KORERORERO TORONGA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1920, Page 9

KORERORERO TORONGA.

TALES THAT ARE TOLD OF MAORI AND PAKEHA BY INGOA KORE.

CONCERNING THE RANGITIKEIMANAWATU PURCHASE.

Among the stories of olden days told by the late John .Stevens, of Palmerston North, was one which will interest the land-owners of Kangitikci and Manawatu concerning the origin of their titles. In JSOO Dr. Featber?ton was negotiating, with the aid of Dr. Buller as official interpreter, for the purchase of the Kangitikei-Manawatu block, comprising a quarter of a million acres for the sum of £25,000, or two shillings per acre. The principal owners were the Ngatiraukawa tribe, represented by Ihakara Tukumaru, a tatooed old warrior chief. The deed of cession to the Crown was ably prepared in orthodox Maori fashion, detailing every item and appurtenance of the transfer. It was carefully read over and patiently explained by the interpreter, a tedious process occupying nearly two hours, at the conclusion of which the silent old Maori, pointing overhead, asked in a studiously casual voice, "What is that picture on the wall, Buller?" With equal patience, Dore's picture from Dante's Inferno was explained as being the great painter's imaginative idea of Te Reiuga (Hell). With a shrug and an expressive "huh," Ihakara looted past and ignored the roan vim for hours had so ably described (lie land, the boundaries, and the intricate tribal transactions with their legal aspects, and said, "Featherston, you have a clever linguist in Buller, an able lawyer, a capable translator, a most, interesting man, who knows the laad, the boundaries and its history, the trees, the rivers, and the lakes, and the birds in the trees, and the fishes in the water, all of which he asks for your people and your great Queen. He knows, too, all about the future home of the Pakeha who deludes the Maori people, Tc Reinga; I will not sign the deed." Maori like, because of his personal objection to or difference with the interpreter, he definitely refused to ratify the purchase. Equally characteristic was his action, when, a month later, as soon as the translator again began to read, Ihakara said, "Heoiano, enough, I know all about it. Give me the paper," and signed without another word. Then followed the payment of the £25,000 in notes and gold at Parewanui, four miles from the township of Bulls, on the 12th December, I SOU. On that occasion over a thousand warriors danced their ancient war dance beneath the groves of "Karaka, many of them stripping naked in their mad frenzy. They fed upon "riripi," a mixture made of half-a-dozen bags of Hour and one of brown sugar poured into a canoe with boiling water, which they audibly supped from the curved palms, using both hands. There were bullocks, sheep, and pigs spitted whole over a huge trench fire, also innumerable kits of potatoes, pnha, and rauriki steamed in the native ovens with hot stones, green leaves, and earth. Fortunately the Waipiro (putrid water) had not at that time drawn its net over these fine people. Among the many interested spectators were Mr.-John Gorst, who was afterwards Sir John, Chancellor of the British Exchequer. At that, time he was Native Magistrate in Waikato and was intimately associated with Sir George Grey in work among the Maoris. Prior to this purchase, earlier in the year 1860, Mr. James Alexander, a well known Waiiganui farmer, and YV\ Barnard Rhode-, of "The Grange," Wellington, had offered the Provincial Government £25,000 for the sole right of purchase from (.lie Native owners, with a guarantee that they would pay the Maoris not less than £50,000 clear of all costs. To the loss of the Maori and ihe gain of the settlers this was refused by the Government. Tjie unimproved value of this block to-day is well over £5.000,000, exclusive of the towns within its boundaries. The capital value of the whole block exceeds £20,000.000 —a wonderful transformation in fifty years.