Te Pipiwharauroa 159

Te Pipiwharauroa 159

No. 159

1911/07

(Maori Version at NZETC.)

[1] Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 159, Gisborne, July 1911.

‘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.]

DOING AWAY WITH LIQUOR.

When we wrote the articles which appeared in the past two months, we were not aware that at this time we would still be waiting to vote. But, since the day for the vote has not yet arrived and the time has come for publishing this edition of Pipi, we thought it good to write some words to encourage those whose hearts have been stirred to suppress this ‘food’. We also realize that there can be no letting-up in exhorting people to abolish this ‘food’ until the vote is concluded.

The reason we think this is that we have observed the terrible things done by this ‘food’ which is oppressing the people, and we have heard of the good that has come to those places which have abolished it, and we also know in our hearts that nothing will hinder the progress of the people if this wicked thing is done away with.

We have given an exhaustive account in our paper published last month of the great damage done by this ‘food’, but there are others known to various people. We shall not try to point out all the evils caused by liquor, rather we have focussed on the sufferings that directly affect us Maori, and perhaps those which will afflict us if the consumption of it is still permitted. There is one thought for us to consider at this time and that is how this ‘food’ defeats all our good works. Let us look carefully at this effect of liquor because it affects both the one who drinks and the one who doesn’t. This is a time when people have heartfelt desires; each person longs in his heart to work satisfactorily, and some long for the people as a whole to work well. But while liquor holds sway, this heartfelt desire will not be fulfilled; it is the scary ghost which consigns to darkness the hopes of myriads lest they be fulfilled.

There has been great progress in settling issues around farming in these days. That is a good thing and a way to well-being. However while liquor remains to devour the flesh of farming there will be no benefit. It is like the apple; it is beautiful to look at on the outside but inside it is rotten. The greatest teacher ever to come into this world said, ‘No man can truly serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.’ [Matthew 6.24] This statement refers to two chiefs who are at loggerheads with each other, like God and Satan. Likewise the statement applies to farming and drinking, indeed to all jobs by which a person earns money. If we adapt that saying so that it is specifically applicable to this situation it would say, ‘A person cannot both pile up money and waste it; no-one is able to dip up water with a sieve.’ There is one lesson in all three statements. It is a waste for a person to raise sheep or cows when the profit from those things is consumed on alcohol. He did those things as a way of making a living for himself, but he has turned them into a way of dying. It has been tried by thousands of people and they have discovered the error. Now, since we are starting out [2] on farming let us remember that liquor is the enemy of farming; if it has its way that is the end of farming. The way open to us is to vote for its prohibition.

We have another desire over and above farming and that is that our children will get an education and get good positions. What person with children does not have this desire? Liquor is the enemy that kills this hope. It strikes at two people, the father first and then the child second. Some fathers use up all their money on liquor, and the children do not get to the schools: this is how liquor afflicts the father. Some fathers are determined to send their children to school, he wants to fulfil his dream, but from the search for education he is drawn by his craving or by his friends to drink alcohol, and the money is wasted which would have been used for learning. In this way liquor hurts the children. Whatever our good works or our good intentions, if liquor retains its place that is where people will get bogged down and most people will suffer. There is another quagmire, but this is the ultimate pit. Which parents, wishing to fulfil their desires for their children, will not fill in the pit into which they fell, if they have fallen in or not fallen in, lest their children fall in and their desires for them come to nothing? There is an old saying – Tapuae speaking to his nephew. The nephew was a fighting man and he and his older and younger brothers continually fought over their village. When Tapuae saw what that man was like he called him into his presence one day and said to him:

A koutou riri kainga ko o tuakana whakamutua tena tikina hukea te umu e tao mai ra.

Stop your domestic squabbles with your brothers and go and uncover the oven that is cooking over there. [cf Nga Pepeha 31]

The intention of Tapuae’s words is that his nephew should go to Turanga to avenge their dead and he also has in mind that the disputes at home will not be settled while that man remains in the village. Likewise it is a word to us also at this time, ‘Go and uncover the oven that is cooking there.’ This is a time of war, but it is a fight for life. We are hurting ourselves with liquor. We endeavour to stand and fight the battles which will win people life in this world but a man is defeated by the weakness of his body and the emptiness of his pockets. Our life depends on doing away with liquor. It is because we had this idea of persevering that we wrote these additional words. There are some people who are afraid to vote for prohibition; they are concerned for those who will not have strength to fulfil their desire if there is no alcohol. Let us not think of them. What we have to have in mind is what will benefit most people. It is the case that whatever good is done, some will still pursue what is wrong, but those who are like that are few. So be firm in resolving to do away with liquor, lest the temptations of the hotel proprietors succeed. Be men! Be strong!

