A MAORI CENTENARIAN.

Evening Star, Issue 7641, 18 June 1888, Page 4

A MAORI CENTENARIAN.

There is at the present time down at Henley a remarkable old Maori, whose age, according to local tradition, is considerably over a hundred yearß. Tuarea is the name given to us. He was born at Kaiapoi, and belonged to the Ngaitahu tribe on his father's side, the mother's tribe being the Ngatimamoa. He is said to be the oldest Maori in the South Island. Some little time ago a Maori chief died at Kaiapoi who was said to be 125 years of age. Tuarea claims to have been a playmate of his, and says they were both about the same age. He remembered the celebrated war expedition of the famous North Island chief Rauparaha when he first made an attack upon the Kaiapoi pah. If we are correct in our dates that was in 1828, and as Tuarea was then an elderly man there is very little doubt as to his being a very aged man. He had six brothers, but they all died many years since. He was married and had several children, but they also have been dead for years and years. Although ho had taken part in one or two war expeditions, he was no fighting man; as he humorously puts it, he would rather "clear out" than fight. But he appears to have been a man of some standing, for his tribe selected him as a delegate to the North Island in conjunction with Taiaroa, father of Mr Taiaroa, who ia a member of the Legislative Council. It must have been at this time that Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pah for the second time, this time only too successfully, when the slaughter was tremendous. Old Taiaroa was one of a relief party that arrived in time to assist in the defence of the Kaiapoi pak. Tuarea left Kaiapoi and oame to Henley about fifty years ago. He then went to Stewart Island and Ruapuke,butshortly after came back to Henley. At that time there were a great many Maoris about the district, the principal camping-ground being in the vicinity of where Mr Fulton's house now stands. Tuarea was a very early convert to Christianity, being converted, it is said, by Bishop Selwyn. He was also a pupil of the late Rev. Mr Wohlers, that good man who was looked upon as a father by the Natives at Stewart Island. Poor old Tuarea is extremely religious, and holds the strictest views concerning the holiness of the Sabbath Day. He has an intelligent face, a high forehead, and slightly aquiline nose, and though time has made deep furrows in his face it has an aspect of unmistakeable kindness, even on his dying bed visiting Pakehas being received with a smiling welcome. —'Advocate.'