HERMONI RAKITAPU

Otago Witness, Issue 2173, 17 October 1895, Page 28

HERMONI RAKITAPU

By an Old Identity.

There died last week at bha Maori Kaik, in Willsher Bay, a notsd character in the pert on of Hermoni Raliitapu (commonly known as . Lakitapn), the Maori chief. The local papers have not even taken the trouble to mention the f*ct, and yet the old man wa* one of the ,few remaining relics of fcbe past, and was known and respected by the pioneer settlers of the Clntha. Hiß »ge is not definitely known, but be mnit h&ve been very old — in all probability close upon 100 years— for he was a man paib the prime of life when the first nettlerg arrived in the Clutba, dow nearly 50 years ago. Owing to his inability to speak or understand the English language freely, he has not had much intercourse with the whites, but those who know him will agree with me when I cay that he was a Christian aud a gentleman in its true sense. He was *n honourable and trustworthy man, and daring his long life did all in hit power to influence his people for' good. He embraced tbe Christian faith many years ago, and wae, I believe, appointed a lay render in the Church of Knglaud. At any rate, he always officiated at native funerals ; and to we the old man walk with bis mere in his hand in his quiet dignified manner at the bead of the funeral procession, and to note the earnest and impressive way in which he read the burial service and addressed his people round the grave, was a eight not easily forgotten. The story of his life is ft itrange one. He w&s, it is said, when a young man, chief of a fcfibe of Maoris on the West Coast, and one day gome Bailors belonging to a ship in the offing having landed on the beach, one of them strayed away from his mates, aud was surrounded and captured by a band of Maoris under Lakit&pn. As these were tbe first white men they had seen they of course looked upon them as enemies, and as according to Maori tradition it was necessary in order to ensure succrs* against an enemy to kill the first oc« that fell into their bands, the Maoris wanted to kill him, and would probably bave done so in spite of Lakitapu'B remonstrances had he not taken his mat off and thrown it over the sailor, wh>n according to Maori law he at once became invested with the muna of the ohief, aud was tapu-tapu (sacred). After this event, which must bare taken plice early in the present century, relations b^como (trained between Xnkitapu and his tribe, and having heard a tradition that another tribe of Maoris wrre living eomewbere on the banks of the b'g river, ■which flowed out of the Wanaka Lake towards the rising sun, he oecided to seek them. Lakitapu started on bis j mrney, reaohed the •hore of Wacaka Lake, and making a moki by tying a bundle of koradi together, on which he 8&t with his legs dangling in the water, he padded across the lake, and striking tbe Clutha river, came down it till he reached the Maori pa which was then situated at the bottom of Inch-Oiutha. He was well received, and 'whether by virtue of his birth or that his new friends recognised his many good qualities, I know not, but he beotme their chief, and held the position till his death. Soon after his arrival L&kitapu married a young woman named Wei*, whem I have heard •poken of as being a veiy pretty girl, and by whom he had several children, most of whom survive him. Up to the early sixties the Maoris used to make yearly visits up to the Pomahnka river to fish the raco eel at the river's junction with the Molyneux. They also fished for kmii kuni (lamprey) further up the Pomahaka. Of one of these journeys Lskitapu used to tell that while traoking his cunoe along a beach near the mouth of the K^ihiku he saw something bright on the beach which *tt-acted bis attention, aud picking \*i up, h-; f suud it " oh, so heavy," bufc no good, >o he threw it into the river. " That the gold "' wat. the explanation. ** You would not throw it. away now, Mr Laltitapu?" "No, no, kajn fjo'd," he replied, for he had learned its va!u- hy this time. Most of the old Id. u< .t e3 knew Lakitapu well in the old days, ai d rhu writer has often heard the late George Hay (of Hilly Park), John Shaw (of Fincganii), F. S. Pillaus (of Inch-Clutha), W. A Rlosley (of Ircb-Clutha), E. G. Wilson (of ErWothe), and William Tcltord (of Otanomomo) speak of him iv the highest terms, and these men were no mean judges of character. Metaara is to be gazetted as a municipality. "A new form of suioide" is the startling manner in which the Monnt Ida Chronicle heads the announcement that three New Zealand girls are proceeding to China as missionAries.