DEATH OF WETERE TE RERENGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 59, 11 March 1889, Page 5

DEATH OF WETERE TE RERENGA.

A telegram from Waitara states that Hone Wetere te Rerenga, the well-known head chief of the Mokau native district, died on Saturday evening from congestion of the liver, at the age ol about bfty years. He was a rant/alira of the Ngatinianiapoto tribe, allied by marriage with the Taranakis, and was well known throughout tho North Island, especially in Auckland. He had a rather eventful career, having taken part in the YVaikato war against the British, and also cave assistance to the Taranaki natives in their fighting .against the pakehas. For many years after the war had closed Wetere lay under a ban and dare nob venture into European settlements, the reason being his alleged complicity in the White Clifls massacre of 1869, when a numbor of Taranaki and Ngatimaniapoto surprised the constabulary pest at the Clifls and killed Lieutenant G-aseoigne,.Mva Gascoigne, their three children, and two other Europeans, and also the Rev. Mr Whiteley, a missionary. Wetere was stated to have led the war - party ac the massacre, but.he always denied most screnuously that he had anything to do with such an act of treachery, a kohuru. Seeing rhat the assertion that he did so rested solely upon tho word of a native of another and hostile tribe, there is room for belief that Wetere was guiltless in the attain However, the Government set a reward of £500 upon his head, and did not remove it until 1876. After this Te Rerenga became the most friendly of natives, and did a great deal towards advancing European settlement in the Mokau and adjacent southern districts. In 1878 a large meeting was held at Taranaki, at which, mainly through Wetera's influence and endeavour, the Mokau Iliver was declared • open to European trade. In 1882 he went to Wellington to see the Native Minister in reference to the opening of the Mokau lands, and while there the information was laid against him for the murder of Mr Whiteley. Receiving information about it from Mr Bryce, Wetere at once returned to tho Mokau in time to avoid being arrested for a crime of which he had always declared himself to be innocent. A short time later an act of bravery was performed, by him for which he received the Royal Humane (Society's bronze medal. Mr Rursthouse, the well-known surveyor, was crossing the Mokau bar in a canoe, when it capsized, the inmates being thrown into the water and in great danger of drowning. They would have gone to the bottom butTfor the plucky action of Wetere, who witnessed the accident from the shore, and at once put off' at the risk of his life and rescued the surveyor and his companions. In 1883 Wetere again was Mr Hurathouse'e salvation, this time coming to his rescue with an armed force at Te Kumi, in the King Country, where he was chained up in a whare for four days by the notorious Mahuki and his fanatical band. Since that time Te Rerenga lived quietly in the Mokau district, paying occasional visits to New Plymouth and Auckland.