LOOKING BACKWARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 10

LOOKING BACKWARD.

- GLIMPSES OF THE EARLY DAYS OF WELLINGTON. SOME EXCITING EPISODES. ' The following extracts are mado from an article written by Mr. Thomas M'Kenzic, of Wellington, at tho time of tho death of Sir George Grey in 1898. I Previous to Sir Gcorgo Grey's arrival at Auckland in,' November, 1845, to relievo Governor Fitzroy, who by mismanagement had involved ' the colony in war, Hone Heko had clit down the flagstaff at Kororareka, and the womoij- and; children had ltd tako refuge on board tlie'vessels lying at tho Bay of Islands,, and woro convoyed-to Auckland. The Maoris had. commenced a war of extermination of the Europeans in tho north, and Rauparaha and Rangihaeata' wero most troublesome and threatening'in this locality. The whole colony was in a dreadful state of alarm at tlie deplorable position it bad been allowed to drift into, and considerable anxiety was felt for its very existence. Besides the war in the liorth, the Maoris at AVaiiganui and the Hutt woro in open rebellion against the Government; and the financial position of the colony was brought to the vergo of bankruptcy and ruin. _ _ ■ Governor Grey, immediately after his arrival in Now Zealand, set vigorously to work to quell the rebellion in tho north; and,with the troops at liis command, and the assistance of Tamati Waka None and liis friendly tribe of natives, succeeded,_ after several sovoro engagements, in bringing the war to a termination. ' Murder of the Cillespies. On Friday, April' 3, 1846, tho town of Wellington was thrown into great oxcitement by tho intelligence that Mr. Andrew Gillespie and his soil (a lad of about 13 years of ago) had been murdered the preceding evening near his house, on the banks of tho Hutt river, between tho ■ bridge and the encampment. At dusk ono of tho militia men, who was returning homo from tho bush, heard groans as if from some person in great agony, in tho direction of GillcspioV,house. On approaching the spot he discovered to his horror and surpriso the father and son lying on tho ground, brutally mutilated and apparently dead. He instantly gavo the alarm, and a number of the settlors speedily arriving, tho bodies wore conveyed into tho house. Tho lad merely uttered an' exclamation of "My poor mother!" and then expired. Tho fathor, though not quito dead, was insensiblo to all around him. Tho father and son wero discovered lying one on each side of a tree which they, wore engaged in. sawing when struck down by tho murderers. On examination it was found that all tho wounds wero inflicted 1 by tomahawks;' Tho son, Andrew Gillespie, jun., had no- less 'than eleven wounds, principally on the head. Tlie fathor had sevon wounds, most of which wero also on tlie head. A coroner's inquest was held on the body of tho son on Friday beforo Dr. Fitzgerald,' coroner, and tho jury returned a verdict- of murder against somo person or persons unknown. On Sunday, April 5, at half-past'' 5 "o'clock in the morning, poor Gillespie, after lingering / for two days and three nights, expired. During tho whole time no word escaped bis lips, and ho appeared perfectly unconscious. At 1 o'clock the .remains of the unfortunate Gillespie and his son were interred, in the public cemetery. The Rev. R. Cole performed tho funeral service. A large number of the .inhabitants paid their last tribute of respect by following tho funeral. - Another Hutt Murder. .On Juno 15, 184G, tho inhabitants of Wellington wero again tltrown into a state of excitomont, intelligence having arrived from tho Hutt- to the effect that a mail had been found murdered in tho valloy that morniug. Tho unfortunate deceased, Richard Rush had gono out about 8 o'clock in the morning, to look aftor his horse, which had strayed away during Sunday. Tho murdered man went in tho direction of Barton's paddock, .and some of tho rebels..who- were-lurking about- in that' ' quarter surprised and tomahawked him, splitting his head in four pieces. 'After perpetrating tho murder, the rebels hailed tho friendly natives from across tho river, informing them that' they had killed a white man, mentioning the spot, and stating that they might have the body. Captain Hardy, tho officer in command at the camp at Boulcott's sent out a body of military and armed polico, who found, the mangled remains of Rush, but fell in with nono of the enemy. Previous to the arrival of the troops,- Rangihaeata's marauding, natives bad pillaged tho settlor's houses at tho Hutt, , and had them with destruction. • The \vomen and children of the settlers were brought into Wellington for protection. After sovcral encounters with the hostile'natives the.troops, militia and friendly natives succeeded in driving them out of the valloy. Porirua was then threatened, and Wellington was kept in a constant state of