By The Old Ti-toki

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 72, 17 December 1938, Page 11 (Supplement)

By The Old Ti-toki

(An original story woven around the historic Wniruu massacre, and sent in by Cutty Sark, who Hyes on this historic spot).

rpilE women and children of Te Rmiparaha’s tribe were always glad when I heir chief decided lo camp on Hie bank of the little stream they culled Tuamarino.

The spot was close to the mouth of Hie creek, where it van into a big rjver which supplied them with many a tasty fish, and in Hie swamp that fed the creek were nil tlh* eels they could possibly wish for. The temporary pah was only a stone’s-tbrow from the end of a chain of hills running from there to Cloudy Bay. Birds were plentiful in the bush nearby, and flax grew in abundance, so that many a Maori mat was woven in this little paradise. The ehief.'s beautiful daughter hud been several times lo Ibis spot, and the kowhai trees were her friends, while the old ti-toki tree was. to her Maori mind, almost liiumtn. It was to this tree that-the beautiful maiden went one day in June, 1843, for she was sad. and wanted lo confide in the old tree. -News had reached the camp that morning that pakeha surveyors were measuring the Wajrim Plain, and her father was very angry. Soon there would be nothing lefi lo them of their beloved Ao.tea-roii, which their great gods bad given lo her ancestors. She lay on the bank of the river gazing into Hie branches of the old ti-toki, and talked to the tree about many things, Then she told It about the white missiopary she bud met at Port. Underwood. The Maori people there loved him. ami when she asked him why, he hud told her a most strange story of how, many, many mount, ago, the Prince of Peace came to the earth to teach people how to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all men. and that, ,-ts we learned more about Him, even the Maori and the Pakeha would live happily together. And tlie wise old tree dipped her branches deep into the water in perfect agreement.

The maiden slept, and was later awakened by voices strange lo her ears, and the angry reply of her father's warriors. Her mind was quickly made up; she would run quickly and tell them about the Prince of Pence, but alas, just as she reached them, a bullet, fired from Hie whit." men’s party hit her on the temple, and her father failed to catch the words on her lips.