THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF JOHN MARMON, THE HOKIANGA PAKEHA MAORI; OR, Seventy-five Years in New Zealand.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 26

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF JOHN MARMON, THE HOKIANGA PAKEHA MAORI ; OR, Seventy-five Years in New Zealand.

Chapter XX.— (Continued.)

OR nearly eight years I lived with Muriwai, treated by him with unvarying kindness. They were stormy years those, too, for I Pomare, emulating the example shewn him by Hongi, was carrying death and war throughout all north New Zealand. But we were

not troubled by these oommo-

toons ; our kainga was too remote to,, be included in any summons to come to fight, so we lived in peace and quietness. I employed myself chiefly in reading. I gave the Natives so much a week to prepare the flax for me, and then I disposed of it when tjie vessels came. Then I began to do a little in the cultivation of land. My maize crops had been successes, and I did not see why I should not try wheat and barley. They, too, repaid me, so that with my potatoes and my pigß I accounted myself a farmer on a small scale. Then I had grown an adept in the manufacture of grog. I made a lot of wealth out of grog by this manufacture. Sailors would come to my place on a " spree," and spend their money there like princes, which was much needed, as we had no currency except' muskets and flax. I built a larger house, put a bar into it, and made it as like a Sydney public-house as I could. T professed to sell different kinds of drinks, which was managed by .seasoning with different native spices. Tom Tapsall kept shop for me for a b^t, but was such a restless spirit that you could never put dependence on him. Yet ho was a good fellow, was Tom, and stuck like a limpet ty a friend. I was coming iti one afternoon from fishing after a pretty successful day. My Karakias seemed to have been peculiarly powerful, , for at. the bottom of lny boa), lay a hoa(j of kahawai, schuap"|jor, and eels, altogether a good, day's work, As I neared the land-

fog-pWse I saw standing with the granddaughters of Muriwai a very pretty girl, rather lighter in hue than the usual run of Maoris. Her features were regular and pleasing) her limbs supple and exquisitely moulded, her whole bearing graceful and elegant, whilst a mixture of neatness with fitness in her attire proclaimed her to be of higher blood than many at Tahitaira. The bright sunlight brought out & glossy tint in her wavy hair, and as me stood against the background of some flax bushes and ti-tree she formed altogether a very pretty picture. Her eyes were fixed on me with an inquiring look, as if surprised to see &pakeha in the settlement, and I heard one of her companions whisper that I was the great tohunga who had only to speak to bring the spirits at will from Te Reinga. Her image I haunted me. I could not forget the light in the lustrous eye, the gleam of the little teeth beneath the slightly smiling ' lips. Was I in love? Reader, I perceive it is already a foregone conclusion with you, and that the man who up to this date had sneered at womankind, and declared there was not one worth noticing amongst them, should at the mature age of 40 fall in love. Ah> reader, love is very fickle, they say* and is subject to no law ; so it must be, fot here* now, I was in all the pains and torture of love. A thousand times I called myself a fool) and strove to drive away the image t from my mind, , I tried to drown the remembrance in a bumper of grog, but sparkling in the top bubbles was the face of the Maori girl. It was a case> reader, and a man may as well acknowledge it. Yet I dreaded that any one should ever siippose that the tohunga would ever give way to anything so foolish, as my influence would be impaired. Yet I wanted the object of my desire not only to know, but toireturn my passion. ,On inquiry I found she was Muriwai's grand-niece, the daughter of a chief near Kororareka, in the Bay of Islands. He had died, and she had been sent to her granduncle to. be taken care of. Though only twelve years of age she had all the ways and graces of a woman. I learned also that Hawea, for such was her name, had in her train a Buitor. Patuone, who was in the same state of langmshinentas I felt myself, but was a younger and handsomer man. No one could tell me whether or not the friends of the girl looked with favour upon the application, but this I determined by my position as tohunga to prevent. Accordingly, away to Muriwai I |Went, and entered into a korero with him about it. I told him I was desirous of entering into further relationship with him, that I had made up my mind to take another wife, and that I saw no one who would suit me bet; te'r than his grandniece, Hawea. Muriwai . looked troubled. He had wished to secure the other young suitor in his tribe, and my wish seemed to put an end to his scheme. However, iVas too powerful a man to be refuaedj and he gave his consent to her becoming my wife._ But It was anxious to gain her own goodwill as well, and, therefore told Muriwaxil -would vjait a little and bring her to consent to it of her own free will. This relieved him, for distance often relieves us of much of our embarrassment. Accordingly I met Hawea, and' spoke to her for the first time. Without the least confusion,, she answered me, and I found ihjer mind' to be as. interesting as her face. 1 This was, the beginning of my aru aru or courtship. By every means in my power I strove to gain hfer regard, and then made my ropa or declaration of love, by pinching the fingers. All my endeavours were in vain ; she had loved the other suitor before she came to Hokianga, therefore it was almost impossible to supersede Kirn in her. regard. But lose her I could not; 'therefore I told her I must and would have her. She said she did not wish to be my wife, b]ut would live with me according to Maori custom for a year, after which she would be' thpu (sacred) to her husband. But nothing \f ould satisfy me. So at the end of my year of qourtship (1838) ; I went to Muriwai and told him I wished Hawea now as my wife. He seemed very much troubled, but gave his consent, and, accordingly she was made tarn imam, or betrothed! to me, though many difficulties yet lay.in the way of making her my wife. ,' Ab Hawea was living with Muriwai, it was according to Maori etiquette that I should go with a strong party, and as it were remove her by force, though this latter often was necessary when another suitor offered opposition. I therefore summoned several of my friends ; we armed ourselves and proceeded to Muriwai's wliare, having previously warned him that we would be there that day. Muriwai was on tihe watch with his friends, as well as the unsuccessful suitor and his party, so that we were likely to have a rough time of it. At length Hawea came out of the whare, and each side seized hold of her and commenced a struggle for her possession, in which her screams of agony at the outrages she received were unheeded amidst the tumult. Every stitch of clothing was torn from her, and at length when we did succeed in carrying her off, she was streaming with blood, and in a senseless condition. Such is a puna rvxi or fight for a bride.

