MAORI CENTENARIANS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 114, 15 May 1924, Page 7

MAORI CENTENARIANS.

! DEATH AT AGE OF 105. The death ocurred at Clevedon on Slay 13 of Mrs. Mahurea Tauranga Meihana at the great age of 103 years. Latterly Mrs- Meihana has lived with her niece at Clevedon. During her long life, practically the whole of the development of the colony of New Zealand as a British possession has taken place. There have been mnny instances of longevity of the , Mnori. William Toe Toe, who was one of the deputation of >&>rthern Maoris to George IV., died near Wahiku at the age of 100 years. Another Maori reached 110 years, and Erua Patuone, who died some years asro at Takamina, harl nttaired his 105 th year. The most remarkable case of ionsevity is related in the late J. C. Firth's book "Nation Making," where a Maori at the ajre of 124 years was abandoned by his tribe because they thousrht it was time for him to die. Another case of longevity was that of the tohunga who at an age over 100 years was buried in his whare during the Tarawera eruption. He was alive when dug out by the rescue party, but died shortly afterwards. In that case the tribe would have nothing to do with the tohunga because they thought he ought to have died during , the two or days he was nnned by volcanic debris in his hut at Wairoa.