Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-05
A AFAIR-HAIRED CHIEF
Strange Story of a Young Irishman
Who Cast His Lot Among
THE CANNIBALS OF NEW ZEALAND.
How Edward Naming Arose to be the Chief
of Tribe.
HIS MARRIAGE TO A MAORI PRINCESS
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPAroH.l

| NOBODY ever knew Just why OF Wnere
Edward Naming went to New Zealand.
Those were points on which he would never
give any information, even to his dearest
friends. may say, however, that have
reason to suspect there was lady in the
case, as there is in the case of half the
strange adventures in this world. Suffice
it to say that he went there a good many
years ago, and that he had not the slightest
intention OF staying. He merely picked
out the most savage and outlandish country
he could hear OF, and went there out of
sheer devilment, to see what was to be seen
and to get some novelty and excitement
while his blood was young and hot.
He was gentleman of good family and
fortune in the north OF Ireland exceedingly
handsome, feet inches high, with thews
and muscles like a Roman gladiator. His
superb head was crowned with a mass of
golden curls, and pair of deep blue eyes of
marvellous brilliancy and sweetness Lit up a
face in which all the features were in har-
mony, and every line betokened intellectual
power and vivid sympathies. He had
two of the most impressive of all human
| qualities, intrepid courage and bound
less sense of humor. He never in his lite
knew the feeling of fear, and he was all his
| life so quick to see the comic side of every
situation that it was next to impossible to
put him out o. temper. He was, moreover,
an excellent scholar, with large and varied
| knowledge of the poets; so that his highly
cultivated imagination served him instead
of a vast deal of experience.
He was just one OF those men whose
strong points primitive and robust race
appreciate intuitively, and he had not been
ashore in New Zealand an hour before he
was an object of admiration among the
Maoris and the chosen Pakeha of great
chief, or rangatira, who remained his firm
friend as long as he lived. 1t happened
that in landing stalwart Maori, who had
offered to carry him from the ships boat to
the beach, slipped, by accident or design,
and let him fall to the surf. Naming in |
stantly seized the Maori, and, dragging him |
out in full view of the assembled tribe, |
ducked him in deep water until he was half |
drowned before giving him chance for |
life by a long swim. As soon as they |
both reached land the Maori, who was a |
noted athlete, rushed at him to take uru |
payment or revenge. Naming, however, was |
all ready for him, and after desperate en-
counter succeeded in leaving him PROSTATE |
on the sand, amid the enthusiastic plaudits |
of the crowd The fight was fair fight, |
and Naming was well pleased by the friend |
ly welcome which his victory secured him, |
even from his opponent and his relatives, |
that he took fancy to the country and the |
people at first sight. The rangatira, vino |
had witnessed the conflict, swore he would |
kill anyone who injured the new Pakeha,"
and carried him off then and there to his pa
or fortified town, which, at the time. he was
holding against powerful enemy.
A MAORI MASSACRE.
The young adventurer having decided to
throw in his lot in New Zealand for the
time being, he brought all his belongings
ashore, built a house and store near his
friends pa, and soon became person of i'm
portance in those parts. His plans of life,
however, were shortly afterward frustrated
by little incident which is thoroughly
characteristic of th6people and the period.
The rangatira who had taken him under his
protection had for some time back had
dispute with another magnate living about
ten miles of, with whom Naming
ing, if possible. to bring the affair
to a friendly settlement, he in
vited both chiefs to meet at his house
with their respective followers, and discuss
their difference with view to- arbitration.
They did SO; but the arguments growing
more and more animated as the case pro-
ceeded. 1t ended BY Maning's rangatira
and more than hundred OF his people be-
ing shot dead in heap in front of his door,
after which the victorious party blew up his
store with all Its treasures OF gunpowder
and burnt his house to ashes. Naming de-
termined never to interfere in a Maori
quarrel again except in the Maori fashion,
and having found another and more power
full rangitira, who gave him large tract of
land in consideration of his becoming his
Pakeha, he became member of his tribe
and Pakeha-Maori in all respects.
Before being fully and finally accepted
among these interesting people, however,
Naming had a personal difference of his own
with man of some consequence, which as
nearly as possible cut short his career. He
was never tired of telling the story, and was
prouder of the part he bore in 1t, think, |
than of any of his exploits in regular war,
about which he was usually reticent. wish
could give it in his own words, for he was
a rare reconteur when in congenial COM
pany, with the hinges Of his tongue loosened
by tumbler of hot brandy and water. But
will do my best II
now, among the Maoris, men who would be
a credit to any nation, men on whom nature
has plainly stamped the mark of her nobil-
ity, faultless in bodily form, quick and in
telligent in mind, polite and brave, capable
of the most self-sacri6cing acts for the good
of others, patient, affectionate and forbear-
ing in their families-in short, gentlemen in
every sense of the word. But there were and
are others the very opposite of all this;
brutal, malignant, odious wretches, who
stand out individually from the savages
around them by the excess of their barbar-
ity and from whose breast all feeling of
humanity seems to be extinct.
A CHILD OF NATURE.
Al. L 1s.vs 1
Naming, and with whom he had to come to
an understanding before he could hold any
position in the tribe. He was bullet
headed, seowling, bow-legged broad-should-
cred, herculean ruffian. He had killed I
many men in fair fight and had also COM I
mitted two murders which were deemed dia- :
bolical even by the Maoris. He was sitting
on the verandah of his house, and called to
his wife, fine young woman, to bring him
a light for his pipe. She was going for
water with calibash in her hand and her
baby on her back, and she asked him to get
a light himself, as she was busy. He snatched
up his gun and Immediately shot her dead,
describing with great gusto the
comical appearance of her brains hanging
out. On another occasion he lopped his
brothers head of in his sleep on account of
some trivial dispute
All these qualifications combined made
him unquestionably great ragantira,
whose disfavor rendered anyone a marked
man, and, as he had never been defeated in
any conflict, his mana or prestige was in
full force. He had often threatened to visit
his hatred and jealousy on the newcomer,
who, on his part, had always returned his
nenaces with derision, vowing that if ever
the bully interfered with him, he would
leach him a lesson that would last him for
life.
One day, all Maning's friends had gone
IN an expedition to haul one of those i'm
nense nets with which the Maoris period
cally clear river or an arm of the sea of all
,he fish it contains, and he was sitting alone
IN his house, reading Sydney paper year
I'D, which contained the latest news from
he outside world. Suddenly his doorway
was darlEned by a burly figure and his