MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 March 1941, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

HAERANGA (Travel). (Recorded by J.H.S., of Palmerston North, for the “Times-Age.”) Our manners and customs produced strange impressions upon the minds of Maoris who travelled abroad as sailors or whalers. Even as early as 1805, contrary to the then general idea, several Maoris visited England. To these the operation of shaving and seeing their faces in the mirror transfixed them with surprise and delight. The ease with which ropes were made at the Sydney rope works, also gave them satisfaction. In 1805 Mr Savage, an English surgeon. took the first Maori, Mohanga, to England. He was in reality a slave but had shrewdly represented to his hosts that he was a Chief, and was duly honoured as such. What interested him in London was the height of St. Paul's Cathedral, the size of London Bridge,' how people were fed and water carried in pipes, and that King George the third was an old man, and not a vigorous warrior. He came back to his tribe laden with presents of carpenter’s tools and regretted that he had not asked for guns in their place. Matara visited England in 1807. and like Mohanga was presented to Royalty. In London he developed a cold which ended in consumption of which he died shortly after his return. Ruatara, the most observant of the Maori travellers, shipped on a whaler as a boy in 1805, and after many adventures reached London in 1860. He came Io Australia with Marsden, and was at Norfolk Island till 1814 when he returned to New Zealand whore he was the first man to grow wheat and make “dampers” for food. 1 ■Through such travellers the Maoris learned the advantage of keeping on good terms with the Pakeha people. Ruatara was perhaps the first Io introduce Christian teaching Io his fellow Maoris.