Te Pipiwharauroa 29

HE KUPU WHAKAMARAMA

(Maori Version at NZETC)

Te Pipiwharauroa He Kupu Whakamara Number 29 Gisborne, July 1900

[1] THE MINT [THE GOLD SMELTING OFFICE]

When I was in Sydney I saw the Mint [the Gold Smelting Office] where money is made, the god which confuses people’s thoughts. Everyone has said at some time: ‘The love of money is the root of all evils; in their eagerness for it some have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains’. For the love of money men have afflicted their bodies, they’ve destroyed their good names, they’ve cut the throats of friends, they’ve given over their bodies as slaves to the god of evil. But money can be a means of bringing about good for people, of doing great things for people’s benefit. Money is not the root of all evil, but love of money. A person is wrong when he makes money his chief, directing his acting and thinking; rather let him change so that money is his servant doing what he wants done.

So it was the beginning of the process of making this thing, money, that I saw. Through the kindness of a doctor I was given a ticket to visit the Mint. The administration of this office is under the supervision of the English Government, not the Colonial Government. There is a steel wall around that Office. A policeman stands at the gate with his rifle. He it is who opens the gate for visitors. There were about seven in our group of sightseers. We had to leave our hats and things we were carrying in the room outside. The first room we entered was long and broad. This was the assaying room. It was very hot. By the smelting the dross is separated from the gold. The cooled gold comes out as an ingot. We each picked up the gold ingot. How many thousands of pounds did I take up? The Pakeha put a gold ingot in my hands.

When we left the smelting room we entered a room full of machines. The first machine flattened the gold to the thickness of a gold coin. That was the job of that machine. The ingots of gold which had been flattened were placed under a machine which stamped them out into pieces the size of a sovereign. They then fell off the end of the machine into a pipe and into a container. The coins were like corn falling. The pieces of the flattened gold which were incorrectly pressed were returned to be melted again. The dish full of coins was picked up by a young man. He scooped up the coins and threw them onto a block of iron. By the sound they made he knew those that were light and were not the weight of a sovereign as laid down by the law. The light ones were returned to be melted. The good ones were poured into the second machine for the edges to be banded, and they came out at the end into the dish. The job of the third machine was to emboss the coin, to engrave one side of the coin. Another machine did the other side. The purpose of this machine was to finish completely the sovereign, making it shiny and bright. The dishes of coins were taken to the clerks’ room for them to count. Not the tiniest piece of gold is lost. The workers are extremely careful lest gold be hidden. However as I saw it, they are not all that careful, insofar as the coins were all lying in a heap. I plunged my hands into the bowls of gold and held onto some, ladies and gentlemen, to some, to some! How money goes!

[2] ENDURING LOVE

News from abroad that has reached the Pakeha but not so far the Maori tells of the renunciation by Prince Oscar, son of the King of Sweden, of his crown for love of his sweetheart, because his parents would not approve of him marrying a commoner.

Many women live in the Palace in Sweden as the Queen’s friends and helpers; some royalty, some aristocratic, and some commoners. Amongst the commoners was Miss Munck, a very beautiful girl. And Miss Munck’s beauty is not just external but also internal insofar as she is a devout girl. Another thing that enhances her loveliness is a beautiful singing voice. Beauty, wisdom, a sweet voice – she has it all!

One day the Queen heard her singing in her very sweet voice. The girl did not know that anyone was listening to her. The qualities of this girl led the King’s son, Prince Oscar, to fall in love with her.

One day, because he loved her so much, Prince Oscar spoke to his parents about it. The King and Queen of Sweden were angry and said that they would not consent to such a relationship because Miss Munck was not of royal blood. Oscar would be King after his father and should he marry Miss Munck, the royal line would be contaminated, and it would bring shame upon them. But the resolution and the love of the prince were not overcome. He said to his parents that even though the kingdom, the throne, and the crown would all be his, Miss Munck was more important to him than all these. He would give up his right to the kingship to his younger brother. His parents were very sad. They told Miss Munck never to speak to or even look at their son. The Prince was commanded to board a battleship and sail to other lands, but this did not make him lose his love for or cause him to forget his sweetheart.

Miss Munck was on the horns of a dilemma [?te papa-a-Hikitai]. Should she give her heart and all her thoughts to the King’s son, which is what she would choose to do, but should this happen she would be persona-non-grata with the Prince’s parents because she was a commoner. If this had been a Maori girl she would have sung: 

‘Why am I not acceptable?  
It is because according to my genealogy
I am a commoner …!’

He was away for a long time but eventually returned home. His parents thought that he would have forgotten, but no, he was more adamant. Because the Prince was so determined his father consented but would not allow Miss Munck the title of Princess; she would be known as the concubine of the Prince. Prince Oscar was very angry at this ruling by his father. He could not agree that the woman he loved above all women in the world should be called a concubine. Rather she was his princess because he desired no other woman in the whole world even though it meant losing the kingship. The Prince argued but his parents were persistent in their refusal; who would eventually succeed we must wait and see.

