HAKARAIA, THE PROPHET.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3389, 27 May 1868, Page 3

HAKARAIA, THE PROPHET.

We have been obligingly furnished, by a gentleman Well versed in native affairs, with some interesting facts respecting the antecedents of Hakaraia, the fanatic high priest, whose increasing influence and ambitious designs, if rum oar speaks true, bid fair to inTest him vrith a degree of authority superior to that exercised by King I'awhiao himself. Hakaraia —or Anglice Zachanah — belongs to the Waitaha section of the Arawa tribe. He was actively eDgaged in the rebellion during the Taranaki war, and a number of his people were killed in the engagement at 'Y e Banga. Subsequently he resMed at a place .called Tapapa, situate between Tauraoga and Rotorua, on the western side of the range, and he and his adherents A rove off the surveyors from ,the Tauranga lands. Having accomplished tb,«« I P'illiant feat, be appears to have subsided into comparative inactivity, and isolation, gradually collecting about him a fr,w of the neighbouring tribes and disaffected rfgati'<nrous. His last exploit was the seizure of Mr. Firth's cattle, in which his party took tbejnort prominent part. He has been for some time past the head of the T^kau-ma-rua,andjs looked up to as a man ,of considerable authority. There can be no doubt that, as the recognised high-priest of thatreligioui fanaticism which has gained so great an ascendancy over the minds of a Urge section of the natives, he possesses immense authority. Indeed we, hive amp]* proof of this in thf jealous apprehensions with which his .increasing .influence and riling pretensions have been viewed t.y the adherents of the .Kin?. The aim of Hakaraia and hi-t immediate discip'es and followeri appears to he the establishment of a theoi catic form of government, which would com pletelj over-ride the authority of the so-called Maori King j and in this movement hb seems to have the oupporf of the disaffected and extreme party. We expect In the' course of a few days to receive some more reliable information as to the nature and scops of the object* contemplated by Hakaraiaj and his p»rty. ' ' >fa