TAHI KAKA

Because there were so many subjects to be covered in the June edition of our paper we were unable to say anything about the Government’s execution of Tahi Kaka. We did not want to raise this matter when it has ceased to be a matter of news but we still want to express our views on it. We are very surprised that the Government allowed that young man to be executed. The Honourable Timi Kara said that there was nothing good about the sin of that young man; all the accounts of it served to confirm his decision to execute that young man. He said that it was not for him to deal with the principle of whether it was right or wrong that young people who murdered should be allowed to live while adults should be put to death. We think that Kaka is a very immature person who should not be compared with Pakeha young people of the same age. His understanding of the evil of his act was not like the understanding of a Pakeha young person of the same age, nor was it like that of adult people. This is why it was appropriate for the Government to take account of the childishness of this young person. It is not our wish to go into the depths of this problem, after all it is all over, but we express our sorrow at the Government’s decision. We know that it was not the Government’s wish to execute that young man, but it was convinced that there was no right way to proceed other than that. But most people think that that decision was not right. There was an Honourable Member who said that he should be executed lest he remain as an example for Maori young people. There is no heartfelt desire for such a process; it is not something pleasurable like drinking beer. Also the prospect of spending more than 20 years in prison should suppress any desire on the part of Maori young people to play at that game of murder. We wonder at the pity shown by the unloving people, the Pakeha, and at the lack of pity on our part, who are supposed to be the loving people. Much praise is due to the Pakeha for their compassion, but especially to the [3] high-minded Bishop of Auckland and his clergy who strongly supported and promoted the proposal to spare this young man.

THE NEW NEWSPAPERS.

Our pet is hearing some new voices resounding over Rangitoto; the sound of the voices reaches us faintly. Perhaps they are the voices of children, but their names alone are awesome – Matakokiri Times and Tawhirimatea Times. Perhaps some wonderful things are at hand since these signs emerged; we shall leave it for time to reveal them to us. In appearance they are twins, and elder and a younger. But the elders tell us that Ranginui is their father. At this time, what is in circulation is ‘Times’, insofar as they are called Matakokiri Times and Tawhirimatea Times. Younger brothers, engaged in the same work, do not be sad at these words from your elder brother, even though he is just a bird and you two are great ones from the heavens. Your elder brother speaks of his sadness at the damage done by your use of the great and awesome name of ‘Times’. He thinks you should be content to leave the names as simply Matakokori and Tawhirimatea. These by themselves are great and good names and sweet to the Maori ear, while adding Times makes them less agreeable. Another word from your elder brother. since you are stretching your wings, do reconsider your names and use names that are melodious to the Maori ear. It is a good and difficult task you have been called to do, so be strong. Hold to the saying, ‘Be a man. Be strong.’ The country over which we fly is large and there is an abundance of the fruits of the forest standing here to sustain all of us. Our bird chatters its greetings to the two of you. Yours are the feet that are about to set out while those of your elder brother are feet that are in a hurry. Best wishes.

TAHI KAKA

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Friend, please load these words onto the wings of our bird for our friends to see. On 21st June, Tahi Kaka was hanged in Auckland. A request was made to the Prime Minister to show compassion and to allow his body to be returned home. This was not permitted by the law. It was perhaps a thought on the part of our forebears who made the laws lest the example be copied. It is not like that now. Maketu murdered Maori and Pakeha and our forebears willingly allowed his hanging. A request was made for his body and that was agreed. He is buried here. The Bishop and his many friends petitioned for Tahi Kaka’s life to be spared and for him to remain in prison until he died. Word came to Ngapuhi to support that petition. We sent a message by telegram to our Acting Prime Minister. The Acting Prime Minister’s answer took the form of a question: ‘Was the murder committed by Tahi Kaka a good thing or a bad thing?’ This was my response: ‘The murder was a terrible thing; that is clear since he himself pointed it out.’ That was the answer to the question.

R T Te Ruru.

THE CORPORATION.

To the Hon A T Ngata, Minister for the Councils.

Friend, greetings to you and also to the people under the shelter of the Almighty and the new authority of these days, bringing together as one the whole world in its pool. We recall the dead beloved by our old folk and heap up our salutations and gather up our laments for those who have gone to the afterlife. In this fashion we, your chiefly friends, the pillars of men there and here, express our greetings. Go to the Creator in heaven, in the lofty places. Go to the Beginning and the End. That must suffice for them.

Led us turn to the time lying before us; the old world has passed and this is a new world with new tasks. You are the young shoot growing up in these days with peace and reconciliation. So my people wished to jump to the place where the sun rises. They had a similar desire to spread abroad what they had heard of your great work to protect your land and your tribe by the farming being undertaken by Ngati Porou. This is the first of the Maori tribes to have set out on the foaming waves of the Pacific.

My hapu had come to grief because they got no compensation and they were waiting to find a way forward. They have found one, which is to bring the people together as a Corporation. It was passed by the Maori Land Court on 24th December, 1910, and the meeting was held at Te Koura railway station. The blocks are Rangitoto Tuhua No. 66a and Rangitoto Tuhua No. Z4, Section 6. They comprise 15,000 acres. This is all that remains of the land from the time of the Commission when the two of you came to Te Kuiti and Otorohanga. Therefore we thought that we should farm these blocks, something the Commission greatly approved of. [4] Rangitoto Tuhua No. 9 comprises 12,000 acres, Rangitoto Tuhua No. 75, 6000 acres, and there is Rangitoto A No. 39 block. Together they comprise 19,000 acres. I have a question for you. Did you or did you not incorporate your land at the beginning and how did you deal with family interests when it came to Maori working as volunteers? So much for that.

Here is another question arising from our being strangers when it comes to the works of the corporation. Since the meeting was called on 24 December, 1910, by the Maori Land Court, when can the people start work? Do we choose a chairman for the meeting first and does he appoint the people for the land? Is it a Corporation or a committee? Which? What are the members called at first?