The King was very fond of singing and instrumental music; he has written songs and their accompaniments.. One night the Queen arranged a concert of songs and orchestral music at the palace. Miss Munck was one of the singers. She chose to sing one of the King’s favourite songs for him. It was a love song with sad words and was sung with deep feeling by the girl. Perhaps that was because of the love which gnawed at her heart and because she saw her princely lover. It was very beautiful, something that stirred up love, that penetrated the hearts of those listening. When she sat down she bowed her head and wept, clutching her hands to her breast. What a love the girl had for the man to weep so! Had she been a Maori girl she would have chanted: 

‘It is my great love 
which caused me to weep so… 
My two hands 
beckon in vain…!’

No-one spoke, but all eyes were on the King and Queen. Now the King’s heart had been overcome by love as a result of the beautiful song sung by the girl he had despised. The King stood with tears shining in his eyes, took the hand of Prince Oscar, his son, led him to Miss Munck and joined their hands. Soon after, the two were married.

The newspapers said that this man and his wife were the happiest people in Europe even if they were not now living in the palace. Their main work today is travelling about to tell people of the love of Christ, [3] their love being a reflection of that Great Love. In former days the sweet voice of Miss Munck was heard in the house of the King of Sweden; in these days it is heard in the streets and in the houses of the poor as she leads the hymns at her husband’s services, reviving people’s hearts. They are called Prince and Princess Bernadotte, the name of the Prince’s ancestors. They are known at the large faith gatherings in Europe, England and America, and soon they will be coming to Australia, next year in fact, to the college students’ convention there. The Pakeha newspapers say that Prince and Princess Bernadotte want to go and preach the Gospel to the unbelieving peoples in Africa. Prince Bernadotte is in an English hospital learning to care for the sick so that he will be able to do that when they go to Africa.

People, see how the Prince believes and preaches. He is unrestrained. He does not desire the kingship, the throne, the crown, because of his wife’s faith. This is the faith you belittle. You sell your soul for a single shilling, or for a glass of beer. If the faith were nothing – the love of Christ – would this royal person have been so drawn and changed? ‘Redeem the time for the days are evil.’ Will you not love the Son of God as Paul loved him and spoke of him as ‘The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’.

(If a girl is beautiful and she is good at heart then she will be greatly praised. But if a girl is only beautiful while the thoughts of her heart are wicked then this will bring shame to her parents. Listen to what Solomon says: ‘Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without good sense.’ Proverbs 11.22.)

PARLIAMENT

On 21st June the New Zealand Parliament opened. The Governor spoke at length, drawing attention to things pertaining to the Queen’s authority and concerning this Colony, and setting out some matters to be discussed by the House at this sitting. He also spoke about the War in Transvaal, praising New Zealand for being the first of all the colonies to send troops to Africa, and commending the ability and bravery of our soldiers. He also said: ‘It was a matter of sadness to the Maori that they were not permitted to go to the war. However their love for the Queen was seen in their work to raise money for causes related to the war.’

He also said: ‘Many Maori gatherings held over the past months have shown me their love for the Queen, and also their desire that the two peoples in these islands should live well together. In this session of the Parliament bills will be passed dealing with the Maori people and with their lands.’ ‘I present these matters to you for your consideration and contemplation and may the Almighty guide and bless your works for the well-being of the people of this Colony and to secure the great foundations on which we are built.’

As we see it, this year will not fail to see the completion of the law dealing with Maori land. The Hon. Timi Kara, Minister of Maori Affairs, spoke forcefully when he said that the bill would be passed this year. His thinking is that the Law Board will be set up by the Government to deal with Maori lands.

We do not know as yet what the Government bill will be like this year, but we are anxious lest the Government or perhaps the Board takes responsibility for administering all the remaining Maori land because there are big faults in this policy. Should the Government take responsibility for administering all Maori lands, if there are Maori who are not inclined to farming, even though money is lavished upon them, this provision of easy money will be a cause of evil, feeding that Maori’s laziness and funding bad things. Timi Kara is giving thought to a bill to improve Maori life in their villages.

We published the bill prepared by the Kotahitanga at the Rotorua hui. Look at it carefully and, if you think it is good, then support it. The Maori King has prepared a bill. We do not know what will come of these several bills, only perhaps that if Maori are not agreed then the Government will take sole responsibility for putting together a bill which in the long run may result in things which go against the interests of Maori.

[4]

THE CONFESSION OF SINS

No-one in the world is free from sin. Now, there are things that the heart stumbles over: people believing that their sins are forgiven and people who fail to acknowledge their sins.

This stumbling heart is foolish, like that of the person who mistakenly thinks that he is well while he is actually being attacked by a terrible disease. This attitude is like that of the blind Pharisees who mistakenly thought they could see (John 9.41). Yet this is an attitude that persists even when sins have been forgiven. This is what gave life to the body and spirit of the paralytic (Matthew 9.27), and of the man who sat by the pool of Bethesda (John 9.41). The forgiveness of sins is of the utmost importance, something we need desperately.

