THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE CHIEF HOTERENI TAIPARI.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3572, 26 March 1880, Page 3

THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE CHIEF HOTERENI TAIPARI.

About three hundered Europeans,principally women, assembled at the Maori ca rved house, on the Parawai road, yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, to witness the funeral obsequies of tho late chief fiotereni Taipari; but they were considerably disappointed with, what thoy saw, as what promised to be a very imposing affair proved to he only a funeral of the usual European kind. At 2 o'clock, tho hour appointed for the commencement of the ceremony, there were about 250 Maoris (including representatives from tribes in the Piako, Ohinemuri, and Coromandel districts), seated within tho fence, most of whom wore crying for tlio loss they had sustained, Occasionally, however, the most prominent natives present would rise and extol the virtues of the deceased. This was kept up for about an hoar, and would no doubt have been continned longer had not the driver of the hearse requested that a move should be made without further delay. A few minutes previous to the removal of tho coffin, which was lying in the porch of the runanga house, all tho nearest relatives of tho deceased walked up to it and took a last look at its inmate, after which they indulged ic another '• cry." The body was then removed to the hearse, and Wikitoria, (he aged widow of deceased, drow tears from tho eyes of many of tho female spectators by her exhibition of grief. She citing frantically to one of the posts of the building, and it was with difficulty that she could be persuaded to relinquish her hold, and follow tho re> mains of her husband to their last restingplace at Totara Point. The procession was a very small one, and consisted of only a few natives, and eight or nine carriages containing Europeans, hundreds of Maoris waUing on tho footpaths instead of following the cortego. Amongst tho Europeans present we noticed Mossrs E. W. Puckey, Gr. T. Wilkinson; A. Brodie, H. Mcllhone, W. Dearie, W. 11 Nicholls, Kenny (Pictou), H.Driver, J C. Williams, J. E. Coney, Ifev T. L. Danes, and Sub Inspector Kenny. The ehief mourners were W. li. Taipari, Hamiora, Kapihana, Hore Matene, Wiromt} Tuipari, Koro More, and another. On reaching the Maori Chuyuh, the coffin was taken into it, and a portion of the burial service of the Church of England read by tho native minister, the Rev Wi Turipona, in an impressive manner, after which the body was replaced in the hearse, and tho procession resumed its inarch to the Point. Owing to tho steepness of the hill ihe coffin, which was povered with a handsomely ornamented velvet pall which cost ten guineas, had to bo carried to the top. On arrival there, the concluding portion of the aervioo was given, and the -body was consigned to tho cold ground amidst the sobs of tho natives assembled round the grave, which is ouly a few feet away from where his old friend Rupana sleeps. It is tho intention of W. H. Taipari to erect a splendid monument over the grate of his father.