That’s enough, lest we weary you with our lack of clarity about the rules for management. But, my friend, if you are very busy or whatever, don’t bother to reply. But one of the privileges of a leader is to answer questions. You appreciate that you are the parent, there to be questioned by the children, your family. Enough.

I have kept your articles about farming and animals which you contributed to Te Pipiwharauroa. My hope is that you are able to complete your work of guiding your Maori people in how to live. I end my thought here. From your true friend,

Hari H Wahanui.

MAORI PLACES AT TE PETI.

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa

Friend, greetings. I would like you to publish these words for the Maori People to read, lest the matter of the provision of the reserve at Te Peti as a dwelling-place for them becomes an occasion for maligning the manager.

This is the Notice.

To those having an interest. This notice is to inform you that the Napier Harbour Board wants the return of that part of the Harbour Reserve at Hardinge Road and Te Peti on which the Maori houses stand, and requires the people living there before 31st January, 1911, to vacate it. And also that the people living there pay all the rates due on that place before the 31st January, 1911. Be aware [that you must] return that land and also pay the Board all the rates due on it. Before that date the Board agrees to relocate those houses but if this is neglected the Board will confiscate those houses.

Jno P Kenny,

Secretary to the Board.

The Response.

Mahanga Kaiwhata and I lease that land. The annual payment for the two sections is £15. After this we met together and the message was dispatched to Kingi Karauria, £7/10, and Epanaia at Nuhaka, £3. We were anxious lest that lease be taken by someone else. The message from the Board arrived and we wrote the letter to the Board containing our explanations and our desire that the land and the houses not be taken but that they remain as a landing place for the Maori. The cost of a mooring was £5. I have a copy of that letter. The Board met on 20th and that letter came before it. The money was collected on 6th January – Ekengarangi Hapuku, £1; Ani Heta Kingi, 2/6 – and on 16th, Nopera Waipawa, £1 – a total of £2/5/6 (sic). The reply to the letter arrived on 23rd. The Board’s decision was that all the rates were to be paid, an amount of £3/10/11. Time, a matter of some months, was given for me to negotiate with Parliament or the Minister for Maori Affairs. And so, people, the Petition is going to the Maori Minister for him to consider this problem for the Maori People. I have spent the following amounts on behalf of the Maori for this Reserve at Te Peti: telegrams, 6/-; three days travelling on this business, £1/10; the cost of putting the proposals in the Petition in the appropriate form, £1/1; the payment of the rates, £3/10/11. A total amount of £6/7/11. You should be aware of this generosity towards the Maori. Maori, let me have your contributions for those houses. The day will come when we will realize that my idea was right to collect money to improve the houses and fences.

Paora Kurupo.

Moteo, Puketapu.

●●●●●

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Please publish the following words.

You tribes who receive this reminder, remember the things of which you have not heard. This is a claim to the coming March, March 1912. Let none of you hold a hui on that day. Here at Uawa the church will be consecrated as a place of worship of our Heavenly Father. The building stands at Puketawai, Uawa, Tai Rawhiti. More information will be published in the days to come. The Bishop chose the day.

Nikora Tautau,

Minister of that wonderful church.

[5]

SHEEP FARMING.

By Apirana Ngata.

The Flock.

The Wethers.

We have explained in a previous section of our articles that these are male, castrated sheep of the flock, and there is not much to be said for this part of the flock. If a man manages his sheep well, specifically the rams, then the wethers will not remain for long on the land but will be ready for sale or for fattening in the second year when they are two-tooths. Some people try to hold on to their wethers until they are adults because they like the wool; they are sheep that produce wool. But I think that this is a waste of the pasture on the land and more money is forthcoming if they are sold as two-tooth wethers.

Let me explain those words of mine. Let us say that there are 500 wether lambs in a flock. In the second year they are shorn and, let us say, the wool from each sheep fetches 4/-. Those sheep are sold when they are not yet fat for, let us say, 9/- each. If they are fat they may fetch 12/- each – that amounts to 13/- or 16/- if they are fat. The following year the two-tooth wethers are sold at similar prices. The total amount realized is £650 if they are thin or £800 if they are fat. Now if those 500 sheep are kept until they are four-tooths then the amount realised will be:

The wool when they are two-tooths 4/-

The wool when they are four-tooths 7/-

The body when it is a four-tooth 11/-

Sold when they are no yet fat 22/-

If they are sold when they are fat

one can add to the above 2/-

So for one head of sheep the total is 24/-

So for the 500 sheep one gets £550 or £600.

Sheep farmers have given much thought to this matter and have realised that it is better to raise the [ewe] lambs and to get rid of the wethers when they are two-tooths to free up the land for the lambs and to be able to increase the number of ewes for breeding.

Since these sheep, the wethers, are being removed quickly from the land as a way of raising money, it is right to put them on the parts of the land that have plenty of pasture so that they do not go backwards in their growth but quickly increase in size and weight. If the wethers are fat when they are two-tooths the price received for them will be close to that of older fattened wethers. That is because the fat wethers are slaughtered for freezing and sent to England. The price paid for fat sheep there depends on weight; if it reaches fifty-five pounds it is first class and this class fetches the high price. If it is heavier the increase in price for each pound gets smaller. Therefore it is right to say that the price received for sheep of a fixed size will be the same as that for very heavy sheep. If a man decides to wait until his wethers are four-tooths and fattened, he will not be inclined to fatten the two-tooths and he will waste a year’s grass.

