Te Pipiwharauroa 130

Te Pipiwharauroa 130

No. 130

1909/01

(Maori Version at NZETC.)

[1] Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 130, Gisborne, January 1909.

‘As clouds deck the heavens, so feathers enable the bird to fly.’ [cf. Nga Pepeha 352 but also He Konae Aronui p.13]

‘KUI! KUI! WHITIWHITIORA.’ [The cry of the shining cuckoo.]

OUR CLERGY

There may be people who are unaware of the main features of the work of a minister of the Church – of how much he does, of the benefits he brings to the people as a whole; and what people suffer when there is no minister to advise and guide them and to raise up the thoughts of a person or people. expanding them to encompass the good. So in the bosom of Te Pipiwharauroa we carry the word of a well-known Maori about the good that ministers do for them. We think that there are misunderstandings in what he writes and that his words are based on an ignorance of the work of the clergy.

The main thrust of this man’s words is that the minister works out of a desire to make money, to get his pay. The people who are quick to say such wrong things malign the ministers, they are envious of the status of the churches and they would not give a shilling to support the work of the Church, while those who cherish the Church do not complain. Perhaps what this person says about lazy ministers is right but most Maori ministers do much more than they are paid to do, and those young men who have been ordained would have earned much more had they not become ministers. For many years the minister’s stipend was £60 a year. His role is one of leadership, it is a sacred role, but the stipend is only £60, which is what an ordinary person with no schooling earns; it is the pay of a servant, less than the pay of a road-worker. We all know that five shillings an hour is a very small wage for a man, but it is far more than a minister is paid. If an ignorant man works regularly he can easily get £100 a year, but whatever a minister does – leading worship, looking after people, travelling – he still gets just £70. A person raises sheep, they increase in number, the wool fetches a good price, and he has plenty of money; the land produces much and that produces much money; while the minister whether in times of plenty [?po Tangaroa cf Williams - Tangaroa p.379 (M. 392)] or times of scarcity gets just the same amount, his £70. The time is coming when it will be seen that this stipend for a minister is far too small. Perhaps that is alright in these days when most of the clergy have not been to college and hold strongly to their Maori ways, and when the cost of food and clothing is low, but the days are coming when the cost of everything will go up. It is not possible for the minister to live in a shack or a tent because the idea is that the minister’s house should be a model for the community. The minister has to cope with many things that do not affect other people. The minister’s house is a place for entertaining visitors. He contributes to all the collections – I have seen a minister putting one pound into the plate for the many Maori gatherings. Some people think that these large collections are for the ministers. These people do not appreciate that were all the money they get in the course of a year to be added up it would be far more than the £60 or £70 of the minister. We heard some people saying [2] that the big collections for the churches were actually for the ministers because those buildings were for them. Our answer to such a person is, ‘Friend, the churches are not for the ministers but for all the people. Nor would it be right for the ministers to pay for the building of the churches because they are not the people who are making money. Rather it is for you to pay for the churches because you are also the one who is free to make money throughout the year.’ It is not right that the minister’s children should be ignorant; they should be sent to school and to the colleges. One important thing is that the minister has books to read to extend his knowledge and improve his preaching so that he does not keep returning to old sermons and they become insipid. The minister has also to pay for his train journeys, to have a buggy and horses, and to feed and care for his horses and ensure the well-being of all he has. So it is very clear that the minister cannot live on £70 a year. One minister said, ‘the minister’s stipend is £70 a year but borrowing means it should be raised to £100.’ The stipend for the Pakeha clergy is £100 rising to £500, but the Pakeha say that the clergy are very poor. Some Maori say that a minister getting a stipend of £70 is rich. Some ministers do not have a house and have to build their own and some of our best ministers are living in tents or potato stores. This is an important matter for the Church and indeed the whole people to consider – building good houses for the clergy. It is not right that the minister should build a house for himself because the house belongs to the parish; the minister moves on but the house remains. We have heard how, when some ministers have been moved on, they have left the houses they themselves built and the parishes have taken them for the new minister. Support the ministers and the faith for in this way the people will prosper. Look at those places without the faith. What are they like? – there is wrongdoing, there is oppression, there is evil.

♣♣♣♣♣

A wedding night was held for Hikapuhi at Te Arai. The woman wore a fine white dress. A matter for controversy was that there was no man to make the marriage proper; was she perhaps married to the devils. Hikapuhi’s minister arrived there to perform this blasphemous office. The male apostles put on some khaki scarves like those of these ministers, but no white robes – perhaps by and by, if they don’t get weary of it soon; one is already tired.

A LETTER FROM MOHI TUREI.

[This letter was not written to Te Pipiwharauroa, but we print it because its topics are relevant to the people as a whole. – Editor.]

Te Rau Aroha,

Rangitukia,

New Year, 1909.

To Wi Pere,

Greetings! My beloved child, greetings to you, your wife, your children and our grandchildren. Best wishes to you and the people.

May the gracious God shield and protect us in this New Year.

My child, as I lie here I keep remembering you together with the people, with love and concern, and love stirs me up to write as an outlet.

I had thought that you were entering the Upper House however I hear otherwise.

One thing that stirred me to write out of love is the teachings of the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventists who say that their enticing words come from the Scriptures which serve to trouble those people whose thoughts are not yet settled.

Oh Wi, love the people and suppress the teaching of the Mormons and the Adventists. They are lies, lies, wicked lies.

My child, I do not speak to you about Rua and others but about the Mormons and the Adventists, for you have authority. Curb them.

Why do I not say anything about Hikapuhi and the others?

Let me explain. We have eyes to perceive wickedness, ears to listen when wrong things are said, noses to smell unpleasantness, mouths to spit out what is irritating, throats to choke up bitter juice.

I had nothing to say about Hikapuhi and the others. We encountered one another. Yes. Perhaps the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, and the throat did not perceive the signs, but when it came to the stomach one saw clearly there the evil and the great wickedness.

We were blistered, we hiccoughed, we trembled, we caught our breath, we groaned, we wailed, and all places were aware of our pain, which we had not cast out when it was small.