David says that it is by confessing our sins that we gain that important thing, the forgiveness of sins (Psalm 32.5). For this reason the Bible says much to awaken us to confess our sins to God. In response to such words it is arranged that confession of sins should be made by the whole congregation at Morning and Evening Prayer each day. But do not think mistakenly that we will receive forgiveness of sins if we utter those words and hear the minister saying that God has given to his Ministers authority to pronounce forgiveness of sins to those who repent. No, all these words mean nothing if confession of sins does not spring from a penitent heart and if the words of forgiveness are not heard by a believing heart.

It is not by your saying in a loud voice, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner,’ that you will be justified, but by the transparency of your penitence in the eyes of God who sees all the hidden thoughts of the heart.

This saying becomes clear if we look carefully at what the Bible says concerning some people said to be penitent. There are eight penitent people in the Bible who all use the same words of penitence, but God’s mercy was not the same towards all of them. What they all said was this: I have sinned. This was said by:

(1) Pharaoh, Exodus 9.27, 10.16

(2) Balaam, Numbers 22.34

(3) Achan, Joshua 7.20

(4) Saul, 1 Samuel 15.24

(5) David, 2 Samuel 12.13

(6) Job, Job 7.20

(7) The Prodigal Son, Luke 15.48

(8) Judas, Matthew 27.4.

(1) Pharaoh said he had sinned. He said this not because he was ashamed of his sins against him, but out of fear that he should lose his life and that his treasures should be lost. When God’s afflictions had finished he hardened his heart again and he did not remember his sins. His repentance was illusory and so he was continually afflicted by God.

(2) Balaam’s repentance was similar. However the reason he said ‘I have sinned’ was his fear of being killed by the angel. Once freed from fear he sought again the rewards offered by Balak. It was his idea to tempt the children of Israel to sin and as a result he died in the battle with the Midianites. (Numbers 31.8,16).

(3) We know nothing about what Achan did, but he acknowledged the greatness of his sin because he was near death. Perhaps he is one of those people whose bodies are destroyed so that the spirit may be saved (1 Corinthians 5.5).

(4) Saul’s was not a true repentance. Rather the reason he said that he had sinned was to get Samuel to return and that he should be honoured in the eyes of the people (1 Samuel 15.30). We know also that the Spirit of God departed from him (1 Samuel 12.13).

(5) However David’s penitence was real, and Nathan’s declaration to him was also clear. ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin.’ (2 Samuel 12.13)

(6) God accepted Job’s confession of sins and blessed him and brought him out of all his troubles (Job 42.12).

(7) There is a sign by which it can be known if repentance is true, if it produces fruit. The prodigal son was not content with words only; he got up and went to his father and was loved by his father (Luke 15.20,22).

(8) Judas’ penitence was not dishonest but it brought no results in that he did not seek the forgiveness of his sins. He thought that the gracious love of God for him had ended and he took his own life to go to his own place (Acts 1.25).

We have something to learn from these stories. Although we may think that we have sinned greatly, let us not mistakenly think [5] that God does not love us (Isaiah 1.18). He does not want us to die in our sins (Ezekiel 18.23, Daniel 9.9). The path by which we can obtain his forgiveness is confession (Psalm 30.5). Let our [confession] be not like that of Pharaoh or perhaps Balaam, a matter of words only (Isaiah 29.12), but let it be like that of the Prodigal Son in that our words and actions agree and that, repenting, we bear fruit worthy of repentance (Luke 3.8). Another thing: let us not think mistakenly that having confessed a sin we shall be spared the punishment for that sin. While our sins have been done away with by the blood of Christ, he cannot do away with the consequences of those sins while we are in this world. Although a murderer repents his crying will not bring the dead back to life. Even though David’s sin was put away by the Lord, his son died and the sword did not depart from his house (2 Samuel 12.10,14).

May God teach us to be truly penitent and keep us from falling into sin again.

SPEAKING TRUTH IN THE LAW COURT

We were greatly distressed when we saw in the main Gisborne newspaper here some

statements concerning Maori involved in law cases. The first item was about false statements being made by one party; which party we do not know, but the matter has been referred to the Supreme Court to investigate. The subject of the case was an assault by one man upon another. However at the hearing the judge was fed up with the arguing and dismissed the case. But he said that it was very clear that one side was telling lies, and that Pakeha say that Maori always tell lies in court. It distresses us greatly that we Maori are said to be a people given to falsehood, but we know that the accusation is surely right in the case of one of these two men. Perhaps the man thinks that if he tells lies he will get off. Tut! Tut! It is because of such things that we the Maori are labelled rogues. We are a noble people, so let our thoughts, our words, and our works be noble. Do not let people be degraded.

THE WORKS OF TOHUNGA

Shortly after this trial another was held of a woman accused of calling another a [? ‘kauramokai’].  A used this word of B because she thought B had cursed her son who had been struck ill She also said that she would send a ghost to consume B. Oh Maori! Maori! That’s the way of ghosts! Ghosts every time! The judge was amazed at the stupidity of the Maori to believe in this kind of activity. He said that it would be a good thing if the Government passed a law to severely punish those Maori practising tohungaism. The chief of police spoke and said that the Government had given orders that tohunga who deceived the sick should be arrested, and if he heard of a tohunga in Gisborne doing such things, he would be brought before the law. So, Maori tohunga, deceiving tohunga of Waikato, take care. Watch out!