I will be explaining here some practices for fattening sheep, but it is appropriate to deal with that under a separate heading later.

The Ewes, the Mothers of the Flock.

These are the seeds, and it is right that the owner of the flock give most attention to these sheep.

Most of these explanations apply to established flocks of sheep that have been a long time growing and where the land has been improved and where there is fencing. When the land is being improved to grow grasses the number of sheep will not be established, or the fencing determined, and the owner will not be giving much thought to the flock and the condition of his sheep or to the various parts of the flock. At this stage the work will go ahead in an ad hoc way with the sheep being put temporarily onto new areas of ground because the grass is not yet established and perhaps to kill the fern; it may even be a new garden plot.

Now the foundation of the flock is the ewes; they are the seeds. The man must give much thought to acquiring good seed at the time when his land has been improved and made ready as a permanent place to put his flock on. He must aspire to buy good ewes from other flocks of the breed he desires. Now, a person who owns sheep will not be so foolish as to let his best sheep go but will select the bad sheep to get rid of. Therefore let the buyer beware. The good sheep to buy will have a full set of teeth, that is, eight teeth for a five-year-old, because it may not be because it is bad, that this sheep is being allowed to go, but because it is very old, and the land is full of young sheep. [6] Those are ewes which were acquired when selection was being made when they were two-tooths, or four-tooths, or six-tooths, and because they were good they were kept, and if a man acquires such sheep he is getting good sheep from that flock to form a good basis for his flock. Some good ewes to buy are two-tooths but look around at the two-tooths in the reputable flocks of your district. If the two-tooths were good they would have many years in the flock to bear lambs.

One of the skills of rearing sheep is choosing the ewes for mating, and also choosing the rams suitable for them. A man has to bear in mind many things when he is choosing his mating ewes.

Let us say that the land is covered with sheep. Some are being drafted out and sold each year. Those sheep are being kept which it is known will survive given the available food and the cold. Let us say that two thousand sheep are retained. In that case the number of breeding ewes should be one thousand.

At the beginning of a new year one must start to think about how many ewes are to be tupped. We ascertain the number of each kind of sheep when they are shorn. Say there are 900 lambs, 800 hoggets, 900 ewes that gave birth, 100 barren ewes, 200 wethers, and 30 rams – a total of 2,930. It is clear from this that 900 sheep must be disposed of. The wethers and the barren ewes are to be sold – that is 300 to be disposed of. The hoggets are inspected and the ewes amongst them are separated out and also the wethers – there are perhaps 480 ewes and 420 wethers. These 480 ewes are put with the 900 ewes that have given birth, making a total of 1,380. Since 1000 of these are being kept it is obvious that the number of these to be disposed of, those not to be mated, is 380.

It is clear that 380 of the 1380 ewes are to be discarded and one must begin choosing. Begin with those with a full mouth of teeth and exclude all those with some broken teeth, writing down the number of them. Afterwards deal with those with a full set of teeth, then with the six-tooths, and then with the four-tooths. At this point the task becomes difficult; the inspection takes a long time as does the choosing.

We have come to the point in the task where the owner of the flock has to choose between the good sheep and the bad sheep, and also discern the sheep that are not very good. He will be able to do this if he keeps in mind an example, the qualities, of the very best of the breed of sheep he is raising, whether they be Lincolns, Half-breeds, or Romneys. These are those qualities: A sheep with vibrant and plentiful wool with good strands; the wool on each part of the body (except for the throat and perhaps the belly) is the same, there is no strong difference between the wool on the shoulders and the wool on the back or on the [?peeke sic - ?limbs]; the body and its extremities should be full of wool, that is, there should be few places without wool. It is good that the overhanging wool on the throat should go from the ears of the sheep and up perhaps to the cheeks; it should go down and hang from the legs - it should even be as close as possible to the knee joints; the belly should be full of wool with a long staple. If these parts, the edges and the extremities, are full of the kind of wool the markets will pay for, then that sheep is called a woolly sheep. The wool on the extremities will pay for the cost of shearing and dipping leaving the price fetched by the body wool for the owner of the flock.

But it is not only the quantity of the wool that is to be looked at. Look also at the staple. If the strand is straight, or light, or hard, it is bad and will bring in little. It is said that that is not real wool but hairs. There is one kind of wool that is like dogs’ hair. But if the sheep’s wool is twisted and curly that is good. Take care that it is not too short and not very light.

Those are the qualities of the good example. Others are to do with the conformation of its body. This is something which is very difficult to describe in writing. Were the sheep standing in the yard it could easily be pointed out. But I will describe the things that I can write about.

The nose and the hoofs of the feet should be black. This is a sign of good health in sheep. Those ewes and others are not good if they have red noses, reddish ears, and are red at the edges of the eyes. It is said that those are signs of weakness. The ears should stand erect. Be wary if the mouth looks like that of a shark when looked at sideways. If the lower jawbone is overshot or the upper jawbone is undershot, that is a shark mouth and that sheep should be removed lest the flock be affected.

