DEATH OF THE CELEBRATED NATIVE CHIEF HOOK-NOSE. (Communicated.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume X, Issue 672, 6 December 1853, Page 3

DEATH OF THE CELEBRATED NATIVE CHIEF HOOK-NOSE. ( Communicated. )

I The death of the celebrated Hook-nose took place on the 21st ult,, at Coromandel Harbour, in the presence of his tribe. During his last illness he was visited, by many natives of distinction, a circumstance yery unusual amongst the native tribes, and this deviation trom the general usage evinced a marked respect ior^ tne dying Chieftain, otherwise the ceremony of visiting would have been delayed till the king of terrors had seized his prey, and the body had been laid out in state. Hook-nose was a distinguished warrior, and many a victory, it is said, was won by his prowess, his courage being of a very daring character. " But he was chietly prized," says his native biographer, "on account ot His deeds of kindness." It is related of him, that on a certain occasion he and his tribe— then very numerous— were invited to a feast near Waikato. On his arrival he found a party of warriors from the north, consisting of 100 men, (returning from a wailike expedition) in company with his ally ; and as is usual on such meetings, a friendly sham fight took place, previous to the war dance. At these displays of chivalry, the light-footed of each party dart forward and close with their opponents in single combat, and the utmost good feeling is supposed to prevail. The principal actors in this drama were Hook-nose and a northern chief named Ngauri. The latter (being the leader of the returning war party) rushed at his antagonist with unaccountable fury, brandishing his bright tomahawk in the air. Notwithstanding this he was received with the utmost intrepidity by the other, who met his advances with a long spear, and after a desperate struggle, Hook-nose felled his opponent to the earth, and sat on him proclaiming his triumph. The northern party on seeing Ngauri s discomfiture, embarked on board their canoes in the greatest consternation, leaving the rash chief to his fate. Hook-nose was quickly siu-rounded by his wanior chiefs, who loudly clamoured for the blood of Ngauri, and who were equally eager to follow the retiring steps of his bewildered tribe; but the magnanimous Hooknose said, " Restrain yourselves ; ours is the triumph. "Thus it was," continues the -writer, "Te Tamwha saved the life of Ngauri, and permitted him to go to his people in the north, and greet them by rubbing noses. Hook-nose was well versed in the poetry of the country, and his powerful mind contained vast legendary stores "of knowledge. It was by no means unusual for chiefs to "visit him from various districts, to obtain his sage counsel in cases of emeigency. His relations with the Europeans were of a most friendly character : he manifested on all occasions the greatest readiness to serve them, and to espouse their cause. His fisheries, his forests, and his lands were always at their service ; and many a threatened storm which must have overwhelmed the old settlers, was dissipated through his mediation. It was customary in the early intercommunication with the New Zealanders, foi the Europeans to place themselves under the protection of certain chiefs, and any insult offered to them was immediately punished by these protectors general. Not a few availed themselves of the known influence of Hook-nose, and certainly they had no caxise to complain of his fatherly care, for there is abundant proof on record, that he sacrificed his own interests to serve them. It will be remembered that Hooknose was particularly favourable to the projects of the Government with regard to the gold question at Coromandel. Onthat occasion, he pointed to the gentleman who went thither at the request of the tribes, and said :— - " Ye who are here acknowledge these your parents. All is weil, for the messengers o£ G-od, — of truth are here." ' It may not be out of place to notice here, that Hooknose was one of those New Zealanders who had the honour of being introduced to the gieat navigator Cook. " I was," said the old chieftain, " as tall as this person, (pointing to an European between fourteen and sixteen years of age) " when I visited the ship of your ancestor Pene Kuki (Cook) . There were" continued Hook-nose, " several native youths in company with myself, and while we were feasting our eyes on the wonderful tilings we saw for the first time, Captain Cook came forward, and patted me on the head. We were very friendly with the people of the ship, during their stay at Coromandel." " Hook-nose was very powerful in speech ; his metaphors were rich and striking ; it is said, that he could sway the tumultuous multitude with comparatively little effort, and managed always to secure their admiration, studiously avoiding to abuse his power. Li his more youthful days he must have been a dignified looking man, being extremely tall and well proportioned. His hoary locks and venerable appearancG seem to have attracted the strong sympathy of his countrymen; they would often remark, "His sun is about to set." The more encouraging part of the old warrioi's history was, his desire to obtain religious knowledge;— a knowledge "which maketh wise^unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. At his otto particular request, he was received into the Christian Church, by baptism, about a month or six weeks before his death. This interesting ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Lanfear, a devoted and zealous Clergyman of the Church of England, residing at the Thames. It could hardly be expected that the poor old man's views of Christianity could be far advanced, but let us hope, that ere his immortal spirit quitted the tenement of clay, he was enabled to cast himself as a penitent sinner at the foot-stool of that compassionate Redeemer, who says,^' Him that cometh nnto me, I will in no wise cast out." The following tianslation of a letter penned by his own dictation to an European friend, will doubtless be read with interest, as will also the memoir written by one of his relatives :—: — Friend Mr. — ,— Salutations to you. How great is my love towards you. Farewell ! After lam gone, you will be kind to our children? With you is the thought as regards the Euiopeans and the natives. You will guard the interests of both Europeans and natives, and advise them for then" good, so that the inhabitants of this island may dwell in haimony. I wish you to watch the evils which may arise amongst our family,* for you have been called to the chieftainship, or guardianship of the speeches of the natives. This is the whole of my sentence to . (Signed) ' Te Taniwha. (Hooknose), when dying. My place will be occupied by my son Kitahi. [The young man who wiote this letter, and to whose caie it was entrusted to bring to Auckland, died and was buried before the deatli of Hooknose took place.]

