Te Kopara 35
[3] Te Kopara, Number 35, Gisborne, 15 September, 1916.
‘Iti te Kopara, kai takirikiri ana i runga i te Kahikatea.’
Although the Bellbird is small, he plucks at the Kahikatea. [cf Nga Pepeha 908]
PASSING OF THE EARLIEST ELDERS.
Bishop [Leonard] Williams Enters Upon the Long Sleep.
During August news came that the Bishop was sinking, and it was not long after that we heard that he had entered upon the long sleep. He died as an elder; but when the affliction reached his heart he died rapidly. Our thoughts go back to the old times, the times when darkness covered these islands, the times when all we did was done in darkness.
Thinking of him our thoughts returned to the past and how things were in the past, because this elder was born and grew up in those times, and he saw all the doings and the conditions of the old world, what we Maori did. As our thoughts go back our hearts are touched with pain and sadness at what they did when his parents were amongst us Maori. They were the ones who drew us out of the many, many practices of the world of darkness and mistaken belief. Secondly, we grieve his death because he is the last of the fuglemen of those within the Church from the days of evil up to the days of the great shining of the light. The third thing about this elder who has died is that a wide gap existed between the new world and the old one, and he was the last remaining cord, the one who linked the old world and the new world.
So, Sir, Mr Leonard, farewell, farewell, farewell. Go, relieved of the weight of the heavy burdens you carried on you back in this world. Go to your many forebears who have gone before you; enter into their company. Go to the people, to your Maori friends. Go, the last of those who drove forward the Maori Church from the storms of evil to the places of tranquility. Farewell, Sir, farewell! Rongowhakaata are singing your lament for your friends who are parted from you. It is right that you should lament because he was your true friend, your real father.
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But all of Tairawhiti are weeping, the small and the great, for Mr Williams was known in all parts of the Tairawhiti. When he was Archdeacon he travelled often through the areas of the Tairawhiti, and he would hardly have appeared when the cry went up from children and adults alike, ‘ E, it is the elder, Mr Leonard, coming.’ I who am writing was one of those children. I must begin my account of the life and works of this elder with the coming of his parents from England to New Zealand, but my account will be a bit selective.
On 26th March, 1826, William Williams and his wife arrived in the Bay of Islands and settled at Paihia. His brother, Henry Williams, had arrived before him. William Williams was the first Bishop of Waiapu, the father of the Bishop who has died. Henry Williams was the father of Archdeacon Samuel Williams of Te Aute who has also died. Mr Leonard was born in Paihia in 1829, and in August that year he was baptized along with the four children of Taiwhanga. In 1839 William Williams was appointed preacher for the Tairawhiti; at that time Mr Leonard was ten years old. His first schooling was at St John’s, Auckland, a school set up by Bishop Selwyn. He soon had to make his first journey to this school accompanied by his cousin, Samuel Williams. The two of them travelled from Gisborne here. His last education was in England at the University of Oxford. There he obtained the qualification BA. After this he was ordained and worked alongside his father, William Williams. He had not long been ordained when his father was consecrated as Bishop of Waiapu; this was the first time a Bishop had been placed in Waiapu.
The Great Works of This Elder.
Let me set down all the great things this elder did.
(1) He set up the first school here at Waerenga-a-hika and was the teacher. Soon after his father was consecrated Bishop, six of the men from the school at Waerenga-a-hika were ordained as deacons.
(2) When the school for ministers was established at Te Raukahikatea he was the first teacher. Most of the older Maori ministers passed under his tuition.
(3) At the time of the Hauhau his father, William Williams, returned to Paihia while he remained at Turanga to carry on their work. Rongowhakaata still speak of his demeanour at that time saying that he was the man who brought peace to the whole of the Tairawhiti. He is the elder who gave us the
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saying known throughout Turanga,
Ko wai ka hua, ko wai ka tohu?
‘Who thinks, who knows?’ [cf Nga Pepeha 1654]
Some people said to him that he should move with his family to a different place to escape the clubs of the enemy whereupon he uttered the above saying. He was asking what would be achieved by his going; if he stayed or went the result would be the same. If he stayed he would live or die. If he went the result would be the same. There was no benefit in going. He gave two of his children names based on this saying. One was named Waikahua and the other he called Waikatohu. These children were twins. One has died, Waikatohu. Waikahua is a leading farmer living at Waipare, Uawa.
