A FAMOUS FLAG.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 10

A FAMOUS FLAG.

. RELIC OF-. MANY. BATTLES. !•, .A British, red ensign,-j war-worn and torn with bullets, has- been, presented, to the Hon. George Fowlds (Minister for Education) by Poihipi te Kumo, a chief living at Oruanui, near Taupo. It is a flag with vividly interesting history. When, the donor was a boy of nine or ten years tli'e Maori tribe of which bo is chief took the flag into battle. ; It passed through the Maori war, and received its first riddling with bullets at Kaukaoroa in 1865. Four years lator' it headed the Maoris who fought against To Kooti at' Taupo, being in the forefront of several fights along .the shores of the lake. Tlio climax of its battle career came when To Kooti made' his last desperate-stand. Planted oil the fence thrown up by Te Kooti's men, it was turn down, falling into tho pa with the body of the bravo young warrior who had daringly placed it in position. Tho incident nerved, tile assailants to a determined charge, and the maddened rush which followed resulted in the rout of Te Kooti's followers. A dreadful vengeance is said to 'have been taken 1 by a young woman named Mirima, who tore out tho eyes of the man who. was supposed to have, caused tho stand-ard-bearer's death. The Minister, during his journey through tho district, was asked if he would tako charge of tho historic relic, and willingly consented.. Ho undertook to roplace it with a new onsign, and this has been forwarded to Poihipi, and the old one will probably find a place of honour in some public institution. Poihipi to Kume'3 acknowledgment of the new ensign was in tho following picturesquo letter {— ■ ■ "Greetings to tho Minister. I rim pleased . that- you have acceded to my request in that I am -in receipt of'tho flag, and also tho pipe. Greetings' to you and all your men. In tho year 1864, in tho war against tho Europeans at Waikato, and also in 186S, or 'thereabouts, we went, with our Hag, to tho fight at Kaukaoroa, in the Bay of Plenty. When wo got to Toko there were-nine'bul-let holes in the flag, but wo wero determined, to carry our flag to battle with us. Wo fought against To Kooti at Taupo in tho year 1869, and again in tho year 1872 at Ponanga, Tokaanu. Again at Te Porcro the same flag was taken to the ramparts to instil courago into tho men, and it was duo to this' flag that tho enemy was crushed. Thoro -it was riddled 'with bullets, but wo still took it with us. Now we liavo received tlio flag sent by you, and a successor has thus been born to our flag. Ended aro my words. From your friend living hero at Oruanuit'i