It is like Whanui [the star Vega – cf Nga Pepeha 1104, 1665] who rose over Motukeo showing that it was time to harvest the kumara. This was his saying:

‘Ka mahi tangata i tangohia i a Poutu-te-rangi, koi pito koi aha.’

? People worked and what they produced was taken by Poutu-te-tangi

without an offering to the gods or anything.

So when Vega rises above Waipura and descends to Nga Matawai the harvest is done. This proverb is used when the cover of the pit is lifted:  

[3]

‘Me te punua tiiti.’

? Like the young of the mutton bird.

So I have not spoken of Hikapuhi’s activities. People can see what they are like.

As to the House, my thoughts are still with you.

As to the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventists, take care.

As to Hikapuhi and the others, scrape the ringworm so that the itching drops off. Listen to the loving voice calling – Isaiah 55.8, Psalm 50.15. and Matthew 11.28-30.

Goodbye, my child and the people, may the gracious God protect all of us from the wrongs of the past year and may he guide us in this new year in his great love.

From your loving father,

Mohi Turei.

COWS ARE BETTER THAN SHEEP.

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

My friend, please load these words onto the wings of our pet, Te Pipi, for it to carry to all parts to the north of Auckland as far as Te Rerenga Wairua, following on the article by H Maioha in Te Pipi, Number 129, in which he wrote about the well-being he saw in the Ngati Porou area, in his view. The things he saw there were sheep and the leasing of land, and he said that Ngapuhi should follow those means of making a living. And so this article follows on from his.

Sheep farming is not the life people should be pursuing. I know all the Ngapuhi area and I know how much land a person needs to raise sheep. Sheep will not live on less than 200 acres of land.

However with from 200 to 1000 acres one can keep sheep and make money from them. It will not come immediately to a person in the middle of the year but by the time of harvest a person should be making money. Sheep are animals that require a lot of work, much work is required to keep them right, and they are animals that Maori are not keen to eat. That is how it is. Sheep are not good property for anyone who is no good at work, but even for a determined man some of the work required is very heavy. Sheep farming has grown strongly on Ngati Porou land because it is hill country – the sheep get plenty of fresh air.

Enough! Perhaps you will ask, as may Ngapuhi and others, what then is the best thing to raise to provide oneself with a living? The thing that will provide a living for a man and his wife and children is raising milking cows. Although a man may be poor this occupation will make him a big man. Then you may well ask, ‘How much land is needed if a man is to milk? A man may well milk ten cows on 40 acres of land, but the grass must be good. But the calves present a problem unless you have 50 to 100 acres. But let us stop at 300 acres – if someone has 300 acres with good grass he will be a great man. On 300 acres he will be able to milk up to 100 cows if there is good grass. What is good about milking cows is that they continually give a return for the grass each day. In the evening you milk, in the morning you milk again, and when you finish you take that milk to the butter factory. That has become money for you. In the middle of the day the cows will have again eaten the grass, and in the evening they will have been milked, and at night they will have eaten rye grass again, and in the morning they will have been milked and you will have taken the milk to the butter factory for more money. The cows will have paid for your grass and when it comes to the end of the month you will be given your cheque – you don’t have to wait for a year. The labour required is pulling the cows’ udders and feeding the calves. In the case of sheep a year will go by before they repay you for your grass, and is it only with money that cows pay you for your grass? No, some have pigs and calves which are fed with the milk of your cows –the liquid from your grass. How much money will I get a month? You will get £38 a month from 40 cows, besides the pigs and calves. You can’t get such a living from engaging in other occupations. And what of leasing out the land? Do not let the land be occupied. Adopt milking cows as an occupation, Ngapuhi and others.

H Kaipo.

Rahotu, Taranaki.

p.s. There is other money in dairy farming - there is the cream, which is different money from butter. That money is paid out quarterly, but that money can be lost if the butter factory company fails. There is other income. You will get plenty of money from the butter factory if you collect it yourself. These are the sources of money you will receive from dairy farming in a year. We are not able to consider all the good points of fairy farming. This kind of farming will provide a living for someone without land if he acquires some land under a lease. He can milk and the land will pay for itself. And do not despise this as an easy life. The Maori of Taranaki work at this and there is no misbehaviour, the Maori are the same as the Pakeha.

H K

[4] 

OUR RELATIONS IN THE ISLANDS

It is well-known amongst Maori that our ancestors came from Hawaiki, but the origin of this name, Hawaiki, is not yet certain. The Pakeha say that Hawaiki is in Samoa, some say it is Hawaii, but according to S Percy Smith it is Tahiti. But it is firmly believed by knowledgeable Pakeha that our ancestors came from India, and some learned Pakeha say that we share our origin with the Pakeha and are Caucasian. The Pacific Islands where Maori [Polynesians] live are New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Rarotonga, Tahiti, Hawaii, Easter Island and some other small islands scattered about the ocean. There are other people living in the many islands who are not Polynesian such as the dark peoples of Fiji, Melanesia, and New Guinea, and there are also small islands in Melanesia occupied by our relations – Tikopia, Bellona, Rennell and the Reef Group. It is a remarkable thing that these Polynesians of these islands are still separate and have not been swallowed up by the black peoples. Mr Hawkins and Hone Papahia went to these islands last year to look into the feasibility of some Maori going to preach the gospel to these relations of ours. In the report of Mr Hawkins and Hone Papahia they said that it would be easy for Maori to go and live in these islands and preach the gospel to these our relations living in deep darkness. Mr Hawkins reports that the Melanesians are shortish, black, have curly hair, are volatile and uneducated, whereas the Māori [Polynesians] that they are living with are tall, gentle, friendly and fair-skinned - some are as white as the Pākehā. The people of Tikopia are large and tall, some nearly six feet, and there are no short people. Although they are still uncivilized and they still live apart they are very good to strangers. When the boat landed they ran to the shore and welcomed [the visitors] with their hands, though their way of welcoming involves having the hands down low, unlike our way of raising our hands. The boat was still in the sea when the people were carried ashore, one Polynesian carrying two Pakeha. Although the Polynesians of Tikopia are very gentle they will not permit the Pakeha to enter their forests. Mr Hawkins says that the women of Bellona are very beautiful, there are no women in the world to compare with them, and the Polynesians living in Melanesia, our relations, are the finest-looking people he has seen. Although these islands are more than 1000 miles away from ours the language is very little different. When Mr Hawkins asked one of the chiefs his name he said, ‘My name?’ [‘Taku ingoa?’] and then said his name. Mr Hawkins said, ‘Let us touch noses,’ [‘E hongi taua.’] and he replied, ‘Yes, let us touch noses,’ [‘Ae, e hongi.’] whereupon they and others touched noses. Mr Hawkins believes that it would take only two weeks for a Maori to learn their language. Mr Hawkins loved the Polynesians in Melanesia, who urged him to stay with them. When they were going to the boat they held the hands of the children who sang in front of them as they went. Some of the people of Tikopia wanted to go with them on the boat, indeed some of them hid, but they had their policeman who searched for them and returned them home. A Polynesian from Tikopia was found on board and thrown into the sea to swim to land and at about three miles from land the policeman jumped into the sea and swam for land.

