MAORI FANATICISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13435, 13 March 1907, Page 7

MA ORI FANATICISM.

FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR TREASURE. [BY telegraph.— own CORRESPONDENT.] Gisborne, Tuesday. The latest development of Maori fanaticism has taken an amusing turn. Latterly the mana of the prophet Wereta, who was all the rage among the Maoris on the East Coast some years ago, has been on the ■wane, but Wereta has hit upon a novel method of stimulating interest in his mission. The 'Maoris are at present holding a huia at Tokomam, and Wereta is present. According to an old Maori tradition a large immigrant vessel was wrecked many years ago, somewhere in the vicinity of the mouth of the Ponawa Creek, a short distance north of Tatapouri. The native today assert, that they have often been told of "the terrible fate, that befel the pakehas and their ship. The coast for miles along was strewn with wreckage and dead bodies of men and women. Two very old Maoris, so the story runs, discovered a box of sovereigns, cast up by the storm. This they buried in some secret place, and beyond telling the fact Or their discovery to one or two, the exact locality of the treasure passed as a secret to the grave. It is at this stage that Wereta. steps in. The legend recently came, to his knowledge, and lie announced to his followers that he would consult with his " atuas" (gods) as to the locality where the treasure had been secreted. Within a day or so the prophet triumphantly made known the result of his inquiries, and directed a search party to proceed to a point near the Tapuwae rocks, where they were to dig and unearth the hidden gold. The party went and dug, but without success. Since then several other parties of Maoris have been out digging vigorously, but the treasure still remains a mystery, and the natives are puzzling themselves how the "atuas" could have made a mistake.