MAD WITH LOVE

The saddest of stories is that of the trial of Rapata Paraire at Napier for the murder of his wife. His wife left him, then he followed to bring his wife back to him. He arrived in Hastings but his wife had no wish to return to him. Whereupon he went to Te Piwa, a real Maori tohunga. Te Piwa said that if he gave him £5 he would return his wife to him. Te Piwa counselled that when his wife was asleep he should put sixpence between her toes and on her feet and chest, and into her mouth. All this was done without success; the wife did not return. Afterwards Te Piwa said to put 3s 6d on her feet. When Rapata saw that his wife was not going to return to him he went outside and cried. His wife came out and said to him, ‘Don’t waste your tears. I’m going to my new man.’ At these words, Rapata lost his mind and killed his wife, beating her horribly. Afterwards he went into the paddock and cried. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. People, beware of the evils, the deceptions of Maori tohunga. The judge said that Maori should learn and be wary of the deceitfulness of the works of Maori tohunga.

[6]  

THE WAR IN CHINA

Even before the war in Transvaal has been settled a different war has started up in China. China is one of the oldest powers in the worlds, indeed the oldest, and it is one of the most populous with 400,000,000 inhabitants. The main object of the Chinese is to hold on to their heritage from their ancestors, to the ancient customs, and because people from other countries are beginning to settle in their land, the Chinese have become jealous. They want to get rid of all foreigners from their land.

The group who began the attack was a group known as the Boxers. While in the beginning it was a good organisation, now it is evil. It is said that there are 11,000,000 Boxers. It has become clear now that the Chinese Government is supporting this murderous work.

The Emperor of China is only a young man and his aunt frustrated his desire to embrace new things. That old lady usurped the power to govern. She was a commoner but because she was beautiful she married the late Emperor of China. She is an evil woman and it is clear that she gave the command to kill all the Europeans in her country.

In 1896 China fought against Japan. China was defeated by Japan, and now it seems that China wants to fight all the great powers of the world. Yes. That’s right! That’s right! Sir, tomorrow you’ll have a bloody nose! The nations she is fighting have a long tail – England, Russia, Germany, France, America, Japan and others. Tomorrow their land will be divided as payment for the blood they have shed. We have seen the corruption of the Chinese Government. Most of the officials work only for the money and not for the law.

The war began on 17th June. The battleships of the powers were afloat alongside Taku, a fort belonging to the Chinese. There was a murderous bombardment. The assault on the fort was carried out by soldiers from England, Russia, France and Japan. After three days of fighting the fort fell. Two thousand Chinese died. There 16 Russian casualties, mostly wounded. The Japanese General died. Subsequently the Chinese attacked Tientsin, a seaside city with a large European population.

Peking is the capital city of China. It is one of the largest cities in the world and many miles from the sea. There one finds the residence of the Emperor, the Government, and the embassies of the world’s great powers. Reports have emerged that all the Europeans are in the British Embassy and that they are surrounded by Chinese. The first people to be killed were the ambassadors of Japan and Germany. On the 6th of this month news came that the foreigners in Peking had been killed – children, the elderly, men, women, missionaries. More than 1000 embassy staff of the great powers had been murdered. They fought for many days, but when the food and the powder ran out they were killed by the soldiers. Their heads were carried around on the ends of sticks. The Queen has said that all the missionaries and all the Christians in China should be eliminated; many have been killed. We will discover how many in the coming days.

Because the foreign powers have so few soldiers, they were not able to go to save the foreigners in Peking. The Admiral of the English battleship went with an army of 1600 from all the nations. He was unable because of the huge number of Chinese to get there unobserved and had to return to Tientsin. It was thought that that man and all his army had been destroyed; for many days there was no news of how he was and where he was.

The murder of the foreigners in Peking is very distressing. Because they had no power to ward off the enemy, women and children were put in the middle, and the men encircled them, fighting off the thousands of Chinese. Because they were not able to prevail, the men killed their wives and children lest the Chinese seize them and strike them and abuse them. Afterwards the Chinese cut up their bodies. Those Chinese who had turned to the Faith were brutally murdered.

[7] 

 THE WAR IN TRANSVAAL

Since the arrival of Lord Roberts in Pretoria there has not been a major story from the War in Transvaal, rather the major story now is the trouble in China. There is still fighting but it is spasmodic and scattered. At the fight at [Ahi Whapirikena – Possibly Surrender Hill or Fouriesburg], a fort close by Pretoria, the whole Boer force was close to being surrounded by Lord Roberts. The number of English dead or wounded did not reach one hundred. General Ian Hamilton was wounded.