A call has gone out to the Maori Church to send people to preach the gospel to these, our relations, and we have heard that people are very enthusiastic but the thing is to find the right people to go. Some of the people here at Te Rau have expressed a desire to go. Bishop Selwyn longed for the day when preachers of the gospel would go to the many islands of the ocean. Mr Selwyn has died thinking perhaps that his desire had also died. But the fulfillment is imminent.

CONGRATULATIONS.

When news came that the Prime Minister had appointed Apirana Ngata to be a Minister, the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa sent his telegram:

Our hearty congratulation on your promotion. By honouring you the Government has honoured the whole Maori people, and the people as a whole welcome this honour.

Kohere,

Gisborne.

To the Rev R T Kohere.

Your congratulations arrived and, yes, the honour is for the people. The hope is that this appointment will bear good fruit.

A T Ngata,

Wellington.

[5]

THE OUTCOME

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

My friend, greetings. I would be pleased if you were able to stick these few words under the wings of our Bird for it to offload in the places it lands.

What I write, my friend, is a heartfelt memorial to the children who were burned in the fire at Otarao, Whangarei, at the command of their grandfather and parents. On Monday, 16th of this month (November), the inquest was held. As I read the papers afterwards, the cause of that calamity was mental illness, if not a belief in witchcraft. So if it was mental illness how did this come about? If it was by witchcraft, this is something that we still engage in. As I write I keep seeing the old man who believed in witchcraft ordering his grandchildren to jump onto the fire so that, according to him, the demons would be burned. Were the demons or were the children burned?

On Sunday 22nd I visited the main Auckland Hospital to see the survivor of that murder, a boy of six. I sought advice as to how to go about it. I asked the nurses and they said I should go over the verandah. When I saw him I did not know if it was him or a different Pakeha. Very shortly afterwards the nurse came and I asked if it was really him and she said, yes. Presently I saw that on one side of his mouth his lips had been stuck together, and his tongue could be seen quivering. The front of his nose had gone and as I looked I saw that one of his nostrils was blocked up. His eyes looked very bad and he said that the painful place was his right cheek. I had read accounts of this child in the paper but until I saw him I did not appreciate that his injuries were so bad. His appearance when I saw him is said to be much better than when came to the hospital.

In his judgement the judge said that the cause of his calamity was his father’s belief in foolish things and he informed him of the power of the law to ban such works. The man approved of the judge’s words, but when the judge said to him, ‘Your sentence is ten years in prison,’ the Maori swore. The judge turned to the woman and said that what he had said to the husband applied also to her, except that the woman had done the bidding of the husband and that elder, even though it is the case that such thoughts are not those of mothers who have within themselves the desire for life for their children. Her sentence was not the same as was given to the husband, but it was a sentence that Maori mothers should take to heart, so that they appreciate that such transgressions will not be overlooked but will receive a severe punishment. The sentence for the woman was five years in prison.

Enough, my friend, I feel deeply for this innocent child who has had to bear the consequences of his parents’ fear of witchcraft. My friend, this is a very dreadful thing to find amongst the Maori people because it is known that Maori care a great deal for their children.

A HAND AMPUTATED

There was an elderly Maori from Waiheke in hospital. He had cut his hand and it became infected. When he arrived in hospital the doctor said that it should be amputated because it had become so bad. He asked to be given one week to consider it, if it was going to improve or not, and the doctor consented. After three days he saw that it had got very bad. He thought that he might not live. So he said to the doctor that he could amputate the hand. It was only a few days after the amputation that he saw that he looked well again, and now he has returned to Waiheke after five weeks in hospital. He was full of praise for how good were the nurses who cared for him, and for the doctors who restored him to the world of light. Are there any Maori tohunga who are able to cut off part of the body of a person and restore them to health? The hand of this elder was cut off at the elbow. As I see it, those people who do not go to hospital in these circumstances, when they do go will die, while those who have gone will always want to go there to be helped in the time of trouble.

That must suffice, my friend. I really wanted to write because I also was one who was there.

Best wishes, from your friend,

Ihaka Te Tai

Parnell, Auckland.

♥♥♥♥

He tina ki runga, he tamore ki raro.

‘Contentment above, firmly rooted below.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 756]

Ka hei tau, apopo ra koe taona pakapakatia ki nga kowhatu o Kurupangoi.

? You will be recompensed: tomorrow you will be baked on the stones of Kurupangoi.

[cf Williams – p.250 pakapaka]

[6]

SAYINGS, STORIES AND PROVERBS.

Whakanewanewa marie ana he kai, ka mate te wairua.

? If food comes easily, the spirit dies.

Mataihi tuku ki raro, he whare auahi; mataihi tu noa, rakorako noa a raro.

‘A house with its front end set low is a smoky house; a house that stands boldly forth is exposed.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1752]

Tena e kite koutou i te mango nana i haehae taku aro.

‘There, you will see the shark which lacerated my front.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 2350]

Tenei tapiki i a matau nei, whakarerea ki kotahi ma matau, he tapiki awatea kia reka ake ai te whakarongo.

