THE LATE TE WHITI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 27 November 1907, Page 4

THE LATE TE WHITI.

WE PROPHETS IN PRISON. . The news of the death of my old acquaintance Te Whiti has brought up crowding reminiscences of the days of a quarter of a century ago, when I was for many months in constant company with the two prophets of Parihaka, anil one or two anecdotes of those eventful days may interest, particularly as they now see print for the first time (writes Mr. Ward in the "New Zealand Times"). In 1881 I was serving in the Armed Constabulary (having previously served in the colonial forces during the Hauhau war), when I received orders to go to the South Island and take charge of Te Whiti and Tohu, who had a fewmonths previously been arrested at Parihaka, and who were then in gaol on a kind of indeterminate sentence. I was probably selected for this duty because of my acquaintance with Maoris and the Maori tongue. I took charge of Te Whili and Tohu in Addington gaol (C'liristchurch), and, I am pleased to say, got both chiefs released from the irk-*>m.e trammels of prison life, and liberated on a kind of parole; that is, they could go nowhere, see nobody, nor coold they talk to anybody unless I was present. I had charge of them from that time until they were finally allowed to return to their people, and handed them over to Colonel Roberts at the Opunake redoubt in Taranaki. TE WHITI AND THE CAMERA. Te Whiti was always very strongly averse to having his photograph taken. A reminisrence on this point occurs to me. The three of us—Te Whiti, Tohu, and myself—were staying at, I think, Warner's Hotel, Christchurch, a day or two after they were released from Addington gaol. The then Governor's A.D.C. (Captain Maehell, I think)— Sir Arthur Gordon was Governor at the time—came to the hotel, and was introduced by me to both chiefs. Something like this conversation took place:— "Oh, Mr. Ward, his Excellency would ▼try much like to have the photos of both prophets, and I have arranged for a photographer to come along this afternoon to take them."

"I am afraid. Captain," I said, "that they won't consent,to that, but I'll ask them.? "Not consent! And his Excellencv wishes it! Oh, that's absurd! Teil them, please, it is his Excellency's wish to have both their photos." Te Whiti: "What does the pakeha want, Ward!" "The Governor," I said, "wishes to have both your photographs to take to England with him." Te Whiti: "What for! What does he want our likeness for?" "To take to England with him." Te Whiti: "Ward, tell your pakeha friend I am dead. The Governor can hang me —I suppose he will—but he is not going to get my likeness, without he first hangs me. Then he can take my dead body and do what he likes with it." I explained this to Captain Maehell. He was almost furious, and even went so far as to suggest that I "did not place the position and proposal fairly to the natives."

I, of course, could only say I had, and suggested that the captain should get another interpreter, and put' his proposals to both chiefs. As a matter of fact, Te Whiti or Tohu neTer sat for their photos during the time I had charge of them. One of the constant fears of both chiefs was that I, by some underhand means, would get the, to them, deadly camera to work upon them. For the purpose of illustrating my little book, "Reminiscences of a Twelve Months' Companionship with Te Whiti and Tohu," I got a surreptitious camera shot at both chiefs in the Rev. Mr. Fairlie's garden, Neil street, Nelson, in February, 1883. Mr. Fairlie was a South Sea Island missionary, and I took the chiefs to his place to see some Islandmade mats and garments. A GOVERNMENT BRIBE. It is not generally known that the Government of that day endeavoured to j>lacate Te Whiti by offerirtg him a seat in Parliament and a comfortable salary or pension, I think it was on onr second visit to Oamaru—in 1882— that, by direction of the late Judge Butler, then private secretary to the Hon. John Bryce, Native Minister, I made the following proposals to Te Whiti:— '•Friend Te Whiti. Listen—The Government will elevate yon to the Upper House and pay you for all your life the sum of £3OO a year, if you'll acknowledge the Queen's mana."

Te Whiti held out his right hand (open), and replied:—Friend Ward,look at that. There is no money of your Governor there, is there!" "Xo, there is not." Te Whiti (turning his hand over, palm down): "And there is no money of your Governor there, is there?" -No." Te Whiti: "Then tell your Governor I don't want their money. Why don't they hang me? Kill me! Why do they punish me (whakawhiu) like this? Kill me, hang me, and then I am done with." "Oh, that won't be done, friend, and you know it!" Then Tohu broke in and said: "We don't know it! We arc your prisoners. Why are we not tried and hanged if guilty? If not guilty, then bring us home to our wives and childTen.' "That question," I remarked, "does not rest with me." When we were in Dunedin, in 1882, a proposal was made by the Government to send the prophets on a voyage by sailing ship to England, in order to impress them with the wonders of civilisation and the might of ihe British people. I was instructed to go aboard the New Zealand Shipping Company's barque Jlataura, then lying at Port Chalmers, and select cabms for the two chiefs and myself, and take them a voyage to Liverpool. But, two days after, the whole thing was knocked on the head, and 1 was ordered, much to my regret, to take my charges down to the Bluff and go aboard the Stonnbird, Captain Fairchild, for a three months' cruise in and amongst the West Coast Sounds, preparatory to settling down in Nelson for eight or ten months. WHY THE MAORIS DID NUT FIGHT AT PARIHAKA. Just one more story, this time about Tohu. It was at the Universal Hotel (I think) in Dunedin—just before going aboard the Stormbird—that the late Judge Butjer had an interesting discussion with morose old Tohu. Mr Butler said: "Yon say you wished to fight and not surrender that morning at I'arihaka." (The morning they were captured in 1881). Tohu: "Yes, I was ready! Only this fool (kuare) here (Te Whiti) stopped me. He would not let us light." Mr Butler: "But you would have all been killed had only one shot been fired."

Tohu: "Would we? That's your opinion, not mine. Wliy did not you (the pakehas) Arc then;"' Mr Butler: "Because we did not want to kill you all!" Tohu with great scorn): "Xot want to kill u*! Whenever did the karapiti (the sparrowhawk) spare the pipiwharauroa (cuckoo) ? 'A man has but once to die. The white man has never yet spared the Maori, and he never will!" And old Tohu reiterated that it was his fellow-prophet—pointing to Tc Whiti —who stopped him from taking up arm* again. Well, both are now dead and gone. But the memory of Te Whiti, the great "passive resister" of Maoriland, and mystic seer of Parihaka, will live for generations to come in the hearts of his countrymen as about the purest and •iio<t of their nation's p.v <£± _. «■»■■*