FISH CHARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 263, 16 April 1915, Page 6

FISH CHARMERS.

TOHUNGAISM ALONG THE COAST, j j ' I Th these days, wlieh one sees how rond•iy the; Maori takes to tlie motor-car, tlie milking-machine, and every advantage of modern civilisation, it is liard to realise that some few year.:; ago tohungaism held full sway. Superstition dies hard, however, mid even to-day one eomes. across instances of belief in the. tohunga. During the last few days a Maori has been preying on tho gullibility of Ins confreres down the coast by undertaking to fill the various rivers with fish. Tho procedure is simple. A Maori lad near Waitara has been making a hobby of col - lecting stones hearing the * impress of crabs, lizards, etc. An aged relative, wishing to turn the stones to good account, is supposed to have had a vision in which he was told that these stones were stolen from various rivers in prehistoric times, and tliat they bore tho mystic property of attracting fish from the sea to the rivers; that since they had been removed tho had neglected these streams, but would again frequent ihe rivers if the stones were replaced with due ceremony and incantation. The Maoris of the district promptly subscribed abonst . themselves ro'r the cost of this ceremony, and it is estimated that over £-50 was raised. Some few weeks ago the first stone was i.buried near Parihaka to induce kahuwaiand inanga (whitebait) to frequent the river. Last week another stone was buried near the Stony River for the* same -purpose, and in a week or two a third will be hidden near the Tapuae to entice the piharau (lamper eel) into that river, The ceremony is quite a picturesque one, the stone being buried by a select committee at a spot chosen by the "tohunga," whilst a special feature consists of the fact that no member of the tribe must eat, drink or indulge in any luxury on the fateful day until after the stone has been buried, when general rejoicing takes place. No time is given as to when the fish will enter the river, so that a good yield next season will count to the tohunga's credit, whereas a bad one will not count against him ( as the stone might not take effect for several seasons. As far as the Stony River is concerned, the idea is that the removal of the stone was the cause of the river changing its course from the south to the north, and the " tohunga" alleges that replacing this stone will have the effect of returning Jjhe river to its old course, when the kahuwai will enter tlievestuary. It is a well-known fact that kahuwai, at certain seasons of the year, do come up fresh water streams in shoals.