? This sheaf is for us, leave one for us, a sheaf from the noonday so that it tastes sweet.

Mokai rakau tahi, ka hua au i whangai au i a koe ki te wai o Tane-kerepi kia tu, kia ora.

? It is foolish to have just one weapon. I thought I had fed you with the water of Tane-kerepi so that you could stand and live.

E ta te rau karaka e paea te reinga kei whanake koe ki reira.

? Strike with karaka leaves, demolish the underworld lest you go there.

Homai te whakaware o manuka.

?

Tena toetoe haemata a Hine-te-moa te whanatu na.

? Behold, the strong-growing toetoe of Hine-te-moa has gone.

Waia o nga tane, akuanei te hanga kino o tenei wahine matakitakina ai e era tangata.

? [?Waia] of the men, presently the genitals of this woman will be inspected by those men.

He o te kotahi no te tokomaha.

? One person’s wrongdoing affects all.

He mata kanohi, he toto ka wera.

?

Toa kai pea Makau.

‘Expert eater, Makau?’ [cf Nga Pepeha 2527]

Tamaarahi, kei a au te ika i te ati.

‘Men, I have the first fish!’ [cf Nga Pepeha 2208]

Akuanei nga pakura a Hine-makaho te keha ai i Takuahiroa.

‘Presently the swamp hens of Hinemakaho will be screeching at Takuahiroa.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 33]

He rangai maomao ka taka i tua o Nukutaurua, e kore a muri e hokia.

‘A shoal of fish that passes around Nuku-taurua will not return.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 677]

Ka wera hoki i te ahi, e mana ana ano.

‘While the fire burns, the mana is effective.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1200]

Kia ata akiaki i ahau, he kai ka mate kei te hara o te kaki.

‘Dwell not on my faults, for the desire for food dies at the throat of sin ’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1273]

Puraho maku, kei nga ure o mahi.

? My place in the helm depends on men who work.

He au kei uta, e taea te kape: he au kei te moana, e kore e taea.

‘The rapids on shore can be bypassed; the whirlpool at sea cannot.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 368]

Na te tangata hopanipani, he kaiwhakarongo tautapa kaki: ma te ringaringa ka puke te wai.

?

Na te mea ano ra ka tau te taha o Manaia kei raro.

?

Kua whakatuakina, he tangata kua whiti i te kauanga.

? A man was blamed who crossed over the ford.

I timu noa a tai.

‘The tide ebbed without effort.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 906]

Whakapa noa ana a Whakarau ki te kohoka.

? Whakarau touches the cooking spit in vain. [cf Nga Pepeha 2647]

Na te mea ano kua motumotu nga tau o te kaha o Iranui.

? Because the years of the strength of Iranui have been cut off.

Ka whanatu au, ka haere i raro i nga waewae o Tukota, kia kai ai au i te kai.

? I set out and went under the legs of Tukota so that I could eat the food.

Me oioi ki te ringa, ka puta te tama a Upokoroa.

‘When agitated by the hand, the son of Long-headed One [a comet] will appear.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1864]

He korero kei runga, hei [sic] rahurahu kei raro.

‘Talking above but meddling below.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 498]

Tu ki runga pakeke pakoko, noho ki raro taka mai Tahu.

‘Stand up, obstinate, dried up; remain seated and food may be the reward.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 2561]

Ahakoa iti, he iti kai na Mu, kei tai te rahi; ahakoa kino, e kino ana i te aroaro o Taiawa.

‘Although the portions of food are scanty it is the food of Mu; if, however, the food is bad, set it before Taiawa.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 12]

Nawai te weka ka motu i te mahanga, tera noa e hoki.

‘Will the weka that escapes return to the snare?’ [cf Nga Pepeha 933,1114,1720, 1912]

Ko te mara nei ko taratara, te ora ki tua.

‘In a garden of spines the source of sustenance is always beyond.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1568]

Kia mau te tautiti o te taua.

‘Wait till the girdle of the war party is fastened [i.e. until the crops are gathered in]’ [cf Williams p.404 – tautiti & Nga Pepeha 1315]

Te ringa tamariki ki te whakairo, te kuka, te aha.

? Involve the children in carving and working with flax and such activities.

E taea hoki te aha te pa horo?

‘What could overcome the pa?’ [cf Nga Pepeha 229]

Whanatu ka haere, he ra Tuaraki.

? I am going; there is a north wind today.

Ko mahi, ko kai; ko noho ko iri.

‘Industry is food, idleness is hunger.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1421]

He heu uta ka kitea, he heu moana e kore e kitea.

‘A clearing on land can be seen but at sea any disturbance of the surface soon disappears.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 381]

‘The traces of (a being) ashore may be discovered, those upon the ocean may not.’ [cf Stowell – Maori-English Tutor p.127]

Ka moe hupeke tangata kaore ona whakapakapaka, ka moe wharoro tangata i te whakapakapaka.

‘The man without food supplies sleeps with his legs drawn up, while the man with the food store sleeps stretched out.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1044]

AN EARTHQUAKE CALAMITY

As the New Year drew near, the thousands of people who live in southern Italy, that is, in Calabria and the island of Sicily, were celebrating. They were happy as New Year drew near that they had lived well during the past year, and no doubt some of them were looking forward to the money that they would earn as the new year went on, and the hearts of some would have been fixed on the pleasant fruit they would be growing. Such were their thoughts when the earth shook and moved to and fro, the sea reared up, the houses staggered like drunken men and fell and collapsed, the earth split open and there was the sound of weeping from men, women, elders and children. In the course of a few minutes there was a terrible disaster. It is known that 200,000 people died, and people are still suffering from lack of food, from [?turato], and from not finding a place to sleep. Many towns have been destroyed – Messina, Reggio and others. With the sinking of the land the sea formed huge waves 35 feet high. Ships at sea were turned over killing the many people on board. Those who fled to the mountains survived while those who were overtaken in the cities all died. Some were saved by the mail steamers or were picked up by naval vessels. Many places could not be contacted to see if some people were still alive. Many people also congregated in Messina to help the injured and to burn the bodies in lime. One dreadful thing was that many wicked people engaged in plundering the houses and the bodies; many of them were shot by the soldiers. King Emmanuel and Queen Elena went to Messina to help. The king was almost killed when a house collapsed because the shaking went on for many days. Many people have lost their children and many children have lost their parents. It would be a loving thing for a person to stand outside and to pray to God to have mercy on them. No disaster has elicited so much compassion. There have been compassionate gifts from around the world. England has sent £1,000,000, and £5000 has arrived from New Zealand where the collection is ongoing. One part of the American naval fleet which visited here has been ordered to sail to Messina to help, and many supply ships are at sea and heading there. People are eating horses and dogs and other things. It is a pitiful occurrence.

