TE WHITI'S OBSEQUIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 22 November 1907, Page 2

TE WHITI'S OBSEQUIES.

MAOIUS POURING INTO PARIHAKA. DIFFERENCE ABDUT MODE OF BURIAL. INTERESTING ACCOI'NT OF Till-. PROCEEDINGS. FI'NHRAL TO TAKE PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. (By Telegraph —From Our Special Reporter). Pungarehu, Last Night. Parihaka to-day was the scene of much suppressed excitement, but the pakehas attending in considerable >"»»• bers were greatly disappointed. There were no actual ceremonies, only an ' outburst taking place in the morning 1 and evening aftev the majority of Euro- ■ pean visitors had departed. Tho body is still lying in an open f tent, wrapped securely in many mats i and covered with valuable feather mats.

AROUND THE BIER , ' bowed in attitudes deep with grief sit his daughter and female relatives, their stoical immovability and abject sorrow during the long hours of the. day being one of the most remarkable incidents in connection with the obsequies. Valuable mats, meres, oil-paintings of the departed chieftains, Wi Parata, Ruakiri, Moeahu, Rutfumoana, Wharepouri, Te 'Wlietu, and others are draped in black and surround the dead chamber. The only NOTABLE ARRIVAL this morning was Rev. Haddon, a relative both of Te Whit/i and Tohu. He lived at Parihaka sixteen years ago, anil learned from the prophets the old -Maori chants and incantations. After leaving Parihaka he became a Wesleyan misv sionary, and. is now one of the most respected clergymen in the colony. There were also present in the settlement the Revs. Wi ICaipo and Ropere (Anglicans). The natives welcomed Rev. Haddon this morning with full ceremonies, and addresses were given on Wednesday night. A great korero was held to decide ✓I- THE PLACE OF BURIAL. Charlie Waitara and leading Te Whitii ites faivorcd interment in a small concrete : marae, a few feet in front of the room where the prophet always sat. Others ! advocated a graveyard. Others again i the principal marae, where the prophets ; in the heyday of their power harangued • their followers by night, it was app.uemly decided to adopt the lirst pro- , posal, and many retired/ some to "keep I' vigil with the dead, omers to sleep. Xlie r dispute again arose, however, and the -' korero resumed and kept going till four I this morning, when a compromise was

effected, and by one vote it was decided Unit, the burial should be in the centre of the open square, about oO yards from Xe \\ hill's big house, and on the side 01 the foundation of the settlement, where the lirst house was erected. Work was commenced early this morning with the excavations. The grave will be lined with bricks and cement placed on the soft concrete foundation. The whole will be cemented over, and~a large monument erected over the grave, This morning A LONG PAIILEY m.-,ucd over lue uiui.,l in ine- couientcu J.' 1 "- J. "limits pointed out uiai H nud uecn tiio eustom 01 lne propiiets lrom Lne time they started to preach me doctrine ii years ago to bury their follower at a*..alii without a eollin, and to throw tne body in lne hole like a dog. 1 n*'y advocated that lie ue buried ill tne same maimer as the others. The followers ol Ati Aki, in a diplomatic narangue, advised tne Te \\ uiu-ites to turn »i deaf ear to these men. ff tliey did jnoi reply to the dissenters' dispute, it would lizzie out. me ToiiuUcs s tiu to argue the matter out, but iwere met with stolid silence, and the \wurk at the grave proceeded without Uiu ther interference.^,.Nothing has been decided yet as to the AIAJiUISR OF BUIIIAL.

