INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF TE KOOTI.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 800, 11 April 1871, Page 2

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF TE KOOTI.

(From the " Hawke's Bay Herald.") In earlier days, when the runanga was the ruling power among the native tribes, Te Kooti often laid himself open to punishment by the infringement of its laws. At one time he got into serious trouble by illegally tatooing a native woman—an operation which was held to be tapu, and could only be lawfully done by the general consent of the tribe to which she belonged. A fine of £4OO was inflicted upon him for this offence. He objected to pay it, and retired to the bush, where he erected a pa. To this pa there flocked many other men of about his own age—men who, like himself, had placed themselves beyond the pale of the law by the commission of various crimes, such as theft and adultery; besides others who, though not criminals, were dissolute characters and habitual drunkards. Two hundred men were sent out by the runanga, to enforce its decrees against the outlaws, but they were successfully resisted. A compromise was, however, after a time effected. Many stories are told of his thefts j and gallantries, which, if true, put in a j strange light both the daring ingenuity

,uid the unscrupulous depravity of his character. Ho is said, on one occasion, to have carried away another man's wife, by putting Tier ii-to a sack and tying her, like a bale of £o<>c]s, across his saddle-bow, presumably with live own consent. Love mu«! be a powerful passion amongst the Maoris. Women in Europe will make great sacrifices for its sake, but we doubt whether any of them*would allow herself to be put into a sack, and tied across her lover's saddle-bow. Kooti's guilty career was on another occasion, on the point of being prematurely cut short, through one of his escapades in this line. He had seduced the q&sve wife of a European ; the latter, on discovering the fact pursued him and fired upon him, but unfortunately missed his mark. It is said thatthe. injured husband felt so keenly of his wife, that, shortly afterwards, he took to drink, and died within a few months. So much for his gallantries. With regard to his thefts, a story is told of the iugeuious manner in which he robbed a storekeeper of all his wines and spirits. Having discovered previously in what part of the store the casks were placed, he got under the house, and tapped them by boring a hole up through the floor into thein. By this means he drained off the contents into casks of his own, which he had brought with him, and had the satisfaction of keepiug himself and his associates drunk for a week, on the proceeds of his theft. This circumstance, however, led to the detection of the thief, and subsequent punishment. The occasions on which he was fined for breaking the laws of the runanga werevejy numerous, but it was noticed as a remarkable fact, that before the fine fell due, a number of horses and cattle belonging to his neighbours, corresponding in value to the amount of the penalty, were certain to be missing.