SOME MAORIS OF NOTE.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20080, 7 August 1937, Page 3

SOME MAORIS OF NOTE.

AMONG HAURAKI PEOPLE. HORETA TE TANIWHA. COURAGE AND ADVENTURE. The following article, written by a well-known Thames authority on Maori lore and history, is of outstanding historic value. It is records like these which should be written, collected and printed in book form for future historians. Here will be found the story of a remarkable Maori, and incidentally the names of other remarkable men, for both Maori and pakeha come into it:— More than 600 years ago the great migration from Hawaiki took place. Among the important canoes was the Tainui, one of its leading chiefs being Hotunui. This canoe ended its voyage at Kawhia, where Hotunui married Muri-rawhiti, daughter of Mahanga, who belonged to the people of a former migration. Maru-tuahu, son oi Hotunui, settled at Whakatiwai, on the coast about opposite Puru. Marutuahu married Paremoehau, and their son, Whanaunga, as the progenitor of the Ngatiwhanaunga tribe, a people occupying the Miranda' coast and Coromandel district.

A direct descendant of Whanaunga was Horeta te Taniwha, who first came into contact with the pakeha in 1769, when Captain Cook landed at Mercury Bay. Horeta was ilion a lad of 10 years of age, and in alter years described his first acquaintance with wnite men. He was given a spika nail by Cook. This nail was fashioned into a chisel and one end drilled, so that a cord could be attached and the nail carried as an ornament. It was also used in carving waka-huia or feather boxes. When a canoe capsized and Horeta was thrown into the water ho lost his valued possession.

Horeta in his story mentioned that when Cook left Mercury Bay his people went up to tne Tokatea Saddle, and watched Cook's ship sail along the coast towards Thames, after rounding Cape Colville. He said that Cook's -,hip anchored off Waiomu and again at Te Puru. He did not call the place Waiomio, as the place is now wrongly called.

When Horeta reached manhood he took part in an inter-tribal fight. The memy were in canoes. Horeta dived from a cliff and came, up beside an enemy's canoe. Scrambling into it, he seized a paddle, using it as a weapon, ind drove the enemy overboard into the sea. Eor this feat he was afterwards known'as te Taniwha.

In 1820, the store-ship Coromandcl, with the Rev. Samuel Marsden aboard, mchored at Waiau, afterwards called Coromandcl. Here Marsden met Te Puhi and Te Horeta, both chiefs of the Ngati whanaunga tribe. Marsden describes them as tall handsome men. The "Karere Maori" of 1854 gave a description of him as a daring and successful leader, and noted for his kind nature. He took part in manytribal fights, but was always inclined to be merciful to those who had suffered defeat.

About June, 1821, Hinaki, a Ngatipaoa chief from Tamaki, and Hoi-eta fc Taniwha were in Sydney on a visit, when Hongi llilea returned from England. These three chiefs returned to New Zealand together, arriving at the Bay of Islands on July 11, 1821. Hinaki

and Iloreta were the guests of Hongi. who composed a song dealing with ancient days when his people had suffered defeat in battle. Hongi informed his guests of his intention to attack their tribes and obtain satisfaction for old grievances. On one occasion Hongi set a bucket full of milk before his guests, saying: "O Te Horota and Te Ilinaki! Behold some food; it is the milk of a cow, the animal of the pakeha. It is good food. drink it." Both being strange to such food, and unable to withstand a feeling of disgust, did not attempt to drink it. Hongi, placing the bucket to his mouth, drained its contents at a draught. He regarded his own act as a good onion, as indicating that ho would overcome his enemies. Then Hongi conducted Te Horota and Te Ilinaki to his armoury, and showed them the guns and powder he had obtained in England and in Sydney. Giving each gun a name, he said: "E mara ma! O friends! O Te Horota and Te HinaTci! Behold! This is Kai-kai-o-te-Karoro, this is Wai-kohu, this is Te Ringa-huru-huru, this is Mahurangi,"" this naming the battles in which Ngapuhi had been defeated. Ilinaki returned to his pa at Mokoia, where Panmurc now stands, and he, Te Rauroha and Kohi-rangatira made all possible preparations to resist the threatened invasion of Hongi and his Ngapuhi warriors. In the fight which followed, in 1821, Mokoia fell, with great slaughter, Ilinaki being among the slain. Iloreta, however, returned to his home in Waiau (Coromandel), where he remained till his death on November 21, 1852.

In 1839, Sir John Logan Campbell, then a young man of 21 years of age, arrived at Coromandel, intending to be present at the first land sales of the present site of Auckland. While in Coromandel, he was the guest of an American, Webster, or Wipcha, as he was called by the Maoris. Webster was a palceha-Maori, and had married the daughter, or niece, of Iloreta. te Taniwha, and enjoyed the protection

and patronage of this chief. A good account of these times may

be obtained from "I'oonainao," a book written by Sir John Logan Campbell. In tliis book Sir John speaks of Waiomu, where he spent six months among the Maoris.

When Horeta died, his niana descended to his son, Kitalii te Taniwlia, wellknown in later years as chief of the Ngati-whanaunga. Tukumana, who resides at Thames and til Whakatiwai, is a direct descendant of llorefa ie Taniwlia.

A visitor to the Auckland Art Clallery may see in the Maori collection a fine painting of the venerable old chief Horeta te Taniwlia, a painting executed bv Lindliauer.