THE FALL OF TOTARA PAH.

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18409, 1 August 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE FALL OF TOTARA PAH.

Afc the beginning of the' nineteenth century New Zealand contained a popu. lation of between seventy and eisjhty, th ;ufiiind rt.uStve Avho were engaged frequently in inter-tribal wars.

A few adventurous Europeans, 1 ..ami traders even in thtse early times, had visited New Zealand, and their accounts of the warlike inhabitants; addicted to cE-nnibal'ism and cither vices, iufluced missionar.oj to give thus country their

aibtention.

In 1820 Mr Kendall, who had laboured

■jimong 1 the natives as a missiioriary, jou.neyed to England to prepare a, Maori tiur.eiation of the Bible. Ho was acconipiiicl by two native chiefs, Hongi and Wait, to, buith of the Ngapuhi tribe, flio noble- carriitgej and finely tattooed faces of these- chiefs attracted universal iiitu tentlen. They wore lionised by all metn. b«rs of society. Even Ueurge IV., tlu-n King of England, honoured them with an interview. Tney wcl-fe greaitily interested in all they saw, especially in tho armoury and in the military manoeuvres. During tfieir stay they received miny I presents, among them a suit of armour, and a sword from the King. Others >vi h "little forethought g^ve them tlintldck muskot« and amn.>'uut>ion little dnaiijing of the slaughter and misery "their mistaken generosity would cause.

On th<-ar return to New Zeu>Uuid they made a break in their journey ait Sydney, and here disposed of many use-iu gifts such as tools and agricultural implcniinits, received from woU-dLsposel friends in Ivngland. With the proceeds they 'pai-cluusWd additional firearms, .piiavdor, and lead.

During their stay in Sydney, Hongi and VVaikiito were the guests of the Rev Samuel Marsden, and hero tlioy mob Ifinaki, Chief of the Ng;utima.nt tribe (Tlirnies). Hinaki and his friend had booked their passages to London, j-.nl Ma.rsden, knowing that it was their intention W obtain fireirms, managed to dissuade thoni from making the journey.

Leaving Sydney, the rival Chiefs. Hongi, of the Ngapuhi, and Hinaki, of the Ngatipaoa, travelled in the same vessel to Xoav Zealand,

Hongi had learned while in Sydney that.during his absence in England, on© ol his people had been, killed by the Ngatimaru tribe, of th© Thames district. Here was a glorious opportunity of making i^se vof his recently acquired weapons, and against a foe who had not, yet B^on fortunate enough to sesuri;

firearms. With a certain amount of chivalry, he warned Hinaki of hie warlike intentions, and bade the latter hasten to his home at Haiuraki ;.nd prepa.ro ior the attack.

Hinuki tried to reason with ILvngi and d Souado him from his purpose, but without tffeot. He therefor© hastened with all speed to prepo-ru his people for the inevitable attack.

Pievious to tEis the Ngatimaru had been engaged in war more or less" successfully with the Ngapuhi. But in these fights both tribes had been armed with the old Maori weapons, the more, the taiaha. tlie paiaka. Then the fighting was hand to hand, and the issue depended upon the courage, skill, and endurance of the combatants.. Now the conditions under which they met •"•ere of a different muture. Hongi's tribe, the Ngapuhi, were armed with guns, whi'e their opponents possessed but ■wen.poi's of stone, wood, or bone; they possess-.d but ono gun, and of its use they know nothing, many of the tribe never having heard the report of firearnis.

At this t'me, the Ngaiinirru could raise a Avar party of five thousand tighting mejhi but many of tho. pe>pla were away.

Speedily th'jy sot to work . geUiny. their pa at Totara in lighting order. It occupied a splendid ptsi lion for defence; its front rose abruptly from the strip of level land that separated it from the sea shore, forming an unassailable point of attack. Its sides naturally steep hud been made mor<> so by months of labour. Series of trenches and rows of palisading piolected ' 'aL approaches to the fortress. At the reax of the pa had ken dug a deep trench, 15 or 20 feet deep, vith-almost ■perpendicular sides. At each corner of the i'<'rt, high platforms had been erected, and on these wore piled huge . hou'der* bo be hurleS on those making an ad/tack.

It was a perfect position for a stronghold ; it coiwniinded a vjetv oi the surrounding country for miles. Away to the north and west stretched the . Hauraki Gulf, and" the flcwt of an imv.d'ng [■■:•*■>» could he discerned 20 miles in the dis. tanea. Far 'to the south and south-M^t

stretched miles of swamp and kahikatea forest of an almost/ impassible natures At the back of the pa ran the Kauaer. anga stream, the, hills iising rathe* «b-

ruptly from its banks.

Anxiously the men t>n the look-f>ut peeled day after day across the wa.ters> of the Firth for the fleet of Ngapulri oanoes. D«y and night the women, and slaves -worked carrying fuel and waiter and stores of provisions to withstand a siege, while the men continued to strengthen tho fortifications and leave no p:irt unprotected.

At length the dreaded day came. It was a beautiful epring morning in Oc. tober of 1821. The waves gently rfpplfld on tho white shelly beach that in tliotse days stretched in front of Totara., l.ut which is now an expmiso of mangrove covered mud. In the plantations adj.vv ent to the pa natives were a.t work n

the early morning planting -their potatoes. Suddenly the warning of the enemy's approach was given. Tho.se on the look-out could see in the o&tance the great fleet of war canoes, eaclr maimed by 50 or 60 warriors. On came the nVut wuh its £00 waxriors until the defenders of the pa could see the grotesque figure heads of the enemy's canoes.

