MAORI CHIEF DEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 170, 4 January 1915, Page 6

MAORI CHIEF DEAD.

i INK WITH THE TITOKOWAEU CAMPAIGN. The Wanganui Chronicle records the death of the Maori chief Tutange Waionui, at Pariroa, near Patea, on Wednesday, at the age of sixty-six. The death of this noted chief will carry the memories ot many back to tue days of the Maori War in 1808, when Titokowaru was on the warpath. Though but a youth Tutange Waionui made a re- j putation for himself, and was one of tho !.cst fighting men who acknowledged tile leadership of Titikowaru. In a recently published book entitled "The Adventures of Kimble Bent," the author, Mr James Cowan, thus describes Tutange Waionui as he appeared at the parade and haka just before the fight at Te Ngutu-o-tc-Manu. "Tutange Waionui, who was now to distinguish himself, as a daring young warrior, was but a boy. He was not more than fifteen or sixteen years old, but was a strong athletic youngster, full of file and courage, and as agile as a monkey. He was one of the 'momo r.ingatirn,' or 'blue blood' of Taranaki, tracing a direct descent through a line of high chiefs and priests from Turi, the great M'lc;, who navigated his matwinged canoe lAotea to the black ironsand beach of Taranaki from the fardistant llawaiki, the beautiful palmfringed island of Rangiatea (Raiatea, as its people call it now), in the Society Group. His father, the. old warrior, Marucra Whakarewataua, had carefully schooled h'm in the business of arms, the handli::;; of the spear-tongued taiaha, mo. t beautiful of Maori weapons, the q-! : "k and fatal use of tho tomahawk, 1 '.'i the terrible long-handl-ed one and the short hatchet, or patiti as well as the musket and shot-gun, and rifle of the pakeha. So here, now, was young Tutange on his first warpath."