ORAKAU RECALLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 78, 2 April 1928, Page 11

ORAKAU RECALLED.

SIXTY FOUR YEARS AGO. XH» THKEE DAYS' BATTLE. STORY OF A MAORI SURVIVOR. (By Telegraph.-Own Correspondent.) TE AWAMUTU, this day. Sixty-f°u r years ago to-day, on April 2 j904 there came an abrupt termination to the three days' siego of Orakau pa. This memorable siege stands out as prominently as any other event in t]>e history of this Dominion. The gallantry of the defenders ha 3 carnod for there lasting fame. It was an inspiring example of heroism and devotion to a national cause. The story of the epic is given in extracts from the narrative given by tlio veteran chief, Te Hum Raureti, of Xjjati-Mangiapoto, who, with his father, fought at Orakau. "Orakau," he said, "was not a strong fortification. There was no proper palisading around the earthworks— we had not sufficient time to complete the defences—but there was s. post-and-rail fence, in the form of » squaro, a littlq distance outside the trenches and parapets. We were still working away at the ditches and parapets when the troops came upon us. The Sentry's Warning. "We had a sentry on the lookout, on the west side of the earthworks. Suddenly his voice was raised in these words of alarm: 'He pukeko kei te Kawakawa! Kei Te Tumutumu te mea a tata ana!' ( Swamp hen has reached the Kawakawa! There are others nearer us at Te Tumutumu.) The 'pukeko' was the advance guard of tho Imperial troops; the Kawakawa was the settlement near tho large acacia grovo (about a-third of a mile north of tho Orakau church and Kainga. "Tho troops marched by the road which skirted the bush and up through tho cultivations. Meanwhile some other soldiers (mounted men) had come a more direct way, a littlo to the north of the cart road, and wo saw them at the peach and almond grove on the hill just west of tho Tautoro swamp and creok, about a-quartor of a mile from our earthworks. Some of the troopers rode at our pa, hut had to retire before our volleys. The main body of the soldiers came marching on, and another force which had marched up along the Punul River, crossing and reorossing, finally fording the river near where the Waikeria Joins it and coming out on the Orakau-Maungatautari Road."

Retreat Follows Battle. After describing the three days' fighting, Rauterl tol(f the story 61 the retreat to the Punui on the last day; "When the people had come to the decision to abandon the pa," he said, "we all went out of it on the north-east side and retreated on the eastern side of the Karaponla ridge. The soldiers were already in the of the pa. We had to break through the soldiers at the steep fall of the land east of Karaponia, A wan rushed first to break through the soldiers; he was killed* Then the foremost man turned back toward the pa, but my father, Raureti Paiaka, and his comrade, Te Makaka, dashed at the line of soldiers and broke through, and all the rest of US followed and made for the swamp. Raureti shot two soldiers here. We flow were broken up and separated from one another. We retreated through the swamp, and when we reached a place called Manga-Xgarara (Llltrd Creek) v . found some troops to stop us. 1 here again Raureti Paiaka broke through and we pulsed on. Ngata was nearly killed there by being cut with a sword. Raureti raised his gun as if to fire at the swordsman, but he had no cartridges in his gun. The loldier, fearing to be shot, Lastily turned back, and our friend was saved. Fighting a Way Through. "Our chief and relative, Rewi, was with us in the retreat through the swamp, and Several of us formed a bodyguard to' fight a way through for him. When we crossed the swamp to the Ngamako side, where the hills go steeply,, we saw soldiers mounted and on foot 1n front of us, and we fired at them, and one or two dropped. At last v. reached.the Punui River; we crossed it and travelled through the Moerika swamp, and pre* lentlv halted at Tokanui. Next morning we went across to Ohinekura (near Wharepapa). Some of those who escaped from Orakau zetreated to Korakonui and Wharepapa; some crossed "t > Kauaeroa; and Others went to Hangatiki. When we crossed the Punui the old Urewera Chief, Paerau, ho was following u«, called out us from t!ie Orakau side of the river, 'Friends, Te Whepuauui la musing. However, Te Whenvanui (the Chief of Ruatahuna) appeared safely and we continued our retreat together. Gift of ~unpow4cr. "Bewi Maniapoto had to the Urewera Country before Pat .angi was built, in order to enlist assistance in the W * r / There were old ties of friendship WJtn the Urewera, dati back to the time of the battle of Orona, at Lake 1 aiipo, in the ancient days. The WaraJ®® sectio.. of the . ./ -.a had apa there then and there were .Sfgati'ManiaPoto living with them. Some of Wara--000 later came and lived the NgatiManiapoto country. Two casks of gunpowder were ylven to Re .. the war; one of these was paH for in this way: ♦u £ rua ' e '^ er brother of Harehare, of the Ngati-Manawa tribe, came baok with l«owi, and Raureti .j. ve him £30 to pay for the gunpowder,"

"For Ever, for Ever." *. or nothing more than the famous reft of defiance by the Maoris when »»Hed to surrend is the a lege of Ora. k*u memorai < e . Speaking in Maori, the English interpret...; ™d: -,Jor,cls, h»ten! This is the word of "the general I g ® 18 his admiration of *-11 r bravery, tJ'! 1 the ceasej eowe out tm? vl your hcdies may he saved." ♦i. i u . oris co " 14 ** T®« J 'fining their head» toyard 0..c an« Ler in coq, *>uti ion, and in a few minute came the f.*lf We f ,n * o,ear ' flrni tone; «"E hoa, k« «.i.?k . ai U;i " ahau ki * koo > akol" lIV n g interpreted mean., "Friends, J JJ„ 3-t against : r, u w for ♦ '°"® wp d tliQ famous Li.ak through the lines.