A MAORI ROMANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 February 1917, Page 4

A MAORI ROMANCE

SUCCESSFUL TREASURE HUNT IN 5 OTAKI.

The main topic of among! the natives of Otaki and district just now is the recovery- of some, hidden jewellery at O'tiaki, under somevTnat 'extraordinary circumstances! (states'the N/.Z. A Times). In connection -with inieL den ' articles an interesting Maori 1 romance is interwoven. It is eaid thato the late Puke te one-time mtfniber-of the House, of-Representative*,, representing the western Maori (Tbrotlher i uncle to Mr Hema R. te Ao/of Qtakil*' 1 uncle to Mr Hema R. to Ab, of Otaki), j became, enamoured., Maori ,>ma}d, I who presented him. with a gold! and) chain,, and other':, jewellery,,' .gipkfe •was a .'married man/ and, ,'being v '-afral , d of hia wife discovering! these" presents f romi his latest' laUy-love, put them in a tin box, and buried them, intendingr to remove them, la'tier,' When hia wife.Jja4 gone away. However, he and the 1 jewellery remained where it was. ' : Tfaib [ was*about 40 years ago. It was known. that Puke had buried eome treasure, but the whereabouts' remained a mystery. Some time ago a/ Maori prophet proteased to know where' the jewellery was hidden, "and an attemipt was made to secure it by digging, but the only "thing -~. the excavators meti with was an "tflw Mahoe stump. ■"'"'"* A few days ago Winnie Raika,'/of Te Kuiti (daughter of a well-known Otaki native,- and herself for many years resident'at Otaki), paid ,a to'ptaks, and informed the local natives that.she was possessed of powers Which, enabled her to locate! tES" treasure, -buried by tne ' late Puke te Ao. The natives were' Mall sceptical, but Winnie persisted to such. , 1 purpose that an expedition" was arrang-,' ed on Wednesday last, whea the£ visitor declared' she would reoover the' loat fcjwo* There must have ;* hundred natives in tie band-that set forth for this purpose. Winnie led-the way to 1 the top of a- sandhill wot Jar from the Waitohu, at a spot callted i rarua," the site of an old Maori, house. This house was for years unoccupied, i being held "tapu" by the natives,- and many years ago the old buildina waa destroyed by fire. There was'hdthing left.. whatever 'to v mark the spot where, the . ibuilding had- stood. ~s ',' ,n\ After a little examina'taon of cality, Winnie indicated a and declared that the treasure ilay hidden 'there. She said"thatMieneath the* spot she marked was a main" post of the old house, which had' been imbedded, and • the jewellery would be found A Maori "woman., who Accompanied Wienie, at once set to work with a m while ,the crowd of natives' _ round, exhibiting much curiosity'in we * proceedings. v Some six or ejght Snbhes below the surface the spade came-in-con- , tact with a chawed post —therxeiijains of the old frbht post of the Maori hbusenrand a'tl a' depth of a little over two, feet, near the post, the spadeswoman Bfcearthod the.' |ong-lo^ked-foT,,trea^ur^/TThe, arr tides had evidently been buried m * tin box, which had crumbled almost .away. However the contents were intact, and comprised a small gold watchj gold chain, gold] .ring, and a greenstone-pen-dant. All the articles were m;a"itar stat© of preservation, though, discoloured. The delight of 'the Maorm cess of ihe search lmew.no/boundsivand the wbmaru who had been ceived hearty congratulations from, all present." irecoveredi property ha* , been handed <H*> Mr Hema R. to Ao. , ; The womfcto Winnie Raika declares that she know* the whereabouts of ebme greenstone valuables," supposed, 'to hay* been sunk in a Maori canoe in ontfof the lakes on Mr Simcox's property, Otaki {Forest Lakes). ' She say® she will tfie lake and secure the canoe aud its contents, and has mtoii»ted ihaib after a time she will fulfil her "tlaum. Stories are current that this wom*nt t «aa recovered valuables sunk .in a. lake near Te Kuiti, apd especially after cesß of her venture a,t Otaki K>n, WeWt«£ day,' the ' natives' areu inclined, to the opinion thai' Winnie possesses my*, terioue powers that appeal to theirimajfinative minds." ■. - '