RATANA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1921, Page 12

RATANA.

ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON.

MARVELLOUS CURES IN DOMINION CLAIMED.

Ratana, the Alaori healer, who has been in the South Island on a mission to those of his own race for some ,weeks past, arrived in Wellington on Friday last by the Lyttelton ferry steamer, and proceeds next to the rapa district. His private secretary, Mr. P. T. Moko, was was seen by a Times -representative, Ratana himself being busily engaged in giving audience to the many Maoris who wished to see him, stated that the healer’s mission had proved' a great success throughout the South Island. Ho had visited Rapaki. Temuka, Otago, Little River, a.ud Kaiapoi, the Hon. J. H. Uru accompanying him throughout the tour; and at each place he stayed at the natives had come from far and near to meet him. Wherever he went he urged the natives to abandon A-laorism, Tohunganism, and all belief in false gods, and to have faith only in one God—God Almighty and His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. The hospitality accorded him everywhere was warm-hearted and most gratifying and encouraging. AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS. At Rapaki, one of the oldest natives, Taare Tikau, who had not bedn out of his own pah for fourteen years on account of gout and rheumatism, and who also suffered greatly from insomnia, was treated by Ratana and cured. He afterwards travelled with the party to Temuka and the people there were very much surprised to see him after so many years. Asked how the cure was affected, Air. Mok a said that Ratana first spoke briefly .on - spiritual matters, and then said to Tikau: “You go over to your bouse now and go to bed. You will find you will sleep all night. We will have /to pull you out of bed in the morning..” This wab quite right. Not only did Tikau sleep soundly, but he had to be wakened to catch his train back to Rapaki. Our representative was shown a report of an interview between a pressman ami Tikau, in which the latter said: “I have been bad for forty years; and since my son went to the war six years ago I have not slept good at night. But I slept good last night: and now,” he added, jubilantly, “I am well.”

“I DIED FOUR TIMES.” Another case mentioned was that of Hami, a native of the Chatham Islands, who was hurt in an accident six years ago, having two.of his ribs broken and his spine injured. Since then he had been operated upon' four times. “I died four times;” said Hami, evidently alluding to tlie administration of an anaesthetic. “Jf I stopped at the Chathams, 1 would have been dead ill right proper.” On the occasion of the last operation, he -was in the Christchurch hospital for some months, and only came out a few weeks ago, when ho heard of Ratana’s intended visit. He could not stand upright, his body was always bent forward, and ho

could only walk on crutches; but a Christchurch Press reporter, who had known of his previous disability, stated that the day after his treatment by Ratana, Hami was walking • with only a slight stoop, while his daughter carried the crutches. “Ratkiia told me,” he said, “that I must hot expect to get better all at once, but 1 would now start to get better; and I am much better already.”

FROAI SCIATICA TO WAR.-DANCE. There were not many spriQPs cases in the South Island,” stated Air. Moko. "They were mainly minor complaints—skin disease' 1 and such like. But there was one bad case at Temuka, that of a woman who was sufl'erifig frdm sciatica. She was brought on a stretcher, but before she entered the big meet-ing-house, she requested her bearers to allow her to walk inside. This almost proved too much for her; but she managed to get there, thongli suffering terrible agony. Slie was treated by Rataua. lie asked her, “Have you any faith in God Almighty?” . iSljp replied that she had, and .that .she put her whole trust in our- Lord Jesus Christ. Ratana. then commanded the disease to disappear, allowing iicr ■ a quarter of an hour afterwards to get’ better. But before the time was up, she was up and doing the war-dance. .Reporters were present all the time, he added; and local people, who knew her well, and what she had suffered, testified to'the cure. They were greatly surprised when they saw her walking about the

Air. Aloko showed our representative many treasured newspaper extracts relating to the above, and numerous other cures.