The neck of the ewe should be long but it should not be stiffly built; the chest should be broad so that it stands out from the shoulders. In one sheep the neck disappeared between the shoulders. The back should be broad and it should be flat from the shoulders to the sacrum; it is still alright if there is a slight concavity from the shoulders to the sacrum but the back should not be [?korotua]. The body of the sheep from the breast to the [?peke] should be long. The Pakeha say that this is a ‘Hokonui’ sheep, a sheep whose milk gushes out to feed her young so that the young thrive. A sheep with a short body is not a very good adult, but if there are plenty of very good ewes, such a one could be culled. [7] The legs should be large and strong, that is, they should have large bones and be short. Lean sheep with thin legs are bad sheep.

After a man has been raising sheep for a long time this ideal becomes fixed in his mind. When it becomes ‘resident’ there choosing becomes easy.

Now this is how one goes about choosing: When the sheep with damaged teeth have been removed, then start with the mature ewe and go on to the four-tooths, ending with the two-tooths. Set apart those ewes which you think are close to the pattern of a good sheep described above. Do not be apprehensive about separating out the sheep which are a long way from that ideal; it may be that they can be brought back if you do not reach the number of good sheep which you think necessary for mating. In this way you will learn to separate your ewes, distinguishing the good breeders from the bad, and your eyes will get accustomed to seeing and your brain to making quick decisions when the sheep are running in the narrow space of the yard.

When the good four-tooths and the fully mature have been drafted and the numbers are known, one will know whether one should replace with two-tooths those sheep that have been deemed bad, or not. At this stage one makes choices amongst the two-tooth ewes. These are the ewes that are set apart to be tupped, and if the flock has been well-managed in other years these are the kind of sheep that are important to the good performance. The way to go about choosing is simple. Drive a few into a small part of the yard so that they can stand comfortably, and so that they can be made to walk, and so that you can observe them well. Then those sheep that appear to have faults can be taken out.

When the two-tooths have been drafted, their number is added to that of those ewes that were first selected, and it is clear that these are the good sheep to be mated. It was stated above that a total of 1000 ewes was the number to be mated. Now perhaps one discovers that one has chosen 700 good sheep. One can look again at those sheep that have been drafted out as unsuitable, and take out the best of them to make up the desired number of 300.

One cannot improve the flock on the basis of a single drafting: there is no end to this task of making choices every year, since new lambs are being born and one has to take out some of the older sheep.

The end we seek by doing this drafting is that the sheep in the flock are alike, that the staple of the wool is consistent, that the weight of the wool is at the high end of the weight for that breed of sheep, and that the conformation, the quality, and the physical growth of the sheep are right. By this your flock will get a reputation, and some will want to follow your example – or you may provide seed for them.

We have explained, in the part of our article about the rams, the good qualities looked for in rams. And we have explained here the good qualities of ewes. Now, if the ram is good, if the ewe is good, and if the land and the feed for them is good, only a calamity can affect a person having those things.

Caring for the Ewes.

The wethers of the flock are the sheep which will stay only a short time on the land. But the good ewes will stay right until the time they are five-year-olds, that is, they stay on the land and those five years are called the years in which they bear young. If they are well looked after they will reach the end of their allotted time. Therefore it was thought best to put the ewes on the healthy part of the land.

Now, this is a skill required in working with sheep – the placing of the flock, its allocation to different parts of the farm. This cannot be done if there are not separate paddocks. The practice is to have the ewe paddocks in places facing the sun so that they will be warm in winter. That also is the place where the ewes will get pregnant and the lambs will be born. Now, although there may be plenty of food on cold land the sheep on it will not thrive as much as the sheep in warm places where there is less food. When the land is being developed careful thought should be given to the boundaries of the ewe paddocks. Those paddocks should be put in places that face the sun, that is, facing the north.

From the middle of February right up to the time they are shorn, let us say until the last days of November until the last days of December, the ewes should be disturbed as little as possible. The times when one can disturb them is when they are docked, that is, when the dirt on their bottoms is being removed, and when the lambs are being separated. We will give explanations of these jobs later. The important thing is to keep a watch on the ewes, on the condition of the grazing on the land, and on their health. A man should think of his ewes in this way for they are the most precious part of his flock; theirs is the wool that bring in the high price, they bear the young, and it is the number and the health of those young that enables him to sell many sheep while having different sheep to replace them.

In another article you can read about the lambs of the flock.

A SONG FOR TE PIPI.

Bird, this is a great song.

In no way is it a worthwhile song.

The waters have dried up,

The people have disappeared,

The sun has risen.

Where does it hang?

[8]

‘MATE ATU HE TETEKURA, WHAKAETE MAI HE TETEKURA.’