(4) From the time he was Archdeacon right up to the time he became Bishop of Waiapu there was a revival of the faith within Ngatiporou and the whole of the Tairawhiti. Most of the churches on the Tairawhiti were completed under him. In those days there was an eagerness for worship and there was competition between all areas of his Archdeaconry. Likewise Mr Leonard was committed to visiting all parts of his Archdeaconry and, when he became Bishop, all parts of his Diocese. Mr Williams would visit places far off the roads as he travelled to see his flocks. He visited places like Waikawa on his travels, a very distant place and difficult of access and daunting. The Pakeha who keep the lighthouse point out a hill there to which the former keepers had given the name, to commemorate Bishop Williams’ visit to them, of ‘Bishop’s Hill’ (Te Puke Whakamaharatanga ki te Pihopa). In January, 1895, Mr Leonard was consecrated Bishop of Waiapu; he was the third Bishop of Waiapu. He was Bishop for fourteen years. In 1909 he resigned because he thought his body could no longer cope although his heart was still devoted to the work of the Church.
(5) One of the great things done by Mr Leonard, with his father and Mr Maunsell, was the translating of the Scriptures into Maori. While all the Maori of New Zealand - Mormons, Catholics, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, Hauhau, and many other groups amongst us Maori - read the two Testaments, perhaps few know that Bishop Williams is the man who made and prepared the translation into Maori. Where is the person with the capacity to speak ‘te reo Maori’ as beautifully as the Bishop, better even than the people whose language it is?
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(6) This elder did another important thing, he consolidated the Maori language. The main books explaining all aspects of the Maori language are by Bishop Williams, his ‘Maori Grammar’ and his ‘Dictionary.’ Those entering for the advanced examinations which include the Maori language reap the fruits of the Bishop’s works. Not least among those who value the Bishop’s books are the translators and young people entering Government service.
(7) The final great work of this elder in his last days was helping his son, Archdeacon Herbert Williams with his ‘Maori Dictionary’, ‘A Collection of all Maori Words,’ which is now in the hands of the Government waiting to be printed.
The last words of the Bishop to the Maori People are in some of the recent numbers of Te Kopara, going back from Number 34. Read his words there and let each person reflect on them in his own heart.
Farewell, Sir. Leave it to your works, some of which we have listed above, to reveal your glory to each generation.
W K P Rangihuna, Editor.
THE DEATH OF A GREAT MAN OF NGATIPOROU.
On Sunday, 17th September, Te Hatiwira Houkamau entered upon the long sleep. He died in Auckland. Farewell, Koro, farewell! Go my brother, go to our parents, go to our ancestors, go to your friends who have gone before you. Go together with your friend, Mr Leonard, at this time. Go to the place where both of you will find rest. Do not stay. I will sing your glory to all parts of the country. You are a very well-known person; therefore I will tell all your friends in other parts of the country that you have gone the way of all flesh.
Farewell, Te Houkamau. Leave behind your hapu, weeping, suffering. Go with all your great standing. In you, speech and works found their completion. Now that you have gone there remains only Te Ngarara in Wharekahika to honour; here at Te Araroa there is your counterpart, Hori Mahue; here on the other side of Waiapu are these of your number, Te Kairakau and Paratene. These of your number still remain trembling. Greetings to you all, Sirs, who were loved by your friend who is now parted from you. Farewell my brother and father.
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WAR NEWS
Roumania.
The news that came in the last days of August was of the entry of Roumania into the war on the side of the Allies. This news pleased all the powers that are fighting within the Alliance. King George sent a telegram to Ferdinand I, King of Roumania, greeting him, and telling him of the great gratification felt by him and all the other powers under him, that he, King Ferdinand, had not been apprehensive about coming to the side of England and its helpers, even though Germany had devoted every effort to urging him to come over to its side. King Ferdinand is a perceptive man as are his council and his advisors. His decision and that of his people to help the Allies reveals their thinking: they would only do this if Germany is to be the victim in this war. So they were not apprehensive or fearful at coming to the Allied side. Roumania would not have come heedlessly to the Allied side without being convinced that Germany will be defeated in the coming days and that its power will be washed from the face of the earth. News of strength is coming about Roumania in these days. On Monday, 10th September, news came that they had defeated the Bulgarians at a place called Dobruja. They captured nine large guns and many machine-guns. There were fifteen thousand Bulgarian casualties.
The Greeks.
These are people who are perturbed at the moment. The people wish to fight on the side of the Allies while their king does not want to. You will appreciate that it is difficult for the King of the Greeks because he is married to the sister of the Kaiser and he does not want to fight against his brother-in-law. The Allies are weary and fed up with the vacillations of the King of the Greeks and his Government. During the first days of September Allied warships arrived in one of the main Greek harbours and bombarded it as a demand from them that the Greeks make up their mind whether they will fight for the Allies or for Germany. It is not able to remain neutral, like Roumania which has entered the fighting when it was unable to remain neutral. There is no recent news of the Greeks, their fighting or whatever.
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The English and the French.
The English and the French are going forwards and not backwards. During the past week 7,700 Germans were taken prisoner by the French. The English ended this week having gained 3000 yards.
