A MAORI HEROINE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7826, 19 August 1904, Page 7

A MAORI HEROINE

Story of Wonderful Endurance

A Fearful Experience

A Maori heroine died in the IVtim Jfospital last week. The Oilleiisville J|lriTr>nMiuleiit of a Marlh.Toimh pa.Hr the story. Delia Daniel, a young Maori t.ii-1. lived in PTrvil!. Island. When only fourteen years ol' au'e >he received the hronxe niedai of ihe Royal Humane Sneiety ot Australasia fur the courage and humanity displayed by her in attemptini: t.) rescue Tepeiii Turi and Alatthew Iturinru (brother-in-law and nuclei from drowning during night time in Cook's Straight on -Ist December. ISS:*. The three were returning to their homes. DTrviile Island, in a. whaiehoat loaded with nikaus. A fierce " wil'awaugh " tore the sail to tatters, swamping the boat. Her two companions were thrown out of the boat, (hie she dragged in again and fastened to the seat alongside"'herself. Tho other, too heavy to lift, she fastened to the side of the boat with a rope under his armpits. Doth men. however, succumbed to the cold and exposure. The boat drifted all day and all night with the girl and her two dead relatives, the girl seated iv the swamped boat up to her waist iv water. The next morning her cries and coo-ees were heard by her now-widowed sister, left alone oii the is'and. who, unaided, launched a boat, and towed ashore the

-gy/haleboat. which was drifting out to sea Fortunately, European aid was then at hand to bring back to life the girl, then all but dead. lint it took six months for Ik-lla Daniel to recover from her fearful experience. At the time of her death, at the age of 02, she was a married woman. Mrs Mark Williams, and was very generally respected.