When they landed there was weeping and those other rites. The food from the Tete canoe which carried the offerings was presented. It was pointed out with the hands and by the raising of eyebrows. It was given to the chief and the people of the marae along with the gifts. These gifts and the food are known as ‘whakahoki roimata’ – ‘a return of tears’. When the food was cooked it was cut up for the tohunga by the chiefly women, the girls or the grandchildren; the place where they sat was separate and known as a ‘Pure’ – ‘a place for the removal of tapu’. All the food given was known as a ‘Puru-waha mo te kapumata’ – ‘a cramming of the mouth for the [?kapumata]’. The chiefly woman, the girls or the grandchildren took the branches and leaves that had been placed around the earth oven and went with the tohunga. When they arrived at the window of the big house or the carved house, the branches and leaves were placed on the window; they were taken up again and struck against the entrance to the house; then they were placed on the sill of the sliding door of the house. The woman took the food, mashed it, and fed it to the tohunga. The tohunga stood and said an incantation, the woman entered the house where food was eaten and then came outside to the places which had been set apart by the people, to eat there. When that was done the local people set about decorating the house with mats. The visitor and the local people entered, happy that they had survived those awesome tapu. The purpose of his journey being fulfilled the visitor returned to his village.

There is another saying about the Tete canoe: it is about an ignorant man who was associated with the Tete canoe. There was a man who thought of himself as important and who was exalted within his hapu. He went to the house of the leading chief of the tribe. The chief greeted him and they wept together. Then he asked, ‘What brings you here to this place? Tell me.’ The man replied, ‘I have come to you to get your daughter for my son. The man looked intently and looked away, then replied:

[Some of the translation that follows is conjecture, and I do not understand all that is being said. – Barry Olsen]

‘Well now! You say, son, bring it by the Tete canoe which carries gifts, seek it by the Pitau canoe with a figurehead with deflected arms, so that it sits above, brought ashore by a multitude of the large-chested.’

‘Bring it by the Tete canoe which carries gifts. You may point with your hand or raise your eyebrows.’

‘Bring it by the unreliable house. Seek it in the house with carved barge-boards, and let it be laid upon the sill of a house with carved barge-boards.’

‘Let it be arranged by those two – a brother, a sister. Let their blood run down. I will have no successor.’

A Tete canoe was a common canoe, as a proverb has it:

Ma rawa ma te waka-tete mau o.

? Use a Tete canoe to carry provisions.

The chief remains the valued one, the kura.

Haere te kura tangata ka ai he kura kainga e hokia.

?A valued home can be restored, a valued person goes.

[cf Nga Pepeha 523 & 525]

He kai na te rangatira te korero.

Talking is the food of the chief.

‘Well then! Chief, your food is speaking, flashing from within your mouth.’ The chief is a warrior. He tells his warriors not to let his weapons be taken by other warriors: ‘There is smoke when the burning pieces of wood on the fire come together; the skull is the storehouse of anger; I speak, I speak, friend, to the brave men who wield my weapons telling them not to let them fall into the hands of other warriors.’ Then he turned to the enemy. There were spears aimed at his stomach, two or three perhaps. He parried them over his shoulder and grasped them. The warriors set to and defeated and dispersed the party. They attacked the chief of that fleeing war party. They were calling out to him to turn around, This chief turned around and engaged in hand to hand conflict. He was defeated and this was the defeat which led to them being scattered. Then the low-born, the people of low degree, and the food carriers set about striking them. He said, ‘The back of the head can be struck as if it were an ebbing tide.’ But the pressure of battle was different for the chief and for the warriors. These warriors were all chiefs as were his six or seven children, his younger and older brothers, or cousins. That’s enough, my friends, Kaipo and Mahuika. Best wishes.

Mohi Turei.

Te Rau Aroha, Rangitukia.

16th February, 1911.

◊◊◊◊◊

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Greetings. If it pleases you, send out this article. If you don’t like it, that is alright. I have seen the article by Mohi Turei in Te Pipi, Number 155. What Henare Mahuika of Waiomatatini tells people about this word Tete is right; it is in line with the explanations from the past which have been passed down to subsequent generations. The Tete came out of the mouth of a man. As to the meaning, the two of you give the same origin – the word that came out of the mouth was Tete. Now, because the mouth of the man did not know what the thing was, God made the bird and tossed it onto the waters. When he saw how well the bird paddled its canoe he gave it a voice and the bird chanted to the sound of the paddles, ‘Tete! Tete!’ He saw that it was good and he called the man to give it a name and the man gave it names: the wings he called ‘parirau’ [wing], the body, a ‘waka’ [canoe, box], the voice, a ‘tete’, and the red, a ‘kura’ [red feathers, treasure]. [9] Now, God had completed a canoe, a voice, and a treasure. When these are combined one gets the name ‘Parera tawaka’ [grey duck] and ‘Tete-kura’. If you split these up you get many parts. Enough of that. Now, when men made the canoe they took the pattern from God’s canoe – the voice, the feathers, the bird. When it was finished they gave it the names ‘Waka taua’ [war canoe], ‘Pitau’ [carved figurehead canoe], and ‘Tete’. The War Canoe was the centre of battle, the Carved Figurehead Canoe was for snatching, and the Tete was for the food. Its carving was different from that of others. It was like a bird. If the canoe went into the waves it dived like a bird so that the carving went under. So it was likened to a man. Consequently its names were given to men. The leading chief amongst the people is called a ‘Waka taua’ [war canoe]; he is the one who embodies the status of the tribe and other people. Now, if that man dies, the things said of him draw on the features of the canoes, such as, ‘Farewell to the war canoe, to the embodiment of our status; farewell to the mooring post of the canoes, to the beloved of the tribe.’ After that a song is sung. 'This canoe has been broken.' These are the things said by the talking chiefs: they speak of ‘Kahu-kiwi’ [cape covered with kiwi feathers], ‘Kahu-kura’ [coarse flax cape coloured with red ochre], [?Arei-kura], and other ‘kura’ which paddle on their canoe, ‘Tete-kura’. The final word is an ‘o’ [a provision for the journey], that is, a ‘Mauri’ [a class of incantation]. ‘A tete dies, a tete rises.’ That saying gives rise to recollections. The eggs of the duck emerge one at a time. This proverb has two aspects, as follows: a ‘tete’ falls, a treasure falls into the bracken. It is like those proverbs which take things and liken them to a person.

