Te Kooti Rikirangi

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 113, 6 February 1937, Page 19

Te Kooti Rikirangi

When Te Kooti and his band of followers were in exile at the Chathams, some of the Europeans of the island were on very friendly terms with him and were able to judge from contact with him that he was a shrewd ami clever man. He occupied much of his time in reading from the Bible and rewriting large portions of the Scriptures, which he arranged to suit me new faith that he and his followers promulgated at the point of the sword, after their escape from the island on July 4, IS6S. The copy of the Scriptures, with many alterations, underlinings and added notes, was given to a friend of the writer’s, as a parting gift just prior to the departure of the Maoris. The person to whom the Bible was given stated that Te Kooti had told him that he and his people were to be freed, and he described the plans which had been arranged for their rescue. The Maoris were certain of their being able to leave the island,mud said that a vessel would come to M «u--tangi and that they would return to their homes in her. Although those m [ charge at the island knew of the plans for escape they had no means whereby ■ they could have been circumvented, It will be remembered that there was only one person killed when the prisoners took possession of the settlement, for the plans were so admirably arranged that resistance was almost useless. Te Kooti, whose full name was Te Kooti Rikirangi (Kooti, Coates), thought that he had been treated unjustly in being exiled, and it is that his subsequent actions, in committing outrages.on settlers in rove y Bav were actuated by desire for re venge.—H. Maynard (Hataitai).