THE EARLY DAYS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7451, 26 October 1889, Page 6

THE EARLY DAYS IN NEW ZEALAND.

While Komini and the writer are enjoying a rest at Wariroa, with the. reaper s permission, we may take a short glance at a very important matter which happened in this neighbourhood a few years after our trip, lam not writing .history, bat doubt if any account of the affair yet published can be relied on as absolutely correct, for lam referring to the terrible night passed by the little garrison of Tori Turi Mokai, when they were attacked by Tito Kowaru on the night of the 9th of September, 1868. I am giving the date from memory and may be a day or two out Few men, who have passed through such terrible experiences, agree perfectly in the accounts they afterwards give. of them, no two accounts ' correspond; . though both men be anxious to relate nothing but the simple facta. The young man, whom I have called George, and who accompanied mc on my return journey, as previously related, waa one. of the garrison, and on more -ban one occasion he has told mc the story, a story in which I was much Interested, partly, no doubt, from being very well acquainted with the brave and unfortunate officer who was in

command of the camp-- Captain Fred Ross. There was a considerable force within a short distonce,and as the Maoris were not at that time In ooen warfare.with us, it waa not thought dangerous to his safety, wheu Captain Ross was sent with a small party, only some 25 or 30 strong, to occupy the unfinished redoubt of Tori Turi MokaL One or two settlers had been

murdered not long before, but the general opinion was that these murders had been committed, either as acts of private-.re-venge or upon Impulse, by some few ot the late occupants of tbe sou,..who could not stand by and see the whites cutting down trees which for generations had ■ been in their bands, and were looked upon as inalienable property. However, this may be, there seems to have been ho Idea Of anything in the shape of a general rising, or a carefully planned vengeance sucn as after events clearly proved to have been hatching for a considerable timel Under these circumstances, when, one morning in the middle- of September, a Maori woman came to the redoubt, on. the pretext of selling potatoes, or some such errand, her appearance caused no feelings of anxiety. She concluded her business, and departed, having, as events afterwards proved, been a spy, sent to see how much of the redoubt remained unfinished, where Its weak- points lay, and to ascertain if the whites continued to sleep in the huts they had erected outside the unfinished walls. She aid her work well, no doubt. Between midnight and 1 a.m., the enemy were upon them in force.. How the first alarm was given, as they approached, I never heard, perhaps none of those left to tell the fale rightly knew. At about the hournamed, an alarm was given, and Captain Ross was seen to rush in hisshirt, swordand revolver in hand, towards the entrance of the redoubt—for he slept in a hut outside, and in front of the entrance. . He never attempted to get in himself, .but, as he came near, turned upon a crowd of Maoris, who were in full pursuit, and, as he turned he shouted, "To arms, close that .entrance," and fired.into his foes. His shot was answered by a volley, and, sorely wounded, he again cried; • '-Close l that gateway." Then for a- few moments' we must imagine the harry anot alarm in which the sand bags were piled across the gateway, by breathless men, scarcely .yet awake or recognising the dread'peril they were in. Still their Captain stood and faced-his foes, keeping them at bay, holding the fort alone, as one, no braver than he, held the bridge of old. Tbe men, who loved him, began to fire as soon as possible in his defence we may be sure, and before they finished closing the- entrance they loudly called to him to enter and save himself. He was now wavering Unsteadily and getting' very weak, but back came the answer clear and strong,'' Nevermind mc, men>Tm done for; save yourselves— close the gateway." And with these 1 words he fired his last shot, waved his sword fOr the last time, and fell to.rlse no more. So ended the bright young life of a true-hearted New Zealand soldier, almost, if not quite, a native ot the colony. And Tito Kowaru, with hundreds of his brave dusky warriors, was' firing upon the gallant little band who that.night held their post, a post saved by the .death of their undaunted leader.