[7] 

TUWHAKAIRIORA

(The continuation of the story.)

[As explained in Te Pipiwharauroa 129, Mohi Turei’s story was reprinted in The Journal of the Polynesian Society 1911 with an English translation by Archdeacon H W Williams, which I print here. – Barry Olsen]

When the bellbirds of the early morning warbled, he called to his daughter to light the fire. When it was burning, she and Hinemaurea entered the house; then for the first time she saluted Tu-whakairi-ora. When the dawn of morning light appeared the food was ready cooked. He had already, in the evening, given orders that the preparation of food should be hastened, that the attendants might have their meal, and be ready for the guests on the morrow; that was how it came to be cooked in good time. Ruataupare also was fed by hand by a tohunga, and the people in charge of the pa expressed their satisfaction at the marriage of Ruataupare and Tu-whakairi-ora.

When the meal was over, he gave orders that haste should be made with the food, so that it should be ready cooked as soon as ever the people appeared. The sun was already high when the tribes who were summoned appeared; what a sight it was! Like the thatched roof of a house were the bearers of the dried fish, which had been prepared, hapuku, shark, mackerel, maomao, and all kinds of provision from the sea, which had been got ready by that great tribe, the Ngutuau, and the tribes of the forest and the mountains, who brought game and other kinds of food.

As they laid their burdens down, Tu-whakairi-ora was gazing at the magnificence of Te Aotaki and his tribe, and he said within himself, “The vengeance for the death of my grandfather is within my reach.”

Then Te Aotaki stood up to greet the tribe. That ended, he next made an address of welcome to Tu-whakairi-ora, and asked him the reason of his coming thus unattended. Then he stood up—he had already arrayed himself with the emblems of his birth and bravery. When he stood—what a sight! it seemed as if his taiaha would break in his hands, the blade and the butt in two pieces. He greeted the tribe, then he answered the question. “The occasion of my coming is the saying of my mother; it was perhaps because I was moving violently within her that she said:—

“Ah, move thou violently within me, a son,

It is for thee to requite the death of my father.”

The tribes jumped to his meaning; avenging the death of Poroumata was the occasion of Tu-whakairi-ora's coming. They recalled with approval the fame of his bravery, which was commonly reported, as being in accord with his appearance as he stood before them.

The meal ended, Te Aotaki sent heralds to the pas—Puketapu, Kotare, Te Rangihuanoa, Tarapahure, Totaratawhiti, Okauwharetoa, and the other pas—to announce that Tu-whakairi-ora was come to avenge the death of his grandfather. When the embassage had gone he said, “Up, take your food, let us get things in order in good time at Okauwharetoa to wait upon the army to-morrow.”

When the heralds arrived, the tribes of those pas said, “So that was the reason why Te Aotaki rent his mountain, Pukeamaru.” And they looked down from those pas on those who were going along the beach at Punaruku and the shore of Karakatuwhero, like the sea-drift cast up by the storm. The pas were occupied with packing up the food, game, and other kinds of food. In the morning the multitudes from those pas appeared, the meal was spread, and the battalions took up their positions, battalion by battalion, with the battalions also of Te Aotaki. Then they were challenged—a battalion would rise to its feet and take its position; all the battalions were challenged, and took their positions in their thousands. Fronting them was Tu-whakairi-ora, gazing at the paces of each battalion. He pointed with the butt of his taiaha, that is with the tongue: “I will have that battalion, and this, and that yonder: let all the rest of the battalions stay. But all the braves and the warriors of those battalions must gather round me as a battalion for me.”

Then the chiefs stood up and called out, “Let the Whare 10 and the Tarahau* be very great to form a suitable bodyguard; for the tribe yonder is Ngati-Ruanuku, with its powerful clans—Hore, Mana, Te Pananehu, Te Koreke, Te Moko-whakahoihoi, and Te Poho-umauma.” Such also was the opinion of Te Aotaki: “Let the Whare and Tarahau be great to form a suitable bodyguard: their multitudes yonder are as the proverbial makihoi, 11 like the hair plucked from a rat, or like ants.” Then Tu-whakairi-ora gave his opinion: “Stay, stay, till I have given my opinion. With a multitude counsels are confused; we wish the discussion to be heard. Let the braves of the battalions yonder gather round me as a battalion for me; though the enemy may come in his many thousands, he is but food for the weapon. Well do I know his omens.”

He turned the blade of his taiaha upwards, and shook its tuft of dog's hair so that it opened out; he explained the omen—fallen raupo leaves were his omen, and the long sea wave. They would scatter and become food for the weapon; he himself would bear them down, trample on them, smite them. Then he turned the butt of his taiaha upwards, the tuft of hair drooped over the neck of the taiaha, where the left 12 hand should grasp it, he shouted to the battalions, “It is a kura-takai-puni, 13 the enemy cannot break it. When Te Aotaki performed the tohi over me he neither displaced a word nor faltered; and the war-songs 14 of Haruru-ki-te-rangi, Whetuki-ki-te-rangi, and Ueue-ki-te-rangi are omens of valour, omens of success; to-morrow, at break of day, you will hear of it. There is no question but that they will be destroyed; there will be the pa overthrown, the army slaughtered in the one day.” He was gesticulating before the battalions as if the taiaha would break in pieces in his hands. The battalions kept saying, “How could the fame of his bravery be great and the signs of that bravery be small?”

