DEATH OF A MAORI CHIEF.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1889, 9 May 1889, Page 4

DEATH OF A MAORI CHIEF.

The finest and noblest portion of the race of Maoris at Kaiapoi connected with the early history of Canterbury are rapidly passing away. Aperahama Te Aik, who breathed bis last at the Maori Pa, Kaiapoi, on Tuesday, was a chief of the Katuirihia Tribe. He was said to be seventy-five years of age, though those to whom he was well known considered his life span at least five years over that stated. It is not long since he followed to the grave Tare Wi Tehoika, and he has seen several of his race, who, like himself, were entitled to marked respect, buried in the Native Cemetery of St, Stephen’s. In the public assemblies of his people Aperahama Te Aik was remarkable for his oratorical powers, and must be credited with a considerable amount of discretion. When the early settlers took up the bush lands near Woodend, be was a prominent man in settling and adjusting disputes which arose from time to time. He was a man who had a considerable stock of Maori folk-lore. He was one of the few who survived the memorable invasion of Te Bauparaha, in 1827, when he left the traces of his fury upon the Ngaitahu people, then resident in the South Island. From Nelson Te Bauparaha went to Kaikoura, thence to the Omihi pah, on the Glenmark run. He next ranged hia warriors before the Kaiapoi pah, attempted to enter the pah under a pretence of being friendly, but Aperahama’a people managed to discover the designs upon them, and raised their fortifications, Bauparaha contrived to carry a sap and set the palisading of the pah in flames, and drove the Ngaitahu out to ruthless massacre. A perahama Te Aik was one who effected his escape, and obtained refuge in the flax at the river’s edge with another escapee; they were observed by men in the $ orthern war canoes, who called out, “ Our slaves, two for usand they would have been caught but for the courage of Aperahama’s mate; who made use of his loaded gun. Getting down into the weedy margin of the water, he stood concealed till the men in the bows of the canoe were about to jump ashore, he then fired, nearly blowing the top of the first man’s head off. The companions in the canoe, witnesses of what had happened pushed out from the bank and paddled it away. Aperahama, with Wi Te Pita te Hori, and others, being afterwards successful in evading Te Rauparaba’s skirmishers, made good their escape to the South. Although this terrible fight took place sixty-two years, and about 1000 of the Ngaitahu were slain—many of them eaten —and a large number more taken into slavery, the remains of that battle frequently are discovered in the bleaching bones which bestrew the old battle field on which Te Bauparaha had conducted the seige operations that had extended over six months. Hakopa Te Ata 0 Tu, who died in 1883, used to give a most vivid and thrilling account of an event in their history, when he was forced to surrender a greenstone club, although he fought like a demon, but was finally overpowered and kept as a slave till an exchange of prisoners took place,— Press.