A Polished Savage.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

A Polished Savage.

THK MOARI IX 1806. Hie Hisft«>ric;il Records of New Zealand, published by the Government under The direction of tb- Hun. R. McXab. lias t lie following:—A dtspatch of King. Governor »f Xcw South A Vales, relating thai, in 18C6 one Tip-ahe. a powerful chief at t lie Isiiy of Islands, ventured to Sydney, actuated by a desire to benefit- bis countiy as others had done, ivlio had taken back to Xew Zealand the i)ota< o. He was accompanied by his four sons to Sydney. and soon after their arrival. Tip-a-he wailed upon the Gov.-rnor, clad in the costumu of bis countn".

Governor King's description of thirs pollishcd savage i* very complimentary:-- " Ti|>-a-he is 5 feet 11 inches high, .-tout, and . extremely well made. His age appears about 46 or 4S. His face is completely tattooed with the spiral marks shewn in ' Hau kesworth's and Conk's Second Voyage." which, with similar marks .on. his hips and other parts of his body, point- him out a* a considerable cli'ef or Ktanjratid'i litikit ia of the first. class. To say that he was nearly civilised falls far shoit- of his character, as every action and observation shows an uncommon attention to the rules of decency and propriety in his every action, and has much of the airs and manners of a man conversant- ivith tb" world he lives in. In conversation hs is extremely facetious and jocose, and. a." he never lellectcd on any person, so Tip-si-he was alive to the least appearance of slight or iuattint.'ou in others. Tli? Maori Chief's ideas of justice were denion.-t rited in -a remarkable way. "Tipa he told us of several -wives he bad. one of whom he killed for having a troublesome tongue."' writes the Governor: "nor could he. help testifying his surpriso that many of the women here did no', suffer the .-ame fate. He has fifty-two children living, but lie now attaches himself to only one voting woman, by whom he has a son now eiiiht years old. who acconipan- :■* him >-f hi." vi«it- and of whom lie i? verv fond.""

Vet 'his savage who tamed the shrew in so summary a manner. sliowcd ihemosl violent objection to ill'' brutal justice of tli- convict solili-mriit. Tun ;.old:ers ami a convic'. were sent luisonvis fiDin I'oit Daliymple to be tried by a Criniinal Court for stealing some oork from the King's stores at- that palcc. Tip-a-hn atlended their trial on the l'ridav. anil oiii- of thcin w;rs ordered for execution on the foilow : i\!i Mondav. As is umi.il. thev alt-nded Divine service 011 the Simdav. A- eveiyone was much atfected at their -i'nation. Tip ■ b - m-' waging in comiirse'ation : but th'- inslunt ib" service ™ as ended h»* went 10 the crimii.als and embracing (ln'lll accoiiipinied 'hem back to the jail. win-it' i: appeared tliev ca.ve Tip-ahe a petition to present to- the Governor. "On Tehirninir t«• Government House. ■.v!i«iT .-f.i'" >n-:! —>t-,iin ft?' T\i!ii/"^

interesting luurat-ivc, "lie came into the room where I was writing, ami in a vcrv earncst manner, and I believe lrom the full force of conviction, he endeavoured lo reason with nie on the l justice of slaying men lor stealing iiork. and at. tlie same time shewing the severest :-onow and grief for their fide, which he concluded by taking tlie petition out of Irs pock. I- and giving it to me. at the same lime shedding teats. He threw himself prostrate on the ground, sobbing most bitterlv.

"Observing that ! did not give him any answer or hopes tliiiii by saying 1 should . onsirier i' lie ! -it -ii'- loom ami did net make his reappearance unlil Ihe hour of dinner, having taken oft the dress he h,ul made here, and appeared very violent. exc'aimitig in the iito>t. tin ions n;. inn, t again-t the severity of our laws in sentencing a miii to die lor stealing pork, although he admitted that a mail might, verv jusl.lv be out to de;ith tor stealing ;i niece of iron, as tint was of a permanent. u.-. : but- -tvaling a- pii-cr ol pork •which, to use his own expression, was eat iind passed off. he considered as .sanguine isic) in the extreme. With much earnestness his Itrg.'.d his being allowed, to take them to New Zealand, while taking provisions wa-s not accounted a, crime ; and so ••arnesfc was he on this expedient that- he went- to ihe master of an American vessel, •then lying here, to request lie would take them lo N.'W Zealand where his ship would be loaded with potatoes as ieconiptTi:-.- for their passage. During the three days that the fate of these criminals were pending Tip-a-lie would take no nourishment whatiivcr. and in several instances was inclined to be very furious. However, on its being signified that -the two were forgiven and that neither of the others would be executed in Sydnev. he cam:- about by degrees, but would never be reconciled to the idea of men suffering death for taking wherewithal to eat—a natural reasoning for one who inhabits a country where everything of that kind is common, and where their other wants are but- few. The subject of this despatch was alleged to have participated in the Boyd massacre. notwithstanding hie. excellent treatment- in Sydney, and on this ground he was shot with a. number of other natives though thi're seem* to be good Teason'for believing that he had no hand in the tragedy.