DEATH OF MRS G. P. DONNELLY.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 290, 11 June 1909, Page 5

DEATH OF MRS G. P. DONNELLY.

'■» THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. (Special to Advocate.) Yesterday all roads led to Omahu, a little Maori pa on the banks of the Ngararora River, seven mites distant from Hastings. The moving impulse which brought to this humble settlement the almost continuous stream of visitors, who for several hours sped along the highways in every conceivable form of conveyance, was a desire to participate in the 6bsequies of the late Airini Karauria, a chief tainess of the Maori race, who has been better known to the pakeha as Mrs G. P. Donnelly. Early on Monday last, this notable woman, wlio has been a conspicuous figure in the Hawke's Bay district for the past 25 years, passed away, and as in her veins flowed a strain of the purest Ngatikahungunu blood, the event was deemed an occasion worthy of some attention by the Europeans, and meet for a tangi of no -ordinary circumstance by the Maoris. It was not surprising then that this unison of spirit in the two races brought together one of.JJie largest assemblages witnessed in recent years at any funeral solemnity in Hawke's Bay. Fully 4000 people must have been present at the pa at 2 o'clock,' many of them sight-seers no doubt, but many of them genuine mourners. Included amongst these were several men of leading in various parts of. the dominion, and natives from almost every tribe in the North Island. One of these was one old Arawa warrior, beait with the weight of 80 years, who had travelled all night to reach the pa in time to pay his last tribute to one whom ho and his tribesmen had learned to respect. Inside an enclosure, immediately in front of the large wharepuni the chief mourners' were gathered, many of whom were native women who sat beside' the coffin, decked in their wreaths of green leaves — the' native symbol of mourning. The high gables ■and central post of the wharepuni were tastefully draped with. black and white, while the large marquee in which the body lay was decorated with black and jroyal purple. The coffin was a handsome casket of polished rimu, relieved by heavy silver plated furnishings. Around the coffin were strewn native mats of various design ; wreaths were also there in abundance, while along the back wall of the marquee were hung portraits of the deceased, her family, and her ancestors, with here and there an old time native weapon. Scattered about in little groups within the enclosxire were the native visitors, many of whom were distinguished by their immaculate European dress, wh'icli easily rivalled the tall hats and frock coats of the city men. Not so the native wompn, for to them .-seemed to be chiefly left the business of mourning, and in. keeping with, their tribal duty they 'were clothed, if not' in sackcloth and ashes, at least in sable hues, which" contrasted" strongly with the gailydressed crowd who stood outside the enclosure, straining every nerve to catch some . glimpse of what was going on, or hear some word of what was being said. For speech-making was the first indication that the ceremony had .commenced. Addresses of condolence with the bereaved husband •and people were . delivered by Messrs R. D. D. McLean, Skerrett, Coates, Fraser, Simpson, and Captain Mair, To these expressions of sympathy various chiefs replied with characteristic assurance of goodwill and they Mere followed by the Rev. Mr Bennett, who on behalf of the fa-mily, thanked pakeha and Maori alike for ! the tribute of sympathy which their, presence showed ,and made an eloquent appeal to the Europeans to help the natives in their struggle against their environment, and to assist in bringing them on to a higher plane of civilisation. Those visitors who had arrived late now exercised their right to view the coffin for the last time, and then the bearers took up their burden and the procession was formed. .As it moved: through the quaint old pa the • air was filled Avith the tangi of the women and tho tolling of the distant bell. Weird and wild was the wailing for the dead, the sincerity of which was betokened by the tear-bedecked cheeks of the sorrowing women, and solemn indeed was the sound of the bell which rang out clear through the air in contrast to the muffled tread of the people as they followed with reluctant feet tho slowly moving procession. At tho pa gate the clergy, headed by the Bishop, met the mourners, and preceded them to the little cemetery which has already received not a. few of those who have crossed the great divide. At the gate precautions were ■ taken to prevent all who were not natives, or who were not intimately connected with the family from entering so that the service at the church-door . j was of a somi-private nature. The ' first portion of the burial. servico was I hero read by the Rev. Perori Ben- ' nett in Maori, then the Bishop standing upon the steps of the church, delivered a short address, first in Maori , and then in English. Ho said he I desired to address a few words .of sympathy to the bereaved family. *

'Death was always a subject for .sorrow, because it involved the parting of friends, the separation of those who were near and dear to us. But, while it was. right that wo should manifest our sorrow on such occasions, lie could not think that death was a subject for distress. In the beautiful passages of Scripture, which 'they had just heard read there they had the a-ssurance that Christ was "the i-esur-. rection and the life." If we abide in him and he in its, then all would be well, for we- have only to do what he has set us to do, and we would be able to realise that death had no sting, and the grave had no victory over those whose lives have been spent in the service of Christ in whom we would be some day united with those who had gone before. - The clergy then headed, the process sion to the graveside, where the burial service was continued by the singing in Maori of the hymn, "When our heads are bowed, -with woe." The Bishop then read in Maori the passages in which the body is committed to the grave , and the Rev. Mr Hobbs took up the same theme in English, and after the coffin had been 'lowered, and at -the solemn words, "Earth to earth,, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," had been pronounced, the service concluded with the singing of the first verse of the hynin, "For ever with the Lord." As the last strains of this ode to immortality died away, the twilight came down, and the mourners departed one by one, leaving the body of the dead chief tainess in the grave, and her spirit with her God.. <