‘Kotuku reretahi.’

A white heron of a single flight. [cf Nga Pepeha 513]

This refers to a person who comes rarely.

‘Kuaka marangaranga.’

The godwit that bobs up and down.

This is a warrior who is not committed to fighting.

‘Kahu pokere o Tamaki.’

Tamaki’s black garment around his waist.

This is a warrior who bows his head when it comes to fighting; the cunning rascal’s eyes are closed.

I finish here. By and by I will send the story of Rautao. In that story it is clear that the origin of this name is a bird. I have sent this article from Wharemahihi.

Hakere Brown.

Manaia, Coromandel.

10th May, 1911.

A STRONG MAN.

A warrior is a man with a sturdy body. He is thoughtful, and very capable. The name of warrior is not properly given to a person with a weak body. But there is a man with a weak body who could rightly be said to be a strong man, a warrior. Although this name of warrior is only given to a person who wields weapons, even so it is right that this man is called by that name because he wields today’s weapons against the authorities in high places. This man is an invalid, lying on his bed. Someone wheels him to the places he wants to go to. He suffers from soft bones in his hands and feet. He cannot move his hands and his feet. He is not able to lift a piece of bread to his mouth or to lift up a book so that he can read. People feed him and do all that is required for the well-being of his body. That is where his illness ends, for his brain perceives very clearly the things that have to be done. This man was a leading figure in the shipyards that built warships in London. Formerly London was the place where warships were built; now the work has ceased there and is done in other towns in England. This invalid occupies himself in writing letters to the Government criticizing the allocation for the building of warships to other towns only and not to London. He says that London is the city with the most unemployed people and that therefore some of the contracts for building warships should remain there to provide work for those people so that they might live. The owners of other ship building establishments are angry with him because if part of their work is returned to London they will be losers. They fight over this matter while most other people see the justice of this invalid’s case. Last year he asked the Government to allow him to build one of the new ships, and they agreed. That warship has been finished. It is one of the largest and is called the Thunderer. Although he has not seen that warship, he knows every detail of its construction. He it was who designed the construction of everything. He has many secretaries to write down what he says and his instructions about the design of each part. Once again the Government has received his request to be given another to build. This man has been afflicted by his illness for a long time but he has not become despondent because of the onslaught of his illness. No detailed account of world events escapes him; he knows about all the major doings in the world; he has read all the informative books that have been written. He knows all the workings of the warship so that he has only to dictate the manner of construction of each part for the secretaries to write down and send to the workers. The mental ability of this man is amazing, like that of a fit man. It is good that we should know of the work [10] of such people, and that we think that if this invalid has achieved these great works, could we not also do what we have to do if we showed the same commitment as his.

THE SPEECH OF THE BISHOP OF AUCKLAND AND SOME OF THE MOTIONS PASSED BY THE MEETINGS HELD AT TE KOHANGA AND TE KAO.

My people, beloved in the Lord, the people of this good land of New Zealand:

Mahutonga, the Southern Cross, guided your ancestors and crowds of their warriors to cross the Moana Nui a Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean, to this land. By God also, whose symbol is the Cross, I was guided to cross the sea to this Diocese, as a father and guide for you. My heart is filled with delight and with love for you, my people.

May God strengthen us together to work for the renewal of things in this land. I hear that there is a group called the Association for the Growth of the Maori People working for the increasing well-being amongst you and your people. I would say to them to make the faith and obedience to Jesus Christ the foundation of their work lest it be wasted.

We are all, Pakeha and Maori, elder and younger brothers and sisters. We all suffer the same temptations; we pray as one to God to forgive us our sins. What we all need is the strength and the grace of God. Therefore let us have the same mind amongst us so that we travel together, pray together, help one another, and work together to renew things in this land.

It gives me great joy to come amongst you in these first days of my work as a bishop bringing, amongst the new tasks of mine, the blessing of God to some of you who are reaffirming the promises made by their godparents, and consecrating a new church, and seeking together hopefully ways of reviving the work. My heart’s desire is that together we venture upon these new things so that we achieve fulfillment – ‘a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ [Ephesians 4.13 AV].

I know that your inspector, my beloved brother, Mr Hawkins, is committed to helping you. Our desire is to use all our strength in supporting the good things happening amongst you.

Please pray continually to God for me. I also will pray for you every day. May God guide and instruct this hui and may he give us his blessing at all times.

The Motions.

By Tupaea Nini and Otene Paora:

‘That the amount of money remaining from the Kohanga Church, lost at the time of the fighting, which was taken by Mr Maunsell, be ascertained, and that the money be returned for the expenses of the church.’

By T Maka and the Rev H A Hogan:

‘That this hui expresses its desire for the prohibition of liquor.’