LETTERS SENT TO US.
To the Editor of Te Kopara.
Friend, greetings. I write in response to your question about the stories of Rua, the Tuhoe prophet, in Te Kopara, May, 1916. This is my answer to the question. Were we mature in our hearts we would have seen and known the falsity of Rua’s sayings. From the very beginning of Rua making known his prophecies they have been seen to be fabrications. So Rua said that he, Rua, was the younger brother of Christ. Perhaps I was the only one who said that Rua was making it up when he said that he was the brother of Christ, for many people believed what that prophet said. But I have not found in the Old Testament or the New Testament that one must believe that ‘I am a younger brother of Jesus Christ.’ However Tuhoe, Whakatohea, and the hapu of Turanga saw Rua meet with King Edward VII at Turanga. It is right that those who saw should believe, but I will not believe. It is because people put their trust in the remembered word of Te Kooti which was quoted in Te Kopara that Rua’s doings are so influential. Now, my friends, I am also perplexed by that saying because it is not yet 25 years since the death of Te Kooti and Rua is uttering his prophecies. One sign that bewilders me is the falsehoods, because I was taught by my elders that telling lies and deceiving one’s close friend is a bad thing. Yet Te Kopara points out that the people of the Tairawhiti are trusting Rua. Rua’s lies and deceptions are for them very good things.
Now, my friend the Editor, when Rua started uttering his prophecies I wrote a letter to the chiefs of Tuhoe at Ruatoki and everywhere saying that they should stop Rua’s prophetic activities within Tuhoe territory. The answer to me was as follows: ‘Kahu, this is what was revealed to us by the elder, Te Kooti, so turn to and help.’ I wrote a second letter to the chiefs of Tuhoe. I said something like this. That Te Kooti warned us to be prepared for false christs and false prophets
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bringing great signs and wonders (but you, Tuhoe, will not listen). That is because of your proverb:
Ko te uri o Tuhoe moumou kai, moumou taonga, moumou tangata ki te po.
‘[The desendants of] Tuhoe, wasters of food, wasters of property, wasters of human lives.’ [cf Nga Pepeha 2558]
Now, Te Kopara points out that Rua arranged for 70,000 acres of Tuhoe land to be sold to the Government. Toko and Te Maika are dead; Paora Kingi is wounded. Therefore, Editor, he has fulfilled his own proverb. This Son of Peace also wastes the laws made by Timi Kara in 1900-1903 to return the powers of the Marae Councils to the Maori People, and to suppress those wicked activities which were demeaning the noble status of the Maori People. Why should I have any affection for false prophets who disobey the law, who stir up wrongdoing, in order to cause human blood to flow?
My friend, Editor, that’s enough of my words as I seek to express from my side the thoughts of the Maori people of Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. It will be good if you will allow the above words to be carried by Te Kopara to be seen by our friends in the country. Best wishes to you in the Lord.
From your friend,
Eruera Te Kahu.
Taraketi Rata,
14th August, 1916.
To the Editor of Te Kopara.
Greetings to you and all the remaining people under the shelter of the Creator. Best wishes. It is my prayer to you that you would send these few words to be seen by our friends living on the mountain ridges, and also by my friend, Hatara. I was moved to pity and to sadness when I saw in Te Kopara the letter from Captain H Wainohu in answer to Hatara’s letter to him. From that answer I get some understanding of what Hatara’s letter contained. I am critical of Hatara’s letter. Despite his time as a soldier and his presence at Gallipoli he does not understand the scripture which says that the servant is not greater than his master. That is the case with all jobs in this world, even that of a soldier.
My friend, Hatara, perhaps you did not hear of or know about the visit of Captain H Wainohu and Dr Rangihiroa to request that the Maori not be split up, and the response of the Generals there. What authority do they have? It makes me very sad that such letters are sent to those of who are caught up in the fighting while we are here at home, and we know that there are things that Henare Te Wainohu cannot achieve because his authority is not that of the Generals. We have enough to do here at home in that we have to find ways of dealing with all the problems confronting Maori. If we can’t deal with them here, we certainly can’t deal with them in other places.
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Many of our people are in houses of correction. Direct all one’s means there and not at the sad things that are going on. I end these reflections here. If my friend, Hatara, wants to answer these statements then we can talk face to face when I arrive at Tikitiki, Waiapu, on 14th September, 1916. Farewell.
From your servant,
16/563 Eruera Warakihi,
1st NZ M Contingent.
Soldiers’ Club,
Galdstone Road, Gisborne.
To the Editor of Te Kopara.
