, leaving the children out of (he question ?'' " 1 don't know, Mary, but nobody could be liu'i il to take ( aie of tilings ,i,s you do; and Tin ahaid I would not be able to hue e\on mv cooking and washing, lung. Bur, for all thai, Ido not undetslatid you. Do you want me to pay you wages toi your wink' It it comes to that, .suppose 1 iatj ntij laboui at its \alue, and appiopuato (lie amount to my pew>n,d u-u '.' It .seems to iii'i that tvtiythmg heic belongs to us equally, and I don't sec how w e can divide it. I got onl> my boaul mid clothes, a,s well a- \on : but ha\e Me not been woikinu n\[ ( he-e \eais for a comiuon iuteiesl toi a honi* , and foi (he benefit of oui childion?" '•\es, L know, John- -I agiee with all that you ."ay us to (hat, and 1 want no wages ioi w hat 1 do; lint 1 am ti^mg (o look at th j nifittoi in a business like w.iy \on sa) .dl belongs (o u,s alike. You mihl then consid' r that we aie co piopi ictois. and equal paidiets. How is u then, that I mihl a-k ) Dii foi eveiv dollai I spend, and imiM account toi the use I make oi it ' ' " Oh well- 1 never thought much about thai , I m sure you ha\o iiee access to oui pocket book at all times. " cs, I timfil go and talv> cv ci y (uit fiom H il 1 chn-e, but son would he much a^t- ni-hed it 1 did -n I uel a> nuu h bound to go to }ou ioi what 1 need to -pond ;<•< it you v\lic the m i->tei , and I v our cook. ' "Well Mary, it is //,. ,uJnm tor the husband to e.uiy the pui-e and piovidc loi the household; and ieall> it youweieto make u hnlnt of tikuig what money you want \\ it h out i oiisulting me at all, it might lOMilt in M>ino t onluMon Koi >ou cannot be supposed to know all the detail-- of the taim bi.sine— -,, and what expenses and eon (ingenues must be piovided toi, ,i-> J dn, Suppu-e at some tune when a he<i\ y out - lav must be niade, to can \ on the business Miece-study, I go to our puisij tor the wheiewithal to buy, witli, and lo ! m\ business paitner has been thoie betoie nit, iiiul invested the hoaided funds m sometlung that women delight m ' Mis (.lahain simh d. "Thai is a plausihle aigumenl, John, but I ,un not sine that tne lido won t woikboth wa_\-, \ O u cannot lousouably be expected to know as much ot thenetd-ot the dome-tic depai t m< nt as I should Often thete is ;i piess. ing need toi an exnendituie in the inteicst ot that de|)aitment, when 1 kno», well that it is u-eless to us en mtntumt'iL maltei to \ou, btcau-o the piu so is eni[)t\ : and th.it, too, when a littk knowledge and loie thoii'jht on ) oui pai t would easily have saved enough lor the emei genev . Why noi put some pail- ot oui mutual capital into m\, hands toi the benelit ot //;// hi. inch ot the business' Aie \ou atiaid to ti ist me w itli U ' ' • lohn nibbed hi- no-e thought 'ully a w lule betoie io|il\ ing. '" No, I am not atiaid t ) tuist you wilh any 'hni'i, Mar) ; but I ne\ei thought ot theie beiiiLi any necessity toi Mich a ihiny. Don't [ buy e\ ciything \ ouask lor u llhng ' •'('eitainh \ou do lam not complaining in the least, but still 1 would like so much to ha.c some mone\ that I can call my own, sometimes. Why shouldn t I, ]U-t a.s well as \ou ' \ou do not think ot spending your money toi )ouiselt. and noitlu-M Mould I, if lhadeouholot d. Hut at the s,iine time 1 might want to spend som« (lung in a w a\ that )ou would not think of, noi e\ en appi o\ l, peihap- ou do not consult me as to how you shall dispose ot what }ou "pernl, noi do 1 wish _> ou to It J have helptd tooai n the mone} , ought not L aUo to h;i\e the piniloge of choosing even nnwise'.\ as \ou mi'jht think how L may spend some pai t ot it ' " I think so, icall}. 15u( how m the wosld atc\\eLioing to gel the matter into an\, shape ''' \ou know taimer- do not have a stated income oi a sdai), and leadv, moncv isn't .dwa\s handy."' "\ei > tiue. Hut some time when >ou ha\e -old a good eiop, oi made a good baig.iin, and noui pui'-e feels pleasantly heavj, it jou would just hand over a small shaie ot its contents to out paitnei, it would make her teel so pioud ' and I don't believe >ou would lose a cent b> it '" John took out his pipe, which had long since gone mit, and put it in the little wall pocket above his accustomed ss t > U on the pia//.i. Then he sj^wlv took out his ])uisc Mhich he had kept in his pocket, alter pa\ing (jtl his hand-. The moon was shining (nightly now, and he poured the contents ot the puise — social silvei dollars, and somo smaller change - into his wife's la]), raying plea-autlv, "The puisorsnot ' splondidl^ heavy' )ust now, little woman, but as 1 expect to sell those oats in a tow days for a good pi ice, I 11 liy \ou with this much ' " Aie you leally willing that 1 shall have it, John." asked the surprised wilo. "01 eouisc I am. You have earned it, many times over, and il you spend it all for led libbons to-morrow, L shall not scold you. Hut though 1 shall not ask \ou how you have spent it, I own that 1 am a little cuiious to know what you trill do with it." " Pei haps you may find out some time ; but, dear John," and the worn little hand stroked his beaidcd check — VN 1 am s-o little Used to having money to spend that 1 shall have to consider awhile how best to Use it." Jt is not necessary that wo inf'omi our readois precisely how the httlo woman did invest her money, Sullicieut it is to sa^ thai the kitchen, the riair> , the pai lour and bed-iooms a'l shared in the benelits, fiom it, and that John was more than batisliod, lie got into a habit ot handing to her \aiioub small sums at convenient times, and found that he still hid as much money to spend tor farm impiovcmo its, and general expon.so.s, as before, Avhilo (he household and kitchen dcpaitments showed decided improvement in many ways. He saw that under her prudent management, labours were lightened and comforts multiplied, and at the same time ho was relieved of much worry about " little things." >Sho provided herself with needed help in season« when the work pressed heavily, and he was never asked to pay for it; and soon her improved health and good looks gratified him more than all else. But in a fow years iMary had contrived with the little sums of which she had con trol, to form a small capital of her wn, which gradually grew into such .stock as chickens, pig' s ) beec, etc., from the profits of which she had at length as much .spending money as her moderate ambition called for. All this came about so quietly, with such good sense and gentle obedience on her part, and such generous and just appiceiation on his, that the true harmony of their lives, as two and yot one, and as one and yet two, wao never distui bod, but rather increased, Alary Graham has ninny &i&tcr& who only