Many were wounded, many were killed, but the complete surprise' contemplated had failed. Over the unfinished parapets rushed the foe, and many were shot down aa they scaled the Imperfect walls. Some fell .into the ditch, killed, or wounded, were carried out of the redoubt itself.by their companions; and so. the fight for life went on. .Our men were getting few and weak, but still'the* kept the foe at bay, and -held the redoubt, while men there were to hold it." In such a fight so long continued, the enemy, co often repulsed, must have' taken many a breathing pause, to cany off dead and wounded and endeavour to form-some new and more successful plan of attack. They always returned, . however, and with undaunted courage endeavoured; to gain their end—the redoubt; the redoubt, that was .what they wanted, and what they could not compass. To take a garrisoned redoubt from the whites, how great would be their - renown, how immensely increased their " Mana." The whites, now reduced to toofewto.holdthe, whole place, retired to a corner, ail wounded, or nearly all, but still de termined, fighting in the very teeth' of death. To tell what happened to my former mate, George, tells pretty much the tale of aIL Shot oh the right- temple by a bullet that nearly scalped, him, he fell, fell but to get up again, and to tie a handkerchief round the' wound to keep the blood from blinding him; he went on

loading and firing. Then shot in the ribs, the bullet tearing away the flesh and leaving the bone bare. He fell again, And again arose. Then he was again, bit on .the head, and now they retired to the corner, some of them crawling there on hands - and knees. They leant against the walls for support, and now George got a bullet through thfe leg that brought him to his knees. Still he managed to and fire. Some of the little remnant always reserved a few shots, to check the rushes. ; Jby which-, the Maoris hoped to bring the tomahawk into Slay, and finish the bloody game for ever, aint with loss of blood, leaning and sitting against the walls, some lying at full length, they still held out, and -prayed'for daylight or succour. I think I am right, large as the number seems, in saying that George that night received eleven Hbctllet wounds and still continued to defend himself to the end. I have seen the scars, and If there is a mistake it Is mine, not his. He still lives, and might easily be found to correct any errors, If it were necessary. Daylight came at last, after that Weary night, and with it came help frqm.their companions in arms. Tito took himself off with the dawn, no doubt thinking that if he could not overpower the few, he, would be ill-prepared to cope with the remaf who might be expected with day. As a matter of fact, the firing had been heard when the attack was commenced,-and a strong party had been ordered off to find out the cause; but owing either to a Sudden change of tbe wind Or to one of those pauses, mentioned above,, having ocourred Just when the party reached a spot where the shots should have been plainly audible, they heard nothing to cause uneasiness, and returned to camp. When daylight came, however, there seems to have, been cor/c uneasiness, and they were sent off agAin. We may imagine their, horror and rage, at the sight which met their view at the redoubt. The bleeding handful of dying men, surrounded by dead companions; dead companions, whose ammunition the half dead men in the corner had crawled out to get, in those lulls of the fight. It is said that the commander of that relief party cried like a child at the eight— rather, like a man, a man who grieved to think of the sorely needed succour he had just missed giving the night before. It was also said that he declared afterwards his next engagement, if not.victorious, should be his last, He.kept.hia word, and fell with Yon Tempsky. Buck, and so many other brave colonial soldiers, at Te Ngutu O te Manu. The account of this night's work fell like a thunderbolt upon the colony- If I do not greatly err, it was when the news reached Wellington, and found our Parliament in session, that a great bush fell upon the assembly. It was at night, and Dr. Featherstone arose from a bed of sickness at midnight, and drove down to the House. When the door opened and revealed his thin form and pale face, tbe House rose and greeted him with a cheer. He moved forwards, and as members saw the brilliant light that gleamed from his eye, and recognised the set sternness of the pale face, they rose again, and cheered till the roof tree rang again. They knew that now something would be done. That whatever was taken in hand would be to the purpose —the best their united wisdom could devise §o meet the emergency, and that whatever might be decided on, it would be done promptly—so. they cheered —cheered the Father, of the Province, while the colony eried —well done. Men and money were forwarded—all k that could be done was done, but nothing could avert the long series of misf ox,u_--i

