TE KOOTI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 91, 19 April 1893, Page 5

TE KOOTI.

MORE ABOUT THE DEAD CHIEF

The death of the noted ex-rebel native cmet le Kooti, which took place on Mon day night at Ohiwa, Bay of Plenty, i attracting attention as marking anothe stage in the peaceful progress of this part ot the colony from the dark old days of the haSt" v r" eh e P'sodes as those wbich brought fe Kooti into prominence less than a quarter of a century ago are not at all "*eiy ever to be repeated in New Zealand, le Kooti, however, was nob always so Diacit as ho was popularly painted. He was actuated by friendly feelings towards the Europeans and the Government towards the close of his eventful career, and inciuents have from time to time been related of his kindness and consideration to Europeans during his sojourn in the Jving Country, after his nardon some ten years ago. During the' lasb few years ie Kooti frequently exerted bis greab influence amongst cerbain secbions of the nabives in this province in bhe cause of law and order. Only a few weeks ago, ib may be remembered, he advised the recalcibranb Urewera natives to allow; the Government survey to proceed and so avoid trouble with the authorities. Te Kooti, or Turuki te Rikirangi, as he was known by the natives, possessed enormous sway among large sections of the Urewera and " King " Country natives. From the time of the Poverty Bay massacre in 1868, the Urewera tribe took up bhe rebel cause of Te Kooti. Living in tho midst of almost impenetrable and fcrest-clad mountains, and seldom mixing with Europeans, against whom they had no grievances, the Ureweras were nevertheless the first to join Te Kooti, and they have looked up to him ever since even more than to their ancestral chiefs, if anything. Te Kooti having been exiled from his people at Poverty Bay by his conduct, was compelled to live in the Waikato, on the sufferance of Ngatimaniapoto, but he was always hankering after the sea-side and his allies, the Urewera, and finding that it was not safe for him to go back to Poverty Bay, he gob the Government to give him some land at Ohiwa. The new 3of Te Kooti's death, no doubt, revives vivid memories amongsb many old colonists and ex-soldiers of the stirring times of the past, when the whole available force of the Government were in full pursuib of the notorious warrior. Amongsb those -still alive and hearty, who foucrht against Te Kooti nearly a quarter of a century ago, are Colonel Whitmore, Major W. Mair (of Luke Takapuna), Major (then Captain) Mair, Lieub.-Colonel Mc Donnell (now of Wellington), Captain Preece, cf Napier, Colonel Fraser, Major Gascoigne (now at Chatham Islands), and lasb but not least, the veteran chief, Major Bopata Wahawaba, of the Ngatiporou tribe. Major Ropata received the New Zealand war medal and also a sword from the Queen for his services against Te Kooti.