The warrior, Lord Kitchener, was close to being captured by the Boers at Kroonstadt. He was asleep on the train and the Boers were outside. When he looked out…! Death was near! He got out underneath the train on one side. His horse was standing there. He climbed on and away he went like a cunning rascal leaving the Boers staring helplessly. (Some newspapers expressed concern afterwards that Lord Kitchener could have been taken prisoner because he was travelling alone. But Lord Kitchener was not content that his spies alone should point out the disposition of the enemy and the lie of the land; he wanted to see it with his own eyes. He did the same when he was fighting in Egypt. Although he was the supreme commander in that war he would go out as a spy. That was the war that elevated Kitchener to his present status. The Arabs were soundly defeated. The Prime Minister sent congratulations to Lord Kitchener on his untying of the Boer’s snare.)

The hero of the day was Baden-Powell. He did not rest after the siege of Mafeking. When he emerged from Mafeking he went straight to Pretoria, still fighting, and he is there in these days. [?Irowha], a Frenchman who fought for the Boers and was taken prisoner at Mafeking has been sent to the island of St Helena as a prisoner. This is the man who cursed the Queen at the beginning of the war. He was taken by Powell inside the fort, He mistakenly thought that he had captured Mafeking but no, he himself was in the net. General Cronje of the Boers is a prisoner on St Helena along with more than 1000 soldiers. (The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was a prisoner on this island from 1815 until his death in the year 1821. In the year 1840 his bones were exhumed and taken to his country of France.)

General Buller

General Buller is the man whose name is celebrated these days. He has liberated Natal from the Boers. When he crossed the mountains separating Natal from Transvaal he was confronted by the Boers but what of that! In the battle at Laing’s Nek 140 Boers died. When he entered Transvaal he attacked the Boers as he went right to Pretoria. A telegram of praise was sent by the Queen to General Buller.

REPORTS RECEIVED

According to the newspapers the war that succeeds that between the English and the Boers is between Russia and Japan. Their dispute is over Korea, a land subject to China. Russia wishes to take that land and Japan is fearful of the land being subject to Russia because there are many Japanese there and the land is very close to Japan. Japan does not want Russia as a near neighbour since Russia’s ways are very different. In these days there are many Japanese warships in those waters and they are very powerful. Three large Russian battleships are sailing to Korea now. Japan is insignificant to stand against Russia but news has gone out of her renown in her recent war against China. Japan is going to take a look at things!.’ ‘A few lads but their praises resound!’

The Queen has given her assent to a bill to bring all the Australian colonies under a single Government; that is, it will be over the individual colonial governments, like the federation of the governments of Canada. There was strong opposition to this bill in Australia last year, which continues to the present. The Queen has appointed Lord Hopetoun as Governor General for Australia. Some people urge that New Zealand should enter this federation.

Some black tribes of Ashanti which is on the west coast of Africa are angry with the government of that land which is under the authority of the Queen. The dispute began when some officials mistakenly interfered with some of the sacred things of that people. It will not be long before this dispute is settled. Then all will settle down.

[8]  

PRETORIA DAY

The Celebrations in Gisborne

The Mayor of Gisborne and some Pakeha leaders designated 5th June as a holiday to rejoice and celebrate the fall of Pretoria to Roberts. They arranged also an invitation to the Maori to dance in celebration of that day, and that there should be no charge at the gate but that each person should give what they wished. The Maori agreed to this idea. On the Monday it was learnt that Roberts had not fully subdued Pretoria and so the Maori effort became the main thing that day. In the morning it began to rain, the streets became mud, and it was feared that the Pakeha would not come out and that the entertainments would be wasted. However when the time finally arrived for the exodus from the town to the paddocks for the events, the Pakeha began to flock out. All the children from the schools came, each with their flags. The big band from the town led with the Maori following. Tuta Nihoniho was right in front wearing his officer’s uniform and carrying his sword. After came Rawiri Karaha, Taare Wherehi and Reweti Kohere with two small girls, Matariki Wherehi and Puna Rangiuia. All wore Maori dress. Their headbands were the English colours of red, white and blue. This part of the parade was much admired by the Pakeha. After the Maori came floats and carts, many guns, another band, and many children and other people, on foot or on horses. It was a very large crown despite the muddy roads and the light rain. When they neared the venue Taare Wherehi and Reweti Kohere ran to collect the money and the Pakeha gathered together. There was also praise from the heart for Ngati-oneone’s haka before. On entering the arena the women began the powhiri: ‘Hear the kiwi, hear the weka, bringing a message….’ Their dress and their hand movements were lovely. Although most of the football field was surrounded by people, some mounted policemen prevented the crowd from swamping the haka. Straight after the performance by the Maori women, some Pakeha girls drilled with staves while the band played. After that the men did the haka. When the haka was finished the Maori attacked the Pakeha stronghold, a battle train. The sound of the guns, of the [?ritaiti], was marvellous. The fortification did not fall but some of the Pakeha and some of their guns were captured. The multitude of Pakeha applauded this battle. In a subsequent battle one of the Pakeha guns was captured by the Maori and later on a Pakeha from America, a cowboy, came hurrying up, fought for it and got it for himself.

After this came a wonderful thing, a poi dance by four little children, Marara Kahukaone, Taku Rawhira, Mere Paaka and Te Huinga. They came on whirling their poi, with accordions hidden beneath their kiwi cloaks, and singing , ‘I am full of joy, joy, joy.’ They stood in the middle of the ground and turned this way and that doing their poi. The Pakeha applauded. Hooray! Hooray!

