NELSON'S EARLY HISTORY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14545, 25 October 1917, Page 7

NELSON'S EARLY HISTORY.

(By "Vanguard.")

(From week to week will appear in this, column incidents in the early historj of Nel.son. The extracts will bo taken in tlio main from Judge Broad's "Jubilee History of Nelson,s"' but the writer will be glad to avail himself of any additional information that may be offered.)

X. A VISIT TO MOTUEKA PA,

The. following interesting description of a visit to the. Motueka I*a in the early days is supplied by Mr Morley. who made the trip overland. After de■:cii!)iii^ the adventures of their jjarty un the road over to Motueka, Mr ivlorIcy jioes on to say: "Next day we went to see the. '.Natives at the Fa, and to witness a tribal meeting, and to see them cry and make a Itorero. ■ First, i may observe at that time there -\vero many Maoris residing at Motueka. in these pas, and a very fine and intolii-gent-lnokin<!; race of men and women tiiey wove, mostly well made, of stature, many of them with handsome cast of European features, and there was a fair sprinkling of children. The pas consisted of many wiiares, and the whole was enclosed with strong .stakes or palisades sunk in the ground and made of strong timber, well' lashed together with .supplejack andjiax. Some of the Native ivorneu had very small and finely shaped feet and ankles —the envy of their white sisters, and the admiration of their white brothers.

... We observed that some of the men were elaborately tattooed all over the face with very intricate scroll patterns, the details of which were very puzzling' to us, "but we were informed I they wore tribal and hereditary mark:; of distinction, -denoting family' ances-' tors. A few women were, also tattooed about the lips, am! had other marks about their persons, which is a custom they inflict upon themselves on the death of a relative or friend.' Many ,)f the old Vi'arriors wore drossed native fashion in well-mado flax mats, with i-ai.-ved greenstone ornament-R, as id usually oru'ried a I'oavy mere of greenstone :;r a tomahawk, and sonii^ of the Maoris! u.ul 'firearms cvnd bowie knives. They also had a kind of axe made of very hard wood, and beautifully carved j spears and pointed sticks. "All these were, weapons of warfare The. Native j visitors followed closely on our arrival, but did not come close to the JAi at first, but ivmainod at some distance and formed into line. The Motueka Natives also extended jn line i'a'cing their visitors, with a chief in front of them brandishing a tomalunvk. . who gave the first cry of welcome. Then began the roul native cry from both I parties, making a very peculiar, hideous noise,1 all crying "together in the same monotonous tone, not easy to describe. As soon as they began to cry :iach party moved very slowly towards the other, only a few inches at a time, so that a cry of great consequence would last 10 or 12 hours or more. . . , In this particular cry there were at least 200 Natives engaged, and it occupied all day. Very soon' after rfc began, copious tears flowed from both eyes and the noses of both men and women. ... Towards evening they wore close together, and finished, the ceremony by rubbing noses. . , Then came the feast. In former-times it would have been a cannibal: feast; now they are content with more humble fare, such as roast pig, birds preserved Xative fashion iv their own fat, dried fish, kumaras (native potatoes), native greens, fish oil, Indian corn, and potatoes. We took some food with them, j and arranged to come again to the ko- i rero.. We accordingly went next day early, but did not understand what it was about. We, however, observed by their gesticulations that they were easily excited, because sometimes they threw off their mats, shook their spears j or other weapons, .and-trembled all over! like a leaf. They behaved-very kindly to us." "

Mr Morley then gocs^on to relate how an old friend, John Barleycorn, was fascinated by a Maori, and declared his intention of getting married by the missiorary. Nothing- would turn him rrbm his purpose, and so his friends had to leave him to his fate. When last seen lie was fondly rubbing noses in approved native, fashion-with his dusky sweetheart. .