Te Kooti's Mode of Living.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 56, 20 October 1887, Page 4

Te Kooti's Mode of Living.

The following reference to Te Kooti and his people is from the report presented by Mr Wilkinson. Native Agent for the Northern Maori district

Te Kooti, with his followers, still live at their settlement at Otewa. On the principle, I persume, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country, Te Kooti is very little thought of either by natives or Europeans in this district. Here no one troubles himself about him. It is only amongst natives in out-districts that he has any notoriety or is sought after. He is continually being visited by natives from the Thames, East Coast, and other places, who have adopted his karakia or form of worship, and who believe in him as a prophet. I am told that whenever these people visit him they bring presents of money with them ; so that, like some of his European brother-prophets, 1 have no doubt he makes the vocation pay. He is reported to have made some wonderful cures, and to have prophesied correctly with regard to certain events that have happened. But it is an open auestion whether the cases of cures liould not be put down to faith-heal-ing, and also whether some of his prophesies were not made after the events. Of course no mention is ever made of failures or misses. A. pro- ? het’s power will never stand that test. am rather inclined to think that Te Kooti is aware of our proverb, “ Never prophesy before you know, ” or has one of bis own similar in meaning to it and acts accordingly. He made a journey to the East Coast last year, where, he says, he was well received. That may have been so with regard to some of the settlements that he visited

but, if the newspaper reports or his journey are to be believed, he visited some places where he was anything but well received, and it was said that, had he presided in visiting Gisborne and some other places, scenes of his former atrocities, that he originally intended to visit, his reception there would have been a remarkably warm one, if not fraught with actual danger of his person. It did not take much of a prophet to discover this, so Te Kooti wisely decided not to visit those places at present. He may or may not be a prophet; but Ido not think that he cares to be a martyr, not if he can help it