A FAMOUS MAORI WIZARD.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6492, 14 July 1886, Page 7

A FAMOUS MAORI WIZARD.

tW "Sew Zealand HoU" grtea an tamianaasiiiiiiiiiT riT Tahoto, the Ksori -fdßjgt vio "Mβ tag oat alive at rTairoa after Wag Varied for 104 honrs. bat who

eeiwqeeotjy died ia the Botoroa Hospital. Inii tbe feet that Tnboto snrrrrtd an j of thi* length of time, with-j owtfisod or water, beoea&a a sun of cold , s*&Usca*e is a remarkable one enough, MflkeV'' htm etber claims to celebrity aad ] frm E* «v said to be orer 100 year* «f m«, aad eerbaialjr be ooald not be ancsi yomager, because Natives who are «ld say tibat b* w*» ajt old man while they wm yomsg. Bβ! Tnhoto'a greatest etaim to HMva has a<4 yet been put ferwatd, a&bcogb there Hμ been a good deal .«id fcboat kSa «aoe he vsa dog o»t- Hβ <£ >soeat Maori prksts or tokmscw, wlws. bef «c the ftdreat at ChxuIjjyi latsuo&uks, bad <&*rge of *U the oonoeras of t&e Maori race. These SMB JBPHtp—wid *»»7» *ad lwv« kit no ; ewamon. Smoe the (tefclh of Te Ao X*to», in W»it*to, fcboßt & year ago, Tdbeto h*»beca aloae. la aackst titMs, 4b«tAaßS« was the most impcsta&t man ■ ■MMlMitUiri Maori peopl*. Tkeuprieat* ■lip ■uiiiilij educated from an. early ag«. Hi»Mil TTTWWg m * n of the tribes would b* ■eawted. of good birtJa sad of iateJiigeaoe, •BdOcy atteoded a kind of college, under «ye of toae Ten*rable priest, who asted m B»yif—#g- Those yoang men who ability, aad who took a deep fettnet in tfeeir etudke, were carried «L£nau Uμ lower to the higher grade*. vii* oti«r. who did rot give w much jpumiia* vet* dropped oat, aad were never catenated witb the prafoaadevt aecrets or ttencvtawfaliaoastaUoas. Whateufht be ealte#, to adopt Maaonie phawoiwy, rtgdtar - lodgf s of iuatroctioa ** wece kela. The tohuaga Itad enormooe power, aad had life aad death in hie mmL He it was who cast the omeaa whet » war party west oat, and read wkather the wurkm would be soooraefol ox not. He it waawho impoced the mystatiowapower of tapo,asd he aloae csuld xvawve it. Se performed the emmoaiee when a sew borne was opened; heproaovaoed tie seoeaury incjtatationa when t»« k«Bat« or Uro were planted. The Maori*. »luk still Ud ,%^ imm ** 1 oereaooir* waea a child wm» a ««w day* « weeks old, and these ■ isw dJitriNri by the tahaaga. Theiatrodaetktt o< Christianity made a eaxxiid*rdbl««B«af« in the power aad influence of the toiung*. Bat still, after the lapse •of §fty years, the Maoris hare not got rid of ther old The tohoagawas • bub baring "uEcaany* , powers, aad be alone eomd do certain thingt. The Katrreebeberfd la tape, aad «bea, oaly a fwr or two ago, the Ofait»*aintii VativN decided to give apiece of bud a* Botorsa ca wbicb to build St. Faith's Cfavreh, they seat for Taboto to ttse Wairoa,and be, by certain ceremonials, Roored tie tape It might bare beea lißfiwtiW'g to have get from Tvboto M* early Hβ has lived tbnagtt mighty chaogea. He knew the dm Men Christiaaity prevailed, be oxU repeat the ascieet iaoastatkiss to -; tiw g«de,*ad bad laocli knowledge which ■ tea phUologkal periat of view, would km be«a greatly Taibed 1j tenets. Bβ remmmbered tbe eld Maori wsza, aad tbe tiaa* whea Tnkoeaßgi. tiwir Isad tfcea savisited by touriets, was agraataadpowefnltrfb*. And be lived to see tike eveat of a wnTHcn yean—tbe gtmik a&uaaa ot Tarawer* asd SotomaMbb, «a evet «ocb as ttoie o< which t«Mfci»ists ten as. One wvaders what

thimrt* -*-**-*»-»- tape and the dread of 0 *" amongstthe Katives was thorn wben Tubotp was dug oeV_ Th* natives would not loach him, or give any asiistanee/not because of any hatred towards him, but because they dreaded they might do something which would bring open them the anger of the unseen P°wt»SoTuboto had to be brought in to the Hospital at Botorua entirely by Europeans, the Natives even would not feed him while there. He appeared to be wonderfully hate and healthy when in thehospitalatßotorua, aad good tor some years to come. Poessibly his Irolonged bn«al bad had •*«•*« eSeet thaa sppeared. Poenbly that, and the entire change of rarrouadinge. were too much for the old man. The Natives will say that when he got amongst tbe pakehas, and ate tbe food prepared by them, end administered by them, all bis powers of tapu and magic passed away, and so he died.