After bringing on their canoe the Maori once again attacked the Pakeha fort, but, this time they had brought on their battleship, ‘HMS Powerful’. When the Maori climbed on board [their canoe] the leader urged, ‘’Paddle, paddle, paddle, [tia – a deep paddle stroke] onwards, onwards, onwards! The horses hauling it ran and it was as if the paddles were thrusting the canoe forwards. One of the horses of the Pakeha soldiers was captured by Reweti Kohere when his warriors pulled the rider to the ground. He made the horse go on, striking the Pakeha with his taiaha as he went. The warrior carried on but then ran into the midst of the enemy. He was pulled down by the Pakeha and overcome. His korowai cloak and taiaha were seized. He was led around on a horse, his neck in a noose. Had it been a real fight Kohere’s taiaha would have smashed the skulls of the Pakeha. This was the best event of the day.

The last act was ‘Bronco George’, the American cowboy. However the horse ran he threw his lasso around three, two or one of the horse’s legs or its neck. One of his performances was to pick up his rope which lay on the ground while his horse ran fast. His hair was long like that of a woman.

The Mayor of Gisborne gave a speech praising this great day. More than £40 was taken by the Maori through the graciousness of people. This was a large amount for such a small town and on a terrible day when it rained throughout. [9] £3 was the relish offered for the poi dances by the children. We are very grateful to Tuta Nihoniho and Ngati-oneone and others for their support, for their love, for the excellence of the haka which was greatly admired by the Pakeha.

In the evening it rained even harder but that did not deter the Pakeha. The streets were full of people to listen to the singing and the speeches. An awning had been erected on top of the verandah of one of the tall buildings for the speakers and singers. After the speech by the Mayor, Reweti Kohere was called upon to speak. When he stood both Maori and Pakeha applauded. He thanked the Mayor and also the Pakeha folk for helping the Maori to raise money for the famine in India and also for the war. He said that the Maori were very committed in their allegiance to the Queen and that they were happy to dwell under the English flag because it provided a way of life which Maori and Pakeha enjoyed equally. The Maori rejoiced at the bravery of the English in their battle with the Boers because it would result in life for the native peoples who had been ill-treated by the Boers. Although the Queen’s authority was widespread and many peoples were under her authority, this war showed their unity. Maori people wished to go to fight under the flag but, since they were not permitted to do so, they sought ways to show their love for the Queen. The Boers were only fighting for themselves while the English were fighting for all, both white and black. This is the difference between the Boers and the English. At a time when we are rejoicing in our victories let us ensure that our hearts are like that of Rudyard Kipling who counselled the English:

God of our ancestors, known of old,

Guide of our fathers who encircle us,

Under your quivering hands

Forward our standing.

Lord, God of Hosts,

Be with us yet

Lest we forget, lest we forget

Kohere spoke this hymn in Maori except for the last line which was in English. That was enough for the Pakeha to get the meaning of his words as this is a song well-known to the Pakeha. Afterwards he sang the song for Roberts and the Pakeha sang along, ‘Go on, Roberts! Keep on!’ At the end Kohere did the haka: ‘For ever and ever be strong, farewell!’ Some Maori in the street took it up.

The Pakeha crowd’s applause for Kohere and his speech was unrestrained. They were clapping even as he spoke. He spoke in a loud voice, and the Pakeha were hearing their language being delivered by a Maori. Kohere said in Latin that English greatness rested in ‘multa in uno’ – ‘many in one’. Kohere’s speech was widely praised and spoken of. It was said that this was one of the best speeches heard in this town. He gave voice to some ideas not envisaged by others, whether Maori or Pakeha. He’s not too bad, this Tipi-whenua!

A GREAT LOVE

The sinking of the Sierra Nevada, a large sailing ship sailing from England to Melbourne is a tragedy. It had sailed for many days until arriving at Melbourne it was battered and broken by the storm.

Twenty-two people died and only five survived with difficulty. When the ship was being battered by the waves and beginning to sink, the first mate did not hasten on board the lifeboat but went to fetch one of the sailors who was lying ill. The sick man got to the boat just as the ship was going down. The sick man lived, the mate, his saviour, died. Christ said: ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. (John 15.13).’ But perhaps the great love is the death of a person for someone bad, perhaps for his enemy, just as Christ died for sinners, for his enemies. ‘While we were powerless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. With difficulty would one die for a righteous person: perhaps one might dare to die for good person. However, the love of God for us is seen definitively in that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.’ (Romans 5.6-8) Christ died for the weak, the sick, for those unable to save themselves, and not for the righteous. He favoured those who were afflicted, the sinners and those being consumed by sin. Nobody chooses eternal life if they do not know their weakness, their ungodliness, and their sinfulness.

[10] 

 GREETINGS

Hawaruwaru, 
Wharekauri [Chatham Islands], 
June 6, 1900.

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Greetings, friend.,

I send this five shillings as supplejack fruit to sustain our little bird, Te Pipiwharauroa, so that it will fly over the waves, and land here on Wharekauri, so that the blind can see and the deaf can hear news of the world brought here from afar. Enough! 

