POWER OF TAPU

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1932, Page 3

POWER OF TAPU

SACRED CARVINGS BOUGHT. TWO ACCIDENTS ALREADY. ‘ Rotorua, Nov. 28. * A motor lorry conveying old Maori carvings from Ruatahuna to- the Weilington Museum met with- an accident:?!: last week, and the story of the misadventure, as told by Mr. Hebberley, re-, 'I? ■ presenting the museum, shows that < tapu Still exercises its power over , certain sections of the Maoris. ' The carvings, it appears, belonged to the original meeting house of Te while he was hidden from his foes in the Urewera; Owing to their historic asso- jactation* these carvings were declared, ft; tapu. So jealously have they been guarded that objection was taken .even to the photographing of them, and efforts to obtain them for museums had hither- ’ to failed. Finally negotiations for their W i purchase were concluded with Te Whenuaniia, paramount chief of the * Ureweras. The news of the prospective "removal of the carvings caused consternation ■ i;'; among the hapus, and there were many , r dire prophecies of disaster following C their removal. The older Maoris especlally were opposed to the breaking of the

tapu, but apparently they were overruled. , s

When the lorry engaged for the purpose was fully laden, and the driver was starting up, the vehicle suddenly started to move backward toward a

steep bank. The driver just managed to reach his cab in time to save me lorry and its load from disaster. This incident was interpreted by many of the natives

as a warning that the lifting of the tapu was resented, but the sceptical antique hunters proceeded with their task, and.-. the lorry got under way. But the end was not yet. When within six miles of . Te Whaite something went wrong with the steering gear, and the lorry went over a 50ft bank. It came to rest at the

bottom of the cliff, upside down, after turning three somersaults, but luckily '’ ~1 the driver and Mr. Hebberley escaped Of course, the prosaic pakeha mind attributes the occurrence to ordinary.,??, mechanical defect, but the Maori is n0t...:?so easily satisfied. It seems to him that the spirits were taking a hand to prevent q. desecration of the tapu. Who can say? The carvings were pulled up by ropes and loaded on to another lorry, and •,« brought into Rotorua railway station:.?.? and loaded for transport to Wellington, Maybe it is only a matter of convenience, but Mr. Hebberley is not travelling home by the same train, as the l