*The European Mend is here addressed as one of themselves, and his interests are supposed to be identified with those of the natives.

Memoir Translated f> om the Maori. Te Horeta was th 3 last chief of the Thames of the former generation. The chiefs of former tunes have all departed, and the survivors are the young chief* only, who axe not of the past generation ; they are of to-day The vcrv aced chiefs that outlived their fellows wei c Te Horeta (Hooknose) and Irai Taharoku ; they both die T d he a nam c of Te Taniwha (Sea god) was given to Te Horeta on account of a fight with the Ngatitamatera tribe The enemy were put to Eight, and made their escape to their pah. Some of the paity were anxious to secure the canoes, and, while in the act of fastening them with a rope to the pah, Horeta came up and called out to them, "Do not fasten the canoes ; I claim rtiem" The men replied, "No, we wU kee p them ourselves." «We shall see," said Te Horeta, " whether you reptiles can take them." So saying, he sprang from a high bank, with the hope of getting into a canoe, but lie fell into the stieam, and managed to get under the bow of the canoe ; while there, the party on board the canoe attempted to spear him. On recoveimg himself, ho leaped into the canoe, and drme the men ■ iuta the water ; they took shelter m the pah, and Horeta took possession of the canoe -while the people fiom the pah, in amazement, called out, "He is a Taniwha(Seagod),not ama!." »»JW«f his name Taniwha; it became a proverb with the IsgafaSSnga was visited by Te Horeta, for the purpose of revenging the death of the chief luawaiuhia; le Horeta capt rel the pah of Matakana, when two hundred men, and two hundred women and children, were slain. After this, the chiefs of the Thames (m company with Hooknose) commenced their speeches, ana an army paddled away consisting of Ngatipaoa, Furepra, the Hauna, the Waero, the Aho, the Putu, Takmo, TJwhakauhoa, Puketapu, the Ngatiwhanaunga, the Noatimaru, Mokoia, the Riwha, and others. Ihe pan of Tiawha was taken, and four hundred men and eight hundred women and children were slain. |he^gatiawa tribes made aproveib in reference to this battle, " Many are the crabs of Rangataua," or the people who have come to fight areas numerous as crabs. # lhe tribes mentioned above encamped at Pureora, in the Bay of Plenty, and the Ngatiawa paddled thither in their canoes. Many thousand persons were engaged in this battle. The armies met and fought and these tribes fled before the Ngatiawa, viz. :— the Ngatipaoa, the Ngatimaru, the Ngatiwhanaunga, and the JNgatitamateL At 'this juncture, a chief "of the Ngatipaoa named Te naupa, appeared, and a chief of the Ngat - awa, named Paretiti, came forward. Paretiti bit Ins lips with rage, he was so anxious to thrust his spear into Te Haupa ; but the latter killed Paretiti, and his tribes were routed. , . jn^,i The Ngatiwhanaunga (Hooknoses tribe) paddled a*ay to (fpotiki (in the Bay of Plenty ! the pah of ft Ruato was stormed, and two hundred men and tour hundred women and children, were killed. Whence ie Taniwha went to Maraienui, and stormed the pah ot that place; it belonged to the Whanauaapamii; there were upwards of two thousand people in it : -one mousand men, and one thousand six hundred women and children. All these were slaughtered when the pan was taken by Ngatiwhanaunga^ The party now set out for Maungatautari (near Waikato), and le Kangiipuia was destroyed by Te Tanwha's party. Thence they iourneyed to Taranaki, and the pah of Bangituapeka was captured, and many men killed. Tclamwha went to many other places, where he displayed his prowess; the Great Ban ier was his last battle held; but his great fame was not owing to his great bravery, but to his kind deeds. {Coichision in our next.) .