EARLY WAIKATO.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 242, 12 October 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

EARLY WAIKATO.

! POLICING THE FRONTIER. i MEMORIES OF A PIONEER. : TE KOOTI AND HURSTHOUSE. ' (By R. W. ROCHE.) ■ \ After the attempt on the life of the late James Macky at Te Kuiti, the Maoris, although sullen and smarting from a sense of defeat, made no--out-ward signs of hostility for'some years. The barrier of isolation gradually gave ■way to more frequent intercourse on the part of the younger men, whose desire for European food and clothing, was stronger than their objection, -to the pakeha. Not so the older men, with whom love of country and racial pride remained as strong as ever, but this , ,also,y in. time, gav£ way to a better" feeling, partly, no doubt, because they saw we desired to be friendly, and possibly because they accepted the inevitable. Mr. Macky told me that during the unrest after Tim Sullivan's murder, the Maoris, in doubt as to the consequences, sent out scouts to watch the movements of the military authorities. He said that in the bush then growing on part of Pukerimu, signs were found showing that their scouts were carefully watching the trend of events. His mission to Te Kuiti, however, had a pacifying effect, and their fear of reprisal was allayed. Rewi, Wahonui, Taonui, and the Maori "king" Tawhiao, as Avell as other men of high rank, realising the futility of resistance; to the encroaching pakeha, set their faces against any overt acts of hostility, though they, were bitterly opposed to any further encroachment on their hereditary lands'. In those far off days the mana of the chiefs was not likely to be disobeyed, so further warfare in the Waikato was not to be contemplated, and the feeling of unrest among the settlers gave way to a sense of security. in a short time. For a brief period the boundary. road, Avhich ran from Alexandra (now Pirongia) to Cambridge, was patrolled by the Te Awanrutu.and Cambridge/troops of volunteer cavalry, a splendid body of men,, which, with the Armed Constabulary—in which' I was serving at the time, 1873 —were under the command of Lieutenant-Colbnel

Lyons, who, by the way, was a scion of ~ the noble Scottish family of that name, f. a former Imperial officer. ■Hβ los^his •" left arpi-in, India, thus giving rise to the; sobriquet of "Wingyi"' not a term of derision, .for lie .'was affectionately regarded by-men of all ranks. Other subordinate officers wer> Captain—-after- ' •"wards Colonel—Newell,' Ca'ptain Morrir -reonj land that very gallant gentleman ■ Captain Northcroft, all of whom have - long since gone to their rest. Captain— ./afterwards. -Colonel—Goring was also /serving in Waikato .at the time. The •redoubt at Kihikilii, the neatest to the : King. - Country, was strengthened and manned by the -A-Cy who also- took .part in patrolling the Frontier Road."" Mahuki the Fanatic. &*'■ .The Maori] 7 ' like' all primitive races; was very susceptible to emotional superstition —if I may use the term—so Mahuki, who was deeply read in the Old Teetment scriptureo, made his deluded followers believe he was gifted with supernatural powers. He gave out that he was a modern Messiah, and that he would deliver his people from the dominion of the hated pakeha. The Book of Joshua appealed very: strongly to him, especially the part relating to the fall of Jericho. Had he been-as well versed an the New Testament as in the Old the fate of Theudas ,and Judas.;;.of Galilee, as mentioned in the; Acts,; diight have impressed him. At that time , the wars of the Israelites and Jews appealed mbre strongly to the mentality of the Maori than the,pacific teachings of the New Testament. . For some little- time Mahuki and his Kaumarua —Twelve, Apostles—confined themselves to talki but wheri Messrs, Hursthouse, Newsham. and a Maori guide essayed to go overland to .' .New ?lymputh, ■'. Mahuki's hatred of the "pakeha.prompted him to make prisoners "-loi: them when they arrived at ,his ; Icainga, Tβ TJira. .There was a struggle, bu,t> numbers told, and they were securely tied up; the guide, being looked •iipon .as a traitor, was specially marked for their unpleasant attentions. The un- ■;. fortunate man was badly knocked about, i and bled; profusely* His wounds; were, Estrange :'io eay> washed in a bucket of *waler; Wjaen the travellers were tied hand and-foot they were thrown into a wharey the only food given them was •feome" , boiled potatoes,' . thrown on the ground, which they could-pick up as best they could by rolling iver on their faces and picking them up with their mouths. They had no water except that in the stained with blood, and even if it ■had been good they could: not have reached it. They lay, in this condition— if memory is not a tfault—4: or about two days, and, as may well be imagined, were in a very weak state when they were rescued by Te Kooti, the outlaw, who heard of the outrage. He was very angry with Mahuki and threatened to fire on him and his gang of fanatics. He teut the ropes of the captives and took them to the creefe to get a drink. Mr. Hursthouse, gave me all these details soon after shis release. He: said he was in the last stage of exhaustion, and when relieved the revulsion of feeling was so great that'lie cried like a child. When the men were fit to travel they were escorted by a guard to the nearest township—l am not quite sure whether to Kihikihi or. Alexandra—Te.Kooti sending some of Ms men as part of the escort. In all probability this action contributed largely to his pardon. All this' occurred in 1882, if I remember correctly.

Auckland as Jericho. At Eastertide in 1883 word was sent to the Hon. John Bryce, who was Native Minister, that Mahuki and a number of his followers—all unarmed—were going to make a descent on, Auckland,, whjeh,. like the walls of Jericho,, was to. fall down on the approach of,this modern Joshua. Mr., Bryce . telegraphed late one evening to the Major Jackson, who commanded the Te Awamutu Cavalry, to muster his troop immedi : ately, and to assemble at Alexandra next morning to assist, if required, in* Mahuki and his men* The-A,u garrison there had to do the actual .arresting. The members of the troop were widely scattered on their farms, so , it was- imperative to make haste. Accordingly. l>. among others, was ordered to: go, roun«l the^ districts of Ifgaroto, Paterangi/and Tuhikaramea. I rode all round that night, and next morning got-a ireshhofae-and went to Sβ rendelvous at Finch's Botel Alex ; -andra), where ;th© men assembled • at '8 a,m, under Major Jackson,.. Captiam Robert' Bruce and lieutenant George ■Wilkinson. Twenty, of us who_were tlie'Wggest'inen were led off to WhatiBridge tp.cut off..the retreat,

if. any,. o.f -the. "enemy."- Our services, however, were not required, as the A.C. men effected the arrest after a little rough" and "'tumble. Neither the Maoris nor A.C.'s were armed. Mahulci and his men were taken to Auckland, and tried before the Court. ' He, as ringleader, was sentenced to 18 months , imprisonment ; what his followers got I do not remember. This was the last hostile act of the Maoris. I think the'great chiefs thought the best thing to do was ■just to let Mahuki go on with his folly, and get a salutary lesson.' Some of his believers followed him -at a little distance to see what would happen. They took up a position near the Whatiwhatihoe Bridge over the Waipa, where a couple of civilians were also watching to see what the result of an attempted escape/would > be. The Maoris > caught one, the late \ Mr. Aubin Ahiev, and tied him iip, but the other escaped on horseback. It is hard to say what Miv Ahier's fate would have been had he not been rescued by some of the cavalry on our return to Alexandra. No arrest was made, but the Maoris were rather roughly handled and allowed to go. Now the friendliest feelings exist between the two races, and any attempt to sow discord, would be strongly resented. Not many of the troops, volunteers and A.C.'s. are living. The officers are all dead, and the survivors are a fastdwindling band.