'Te Hemonga o Taurua Te Tawaroa', Te Patukirikiri, Waiau (Coromandel), 1856
TE HEMONGA O TAURUA TE TAWAROA
Nui atu te panga o te pouri ki te ngakau mo te matenga o te rangatira o Te Patukirikiri, e noho ana ki Waiau, a Taurua Te Tawaroa Makuini. Ko to matou hoa ka mate nei no te whakatupuranga tangata e piri ana ki te taha Maori, whakawhirinaki ana ia ki runga ki nga tikanga o nga tupuna, no konei pea i karangatia ai e nga Pakeha ko Te Ruruhi Makutu. Otiia, he nui tona whakahoatanga ki nga Pakeha katoa, a, nui atu tona hiahia kia piri nga whakaaro ki runga ki te kawanatanga o tenei whenua. Kua nui te kite o te kaituhituhi o tenei pukapuka i nga mahi o Taurua, a, e whakaaro ana ia ko nga tikanga katoa o tenei wahine rangatira i kitea e ia, i haere i runga i te pai. I te huihuinga nui i Patapata i Waiau mo te koura, ko nga korero o tenei kuia rangatira i waiho hei mea ahuareka mo te tokomaha; otira, kahore i pera te tika o te whakaaro o te tokomaha ki runga ki te kawanatanga me ta Taurua. Ko te kainga i keri ai nga tangata i te koura i Whangarahi na Taurua i whakaae, a, taea noatia tona hemonga, kahore kau ana tikanga kia araia e ia taua mahinga koura, pera ia kua karangatia e Taurua i reira hei rangatira hei kaitiaki mo nga Pakeha keri koura, i Waiau. I matenui nga iwi o Hauraki ki a Taurua, ae ra, i manaakitia hoki tona ingoa e nga iwi o tawhiti. I marere a Taurua i te 25 o nga ra o Tihema i te tau 1856, te aroaro o ana whanaunga i reira e tangi ana. I nga ra o muri iho ka haere mai te uhunga ki a ia, ki te whakaoti i te pito o to ratou aroha ki a ia, Ko te tangi mo Taurua koia tenei na tetahi o ana hoa i tito;—
Tera ia te kapua e hokai ana mai, runga o Maungataururu
Ko te ara pea ia, i haere ai a Makuini,
Haere ra, e Tawa, i te ara o te pai!
I o wai korero tau atu ki tawhiti,
Kei Patapata ra te huinga rangatira
Hei whakamoumiti mo te te tini o te iwi,
Hei whakarongo mai ma Kerei i te tonga.
Kei hea hoki ra taku maire tu wao,
Taku taumaru nui i roto o Hauraki,
Na te toki o te po, ka hinga ki raro ra na!
Ngaro noa ko te hoa i te turanga nui,
Maranga mai ki runga kia ata tirohia
To mata i haea te uhi a Mataora.
Moe mai, e whae, i te ao o te muri
Te rahi ati Tama, me te nui o ti Kiri
Ka panga i te ao na, i,
I karangatia a Taurua ki tera ingoa, Te Kuia Makutu; otira, ko tetahi o ona ingoa ko te Kuini, he rangatira no ona tupuna, he ngahau nona ki te wai korero i nga turanga o nga iwi ki runga. Kotahi tama e waiho ana e ia hei whakakapi mo tona turanga, ko Pita tona ingoa, he tangata whakaaro tika, —ko ia ka whakaturia nei e te iwi kua pania nei i te matenga o Te Tawaroa.
Translation, edited.
DEATH OF TAURUA TE TAWAROA.
It becomes our painful duty to record the demise of the Cheftainess of the Patukirikiri tribe, residing at Coromandel. Taurua Te Tawaroa Makuini. Our lamented friend was one of the old Maori school, wedded to her native superstitions, owing to which we presume she was dignified by the appellation of the Old Witch, She was, however, most friendly to the European settlers, and manifested the greatest anxiety in regard to the cultivation of kindly relations between her tribe and the Government of the country. The writer has had frequent opportunities of noticing her conduct, and he feels happy in the reflection that all he knew of Taurua commanded his respect. At the great Coromandel meeting in reference to the gold question, the speeches of the aged chieftainess excited considerable merriment; but there were few in that assembly more willing to give up their lands to the Government on that occasion, than Taurua. The locality known as the Wynyard Diggings belonged to Taurua, and up to the time of her death not the slightest obstacle was offered to their working, nor any advantage taken of her novel position as Cheftainess of the Coromandel gold diggers. Taurua was highly venerated by the tribes of the Thames; and indeed her name was respectfully mentioned by remote tribes in various parts of the country.
Taurua expired on the 25th of December 1856, surrounded by her weeping relatives, and some days afterwards the tribes inhabiting the surrounding country assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to her memory. The following is a lament composed by one of her friends:—
Lo the cloud is lingering o'er the mountain Of Taururu
May be it was the path by which Makuini made her exit.
Do hence in peace O Tawa, since the fame
Of thy great speeches has extended o'er the land.
Lo. when the assembled Chiefs stood forth
At Patapata, the people listened,
And approvingly thy name was uttered by the tribes;
While the tidings were borne along to Grey, Far in the South.
But where is now my Maire that stood So gracefully in forest shades?
My covert,— the covert of the people Thro' Hauraki's shores?
The axe of death has felled it, and now it lieth low.
Lo in the great assemblies of the people
The friend is absent now!
But rise again and let us see thy face Marked with Mataora's chisel.
Sleep on, O Mother, in that world beyond
While the tribes Ti Tama and Te Kiri Are in this world, motherless and sad.
If Taurua was called the Old Witch, she was also called the Queen, in consequence of her rank and the active part she took in the public discussions of the Maori race. She leaves one son named Pita, a discreet young man, who is to be duly installed into the office of Chief of the bereaved tribe.
Lo the cloud is lingering o'er the mountain Of Taururu
May be it was the path by which Makuini made her exit.
Do hence in peace O Tawa, since the fame
Of thy great speeches has extended o'er the land.
Lo. when the assembled Chiefs stood forth
At Patapata, the people listened,
And approvingly thy name was uttered by the tribes;
While the tidings were borne along to Grey, Far in the South.
But where is now my Maire that stood So gracefully in forest shades?
My covert,— the covert of the people Thro' Hauraki's shores?
The axe of death has felled it, and now it lieth low.
Lo in the great assemblies of the people
The friend is absent now!
But rise again and let us see thy face Marked with Mataora's chisel.
Sleep on, O Mother, in that world beyond
While the tribes Ti Tama and Te Kiri Are in this world, motherless and sad.
If Taurua was called the Old Witch, she was also called the Queen, in consequence of her rank and the active part she took in the public discussions of the Maori race. She leaves one son named Pita, a discreet young man, who is to be duly installed into the office of Chief of the bereaved tribe.
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