EARLY N.Z. WHALERS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 102, 24 January 1933, Page 2

EARLY N.Z. WHALERS

Trouble With Te Rauparaha

PAYMENT FOR THEFT

The early whalers who hunted iu New Zealand waters were perhaps not too scrupulous in their dealings wita the Natives, but there is no doubting their iron courage, as in these days they had to fend for themselves. When there was trouble with the Maoris there was no gunboat to send for, no warship of any kind within thousands of miles. They just did the best they could for themselves as circumstances dictated. Mr. Edward Jerninghani Wakefield had a great admiration of the courage of the whalers who “based” on New Zealand. In his reminiscences lie relates one purple incident which showed that these men stood no nonsense from anyone, and frequently took their lives In their hands in seeking justice. “Early in 1840,” relates Mr. Wakefield, “Te Rauparaha and Te Rangiihaeta, two of the most reckless chiefs then settled on the east coast near Otaki, Intent upon plunder, picked a quarrel with a man named ‘Long George’ who was in charge of a twoboat station on Kapiti Island. Attended by a crowd Of their tribesmen they surprised him one day, and took away’ everything he had, including his two boats, to Te Rauparaha’s island. ‘Long George’ managed to communicate the affair to the masters of two large whaling stations not so far away. . The one on Evans Island refused to interfere, dreading not so much the Natives but what the magistrates in Wellington might say if they meted out summary justice to the guilty Maoris, as at that time every effort was being made to placate the Natives; but the men from the Te Kau o te Rangi station had no such fears, and settled the affair promptly and with effect. “They filled two or three of their boats with men armed with whale lances, harpoons, spades or old rusty muskets, and pulled straight out to Te Rauparaha’s stronghold, a small island close to the southern end of Kapiti. As the boat approached the island Te Rauparaha appeared on the beach and began ‘bouncing.’ as it is called, and asking the intentions Of the visitors. ‘We’ll show you . when we’re ashore!’ shouted the whalers, nothing abashed by Te Rauparaha’s manner, and. jumping out .of their boats, they at once surrounded both Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeta, threatening them with their weapons and demanding that they instantly return everything wlych had been stolen from ‘Long George.' “The request was immediately granted, as well as the submissive terms of making the Natives themselves launch the stolen boats and put the stolen goods into them. Then they left the bumbled ruffians, wifh the promise to drive them away from Kapiti altogether if they committed another like offence.”