From your friend, 
Hapurona Pawa, 
Chatham Islands.

Rotorua, 
2 June, 1900

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Sir, Greetings to your newspaper, Te Pipiwharauroa. The song of this little bird is good. However what is wrong is the failure of lazy people to embrace that bird as their treasure. It is not right that Pakeha like me should be feeding it to keep it alive. But if the Maori think to do it, that is right. However I make known the good work that Te Pipiwharauroa is doing to my villages which I visit. Here are my five seeds to sustain our bird. It is not much but it is all I have at present. Enough. From one of the Pakeha who greatly loves the Maori people. 

Father Lightheart.

A LETTER TO TUHOE

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Will you please publish my letter to our people, Tuhoe.

Chiefs of Tuhoe and the great people who live from Waikaremoana to Ruatoki, greetings. My desire to see you in these days does not end. I want a meeting of minds and to cement our love. But because I am not able to achieve this because of much business, I rely on Te Pipiwharauroa to carry to those districts my thanks for the many blessings given to me personally in the past year. Words cannot express that adequately. Should you, Tuhoe, come to Waiapu in the coming days, we for our part will treat you as you treated us.

As for what I have to say. That thing is brought to you on the Pakeha’s new roads, and its carriage is made easy by the Queen’s stamp. These are our valuable possessions. When I spoke at Te Whaiti, Matatua, Ruatoki, and Te Waimana,  you, Tuhoe, did not treat me as or Porourangi as a different people but appreciated that we shared our Maori approaches in some projects. Now, Te Wakaunua and his children came to Te Houkamau’s hui at Te Kawakawa this February and in one part of his speech he said the same. When a road is laid down it will be left to us to make the part that winds along the seashore. Planning will determine how soon this happens.

There’s another thing, let Tuhoe look at that 'bible' which is the country beyond its borders. That 'bible' will show you mistakes, wisdom, death, life, works, operations, taking place in the country, on the East Coast, on the West Coast, so that you may avoid  my dead ends [graves], and perhaps find examples of ways in which I have found a satisfying life.  Travellers are able to read the verses of this 'bible', which is open day and night.

The final word of all the questions addressed to me by the elders at Ruatahuna was this: ‘Who will inform us now of the ideas hidden in the hearts of governments which have not yet come into being? Perhaps there will arise a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph.’

Formerly with you it was a matter of being on the move, over the last century. Now you are still wary, but look at how well you are doing and appreciate that the difficulties you will face afterwards will decrease when the Pakeha implement a new plan for the Tuhoe area. You will not go very wrong if you appreciate what the East Coast has done in valuing this great treasure, the land, something realised in the thirty years since the fighting, as Ngati Porou have perceived ways of bringing people together, of uniting them in thinking about the works and the ways in which to take advantage of Pakeha knowledge to ward off threats from the Pakeha side.

We look forward to the Ngati-awa hui to be held at Pupuaruhe and we hope to see most of Tuhoe there. There we will share our vision. I end with the hope that we will see you and with belief that you will come there, and that there we will strengthen the bonds of love. 

From your friend, 
Apirana T Ngata.

[11] 

 THE STATE OF THE MAORI

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa. 

Greetings, friend. 

I send some titbits for the lips of our bird to nibble on. It may find them bitter or sweet. How this is will become apparent. Pakeha and Maori are giving much thought in this generation about the reasons Maori are disappearing. Some say it is because of the Faith; it has destroyed the powers, the witchcraft, the incantations and other Maori things. Indeed! Who has said this? 

Let’s look more closely at this. Maori know of their Pakeha brother, Judge Maning. He lived at Hokianga from the time the Pakeha arrived on these islands until his death. He was a highly educated man in Pakeha ways and he was extremely knowledgeable about Maori customs. Now, he says that before the arrival of the Pakeha the Maori were decreasing in number. He deduced this from the large number of ancient deserted hilltop pa, some overgrown by large forest trees. Maori also said that the reasons for the decrease in the Maori population before the arrival of the Pakeha were largely the consequences of warfare, which meant that they were unable to grow food to sustain them. This was the outcome of war parties coming to kill and to plunder. They died by the sword, they died of starvation, and the survivors fled to different places.

With the arrival of the Pakeha, at first the decline of the Maori was accelerated. The main cause of this was the gun. But let’s be clear about this. It was not just the gun that killed them, but, with the widespread acquisition of guns, the Maori left their hilltop dwellings for the plains so as to near wet places to grow their food, and they built their pa and their enclosures in those places. This is another evil caused by the gun. All Maori sought to possess guns, powder and bullets, and the price paid to the Pakeha for these things was flax fibre. At first it was one gun for a ton of flax. With the arrival of some new Pakeha two guns were given for a ton of flax fibre, or perhaps one gun and a powder flask and bullets. The result was that all Maori people, men and women, were involved with gathering flax. The cultivations were neglected and they lived in swampy places to be near the flax sites. Their Pakeha friends warned against this, but because of their desire for guns and their disbelief in the warnings of the Pakeha, they did not listen. They were afflicted with terrible illnesses and also with starvation in those places and thousands died. And they were not aware of what it was that was so afflicting them. Maning said that he knew forty people who lived like that at the side of a raupo swamp. A Pakeha doctor came there. The doctor said, ‘This is no place for people to live. I would not survive if I lived here.’ Alas, those people did not listen and within eight years all of them had died, and two strangers were shot for putting spells on them! Maori! Maori! (To be concluded). 

