A WONDERFUL ADZE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1917, Page 2

A WONDERFUL ADZE.

FOUND AT KAKARAMEA. The Hawera Star in a recent issue has the following interesting description from the pen of the Rev.'T. G. Hammond of a wonderful Maori adze found some time ago at KakarameU, Mr. Hammond says:—"Mr. Fairweather, senr., in his draining operations, found many things indicating that at time the former residents of Kaikapoo must have been surprised by war parties, and had thrown valuable articles into the swamp in order to save them from being looted by the enemy. Among the notable heirlooms of the migration found by Mr. Fairweather there is a very valuable adze. We have often seen and handled this implement, and have shown it to many Maoris, very few ol whom would dare to touch it. Wo cannot do better than insert a copy of the notice of this implement by Mr. Elsdon Best in his valuable book on stone implements and their manufacture. Page 220: "A huge axe found north of \Yanganui some time since we have not been able to examine; but a few notes concerning it. Its length is 21 inches, width across cutting edge five inches, across the pole 2j inches, across the shoulder 4§ inches. The back is straight longitudinally and convex transversely; the back blade is also convex both ways. The upper part of the face is said to be concave longitudinally. The length of the blado on the back is six inches. The sides are straight, the inward trend of the same from the cutting edge to pole being remarkably even throughout the entire length. Apparently the original is a symmetrical, well finished adze of the usual adze form. We are at a loss to conceive how such a huge adze was used, but it is quite possible that this, as also the largo adze of the Butler collection, were ceremonial implements and were not used as tools." Mr. Best's opinion as to the ceremonial purposes of this adze is probably correct. In all the conversations we have had with Maoris respecting it no ono has ever suggested a use to which it was originally put. The late Raumati Pomakariri, of \Vhenualuira, said it was named Te Huparapara, and was "hitoki tinaua," (an important axe). It is saiir it. was brought from Huwaiki and was a toki kororarika, but this is often said of small axes made of the same material. Anything from a distance was spoken of in the past as coming from Hawaki and too much importance must not be attached to any such statement. Most likely the stone came from a quarry in the vicinity of Maungatapu, Nclsoii, where tho same kind of stone was obtained long before the advent of the pakeha. We have been told that there were three of these important stone axes in the early days belonging to the Patea people, and that one of them was in the custody of the Ngatimaru tribe when they occupied the territory around Normanby, but when they separated from their people and migrated to the Thames district they took this valuable possession witli them.