which ended in Colonel Whitmore's re' treat with his forces to the Westmere, within five miles of Wanganui town, and the troopers' skirmish with the foraging Maoris at Nnkumaru, as related in a previous number. '_«_-. Here, within an easy ride of Wanroa, lay, what was before the war, probably, the most thickly peopled district in the North Island, south of Waikato, possibly Waitara might have equalled it, but it is doubtful, iam not thinking or writing of Europeans. Looking round, from any rising ground in the neighbourhood, it would be hard to point in any direction without crossing some spot of interest, some scene of battle, murder, surprise, or sudden seizure. Near here the brave Major Hassard fell, while leading hit "Die Hards" (57th Regiment) to the assault. In the wooded ranges behind, our own regretted Yon Teinpsky and Major Hunter, with Captain Buck, and other officers were shot, in a futile attemps on Te Ngutu O te Manu. Close by both Colonel and Captain McDonnell were seriously wounded, as also was Captain F. Ross, whose end lias been recorded above. To repeat all the names of even the officers killed and wounded, almost within sight of this pah, would form a long list. What has yet been done to keep the names of our heroic dead alive in the breasts of the rising generation—what? They fought like heroes for their country in her hour, of direst need. Then they j were looked upon as above all around them, the finger pointed after them iv public streets, as the- pointer almost whispered to his neighbour, there goes Col. D., or Capt. N., the hero of Waripah. They died for us, and saved us, are their very memories to die to us ? A Burns or a Shakespeare can have a monument erected to nls memory in this far-off land. Shall we do nothing for our own; simply let them rot to dust and nothingness? Our young New Zealand representatives in the Mouse, are, Tarn most happy to hear, determined to foster a spirit of true patriotism by every means in their power. To a great extent, they will have to create the feeling in the young colonial before they can take advantage of it; and how can they" do this better than by directing a patriotic feeling to the past ? Their.-fathers-didmuch to kill such feelings in them, in us. In their eyes no .colonial things, from tbe fruit on the tree to the fish in the sea could bear comparison for a moment with the Home productions. All biir patriotism was directed, naturally, in the same direction as their own towards the dear, dear land they loved and left, and towards the people they adored—English soldiers and sailors, TSngllsli' bards and statesmen, English everything. What time better thaii the coming Exhibition time.to test the feeling of the colony on 9uch a subject—one of colonial Importance in its truest sense? Should we ask the Government to take the matter up, and place a sum upon the estimates for the purpose ? No ; they give all""they can "afford for such purposes to too Maoris, as witness —the Mutoa monument. A well deserved token of gratitude to our brave allies, though; no man grudges or cavils at such expenditure. We have nearly 350,000 males in the country,, and, possibly, 100,000 of these are adults. If these men could be got at, and duly impressed with tbe importance of i the object in view, I think, that, making due allowance for the many who" would give five shillings each, It would not be an | extravagant expectation, to estimate them i all round at one shilling per head, but half that sum would do the work handsomely. Thenewspapers wouldbe required <to assist, and might be reckoned on, to bring the subject, before tbe public and in I other ways; always provided the thing was started by the proper persons, aud the proposed arrangements were satisfactory, giving fair promise of success. A strong and influential committee of management to arrange the expenditure, and to fix a proper site would be required. What site so appropriate for a colonial monument as the capital of the colony ? The spot in which it would be most seen, and bring most credit. If this suggestion falls flat and un profitable, it is only what is to be expected at present; yet the day is not far off when our young men will look upon these questions from a different point of view to that wbich now obtains; and the time is approaching when leader, of men, who show a true spirit of patriotism, will be honoured for tne views they hold. .While thinking of what is due to .the dead, let us not forget the living. Let us: pause for a moment and consider tbe lives: they led, for nearly twelve long years, the , best years they had to. give, the! years 7 which in more peaceful times would have been devoted to laying some solid founda-. tlon on which a provision tor.advancing "years might have been'safely built. They gave these years to the service of their country. Through many a battle and many a weary march they fought their way. Through the dense woods and black Kea-kea swamps, often, for day* together under pouring rain, in momentary dread of sudden attack from the naked, hidden,