alarm from the continual men'acos of Rauparaha and Rangihaeata, tho authorities anticipating overy moment a general onslaught. For a i time tho soldiers wero kept under , arms both day and night, and lay down-on tho floor of the theatre in their great coats, fully accoutred, with their loaded guns by .their sido, ready to spring up at onco should any emergency arise. ■ Batteries wero formed oil Thorndon Flat and Clay Point, and guns mounted on them; and- a stockade was erected fronting Manners Street, with tho two sides running to tho harbour, as a refuge for women and children. The stockado consisted of high palisading, with a deep, wide ditch surrounding it. At a given signal the women and children wero to rush to this place of refuge. , ; Operations Against the Natives.' : Tho Otaki natives had been driven from tho Hutt, to which they had no claim, having parted with all their right and interest in tho land to Epuni, 'the Ngatiawa chief from whom it was purchased by Colonel Wakefield, and who was a sterling friend, of tho Europeans, and over ready to assist them to maintain their rights. Additional troops having arrived, Sir George Grey commenced aggressivo operations towards Horokiwi, whero Rangihaeata had mado dofence works by falling a lino of bush, beyond which ho took up his position. On August G, 184G,' an en-gagement-took placo hero, and Rangihaeata and his men wore driven over tho hills. - It was hero that Ensign Henry Middlcton Blackburn, of tho 99th Regiment, was killed in action. His-body was -brought into Wellington, and buried in tho Church of England eomotory with military honours, Sir-George Grey attended tho funoral as chief mourner., •A stone, erected by his comrades in arms, marks tho place where tho young hero was buried. Thoro woro a number of soldiers killed in tho same action, who were_ buried at Horokiwi,,a fitting momorial distinguishing -the placo. Sir G. Grey was a brave man,, and was often under fire from tho natives in defence of tho hearths and homes of the settlors! in this district. Many timps and often has ho visited tho huinblo dwellings of tho poor along the Porirua Road, in company with tho Hon. A. Tollomanche, and partaken of a frugal meal with them. His liumano object was to cheer them up, and, by quieting thoir fears, to givo them strength and confidence to bear up against the trying- circumstances in which they wero placed. He ..was also afraid that if the settlers voluntarily left their homes it would bo-an inducement to tho turbulent natives to como and plunder thorn, in which case thoy would -bo ruined. Rauparaha. On Tuesday, July 24, IS4G. oxtensiyo preparations were mado, by direction of His Excollcncy Governor Grey, for an expedition to't,ho''Coast' in order to provont if possiblo tho junction of a body of armed natives from , Wanganui with tho rebel chiefs Ratigiheata and Kaparatchau, and for tho purposo of arresting tho chief To Rauparaha. _ A largo quantity of ammunition, togethoij with a sixpoundor fiold pieco, was convoyed on board H.M. wnr stoamor Driver early in the day, and in tho afternoon tho following-volun-teers From H.M.S. Calliope: Captain StanIcy, six officers, and botween sixty and seventy seamen and marines; 53th Regiment:

Lieutenant Pago, three sergeants. four corporals, and thirty-seven men; 99th Regiment : Captain ltoid, Lieutenant de Winton, Ensign Blackburn, five sergeants, fivo corporals, two drummors, and seventy-six men; Inspector Durio, Sub-Inspector White, and twenty of the armed police. Dr. Ross, H.M.S. Calliopo, and Dr. Galbraith, of tho 99th Regiment, nccompanicd the, expedition. Major Last commanded the whole force. Towards evening His Excellcncy went on board, when tho Driver left ■Wellington and proceeded dircct to Porirua. On arriving thero Governor Grey, Major Last, and two or throo ofllcors landed and remained on shore for a short time, during which His Excellcncy inspected. the encampment, and thon returned on board. The Driver then proceeded to Waiknnao, where tho Governor had a korero with several of tho chiefs. : She also visited Oliau and Otaki, being anxious to learn the whereabouts of the hostile natives who wero coming from Wnngnnui to assist Rangihaeata, and then stood in for Porirua. " On arriving opposite tho bight, she made over to the Middle Island, as if bound for Queen Charlotte's Sound, thus hilling the suspicions of the natives at Porirua, 'as to tho intentions of -the Governor. At dark the Driver retraced her steps, and arrived off tho point .of land jutting out from Taupo about two o'clock on Thursday morning, where sho anchored out of sight of Rauparaha's pah.. By four o'clock a detachment of tho 58th and gtjtli Regiments, Under the command of Captain Reid, a body of blue jackets belonging to H. M.S.' Calliope and H.M. war steamor l)rivor, under the command of Captain Stanley, iiild a party of police under Major Durie, were quietly landed, and the pah surrounded by forming them into a. square. : One of the police, a native named Erama, then led a party under Inspector Durio into the pah to the whare of Rauparaha. 