A FAMOUS WARRIOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 285, 26 August 1908, Page 4

A FAMOUS WARRIOR.

HOW THE ARAWAS ATE "THE •i POTATOES." 'A SCULPTOR AMONG THE MAORIS. Mr. Nelson-Illingworth,' tho talented.'sculptor, who hairto;;establish typfes of tho Maori - in /plaster , for the' Government, : has- beeii sojourning id the Rotorua, district for some months in its native kainga. Mr. Illingworth has been for tho greater part of; his. time in j Rotorua and its but on'one occasion 1 he ventured into the Urewera Country, and in. a .village not far from' (Jiilatca discovered a great "subT- • ject—an old warrior in his one hundred and third year, named Wharekauri, a descendant of the Nga Potiki and Patu Heuheu .tribes, who took part'irL the storming 'of To Tumu \pa at ilakat'u in'vlß3G. Wharekauri was captured by the Arawas in ■.his'' youth"...- and ■ was enslaved until.,the-light of Oliiistiaiiity broke throUg'lTthe ,-fflul, fog of,hekthenisnl,'\ Of this,mail Mjilr ..writfis'ln; the •••; ®arly '20's <v party of"' natives, under the_noted chief Ngahihi, went from Rotorlin, to Ruatahuna on a ceremonial visit to the Tuhoo' or Urewera tribo. 1 They were not' favoured with the usual • Maori hospitality, v and left for homo somewhat abruptly. Their " host; fueling somewhat ashamed of ilia scant hospitalityj ~»aid to. Ngahihi: 'If"' you go by way of ther-Otairi Village, you wW.find somo: ■ of my potatoes.there. Use them as you pleaso.' The- Arawa, jjarty, on arriving at Otairi found -a. small tribe of Ngktiniahanga living there, and immediately proceeded to kill and cat 'a'-numbcr. Aftei r 'resting*. a few days, they went homo, taking a number, of prisoners, including Wharekauri, who; was then a-fine, well-grown lad. He .was eventually adopted by his captor, and became a member of the : AraWa tribe, and distinguished himself by his prort-ess and ■ bravery in all their tribal wars. After the introduction of Christianity, when all slaves were set free, -Wharekauri Preferred: to remain with his, adopted people. The Ngatimahanga waro vassals of the Tulloe vtribe, hence the old chief was quito within i his rights when he invited his guests to eat his 'potatoes.' ... Mr. Illingworth v states that ■ Wharekauri in his prime must hiivo been a glorious speci- - " Ewm now; in thb winter of his days, his stature'was impressive, and when standing 1 upright in\h'is yotinger days- . he must have* seven feet, in height. The old. man canhot sneak a-word of Eng- .• lish. and has never worn boots or Europeanclothing of any kind, but. lie . has oaten his enemy "liko a man" after many a fiercetribal fight in ■pre-Pakeha days. In addition to Wharekauri, Mr. Illingworth succeeded in getting studies of Neta Kahd, a beautiful youhg .Maori girl; of Anaha To Rahui, the last of the old carvers ■ at Ohinemiitu: • and of Tikitiri, a fine old rangatira, well-known . In :the; Rotorua. dis- . trict. ' ■ „. -: : ■ - • ■ . During his long visit to the'district) Mr. Illingworth became quite au fait with the Arawas, and before leaving there was a gathering of Natives, who hiade . many speeches (interpreted by Maggie), and finally he was named tho Chief Raurakitalii, a compliment to his craftsmanship,, as it was the historic name of thb fast of the Maori carvers who arrived fr.om Hawaiki in tho dawn . of life 'pn these islands.' " Mr. Illingworth has- now secured-, six out of tho ten studies he-is to ■ execute fof'the Government. ; '~;n r