[savage foe. With the handful of biscuits '-r- their only provisions — turning into pulp iv the wet haversack, they pushed on to attack some stronghold' or to chase some beaten enemy beyond the bounds of .our more civilised districts, in which he would fain have lurked, to murder helpless women and children. At such times, when faint with hunger, cold and drenched, the voice of their grand young officers would be heard from the front, cheering them on, crying, " Never mind the ' tucker,' men, but keep your powder dry;" the powder on which tbeir lives depended. These were times of mad excitement, of hair-breadth escapes, and continued for years. Could it be expected, that, after such a life, these officers were to settle down into the plodding, laborious business of back country farmers? Had they been well qualified, at any time, for a such life, it may well ba doubted if they would have made such colonial soldiers as they had been. It Is vain to say, they had their chance, we gave them the land we promised. If tbe colony and its work unfitted them for the work of the farmer, should we not remember that it is so, and do our best to find these men some congenial employment, some work that they are fitted for. It is a very shameful thing to us, that snch men to whose exertions we owe our oeaceful lives, our all, should be heard of

in actual want, and we, the colony, should turn a deaf ear to their requirements. We can find billets for the sons of great Englishmen, however unfitted they may be for the duties, sinecures are nob unknown, or places equal to sinecures, but, having no political influence, no great friends, our.brave colonials are forgotten. Some small sum, If the men are not fit to work, should be allowed, sufficient to keep them above actual want or menial occupations. The country would give it gladly. Surely, when we can pension our very enemies, of the native race, we should not forget those who vanquished them, to save our lives from their tomahawks.

Before closing this paper let us inquire what grounds there are for supposing that any truly patriotic feeling is likely to be felt by young colonists within any reasonably limited time. We are constantly told,* that as no such feeling:, worthy of consideration, has yet sprung up in the older sister colonies of Australia, so,. It "is unlikely to be felt here in the near future. Does this argument carry any weight? Not much, I think. The early settlers'in New Zealand were members of good families, men of high attainments; far superior to those who started any other colony. The yeomen, who were selected to accompany them, were about the best of tbeir class, and the labourers, many of whom came out with their masters, were chosen for qualities which especially fitted them for such an arduous undertaking. Is it not natural to suppose that the sons of such parents have inherited many of the. qualities of their fathers?

In Australia tbe Home Government sent out convicts, and officers to rule them and tbe settlers; government pay and such a population have left their traces to the S resent day;" as our early: settlers aye, 1 think, left theirs. Hhe Australian colonists obtained, peaceable, possession of the country, for a settler speared here and .there by blacks would have little effect upon national character. In New Zealand we had to fight desperately to Sold : our own, even from the very firsthand there is nothing which tends so much to the love of country and true patriotism, as; the shedding of blood'ii* the defence Of a people's homes. Th£n, our natural increase is much greater than that of the sister colonies, in proportion to population, while for a long time past, I believe, the immigration has been less. Those who remember the time of the withdrawal of the troops, leaving us unfirotected when their work was not more han half done, those who remember the cheerful alacrity with which our settlers rose to tbe occasion and braced themselves to the task, when their leaders enunciated the policy of "self reliance," might have seen, even in those day<t, a feeling of heroism and a love of their adopted land, which almost amounted to patriotism, and as our young men grow into manhood the feeling Is sure to spread and intensify. They will love the land their fathers fought for, they will hold, almost as sacred, the soli on which the blood of their ancestresses and their children was poured In the midnight massacre.