That ended, he greeted the tribe, and the tribe him, and the tribe expressed its satisfaction that Ruataupare had married him. Then came the news that all the pas on this side of Whareponga were assembling in their chief pa at Tokaanu. [7] The tribes on the south side of Whareponga River gathered at Kokai and Tokatea.

When the army of Tu-whakairi-ora was ready, and the provisions for the expedition, they started. To look at them, a single glance took them all in, but they went in high spirits under the good omens of Tu-whakairi-ora. The plan of the pa had already been carefully explained to him. When they reached the beach at Tirau they were sighted by the scouts, and the report was being spread among their many thousands, “We shall not each get a share to taste, some will have to be content with earth to-morrow.”

When the army reached Paepaenui it was evening, they were still saying, “A single glance covers them all; there will not even be a taste for the mouth.” In the morning, while it was still dark, the battalions of the expedition took up their positions in three divisions; there was the main battalion, the Whare; the Puarere, the battalion detailed to effect an entrance into the pa and to burn it; and the Patari, or battalion of warriors and braves. The battalions of the enemy were already descending, taking up their positions, battalion by battalion, an immense multitude. There were visible the garments of the chiefs and braves, various patterns of dogs'-skin capes, black and white, cloaks of kiwi and pigeon-feathers, and handsome flax cloaks, and the adornments of the battalions in their positions—the plumes on their heads resembled terns upon a sandbank, the products of Taurikomore and Tauritoatoa.

Then he gave his orders to his army, to the three battalions. “This is good fortune: if he had remained in the pa we would have had a long business; but now he has come forth he will soon succumb, and your hand will ache with the slaughter.”

Then he said to one of the battalions, the Puarere, “The object of your attack is the pa; as for the battalions in position facing you, trample them under; when you have gained the position, give a shout and advance in column. When you get into the pa, set it on fire. When I call to you, start to your feet.” He then gave orders to the main battalion, the Whare-o-te-riri, 15 and some of the braves whom he had chosen to accompany him. He turned the butt of his taiaha upwards, and shouted out “Gather round me; when I call for you to stand up, let your uprising be like the sun rising from the depth. When I rush to the front with my corps, raise a shout, and let the column charge the centre of the battalion; it is the Whare of their battalion which we must reach. When I raise the red fillet of my taiaha aloft, then the battalion will break, give vent to your fury, when the battalions of the enemy break.” He called to the battalion of braves, that is Patari, “Up! attack this battalion and that, to hasten the rout.”

When his instructions were ended, he sat down, and called to his feeder, “Bring the remains of my food, and feed me.” Whilst he was eating, a man called out “O Tu-whakairi-ora, the enemy have all come down.” He called back “Attack them, attack them.” Then he said to his feeder, “Give me the tail of my mackerel, and feed me that I may eat it up.” When he had finished the tail, he rose, stood up, and looked round. Then he called to the battalion which was to enter the pa and burn it, “Up!” They stood up, gave a shout, and advanced in column, the battalions of the enemy fell back and broke—they had burst through. He called to the main battalion, “Up!” Their uprising was as a sun rising from the depth. They gave a shout. He rushed to the front, and the braves followed him with the column. The battalion kept up a continuous shout. He had made his way into the centre of the enemy's battalions, striking down as he went, two and three at a time, with each stroke of his taiaha. And those behind him were doing the same. All the main battalions of the enemy had broken, that is the Whare-o-te-riri. He had raised aloft the red fillet of his taiaha, and it had been seen by the battalion, then it was that the battalion broke and was beaten. And the pa was set on fire. The land was darkened with the smoke. There were two causes of destruction; the pa burning in the fire, while the army was slaying without cessation the multitudes who were being destroyed—multitudes, that is, of children, infants, women, old men, and old women, and other things, houses and property, which were being destroyed by the battalion and the fire. And the wind wailed and sighed over the kainga, a cold blast from Hikurangi. So they were destroyed, the destruction going on till evening.

The army assembled at the camping place. When the army had been tended and fed, Tu-whakairi-ora sent some of his braves as heralds to Te Aotaki and the tribe to carry the gruesome signs 16 of the slaughter and the overthrow of the pa, with all the tidings. At night they set out. When the bellbirds of the early morning warbled, they reached Okauwharetoa, the house where Te Aotaki was. When they had ended their story, he came forth, then he ate the ahi-karae and mariunga which they had brought. When that was over, and the morning had grown light, he made the proclamation: “Ngati-Ruanuku have fallen, have fallen, the pa overthrown is Tokaanu, the army slaughtered is Te Hiku-tawatawa (the tail of the mackerel), in the one day.” It was Te Aotaki who gave this name; it was what Tu-whakairi-ora said to his feeder on the expedition, “Give me the tail of my mackerel that I may eat it up.” Those names still remain; the pa overthrown is Tokaanu, the battlefield is Te Hiku-tawatawa.

In the morning the army arose to complete its work on the battlefield, and pa overthrown. For many days they worked. They found the women, the children, old men, and old women, hiding in the ravines and head-waters of the streams, in difficult places; all were slain; the only survivors were those who fled in the night to Kokai and Tokatea. When the slaughter was ended, and all the business connected with it, the expedition returned. When they reached Okauwharetoa, the tohungas performed their incantations for removing tapu and the hurihanga-takapau. 17

[9]

Tu-whakairi-ora and his wife Ruataupare took up their abode at Okauwharetoa with the tribe. He had avenged the death of his grandfather, and fulfilled the saying which his mother in her yearning had uttered. Tu-whakairi-ora did not take possession of the land, for it was already his. It was the murder only of his grandfather which was avenged by him.

The following sayings refer to Tu-whakairi-ora:—“The wind-compelling cormorant of Te Ataakura.” “The solitary one of Ngatihau.”

10 Whare and Tarahau were technical names for divisions of an army.

11 Makihoi, an obscure word indicating great numbers.

12 The left hand is termed ringa-whangai in the use of the taiaha.

13 Mr. Best, in Vol. XII., p. 78, explains kura takahi puni as a rising together of the whole body when called—a good omen. Another authority explains it as “a solid-fronted attack”; and yet another as “the main body of an army.”

