WAIRAU MASSACRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 9

WAIRAU MASSACRE.

- LINK WITH SKELETON.

TALE OF A WATCH.

BURIED IN MAORI GRAVE.

News that the skeleton found near the scene of the Wairau massacre has. with a fair degree of certainty, been identified a«s that of Te Kongo, a Maori chieftainess, arouses interest in* the; needless tragedy, because it was the: death of Te Rongo which precipitated the massacre. There is a further piece of evidence which should help with the positive identification of the skeleton.

It concerns a watch. According to the account of the niaj«6acre given by the late Lindsay Buick in his book "Old Marl borough," the watch of Captain Wakefield, one o| the vic-j tims, was buried in the grave of Te Rongo. The account etates that, '"accord-i ing to Te Ratinaraha's express orders.! none of the bodies was mutilated on stripped," though Captain \Viikefield"s watch was taken by To Ranjrihaeata and buried with Tβ J5on«»o." It would bo most interesting to students of history if further investigation of the grave; could be made, in the hope of discover-] ing whether the watch was there.; > becatiee not only would that estnbli-Ii ; the identity of" the skeleton beyond {doubt, but the watch itself would be of; considerable interest. Te Rongo was the wife of Te Rangi-j haeata. Te Kaiiparaha's lieutenant, and; she was killed, not while standing in front of her husband in order to pro-. tect him, a* is sometimes stated, but; a* the result of a stray bullet, while, hiding in a swamp at the rear of the Maori <"..:>|>. Xor was -he the daughter of Te Raiinaraha—another mistake otteii; [made. She was the widow of Te \Vl.a.t. a nenhew of Te Kanpan.ha. and first mnsin to Te IJangihaeata. who inarrie<l !her because she had been l«c «ile oi a I uear relative. '

i However that may lie. it was her death which caused the massacre. Some of the Europeans, including Captain WakelicM. hail surrendered to the Maoris. There had at one time seemed a chance that a payment in gold would satisfy the Maoris' desire for utu. or revenge; lint at that time Tc Rangihaeata rushed up and shouted to IV Kauparaha that his "daughter"' had been killed. He meant Te Kongo, who actually was not a daughter. That news, and Te Rangihaeata'g wild demeanour, so inflamed the Maoris that they decided that nothing but death would satisfy them.