Hohepa Peka, 
Gisborne.

NOTICE

The Government has given notice that there will be a day of celebration on the third day following the arrival of the news of the coming of peace in the war in Transvaal. On that day there will be great rejoicing in all places under the rule of Queen Victoria. Te Pipiwharauroa gives notice to all the people on the East Coast close to Gisborne that they should gather that day, and that they should come bringing their activities. The Committee has asked that the Maori people gather together on that day. So come, and bring your haka, your peruperu [a dance accompanied by song – Williams], and your poi, as an offering, to the Pakeha venue on that day. We would like a mounted Maori party of fifty or more. Clothing should all be traditional Maori. Saddles should be Maori mats or perhaps cloaks, and bridles should be Maori ropes. If we realize this idea it will be spectacular. So come! One of our wishes is that a war canoe should be paddled through the streets on wheels and drawn by horses. The Pakeha have arranged their contributions but we must not let the Queen’s Maori people be passed over. Come along all you leaders; come with proud hearts. If anyone wishes to raise any issue let him write to Reweti T M Kohere, Te Rau, Gisborne.

[12] 

THE LUCK OF LOVE

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa. Greetings, friend; and indeed to all of you who make our bird fly. Blessings on you in the grace of our Lord.

Friends, will you please publicize in our newspaper the death of our friend, Jack Harris, an eminent Pakeha from Hawkes Bay. He was caught in the flooded Hikuwai River, Uawa, a place on the East Coast. He died in November 1899, but his body was only found on 25th May 1900 after at least seven months in the water. The search for his body was diligent and long at the time of his death but he was not found. Presently the search was abandoned and he was forgotten. Now, friends, the discovery of his body was remarkable.

There were four children from the Uawa School, one a Maori aged 14, one was a half-caste aged 13, another a three-quarter–caste Maori aged 9, and another a Pakeha aged 10. While they were at school they heard about and saw in the Pakeha newspapers accounts of the famine which has struck India because of the drought - a result of the doors of heaven being shut and so no rain has fallen and the earth has not yielded its harvest. Those children were moved with compassion and they then sought some way in which they could help in this disaster. They decided that they would set about ploughing a place in which to plant pumpkins to send to India. Five acres were ploughed as a result of the children’s idea. The area ploughed was close to the banks of the river at Uawa. The pumpkins grew abundantly and it was thought that there would be 150 tons of pumpkins to send to India. On 15th May there was a tremendous storm over the East Coast which spread to all parts of this island. Most of the land was inundated as was the children’s farm. The water washed away the 150 tons of pumpkins for India. The children’s home was the large village of Uawa. On the morning of 24th pumpkins were seen floating on the waves. Then these children went to the mouth of the river in case their pumpkins had been washed ashore. They were right. When they got there, their pumpkins were lying on the sand in their abundance. Then they set about collecting them into heaps. That day ended. In the morning one day they went to the beach. As they were going they saw something being rolled over by the waves of the sea. They called out, ‘It’s one of our pumpkins being rolled over by the waves.’ They sat down to keep an eye on it. When it reached the land they saw that what they thought was a pumpkin was instead Jack Harris. They pulled him ashore. £25 was given to those children for finding the body. Enough, 

Ropiha Takararo, 
Hauiti.

A NOTICE

To people wishing to have the Book of Common Prayer and Hymn Book. I have many copies of these books now. The price: Large, paperback – 2/6. Large hardback – 4/. Small paperback – 1/-. Small hardback – 2/6. Small superior hardback – 3/6. Hymn Book – 1/-. I will pay the postage to send the book to you,. H W Williams, Te Rau, Gisborne

RULES OF TE PIPIWHARAUROA

1. Address your letter to the paper like this: THE EDITOR OF TE PIPIWHARAUROA, TE RAU, GISBORNE. Do not write the name of a particular person.

2. The paper is published monthly during the last week of the month.

3. The cost of the paper is 5/- a year.

4. Send money to Te Pipiwharauroa using Postal Notes; if this is not possible, stamps are acceptable but only penny stamps.

SUPPLEJACK SEEDS FOR OUR BIRD

15/- T Tawhai; 10/- Tame Poata; 5/- Hapurona Pawa, A Tamihere, ‘Thames’, Miss Blakiston, Ani Kanara, Rutene te Arahi, Rutene te Aihu, Hapeta te Hautehoro, Puke, Watarawi Rangi, Mrs Woodbine-Johnson; 3/- Miss Ancell; 2/6 John King, Eraihia Matahiki, Hone Pairama, Kare Hataraka; 2/- Hori te Ariki.

H W Williams, Te Rau Press, Gisborne.