14 Whakaaraara were songs to keep the pa on the alert.

15 Whare-o-te-riri consisted of warriors of noted bravery.—See Vol. XI., p. 133.

16 Ahi-karae and mariunga were portions of the bodies of the slain.

17 A ceremony, the object of which is somewhat obscure.

A BOXING MATCH

On 28th December, Tommy Burns and Jack Johnson fought. Tommy Burns is the World Boxing Champion and Johnson is a Black American. Burns last fight was against Bill Squires whom he defeated. Burns was very much in two minds about fighting Johnson. Johnson is a big man, tall – he is 6’3”, with a good singing voice. He has a Pakeha wife and many friends to train with him. Before the fight Johnson complained about the fastenings on Burns’ gloves. Shortly after the fight got under way it became obvious that Burns would not survive the black man; after five seconds Burns fell and lay prostrate. Johnson allowed Burns to deliver all the blows so that, presently Burns called out, ‘Dog, aren’t you going to fight?’ Johnson’s response was a punch, but his opponent got up. Most of Johnson’s blows were to the sides. It is said that Johnson delivered twelve punches as he closed in, sometimes with both fists. After fourteen rounds Tommy Burns was floored again, the fight was stopped by the police, and the referee declared Johnson the winner. Twenty thousand people watched this fight, a thousand were sitting or standing outside, waiting for the end. The takings were £25,000. In eight years Tommy Burns made £40,000 from his fights. Johnson is now going into the music hall and will be paid £200 a week. Some people condemn this activity of boxing and perhaps the Government of New South Wales will devise a law to do away with this activity.

MAORI NEWS

When the judge sentenced the Ngapuhi man who burned his child in the fire to ten years in prison, the man swore at the judge. His wife will serve fewer years.

The Maori college at Otaki is being built. The college will be similar to that in the Wairarapa. In the future these schools may be handed over to the Pakeha and Pakeha will teach in them and manage them.

On the death of a Ngati Porou elder the minister did not use the full burial service because the man had two wives – one he was married to and the other was his mistress, he slept with both of them. The anger of some people flared up against the minister for what they saw as his wrongdoing. The minister was called contemptible and foolish. The minister said that what he did was in accordance with the rules of the Church.

Perhaps we should point out how some other people think about the Maori of the Turanga electorate here. Hemi Matenga sent £25 for the campaign to prohibit the sale of alcohol, and Mrs Meri Woodbine-Johnson, £10. Through the desperation of those who sell alcohol it was not defeated. We no nothing about the benefits of alcohol but there are some half-castes here in Gisborne who see good in this beverage. When the news came that alcohol had won, a half-caste woman shouted for joy. It is alright if only her children drink, but it is wrong if it afflicts the children of others. But the day is coming when she will not shout.

VOTING FOR MAORI MEMBERS

Tai Tokerau

Hone Heke 1182

Hare te Rangi 333

Tai Hauauru

Henare Kaihau 1902

Pepene Eketone 1397

Te Heuheu 1140

Hema te Ao 1088

Eruera te Kahu 430

[10]

Waipounamu

Hope Uru 351

Tame Parata 350

Charles West 22

In the final count it was found that Tame Parata had won.

Tai Rawhiti

Ngata / Paaka

Turanga 92 /17

Omana 35 / 5

Waerenga-a-hika 17 /6

Te Haroto 14 / 20

Te Karaka 64 / 4

Muriwai 18 / 47

Taupo 4 /14

Te Arai 94 /12

Hiruharama 83 / 0

Pakihiroa 31 / 0

Te Araroa 143 / 4

Hamua 19 /1

Waitahanui 10 /29

Tikapa 37 /1

Te Teko 35 / 62

Waipiro 56 / 2

Takapau Teihana 63 / 1

Opoutama 57 / 9

Te Ngae 30 /14

Wairoa 123 / 88

Reporua 49 / 0

Whakatutu 68/ 2

Kahukura 67 /0

Rangitukia 103 / 0

Kohupatiki 7 / 9

Nuhaka 97 / 67

Tiniroto 12 /0

Taueru 18 /0

Waimata 20 /4

Gladstone 25 /9

Ramoto 31 /31

Porangahu 16 /1

Te Hauke 31 / 10

Okautete 27 / 15

Tuarua 11 / 0

Mohaka 86 /0

Ohanga 5 /10

Maraekakaho 8 / 14

Te Reinga 58 /0

Kahutara 7 /14

Tangoio 15 /18

Waiomatatini 103 /0

Whareponga 23 /1

Greytown 7 /19

Masterton 67/ 7

Tahoreti 66 /8

Takapau 22 /25

Maketu 60 /35

Tarukenga 18 /41

Martinborough 13 /7

Maraenui 34 / 0

Waiotapu 17 /21

Matata 29 / 85

Rotorua 134 / 145

Awahou 26 / 7

Horohoro 18 / 9

Tuhara 39 / 0

Whakaki 4 /23

Paetawa 39 /0

Horoera 32 /0

Omarumutu 54 / 8

Whangara 84 / 1

Rangitahi 5 /32

Uawa 111 / 13

Poroporo 41 /51

Waipawa 100 / 28

Tokomaru 120 /3

Kokako 4 /23

Tikokino 0 / 26

Te Kaha 6 / 1

Taneatua 0 / 17

Whakatane 3 / 12

Mokoia 0 / 1

Petane 5 /13

Te Rewarewa 5 /24

Moteo 6 / 35

Raukokore 3 / 0

Whakaruru 5 / 0

Whangaparoa 6 /0

Omaio 3 /5

Tuparoa 161/ 0

Opotiki 146 / 23

Hastings 76 /61

Otamauru 10 / 32

Mokai 12/ 6

Ohaki 8 /6

Kohunui 28 / 3

Matai 121 / 54

Waerenga-o-Kuri 37 /1

Waiohau 47 / 9

Mourea 60 /10

Waimana 18 / 60

Mataniho 18 / 3

Maroa 30 /26

Waimarama 34 /16

Tauarau 77 /17

Te Whaiti 18 /10

Omahu 23 / 46

Mataikona 7 /0

Hicks Bay 38 / 0

Torere 56 /0

Ohiwa 34 /25

Motiti 21 /2

Oputao 25 / 3

[11]

Ohauaterangi 12/ 2

Te Waiti 51 /46

4742 / 1730

♣♣♣♣♣

GOVERNMENT

With the defeat of McNab, the departure of Hall-Jones to England as Commissioner, the elevation of Magowan to the Upper House, new ministers have been appointed and offices redistributed. The new ministers are Roderick Mackenzie (Motueka), Mr Hawk (Masterton), Mr Booth (Kaiapoi), Thomas Mackenzie (Taieri) and Apirana Ngata (Tai Rawhiti).