Hawea, however was not seriously injured. A day or two of rest put her all right again, and from that day to this she has been a most faithful and loveable wife. Her former suitor, in place of evincing spleen at my success, became a firm friend, and was killed a year or two after in the war springing out of the destruction of the Kororareka flagstaff. Singularly enough she is the only one of my wives I consider as such, although she can lay least claim to the title, being the last. Perhaps, because she was the only one for whom I made a formal marriage taua. Towards the end of 1837, some excitement was occasioned by the arrival of Baron de Thierry with a party of followers. He proclaimed himself Governor of New Zealand, said he had been invited by the great chiefs, and had purchased a great part of the North Island. The Natives laughed at his heroism, whereupon he struck his breast, said " Look at me, me Governor of New Zealand, me one great chief," 'and with a great deal of talking tried to persuade them that Hongi and their own chiefs had invited him to New Zealand ; but they only laughed, and said, "Yes, all right, Kawena Pokonouyou." It seems that when Mr Kendall was in England with Hongi the Baron had given him some threo dozen axes and other goods, and that he had commissioned Mr Kendall to purchase for him a large tract of land in New Zealand. Mr Bushby, the British Resident, was somewhat alarmed at the Baron's proclamation, and sent a petition to England from the European residents, desiring the protection of the King. Hwevor, the Baron's purse was not deep enough to keep up appearances for long. His large silken banner faded ; his followers deserted him ; many returned to Sydney. He was evidently a gentleman and scholar. Tic ultimately succeeded in obtaining some 300 acres of bush land from the chief Tiro, of Waima. I have often been asked what were the ■duties of a tohuns/a, and how I being a European could perform them. Prayer and medicine were the two great duties of the tohnnya; .the former comprised in karukias suitable for every emergoncy ; the latter, in a knowledge of roobs and the preparation of simples. A toll unga must bo able to rulo the whirls, to make them blow from a quarter suitable for fishing ; he

must restrain the evil spirits : both practise aiid destroy the power of witchcraft ; hold cttaverse with the gods, and raise the dead. He must be able to foretell the future, and control the powers of Nature. These seemingly can be accomplished by any man with a reasonable amount of shrewdness; for very little art is required to dupe a Maori in matters connected with his religion. The explanation of omens or aitaas was another branch of his office. Everything out of the common was supposed to have a meaning, and to be sent as a warning. The flash of pain through the body, a sudden awakening out of sleep, a day-dream, were all matters requiring explanation ; and a token of a tohungd's power was to refer them to the operation of some divinity. Therefore, reader, it ought to be no matter of surprise to you to learn that a European became a tohuiuja when if a reasonably clever conjuror went to Maori land he would at least be worshipped as a new god. I was involved at this time m a dispute about land which almost brought on war between Muriwai and the Kerikeri natives. I had received a considerable bit of ground at Kerikeri from Hongi, which Rewa, who had succeeded Tawitiwai as chief, quietly appropriated. This I could not stand, and I went over to Kerikeri to demand justice. But Rewa had become very conceited since his battle with Pomare at Kororareka, and he refused to acknowledge any right of mine at all. I threatened war, which he laughed at, and said if I spoke much more he would make a war raid against us to teach us better manners. In the presence of his chiefs I solemnly cursed him, and singularly enough from that day his good fortune left him.

