"THE BLACK CUFFS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 206, 1 September 1938, Page 22

"THE BLACK CUFFS"

THE FIGHTING 58fH. EARLY MEW ZEALAND WARS. AN lUpFATED EXPEDITION. (I.) Into the early history of New Zealand ia woven the exploits of the 58th Imperial Regiment, the famous "Black Cuffa." It ia a colourful history, and early records tell a graphic etory of the futility of standardised methods of British warfare against the wily military strategy of the Maori.

The first Imperial troops to come to New Zealand arrived on the Dromedary in 1820, with the exception, of course, of the marines on Captain Cook's ships. These men belonged to the 09th and 84th Regiments, and, having conveyed a shipload of convicts to Sydney, they came on to New Zealand to load epars for the Admiralty. They arrived at Paroa, Bay of Islands, on February 28. On board were the Rev. Samuel Marsden and nine Maoris, among whom wae the chief Ripiro, one of the famous Hongi'e sons. The coming of the "Black Cuffs," according to Cowan's "Xew Zealand Ware " coincided with the exploits of Hone Heke at Kororareka, Bay of Islands, and the incidents of the flagstaff at Maika Hill. Thoroughly alarmed %t the determined resistance of Hone Heke and his men to the establishment of British rule, Governor Fitzroy wrote to Sir George Oipps, Governor of New South Wules, making urgent application for further military assistance. He declared that he must prepare for operations "in a woody country at Whengarei, if not at the Bay of Islands, and he must also take precautions for the safety of Auckland." Fears of Invasion. In compliance with this request, which did not reach Sydney until February 17, two companies of the 58th Kegiment, numbering 207 of all ranks received orders to embark for Auckland, but by the time they reached the way of Islands, April 28, 1845, the flagstaff was down again, Kororareka township was in aehes, and the war had begun.

*eare of invasion by the Ngapuhi from \orth Auckland seized many of the inhabitants of the young capital when ftve shiploads of refugees landed at Auckland, and the distressed people spread their story. A militia wae enrolled, and the Auckland citizen soldiery were drilled daily by instructors from the regulars. The defences of the town were hastily get In order.

T h i and ,ater ' the 58th > completed the fort at Britomart Point, and dowe of St. Paul's Church, a brick builde'.!!lere P ,enked »nd loopholed for niueJcetry.

H.M.p. North Star arrived at Auckine * March ? 2 ' hrin 8 ia S from Sydney 102 officers end men of the 58th regiV«W* °- d ? yS later tbe schooner Velocity arrived from Sydney with 55 officersi and men of the eame regiment and ordnance stores. In April the barque Sla ns Caetle sailed in, bringing the reran? !L° f fl , the 5^ h ' more Bridge d ,e ' " nder ***><" C yP»™

an ZL^ nir '* e Z mth Of tlMt montn **p^ 4lo ? ot the 58th and «»h aet out in the North Star for the famous beach of Kororareka and destroyed Pomare'e fortified pa at Otnku, overlooking the channel to Opua «nd Waikare It was then arranged jL^Tn eXpe i lt l° n ehou,d be directed •gainst Hone Heke'e etronghold near the shore of Lake Omapere, and on May 3, ifßrK eeUn *. he "'arch inland of British troope in Newy'ifcaland. A Forlorn Hope. / ! Imperfectly informed ae to tlie route ™L? erch '.^ troneportr arranges&s& yr Jzt' t ,^ Efficiently rationed and without tents or camp equipage, Lieutenant -Colonel Hulme set out into an unknown country against an enemy of unknown strength, sustained apparently by the hope of eomehow worrying through, or fortified by the popular belief that one British soldier was equal to half-a-dozen eavages. Neither Hulme nor hie officers knew anything of the real strength of Maori fortification, ekilfully defended.

Portunately the chivalroue enemy did not lay ambushes; the Maori was not so considerate 20 years later. Doublv fortunate wae the fact that Tamati Waka Nene was ally and helper. He was the salvation of Hulme on that May expedition.

We expected to make short work of Johnny Heke." said an old soldier of the 58th, describing to James Cowan that campaisrn. But the difficulties of the undertaking eo, confidently essayed increased as the, objective was approached and the military character of the Maori loomed formidably in-the British warnore visiop. ,T*e greatest blynder wae the failure to (bring even the lightest ca . nn ? n ' though there was a good track alljhe way from Kerikeri.,-v "^* r \ l^*fe Temiitn to-day to mark Puketutu Pa, the scene of tlie first British attack upon an inland Maori fort; the scene, too, of the first regular Britieh charge with the bayonet against a Maori foe. It could "end only in one way when the British got to work with the bayonet in the open field. There was magnificent bravery shown by the Maoris fh isolated dashee against the cold steel. British Repulsed. The skirmishing, alternating with heavy bayonet fighting, lasted for more than four hours. Firing was maintained from the pa and replied to by the troops until about sunset, when the British withdrew. In the British retirement to the- camp at Tamati Wuka'e pa the killed were left behind. Heavy rain came on; it was nearly dark by the time the fight ended. The bodies of 13 soldiers and sailors strewed the ferny levels about the pa and the slopes above the lake. The wounded numbered 44; they were carried off by their comrades along the edge of the lake through heavy fire. .

When the fatigued, wet and famiehed troops left the field their foes were already at their evening prayers; and the last eound the soldiers and eailors heard as they marched off was a hymn chanted 'by hundreds of voices rising through .the air etill pungent with gunpowder smoke. So ended the battle of Puketutu—a virtual victory for the Maoris, aa they retained possession of their pa. Hulnie found it impossible to reeume hostilities on the following day. Hie commiseariat wa« exhausted, and in*n were felling sick from wet, cold and Jack of food, ••'■.. ■