BUGLE CALLS AND WAR SONGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 258, 31 October 1925, Page 28

BUGLE CALLS AND WAR SONGS.

MR. GEORGE NICHOLSON'S REMINISCENCES. " My recollection of the coming of the escaped Maori prisoners to the Kaipara," writes Mr. George Nicholson, "is rather wigue. The first time they were seen by us at our mill, which was situated at the junction of the Topuni and Te Hana Creeks, was one day when two large canoes went past, and up the Te Hana Creek. The paddlers kept time to signals given by the fugleman, and sang war songs as they paddled rapidly by. When they had gone some distance past the mill they slowed down and paddled more leisurely. We Came to the conclusion that all the noise and bluster when when they we're passing' our place was to give us a good scare. At that time* I may cay, the main settlement was five miles lower down the river. In the evenings we could hear the natives blowing bugles, using several of the Calls of the British Army. We could also hear them singing Maori eongs, evidently some sort of war songs. This continued for several nights until it ceased altogether, the escaped prisoners having gone quietly away from the district. '/' While they were round about our part of the river some of them flsed to come down to, the mill, and in the yard they would go through a lot of dril£ using fillets of wood in place of rifles. Some of the escapees were expert drillers. They used to give the orders in English, and in quite the army manner. As far as 1 know they were quiet and orderly while on our river, and did not do any harm to anyone. The Rev. W. Gittos let it be known among the settlers that there was no need to be afraid as the local chiefs and their following would guard the pakehas. However, I know that it was a- great relief to us all when the bugles stopped braying and the war conge -were stilled/ .