During the year 1838 (I forget the precise date) a man called Harry the Stone-cutter, who was in the employment of Mr Cochrane, a settler on the Mangamuka River, was working as a sawyer ; when he had finished his job he left for the Kohii Kohu, thinking there would be a chance for him to get down the river to the Heads. While he was waiting about, a canoe came up from Whirinaki, and he ascertained from the Natives (a man and a boy who were in it) that they intended to go back at the ebb. Harry asked them to give him a passage, to which they agreed. He threw his bundle and - blanket into the canoe, stepped in himself, and away they went. On reaching Papakawau, the Native asked Harry for payment. ' Why didn't you ask me when we were at Kohu Kohu 1 I haven't anything to give you," said Harry. The Native said the blanket would do ; but to this Harry objected, and then a quarrel commenced. The Native paddled the canoe to the bank and, landed, and managed to throw Harry down, while the boy killed him by beating him on ihe head with a stone. They then took his bag and blanket and went on to Whirinaki, leaving the body on the bank ; for the Natives do not hide up a murder as a white man would under similar circumstances,' neither can they keep a secret for long. Two ori three days after the murder the boy told the whole story to his chief, who immediately sent the Native who had done the deed to' the mission station, so that he might be' punished by the white people on the Hokianga River, according to their own laws. Tjris man was a 1 slave', but the' boy, who had actually killed Harry, was the son of a chief, aqd therefore he was kept for safety at Whirinaki. The affair, caused a great sensation from one end of the river to the other, for this may be said to be the first murder in cold blood committed by the Natives. The missionaries sent over to Waitangi in all haste for Mr Busby, the magistrate, who came over at once. On his arrival a ' sort of committee was formed, comprising all the leading white people and chiefs, who held a meeting in the chapei belonging to the WesleyanMisßion at Mangunu. Mr Busby presided, and after they had examined the Native, Mr Busby said they must have the boy, who, according to the Native's account, was the actual murderer, for the man had confessed everything connected with the affair. I told Mr Busby I did not think the Hikitu (the name of the tribe) would give up the boy, as he was the son of a chief. Hereplied, ; " I am sure of the lad, for Nene (Tamate Waka) has gone himself to fetch him."

1 " Sir," said I, "if 50 Nenes went they would not get the boy ;" and it turned out as I had predicted, for Nene returned to the Mission Station without the lad. The trial proceeded ; the native acknowledged everything, but persisted in saying that the boy had killed the pakeha with a stone while he held him down. Mr Busby said they could do no more (an evidence of weakness which I knew the native mind would be quick to perceive), and ordered the Native to be handed over to the chiefs of the district for punishment. Nene and the other chiefs knew the pakehas always .hanged murderers, but decided that shooting would answer equally well, for they saw no difference between shooting and hanging. The chief Nene ordered Pangari to be in readiness to shoot the Native the following day ; accordingly on the next day a party of both Maoris and Europeans went over to the island (now owned by Mr Webster), nearly opposite to the Wesleyan Mission Station, called Motu Keiore, to carry out the sentence. Pangari stripped himself, the Rev. Mr Hobbs acted as chaplain, my father-in-law as sheriff; and, with little ceremony or concern, Pangari shot the Native, and he was immediately buried on the island. One thing I noticed which was not' according to our laws — the man was shot while ifi irons ; they ought to have been struck off before ho was executed. ; Towards the close of IS3B occurred my last tribal war in New Zealand. Our tribe, the Rarawas, had long had a standing feud with a hapu of the Ngapuhis, of which Taupitaki was chief. It had originated through Murewai's grandfather killing, in a fit of passion, Taupitaki's aunt, who was his wife. For long the feud slumbered, neither party caring to commence^ hostilities ; but when one of our people, on going through Taupitaki's country, was killed and eaten, this was regarded as an insult which could not be overlooked. For war, then, each side prepared, and most unwillingly was I dragged into it, both as tohunga and warrior. We marched upon Taupitaki, who was encamped within a strong pah at Mangonui, near the sea coast. It was apparently a place of great strength, but the Ngapuhis seemed to be possessed with a terrible dread of us ; for neither Taupitaki nor his people could be induced to venture out and do battle. At last we decided to storm the pah. An attack accordingly was made on three sides at once, and sharp fighting became general. I was leading one of the parlies that were relieving the attacking forces, and as the [ bullets were flying pretty thickly round about, I winhed myself anywhere than where I was. The Ngapuhis made a stubborn defence. A few of them had been with Hongi in his expeditions, and they strove to infuse their own courage into the breasts of their comrades by shouting- that the spirit of Hongi was looking on. But it wii.s unavailing. Gradually they were forced back, and at length an entrance was pained into tho pah. For an hour there was indiscriminate slaughter of men, women, and chiidrou : fv>i it .scorned lo our men a < if tbe ilyinu- groans of Uieir enemioß wero the sweetest music. Succeeding this was the cus-

tomatfy feast upon our foes. It was the last time I was a oannibal. the last time I could lay claim to the name of " Cannibal Jack."

(To be continued).