1 The chief having refused to surrender, tho nativo policeman beforn mentioned seized him notwithstanding his violent struggles. Rauparaha fastened his teeth into one of tho hands of a sailor, and hit him severely. Having refused.- 1 to walk, ho was carried to the boat by some, of the men. Six other natives were secured, amongst tho rest the notorious Charley, and put on board the steamer. Governor Grey was present during all these proceedings. The plan was most admirably arrangod, the men havinc; recoivcd tho strictost orders against speaking, so as to prevent an alarm; and tho oars wero muffled. ' Orders wore likewise issued to the men to fire in case of an attompt being mado to escape, but _ tho natives were so completely taken' by surprise that the prisoners were'arrested without a shot being fired. After the capturo ! tho pah was searched from end to end,'and; tho following quantity of arms'and ammunition discovered and removed to the" steamer, viz: :32 muskets, eight double-barrelled guns, one small iron gun and carriage, fivo full casks of powdor, three half casks' powder, one cask, nearly empty, with a great number of tomahawks and other weapons. The prisoners being secured, the wholo of the troops and blue jackets were removed to the camp at Parcir'ata. and the Driver returned to port', with' His Excellency on hoard, on . Tuesday morning. The prisoners were immediately placed on"board H.M.S. Calliopo. Several reasons induced the Governor to take Rauparaha into custody,.. ,He had.'boon discovered'keeping up a i correspondence with the rebels,' had tabooed tho ground in tho neighbourhood of the stockade at Porirua, besides committing other acts tending to. disturb tho peace. ' Tlio'Battle of Horokivtl. "■/■'" Tho battle of Horokiwi took place a few days after the capture of To Rauparaha, when'the gallant Major Last stormed his stronghold, and.drove the rebols over the hills. This practically, ended tho war in this district, as Rangihaeata was informed that if ho, did not ceaso from his murderous incursions his chief would suffer. After the Maori war. was over, and British supremacy - asserted, Sir George tempered justice with mercy. Proclamations of amnesty .were published, and all the natives concorned in the war were forgiven, with the oxcoption-of the actual murderers. Instead of treating the Maoris as- a conquered race and making,slavos-of'thomj overy'forbearance and kindnoss, was exhibited -towards, them. Presents' : of'slieep,' cattle,•-■ahd!-hdrses, with, ploughs and othor agricultural implements ivero given tho Maoris by Sir Georga Grey, and qualified" persons '-appointed to instruct them how to use them. Scods of ; various kinds wero also given them to sow and plant when tho ground was tilled. Some of tho chiefs were induced to enter into tho trndq of saw-milling and other .profitable employment. Medical, men wero appointed to look after their health, which, from their modo of living and other causos, was of a precarious nature. By this humane treatment profitable employment was'givon to them, and their thoughts and'actions Were gradually raised to a higher state of civilisation than that of killing and oat-ing each other. 1 Now the Maoris enjoy all the amenities and comforts of a civilised' people; they occupy places in' our colonial , Parliament, and the highest offices of State are .open to them. ■ All this they owe in a large measure/ to tho wise policy initiated by Sir George Groy/who was beyond doubt tho best friend the natives evor had.' And whilst looking after their interest, ho | did not neglect that of the Europeans. Roads and bridges were made up the Hutt Vallby, and tho. military, and settlers. were ..engaged' in making tho Porirua rpad. 1 Every effort was made to bring about amicable relations beween tho settlers aiid the Maoris, which wero entirely successful. The financial arrange-ments-of tlio colony, wore put upon a moro .secure basis,/.the .:.debentures and "shin plasters" introduced by Captain Fit-zroy wore put out of circulation, and wero superseded by, tho general currency of tho realm. After peace was declared the colony for a season enjoyed general prosperity and, the natives at tho Cape having broken out into open rebellion, the services of the great Pro-Consul woro required in that colony. By firmness and.tact lie soon settled all tho native difficulties at the ( Cape, and by wise measures brought about peaco and prosperity to that people.. This had hardly been-accomplished when his services were again required in New Zealand. , And yet again ho succeeded in bringing about peace and prosperity in this country. • '•