iiiis Kov. ihuldou later lis to address a, gathering m the niarae in iavur of burial according to the Christian "ten, pointing out that other arraafcemenls had been made m pateu lasnion. * The relatives refuse to statement, but it is not unlikely that fcev. iladdon will succeed in his proposTTIE MOST INTEJ.tEST.IXGr "i lu-uay was llio ceremony connected "U" U.c welcome to me \, i ul;.auie, nmuini, n'enm ana oiner natives, to lue numoer ol abuui lju, wno iverts accompamed by Po.nare and \yi i'alata this evening. niien they were aiguieil lrom u,e lgon-0.,1 j-ort lioKeiis, dominated l'atuuiiu at the lime ol Uie raid, hundreds of gun mri" UCU! a " I '' l, ' lu Wyoming l'.iu;, oi over a hundred native wome£ wer! /.'I f" 1 """ aud S^ery, led by Tukeurooho master ol ceremonies, whose splendid body movements are rarely witnessed now •jdajs. iakitaki l'eierred in terms of deep sense of the loss sustained by the Ho exdaim^ frn.' i ' 8 gruat ialJ ' thc Ml of a h-ind "tile' ' tilC uativc lrass and, the usitors slowly annroached i«ny!°and 01 thc duiui ' M,ckowin z u^ V !fnu AXJJ CHANTLW VUtG^

-ii-i.i.o tite lameius aim naitmg oy cne \nouiui ueiu leneueil jn increasing Jt'yr- \ ur l "' ul 1110 Wtf assemblage of natives Showed open signs o x reciprocating °'' L iUclu wa » lm aUcctauon, strong iiii-ii to w.ty to the emotions consuming tne,n. This scene was enacted • I'd ic-enaclcd for a space of over an hour, „uut darkness drew a veil ok-er u"" "j- mot prostrated grief. There DJiAOUKCiNU or Till, siimm* on this occasion. The burden of Uic speeches pointed out how he who together' S# T, iliUl , ia ' ld tbu Mauri people leit her ' i/■ s' l gone, the white icathu emblem ot his followers sun xc(JENISIUL. 'incre are now p.eivy oi provisions m Lho pun and ...is , . J ; «»U J-.ie speculator i„ JtM . iyjuomj, °" 1 "•« -Nora .Mvens conS giuuenl Ot iish yesitrd.iy made a disastious barg.iin. Uu . r uvu toJls suit out to-day, but Charlie Waitara, s "Picting tile probability of being ex--1 Oiled, let used adniittance to Ihe wa"gons wciiiuuiiy, lioneier, less tu.ui 01 tnc lisn uas accepted, nut cmaindcr wit, proUuiy oe tt com-

i'ariliaka, though «-cll built, cliieily in modern architecture, dues not appear to ' Ju f FA'ticularly prosperous. '■the great majority of the natives are welt dressed and are most orderly. , !! u ls 110 s 'b" of auy liquor, anil H hile no one appeals to be pronouncedly 111 authority, perfect discipline prevails, •ie idea that Te Wluti possessed a go:d hoard is generally discounted by ins lollowcrs, who state tJiat the late ioJiu was the banker. Charlie Waitara, now the principal 1111111 in tile settlement, is a quiet, gentlemanly man, who appears to mourn his late chief and father-in-law deeply, lie respectfully declined to be interviewed to-day. JI-; stated that Te Whiti never would, but as in the past Parihaka was open to.the pakcha to come and go and view it according to his own ideas.

He informed "your own," however, tliat ho would make an important speech at the funeral when he may state the future working of the settlement, tile ownership of which now passes «y right of succession and of Maori law ik" 'l'e Whiti'a half-brother. I lie limcml i.s lixed for one o'clock tomorrow. To-night and to-morrow morning an important kurcro will be 'hold. —J There am about 1000 present. .4'M .lur.v's lug brake, conveying a party'; of natives, broke an axle just past Waria. .No one was hurt, ami other eon-v»-.tnccs which were sent out brought tins natives to their destination.

H"'e difference of opinion uvists re g*r<ling tl,, age of Te Whiti at the time i Jiel • i S""''i'ally accepted Mm i» that the "prophet's" ago was J l\hT' K , lO ? lr ' Wil,iam Mai am, who knew Te Whiti from Hfhood, and who, moreover, is one of Hi? bent authorities in the Dominion on meters appertaining to (he Maoris, Te W iti had passed his 781 h Year. Mr. wjliams' age is (became as Te Whiti's.