By T Maka and the Rev W Keretene:

‘That the form of the licence for lay-readers be determined.’

Mete Keepa and Eru Ihaka:

‘That the clergy cease the practice of administering the Sacrament outside the churches except in established villages without a church.’

LORD KITCHENER TO BE GOVERNOR OF EGYPT.

The papers inform us that the Government of England has appointed Lord Kitchener to be Governor of Egypt. Lord Kitchener was chosen for this position because of his knowledge of that land and for his management skills. The Governor of Egypt was Mr Gorst, a son of Mr Gorst of New Zealand. Mr Gorst died this month while still in Egypt. This land has not come fully under the rule of England but still has its own independence. The position of England is one of guide. When the Egyptian Government gave over the administration to England it was to ensure [11] that it did what was right and the administration and the well-being of the people are very good. Over the last few years the Egyptians have become increasingly spiteful towards England with the result that the status of England has declined in that country. When Mr Gorst died, the English Government decided that there was no better man than Lord Kitchener to set right the running of Egypt and to restore the good name of England amongst the Egyptians.

This man, Kitchener, was formerly a Land Surveyor. He was sent with others to survey the countries of the East, that is, Egypt and Palestine. This is why he knows the peoples of those lands. When he participated in the fighting his courage was seen. When the time came that General Gordon was killed to the south of Egypt, Kitchener was chosen as the right man to avenge Gordon’s death, knowing, as he did, the land and its peoples. There was great joy when the news arrived that Kitchener had defeated the Arabs to the south of Egypt. For this work he was made a Lord, He was styled Lord Kitchener of Khartoum. This was the place where Gordon was killed. He was made administrator of that area and his good qualities were seen. Because of his knowledge of the land of Egypt he was chosen to run Egypt at this time. So in these times we shall see his ability to direct people in a period of peace as well as in a period of war.

A GREETING

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

My friend, greetings to you and your Bird. May we all prosper under the many blessings of our Lord. Bird, this is a load for you to carry to the marae you land on in many places, and it is a greeting to my friends who drink alcohol. My friends, greetings. It is the case that the adze has struck at the roots of the tree, and this is why my heart welcomes the statement from the Maori Group of the New World that we should do away with that ‘food’, liquor. I, your humble servant in this place, set down my thoughts on the objectives published by our friends and by the learned people of the world. Now, my friends, I grew up in the midst of this evil ‘food’ and have experienced all its effects, and there is nothing good about what I did when involved with that ‘food’; all the afflictions spoken of by our wise men have happened to my body. Since 1909 I have carefully separated myself from that food as a way of nourishing my body, therefore I pray you to have the one thought in the days that stand before us, and that is to prohibit, to do away with that evil spirit. There is no life for our bodies or our spirits to be found in that ‘food’. And let us set about sanctifying our bodies, as is said, to be a dwelling-place for Christ, to be the child of God, to be fit to live in the kingdom of heaven. My friends, we have entered now into the practices and the ways of the new world so seek real life both for the body and the soul in these days. Don’t worry about feeding our Pakeha friends, the hotel owners, but let us set about nourishing our own bodies, so that they are like those we nurture. If we are stout-hearted then we shall see the fruits that emerge from our industry. I end my words here. From your friend of past days.

H W Hiamo.

Kahukura.

7th July 1911.

HELP FOR HUKARERE.

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

My friend, greetings. This is a notice about Tuhoe’s collection for Hukarere College. Bird, load up these words onto your wings for you to carry to all parts of Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. I returned from the Ngati Porou Hui at Wai-o-matatini on 15th March. When I got to Ruatoki I asked Tuhoe to consider collecting money to help Hukarere School. Tuhoe agreed to my idea. At the time I was collecting people were having difficulty in contributing their pennies. When I saw how difficult it was I went to the Pakeha side for their help with our collection and found that we had the same desire. This is the amount collected, £16.

Paora Rangiaho.

Ruatoki.

20th June, 1911.

♥♥♥♥♥

Maata Piripi died at Okohurua on 6th June, aged 80.

[12] 

CALENDAR : AUGUST, 1911

Day 10 0 2h 25m P.m. Day 24 ● 3h 44m P.m.

1 T

2 W

3 Th

4 F Fast

5 S

6 S Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Morning Evening

1 Chronicles 9-29 2 Chronicles 1

Romans 6 Matthew 19.27 – 20.17

7 M

8 T

9 W

10 Th

11 F Fast

12 S

13 S Ninth Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 10.1-25 1 Kings 11.1-15

Romans 11.1-25 Matthew 22.1-13

14 M

15 T

16 W

17 Th

18 F Fast

19 S

20 S Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 12 1 Kings 13

1 Corinthians 1.1-26 Matthew 26.1-57

21 M

22 T

23 W Vigil, Fast

24 Th Bartholomew, Apostle Fast

Athanasian Creed

Genesis 28.10-18 Deuteronomy 18.1-15

1 Corinthians 4.18 & 5 Matthew 28

25 F Fast

26 S

27 S Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 18 1 Kings 19

1 Corinthians 7.1-25 Mark 2.1-23

28 M

29 T

30 W

31 Th

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A NOTICE

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

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Hymns -/6

I will pay the postage to send the books to you

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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/-.

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