Bird, greetings. Please publish the few words that follow, a lament, a farewell address from Rongowhakaata for Bishop William Leonard who has departed this world. Farewell, Sir, farewell! Since you have completed your days, tread in the footprints of your forebears and those of your friends who have been taken before you. Farewell, Sir. Leave behind the people lamenting for you, who brought peace to all parts of the Tairawhiti and other parts of the Diocese of Waiapu. Farewell, Sir. Here we salute you and grieve for you.
From your friend,
Hapi Kiniha
For Rongowhakaata.
Manutuke,
August 28th, 1916.
MORE NEWS
Three young Maori from the Chatham Islands have arrived at the soldiers’ camp to learn in preparation for going to the war. Some more are coming later. They have a Pakeha companion. These are their names: Pahia Piwari, Nane Clark, Miki Whaitiri, C Cox.
FOOD FOR TE KOPARA.
September. Hare Matenga, 5/- ; Wiremu Iritoro, 5/- ; Te Akonga Mohi, £1 ; R E Karaka, 5/- ; R Hue Te Huri, 5/- ; Te Rire Waititi, 5/- ; Rev Teri Te Paerata, £1 ; D B Kent, 5/- ; T Te Paiho, 5/-.
From the Chatham Islands. Paniora Te Arahu, 5/- ; Rakete Tipene, 5/- ; Te Rua Herata, 5/- ; Mrs R Richmond, 5/- ; Tahi Te Onemihi, 5/-.
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THE ROLL OF HONOUR.
Killed in Action Privates Hori Rewa, Motiti Island; Whare Barton, Tokaanu; Lieutenant M Kohere, Te Araroa.
Died of Wounds Sergeant Matene R Duff, Taihape.
Wounded Privates J H Hodges, Mohaka; Paeahi Ranui, Kawhia; Royal Huke, Thames; Tangi L Hawira, Karioi; Kioni Tamau, Waitotara; Cyril L Heberley; Rawi Wari Heremaia, Raetihi; Maru Taputoro, Opotiki; Piki Kohiku, Manunui; Katuka Tiekitahi, Waitotara; Takaua Warema, Kauangaroa; Charlie Wood, Tauranga’ Sergeant Rake Te Kiri, Rotorua. Corporals John Morehu, Waitara; Hiroti Nehemiah, Whanganui; W Armsby, Otorohanga; John Raki, Whangaehu. Sergeant Rangiore Tamau, Whanganui. Prvt S Ngaru Hodge, Rotorua. Sergeant Tawaki Tamepo, Waipiro Bay. Corporal Kenny Keepa, Port Awanui. Privates Rangi, L Haura, Te Kuru Kotuku, Robert Graham.
Wounded, now recovered. Lieutenant Turu Hiroti.
Seriously Ill. Corporal A Angene. Privates P Rameka, J B Lamb.
NEWS.
These names appeared in the previous list of names. It cannot be helped that in the confusion following a major battle some wrong notifications are made and that some people designated ‘killed’ have only been wounded. To grieving families we would say ‘be firm’, good news may be coming.
Killed in Action Privates S P Heni, M Apatari, R Kaiwi, H N Karapaina, K King, Mete Kingi, F Smith, P Tiatoa, E Puru, A Gray.
Wounded H Lewis, P Mua, H M Power, R Reihana, H Rukingi, K Wharehinga, A Anderson, W Heta, H T Jury, W Kareina Mou, T Paora, Hape R Tere Kani, Jesse Robson, R Delaney, Lance-corporal W Emai, Lieutenant W Paki.
Seriously Ill Private K Rapona.
Minor Wounds Lieutenant F E Sutherland, Sergeant J Manuel.
Presumed missing, now found to have been wounded. Privates Pephia Ruru, Teo Hura, Rongo Kiwara, H Tahu.
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RULES OF THE PAPER.
1. Te Kopara is published monthly.
2. The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year paid by postal note or stamps.
3. Anyone wishing to take Te Kopara should send the money with the covering letter.
4. Articles are welcome from all parts of the country, but the Editor reserves the right to decide on what to print. Write clearly.
5. Address all letters to:
Te Kopara,
Te Rau,
Gisborne.
A NOTICE
To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:
Large, soft cover 2/6
Large, red cover 3/-
Large, hard cover 4/-
Large, superior cover 5/6
Small, soft cover 1/-
Small, red cover 1/6
Small, hard cover 2/6
Small, superior cover 3/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 1/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 1/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 3/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, superior cover 4/-
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, red cover, 3/6
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, superior cover, 5/6
Hymns 6d
Words for the Prayerful Heart 3d
I will pay the postage to send the books to you
H W Williams,
Naurea, Gisborne
People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.
Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.
New Testament with explanatory headings. 2/6, 3/-, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Small New Testament with the Psalms. 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 3/6, 4/-. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Printed and published by H W Williams at Te Rau Printing Works, Berry Street, Gisborne, New Zealand.
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