At a glance Hongi realised the" strength of his opponents' position. Small arms would be of ho avail against me strong palisading; to attempt to scale it would be madness. The Ngatimaru concealed in the trenches with their long manuka, spears would impale the stormers as soon as they readied the t'jp. For days the Ngapuhi conbtmted 'themselves with scouring the country, marauding parties killing-all they cou'd overtake. Then they returned and mode overtures of peace.

The Ngutiinaru, weary of their mforoed oonlinemenb in the pa, accepted the terms of Hongi, and fifty or sixty oi -the Ngapuhi chiefs, including Te Wera, Te Morenga, Te Whareumu, Ururoa, Titore, Rewa, and Ngainga were admit, ted into the pa. Hongi, however, did nob enter. Pulii, the head chief of the Ngaitimaru, at the request of ftho Uga,puhi, sent to the latter a beautiful greenstone mere, Te Uira, as a. pledge that tho terms of peace were accepted.

After 1 partaking of the Ngatimaru's hospitality, and accepting numerous presents of greenstone and mats, the JNgap.uhi chiefs withdrew. One of tho cnlefs, who possessed a little more honour a»d conscience than the others, waited till the last 5 and iir taking leave of Ahurei, a Ngatimaru chief, second in importance to Puhij hurriedly whispered the friendly warning "Kia tupaito," "Be careful!"

Then the northern warriors embarked in their canoes, and following the coast, .hey ■were soon lost to sight behind Ta.raru Point. Here they drew their can :es on the beach, and leading a number of their men in charge, the remainder returned on foot under cover of darkness to Totura. Several of Kongi's chiefs did not view with favour a return Jio Totaru, looking upon such an attack as murder, But the others influenced by the dsn.-ands of Kiri, the blind wife of. Hongi, prepared for tho attack.

Tn the curly 1 morning before dayTTght, a 11 iia ol the Njjiiitimii.ru went outside the pa, and the enemy seeing 'that h© noticed them, .shot him dead. The rep;»ro' of the gun. roused the innuiitos of tho pa. and ignorant of the sound of Hro nun,, mmy rushed out to. ascertain- 1, the cause uf tho noise. Then cnnie tne thunder g ->f Hongi's guns and many {-V.I dead at tho lirst volley. Others rushed b.,ck into the pa. followed by the en*smy.

The first of the Ngapuhi to enter the pa, was Tele, son-in-la.w of Hongi, but ho fell willi his skull split open by ;i blo^ from the weapon o: Ah'mei, vho hud received the friendly warning iron Te Morenga. Ho and his brother Pu were tho* on'y men of ■. the Ngapuhi killed in the'fight. •'

Sown the Nguitinia.ru were fleeing' in 11 directions from tho murderous fire of the Iv gapulri. Bieporbs vary as to the number slain. The Ngapuhi claim-1 that ■\, thousand were slain and that a great number of prisoners were taken, but. the Ngiiitimaru state that the number did nob reach 200.

According to the ancient custom of the Maori, should tribes' be engaged in war, the chief of the victors might, call on any of the defeated party by name, &nd if tTicy at once responded, they "were regarded as visitors* by the victors and did nob even suffer in rank.

Among tho prisoners taken by Hcngi at Tatars, were two young men of high rank, TuEehu and Wetea. They had sirrendered on being called by "name, and were '.ed by Hongi among his host of armed warriors. They were ordered to be bound. A hollow was then scooped in the ground, a fire placed in it, .and over the fire, stones were packed. A haangi or Maori oven was being mod© The treachery 'of Hongi was now apparent, and the young men saw how foully they had been trapped.

While the Ngapuhi leader Stood with poieed spear ready to slay the bound and .^fenceless ylouths, this elder brother, Wetea, asked not to be 'Kilted at once, but to be permitted to wtter a last farewell to his people ere- his spirit departed. While , Hongi stood viewing his captons, Wetea, though conscious of

he fearful death awaiting him, composed

a chant which he sang with steady voice. The Ngapahi warriors crowded around him, filled with admiration ait the bravery of a mail, who with death staring him irf 'the face, oouid among-his enemieSj Avith unblanched cheeks, and firm voice, give expression to his' feelings in song. Pity^ filled their hearts and they entreated their leader to spare the Wo of one so brave. But Hongi suddenly reollecting that his son-in-law, Tete, had been slain, rushed upon the ddteitoe'iest WeiLea, and with a sword hacked oil" a portion of his breast, throwing it upon the fire. ' ~ With Hood streaming from his body, the noble youth as' if unconscious of his enemies and insensitive ,to the pain, continued his song without a pause.

\ As he finished, ho. taunted. Hon^ with his treachery and was immediately sla'n by liis " eraaged captor. His fellow piisoner Tukehu was also slain and their bodies consigned to the haangi.

this piece of treachery and breach of honour was the greatest -sttun on Hongi's chatracter, and so incensed wero sevtraJ of his gra'Jtesb chiefs that they declined to return with his party.

. The Ngapuhi remained for some tisve ab the scene of their victory and feasted on the Bidies of their victims. Then they deported, leaving behind them the terrible scene cf carnage and the onco formidable pa now in ruins. '

Many prisoners were taJien back" by the Ngapuhi to their home alt Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, and 'as they ;approacht-1 their native shore, hundreds' of tliair relatives were<there. to welcome 'the

victors

Among those on shore was Hongi's daughter, ar.d when she learned ol her husband's death,, - her grief Tvaa feirful to behold. Seizing the sword from Hongi she- ruslied, to the water's edge to where a conoe containing sixte(ja fetnalg pris. oners lay. These, she slaughtered, and as iheir life blood reddened tho waters of the bay 'she ascended iihe hill, and in view, of all her tribe, killed herself.

The Ngatimaxu never j again inbuilt their fort at Totora, and to-day the for. maitinn of the trenches alone remain to show its former existence as a pa.