The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-01
A Maori Miracle.

| sorcerer named TIE Rere; also girl nam
| ed Marata, dwelling at Rangiwaea. On
| the other side Of the island, on the shores
| of Tauranga Harbor. lives Ehau, the to-
hunga, or official prophet and thauma-
| turge, of the Maori King. Nok TIE Rere
| performed makutu, a magical service,
whereby he slew. among others, young
Marata, with whose clan he was at feud-
| She was then at Matapihi on q visit, Ma
| tapihi being on the sea on the coast far
| thest from the home of Ehau. Her death
was on Monday, November l. Her illness
being without apparent cause, was set
| down to makutu, black magic. On Tues
| day her body was taken TO the Juddea
settlement, and lamented by her kindred
there. On Wednesday it was conveyed
by boat back TO the girls home, Rangi-
waea, and the Rangiwaea men were at
the came time and in the same boat TAX
ing Ehau. the Kings Prophet, TO Mata-
kama During the voyage the mou-ners
walled their dirges for Marata, end the
heart of Ehau the Prophet waxed hot
within him.
After leaving the corpse at Rangiwaea
he decided to visit the black sorcerer, TIE
Rere, overland, and the young men arose
and went with him. Now, when Ehau
was climbing the hill he met certain Ma
| OIlS p4OuSllDS. 1--WE me a morse, ne
said, for he was lame in his feet, and
| they unyoked and gave him a horse. ami
he rode EDWARDS. Then certain of the
young men said, my lord, let US shew
thee the way" for Ehau was from
far country. But he said Il will lead the
way" and thereon they murmured
among themselves, saying, Now, it will
| be seen whether Ehau is indeed a prophet
such as no other man is in New Zeal
and" Then Ehau rode over hills and
dales till he came to a gate, and the gate
was locked Break it down. he said,
that l may pass through" and they
broke it down. Then they came TO
watering-place that is called TIE Puki, and
he said, Know We that if a beast drink
Of this water it is well; but if one eat of
the beast that has drunk of this water
he shall surely die" Then they marvel
led on him, for il was so.
Then, when the had climbed a hill, he
pointed TO one house out of many, and
said, Behold the house of TIE Rere. that
evil man." And they knew not that il
was the house Of TIE Rere, but Ehau went
thither with his servant. and there was
TIE Rere within, sick upon his bed. Then
Ehau rebuked him for the sorcery that
he wrought, and he denied it, saying that
his mana magnetic atmosphere was
great and slew men beyond his will. But
Ehau spoke TO him again, and he de-
MED not, but confessed that he had verify
done makutu, and caused the young maid
to die. Then Ehau called to them who
were without, and they came in, and
| the door was shut. Then said Ehau
Behold, my gift tells me that there is
one without" and they opened the door
and there was TIE Robe. the Christian
priest. And he heard what was done. and
q in he
came in the wife of TIE Rere, and she
also confessed and denied not, and Ehau
said, Many pray me cause both you and
your husband to die, but L bid you cease
your sin, the working of makutu, where
with ye cause the people to die"
Then Ehau arose, and took his beast
and rode back to Rangiwaea, to the house
of Wahea, the father of Marata And
the mourners were in the house. Then
! Ehau went among them and took The
dead maid and laid her head on MS knee,
and put his left hand on the maids bow
| and waved his right hand to the mourn
ers, saying. "Cease from your iamenta-
tons, for the maid shall be given to you
again" Then they held their peace, and
Ehau lifted up his voice and sang d
karakia 0neantation), and the eyes OF the
maid were opened, and her head arose
! slowly from Ehau's knees, and she stood
! upright. Then they were sfraid. but
anon they We're glad, and the maid is as
well as ever she was in her life.
Now Marata's death had been 6uiv an
nounced, as usual, in the Bay Of Plenty
| Times, in the number before that of No
| vember 4, 1898. from which l copy (only al
! tering the style. but scrupulously retain
! ing the factS) this account of ner resur-
| rection.
A correspondent in Athenree. New Zeal
| and sends me the newspaper, and ADDS:
| You can rely on the facts a. printed.
| TIE Rere Tawaha (the Hungry Sword and
| his assailant. David Murray, are well
known to all residents here Murray is
| a well-educated young half-casIe, well
| known as foot-baller and athlete
| But who. the reader asks is Murray?
! Now, We come to the British police court
| The Bay of Plenty Times OF November
contains the account of the arrest by
| Constable Dunno in Katikati of Mr. Muir
| ray, who on November 4 went and pitched
! into TIE Rere, the Hungry Sword, and
| gave him a not undeserved beating. Muir
| ray had lately lost his wife (nee WI Kipa)
! and attributed her death 10 makutu. The
/ confession OF TIE Rere gave him a clue:
/ he meant to Stay TIE Rere. Mrs. TIE Rere
! and family, and then Kill himself, to
]
! executing this scheme he was prevented
! by his friends, so he merely beat TIE
! Rere, and will probably pay forty-shill-
| ings fine. and ::thole the feud."
Now as TO the death OF Marata, my
! correspondent says: "She may have been
! drugged. but the natives who saw her all
VOW she was truly dead for two days in
| mid-spring" (Antipodesn.) To die OF be-
! ing bewitChed. by sheer suggestion. is
| VIGOROUSLY common among Maoris. Aus
| traians, and other savage races. The
Maoris OF the district were at one time
! converted. but relapsed. Convinced by
/ the powers Of the Hau Hau Tohunga 10
work miracles such as this. which have
/ hitherto been done only in obscure places
| where were no reliable outside witnesses. -
! writes my correspondent. The case OF
/ Bishop Selwya. confronted by a tohun-
/ ga. and challenged to work a miracle
! which the tohunga did before the Bishop $
I eyes-is well known. But the prelate could
not reply in kind Ike Moses and St
! Patrick, consequently in this case ne was
/ failure I have received from an. eye
/ witness. well known as q Maori philolo-
! g-st, most startling accounts OF what
/ tohunEas can co.
The reader viii easily compose MS own
4 theory OF imposture- Marata was sham
/ ming; Ehau was coached by Rsngl-
/ waea people in local details the Christian
/ minister Was IN the conspiracy, the girl
| revived, "'as per Instructions But was
| i not cleverly got Up Tor a colonial place.
l and Is Il not exactly on level with the
1 rsyiviacation OF the dead child cited BY
! DR.. Abbott. in his recent work OF the
/ miracles Of St Thomas OF Canterbury
The athletic Mr.. Murray. az all events.
{ was in earnest. I reserve ny own opin-
I ION hrrr want "a know whether 4 F,u-n-