THE DEATH OF REWI.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2755, 25 June 1894, Page 2

THE DEATH OF REWI.

Ebwi Manga Mabiapoto has passed away from vs — " Ake ake ake !" — for ever and ever. The old-time Maori is disappearing from our midst, and it is very doubtful if the younger generation, the strange mixture of semi-civilization and lingering barbarism is an improvement on its forefathers. The lately deceased chief was of high descent in his tribe of Ngatimaniapoto, which occupies the

land north and east of the Mokau river. The tribe is a large one, and once was very powerful in war, and it is as a leader in battle, and more especially in hisifcubborn defence of Orakei against tne Imperial troops that Sewi ia best known to us. On Major Mair carrying a flag of truce to the pa to arrange if possible terms of cessation of the siege in order to save useless bloodshed, Eewi returned the answer : "Ko te whawhai tomi matou, ake, ake, ake." ("We will fight on for ever and for ever.") The termination of the siege and stubborn valor of the defenders of Orakei to the last are matters of history, but v Eewi did not continue in antagonism to the Europeans for ever. Coming under the personal influence of Sir George Grey in his then term as Governor of the colony, Eewi used all his influence to establish peace in the "Waikato district. Armed rebellion gave place to a more or less sulky attitude of retirement in their own country by the natives who, whether ■ Maniapoto or Waikato, owned their allegiance to King Tawhiao. Probably, though Bhinmg as a warrior, Eewi was less of a shrewd politician than Wabanui of Otorohanga, the present acknowledged leader of the Ngatimaniapoto, but it is certain that whatever changes were brought about in the attitude of the Waikato tribes by the latter they must have been concurred in 'and have owed their beneficial character to a great extent to 4he influence of Eewi. The Waikato tribes lost most of their tribal lands by confiscation^ whilst their kindred of Maniapoto had their territory practically intact, hence the latter tribe held a great power over the former, whom they allowed to occupy on sufferance portion of their lands. It was this fact that led to the partial withdrawal of Ngatimaniapoto from the influence of the king to the present state of things in Waikato, where the once powerful king party are little better than itinerant agitators. Although it was Wahanui who uttered the words, " I have taken the sceptre from the hand of the King," Eewi had his share, and a very large one, in the transaction ; in fact, it was his opinion that he and Sir George Grey had alone pacified Waikato. Eewi's ?ast visit to this coast was in 1878, when he attended the large meeting called by Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan for the purpose of settling all native disputes at Waitara. Even then he was a little bent old man, and latterly he has become very infir»m. Feeling his end coming with that" certainty peculiar to the native race, he asked for and obtained a meeting with Sir George Grey, just before the latter's departure for England. The event was a very affecting one, and the result was the erection of a monument to the memory of both these venerable men, which one has seen standing, and Sir George ©rev doubtless will Bee should he be happily returned to us. It was a strange wish of the moribund chief, and the carrying out of the first part of his programme will probably be followed by its completion in its integrity and bands of music will I play over his grave.