The Sketcher.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 27

The Sketcher.

MAORI GRATITUDE.

It is said there is no precisely equivalent expression in the Maori language for the English phrase ' thank you,' and we believe this is a true bill. When a native wishes to express his gratification with a' gift or some act of kindness, he merely says 'Ka pai ' (it is good), or •X* p»i koe ' (you are good). In their, former wholly uncivilised state there was no such cuptom amongßt the natives as making an unselfish present. They invariably looked for some future recompense in the form of a return present, But' tbere was never any ceremony either in giving or receiving a gift ; it would have been regarded as a breach of etiquette to make any fuss on the onehand, or to exhibit any demonstration of gratitude on the other. The writer has been frequently a spectator of meetings bf Governors with Ngapuhi?, at which valuable presents of Maori garmoaia and weapons were made. The phiefa making these gifts would walk up singing a song to the place where his Excellency sat, throw down a mat in a neat fold, turn round and walk away without any ceremony, and the Governor was expected to exhibit no more signs of grati. fixation than a Red Indian. Once when. a certain European who was in treaty for a block of native land visited a section of the Ngatihaua tribe with a view to securing their assent to his purchase, he took with him a quantity of Brummagem jowellory, with a few rings and earrings set with genuine stones. He was ac companied by the late Mr Preece, a native agent and interpreter. The jewellery was intended as a ' sop to Cerberuft.' The landshark and his interpreter consulted very carefully as to thoir plan of action. The agent tookpainß to instruct his principal aa to the necessity of conforming to Maori etiquette leßfc ha should give offence, but almost at the outset the innate snobbishness of the speculator wrw near bringing the negotiations to grief. Having been introduced to a ohieftamoss of high rank and commanding influence, it struck him that ht) would advasuM "hiti own interests b)' securing her % '■C"J' V «/•"*. ' r X"'< h i.m ''«■■'• ' X ? oviGnad the bnx, «.! d dwplavea io "uoi atito* iaiwJ ay»B its gllUwiiig cu?i'uG««t, by' '.he b.nft did not appear tv draw. 'ix,. d'.',:»<S>-'l wtwve of her race bug oroaatvad coiawloto silence, and merely

looked at the box with an expression of unconcern, Taking out a valuable diamond ring he placed it on her finger, when the following colloquy took placs : Chief fcainesa : 'Is this water inside the gold i

Land-buyer: 'Oh, no, that is a very precious stone, on which the pakeha ladies set great value.' Chief tainoss : 'Do the pakeha rangitira women wear this ?' - 1 Land-buyer : ' Yes.' Cbieftaine3s : ' But what use is it to me ?' Land-buyer : 'It will distinguish you as a rangitira,' Chief taineuß : c What is the good of that? Everybody knows that lam a rangitira, You had : better keep it for oce of your pakeha women, who want it to show that they are rangitiras,' and she pulled off the ring and contemptuously threw it back at his feet. This story is merely introduced as an illustration of the native etiquette in making presents. Had the land-buyer thrown the ring into the woman's lap without any showing off or appearance of conferring a favour, she would doubtless have accepted the gift in the the same spirit, and would have worn, It must not be supposed, however, that gratitude is a sentiment altogether unknown to . the Maoris, though some Europeans, who have had, many years' experience of their character, have contended that such is the case. The opinion will, in the great majority of cases,, be found to emanatje from men smarting under a feeling of disappointment, or failure to secure some important concession from the Maori. The following'narrative of events, in which the writer was an actor, will conclusively prove the remarkable powers' of .memory and, physiognomical recognition possessed by the natives, as well as their deep sense of gratitude. The fight at Rangiriri, which began on the, afternoon of November 20th, 1863, and lasted all that night, was over. The natives had surrendered to the number of 185. Ab the prisoners marched out and delivered up, their arms, they were formed up and seated in square, surrounded by lines of soldiers with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets. ' At this stage it , was reported that one of the chiefs reproached his companions with cowardice in not fighting until their last man was killed, and urgod them to make a rush, in the hope that at least, some of them would escape. As the writer stood.looking at the prisoners one Of them, Whitiora (Wi Komiti) put his hand to > his mouth, and made a sign, whioh appeared to indicate that he was hungry. The writer threw him some biscuits, and got water in a calabash from, the neighbouring swamp. The chief shared his biscuits and water with those near him, and they ate and drank as if they were famished. The recolleotion of these events had almost passed : away when, - some eleven or , , twelve years | afterwards, I accompanied Sir Donald M'Lean, Native and Defence Minister, on a visit, to Kaipiha, near Alexandra, where he met Tawhiao, Te Ngakau, and other leading chiefs, with the object of finally settling the Maori difficulty, and securing the opening of the King Country.. I was seated one day discussing some Scriptural questions with Te Ngakau, when an oldohief approached, eat.down in front. of me, and aßked if I remembered him. „I ( replied in the negative. He shook me warmly by, the hand, the tears started to his, eyes, and. turn-, ing to the other natives, he s remarked with some emotion : ' This is the pakeha who gave, me food and water at Racgiriri." ; He then conducted me to his wbare by the hand, pre-, sented me with a handsome mat, and invited me to come and live with his tribe, promising to give me land, build a house for my accommodation, and see me^omfortably settled. For obvious reasons I declined. This, I think, is a, eomplejbe vindication of the; Maoris against any assertion that they are incapable of the sentiment of gratitude, and it ought also to remove from the troops the stigma that; some writers have cast, upon them of cruelty and want of generosity to a beaten foe. I saw many of the men at Rangiriri give up their own biscuits and rashionß of mm to the, prisoners, and I feel pleasure in testifying to a fact which, I belieye, baß never been publiolyi; recorded. — Adtomathes, in the Auckland Observer.