Sir Joseph Ward: Minister for Finance, Post Office, Army, Land, Agriculture, Taxation, Elections, and Publicity.

Timi Kara: Minister for Maori Affairs, Postage, Deeds, Rarotonga, Grants.

Mills: Minister for Railways, Marine, Tonga, Factories.

Paul: Minister for Schools, Immigration, Mental Hospitals, Fire Insurance.

Findlay: Government Lawyer, and Minister of Justice.

R Mackenzie: Minister for Works and Mines.

Hawk: Minister for smaller works, Customs, Roads, Bridges, Government Printing Office.

Booth: Minister for Internal Affairs, Hospitals, Valuation, Pensions.

T Mackenzie: Minister for Trade, Labour, Tourism, Forests.

Ngata: Spokesman for the Maori People, Minister for Maori Councils, Office of the Public Trustee, Government Insurance Office, Disaster Insurance.

There is no remuneration for T Mackenzie or Ngata but Ngata will receive Mahuta’s payment of £400. It is thought that Mr Ward will hand over the Land Portfolio to T Mackenzie.

SUPPLEJACK SEEDS FOR OUR BIRD

E M Williams, £1/10; Pita Pokia, 5/-; Hapimana Tokimoua, 5/-; Peri Te Perata, 5/-.

◊◊◊◊◊◊

A Party of more than 60 came to Te Arai, Gisborne, to the Christmas called by Ngati Maru to honour Hikapuhi. Indeed the Wairarapa Ngati Kahungunu came in numbers to this ‘Ra Whiti’ – we Maori say, ‘the urine soaked mat is coming.’ Most of this party were women and they subsisted on alcohol, a person’s headband. They stayed for more than a week in Gisborne. There are two tribes which support the brandy church – Ngati Kahungunu in Wairarapa and Ngati Maru in Gisborne.

A NOTICE

Hui of the Maori Church. Diocese of Waiapu.

The Hui of the Maori Church in the Turanga Area will not be held at Whangara on 7th February but at Hauiti on the riverside to the south of Uawa on 14th February, 1909.

The Hui for the Heretaunga Area will be held at Te Ruataniwha, at Te Wairoa, on 7th March, 1909.

W L Waiapu, Bishop.

NOTICES

Waerenga-a-hika College.

This school starts work again on 20th February.

If anyone wishes to send their child to the school please inform us soon, before 27th January, lest there be no place for the child in the school.

M W Butterfield,

Master.

Apirana Turupa Ngata thanks and praises the tribes and hapu of the Tai Rawhiti electorate for electing him as their Member of Parliament.

[12] CALENDAR : FEBRUARY 1909

Day 5 o 7h 55m P.m. Day 20 ● 10h 22m p.m.

1 M Vigil, Fast

2 T Purification of Mary

Morning Evening

Exodus 13.1-17 Haggai 2.1-10

Matthew 18.21 – 19.3 Acts 20.1-17

3 W

4 Th

5 F Fast

6 S

7 S Third Sunday before Lent

Genesis 1 – 2.4 Genesis 2.4

Matthew 25.1-31 Revelation 21.9 – 22.6

8 M

9 T

10 W

11 Th

12 F Fast

13 S

14 S Second Sunday before Lent

Genesis 3 Genesis 6

Matthew 25.1-31 Acts 28.1-17

15 M

16 T

17 W

18 Th

19 F Fast

20 S

21 S Sunday before Lent

Genesis 9.1-20 Genesis 12

Matthew 27.1-57 Romans 5

22 M

23 T Vigil, Fast

24 W First Day of Lent* Psalms: Morning 5, 32, 38

Evening 102, 130, 143 Matthias, Apostle Athanasian Creed.

Use the Collect for this day after the Collect for the Day every day in Lent.
*The forty days of Lent are fast days.

Isaiah 53.1-13 Jonah 3

1 Samuel 2.27-35 Isaiah 22.1-15

Mark 2.13-23 Hebrews 12.3-18

25 Th

26 F

27 S

28 S First Sunday of Lent. Use the Ember Week Collect every day
this week.

Genesis 19.12-20 Genesis 23.1-20

Mark 4.1-35 Romans 10

RULES OF TE PIPIWHARAUROA

1 There is one issue of Te Pipiwharauroa a month.

2 The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year in Postal Order or stamps. Do not hold on to halfpenny stamps, the most desirable stamps.

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4 Articles may be sent from all parts of the country, but the Editor reserves the right to determine whether the article is printed. Write clearly.

5 This is the address to be written on the outside of all letters:

To Te Pipiwharauroa,

Te Rau,

Gisborne.

A NOTICE

To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:

Large, soft cover 2/6

Large, red cover 3/-

Large, hard cover 4/-

Large, superior cover 5/6

Small, soft cover 1/-

Small, red cover 1/6

Small, hard cover 2/6

Small, superior cover 3/6

Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 1/6

Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 2/-

Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 3/-

Prayer Book with Hymns, superior cover 4/-

Hymns -/6

I will pay the postage to send the books to you

H W Williams,

Te Rau, Gisborne

People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.

Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.

New Testament with explanatory headings 2/6, 3/-, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.

Small New Testament with Psalms 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 3/6, 4/-. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.

Printed and Published by H W Williams, Te Rau Printing Works, Berry Street, Gisborne, New Zealand.