OFFICIAL BLACKBIRDING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

OFFICIAL BLACKBIRDING

How A British Man-o’-War Kidnapped Two Maoris

It is curious to reflect that, although the British Government frowned upon the blackbirders of the South Seas, and British men-o’-war helped largely in putting down the practice, on the New Zealand coast, two Maoris were kidnapped by a British naval captain, on board a British man-o’-war, with all the seals of official approval and connivance. For they were kidnapped in order that they might teach the Maori lore of flax-dressing to the convicts of Norfolk Island.

It’is curious, too, to see how far-reaching were the effects of that act of official piracy, perhaps the only occasion when blackbirding was carried out actually under the White Ensign.

When Australian colonisation began with the founding of the convict settlement at Botany Bay in 1788, it was natural that the attention of traders and merchants in the new colony should be directed towards the islands that lay across the Tasman feea. As a result of his voyages to New Zealand Captain Cook was able to report on the abundant supply of flax and the usefulness of its fibre. Consequently, when the establishment of a colony in New South Wales was mooted, the possibility of the manufacture of flax fibre was kept to the fore, an'd the suggestion was made that the flax plant should be introduced into the new settlement. However, the establishing of a subsidiary convict settlement at Norfolk Island rendered this step unnecessary, for the flax grew there under natural conditions; indeed, it is only in Norfolk Island and New Zealand that this so-called flax, known to botanists as Phormium tenax, is found.

Despite the application of various experimental processes, the dressing and preparation of the flax fibre by the convicts at Norfolk Island proved to be a complete failure. In 1791 the governor of the island, Lieutenant Philip King, suggested to the Home authorities that a native of New Zealand should be taken there to teach the convicts the correct method of dressing a commodity which was held to be potentially of high commercial value. At this time the flax fibre was considered to be eminently suitable for the making of clothing, and King was outimistic enough to assert that if the assistance of flax dressers from New Zealand could be obtained, Norfolk Island would soon clothe the inhabitants of New South Wales. The idea lingered in King’s mind, and when he was on his way out from England to New South Wales he wrote to the Under-Secretary for Colonies from Teneriffe that two or three New Zealanders would be necessary. Later, when at the Cape of Good Hope he met the explorer Vancouver, who was then on his way to the coast of North America, King made the request that if the opportunity offered the explorer should procure two Maoris and send them to New South Wales, where they could instruct the convicts in the art of flax dressing.

Governor King continued to exploit every avenue of approach towards the furtherance of his scheme. In December, 1791, he approached the captain of the whaling vessel William and Ann, which was proceeding to the hunting grounds off the Bay of Islands. King offered the whaling master £lOO if he proved successful in bringing back ~o the island two natives of New Zealand. The. vessel called at Doubtless Bay, ■but the captain could not prevail on any of the inhabitants to accompany him.

King’s representations to the authorities began to take effect, however, an'd the warship Daedalus, which was being fitted" out as a store ship to meet Vancouver off the north-west coast of America, was ordered by the Admiralty to take a flax-dresser or two from New Zealand to Sydney. The actual project was entrusted to Captain Hanson, who was to call at Doubtless Bay on his way from the American coast to Sydney and secure one or two natives skilled in the operations necessary to extract the fibre from raw flax. Maoris Shanghaied. Hansen made tlie coast of New Zealand at Sandy Bay, about the beginning of April, .1793. The Maoris went out in their canoes to meet the vessel. Not wishing to risk the lives of his crew, Hanson decided to recruit the Maoris he could lay hands on, by the simple exiiedient of kidnapping. To this end lie enticed on board two young natives, Tuki and Huru, luring them from their canoes by giving them iron tools an'd other articles. With the expectation of receiving further presents, and from a desire to examine the ship’s cargo, tlie two Maoris went below deck, where they were given food. Their attention was taken up in every way possible to keep them turn ware of what was going on. While the t"’o Maoris were below deck all sail was set, so that after a couple of hours had passed they found themselves with no prospect of returnin.,' to tlie shore. Frantic with grief, they broke the cabin windows, but were prevented from plunging overboard. With kindly treatment, however, I hey became reconciled to their fate. On April 15 they were landed at Port Jackson. Two days later Tuki and Huru sailed for Norfolk Island on board the Shah Hormuzear.

A peculiar position arose at the island when it was found that they knew little about the preparation of flax for fibre, Tttki being a priest and Hitru a warrior. The work of flax-dressing by tlie Maoris was entrusted to womenfolk, whose method of preparing the fibre by using a shell could not be improved on at that time. Such knowledge as the two natives possessed they hesitated to impart, for fear that they would be condemned to the effeminate task indefinitely, but the sympathetic King told them that they would bo allowed to return to their own land when they had taught the convicts to prepare the flax. Eventually. the convicts were able to make thirty yards of canvas in a week. Tile Governor treated the Maoris with the greatest kindness and consideration. They lived with King at

his own house.; After they had been there a little 'over six months, the Governor decided to send them back to their own country ; and when Captain Raven arrived at the island in November in command of the Britannia, King chartered the vessel to proceed to New Zealand.

Within four days the ship had rounded North Cape, but went on to the Bay of Islands. There the Maoris were landed after their safe conduct to their own tribe had been guaranteed by a leading chief at the Bay. Before bidding them farewell, King gave Tuki and Huru numerous presents in the form of axes, carpenters' tools, spades, hoes, knives, scissors, and razors. In addition to these, be left them two bushels of maize, one of wheat, two of peas, garden seeds, ten young sows and two boars.

It is interesting to note that, as a result of King’s experience with his Maori friends, lie was able to awaken the enthusiasm of Samuel Marsden regarding the future welfare of the race. Early in 1795 Marsden paid a visit to Norfolk Island in his official capacity as Government chaplain in New South Wales, and found his friend King full of praises for a race that could produce such fine representatives as Tuki and Huru.

Marsden tells us in his journal that this visit was responsible for the germ of the idea that was later to develop into the ruling passion of his life, the founding of the New Zealand Mission which was to bring the light of Christianity and civilisation to the heathen Maori. From such small beginnings have arisen movements to shape the destinies of nations.— G.L.T, (Masterton). More About Te Kongo In "Old Colonial Days,” June 11, “S.G.” endeavours to prove that Te Kongo after her death during the fracas at Tua Marina on June 17, 1843, was interred at Robin Hood Bay, Port Underwood. On reference to the "Nelson Examiner’s” special supplement dealing with the incident, dated December 25, 1843, we fin'd that after the affair at Tuarnarina the natives left for the North Island in their canoes and the N.Z. Company’s boat on June 20. Taking into consideration the slow method of travelling in those days, what time was there for the alleged tangi? The assertion that Te Rongo was buried at Robin Hood Bay is based entirely on tradition. Old residents of that neighbourhood will point out the lonely grave on the flat at Robin Hood Bay as the last resting place of "a Maori princess,’’ and have woven round it a good deal of romantic story, which, however, is unsupported by any known facts. Some years ago the grave was rifled, and a tiki and another piece of greenstone were removed. These articles are, I believe, still in the possession of private individuals in Marlborough. I had the opportunity of investigating the Tuamarina discovery. To-day there are kinsfolk of Te Rongo living at the Wairau Pa only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy; others reside in the North Island. One of these, a resident of the Wairau Pa, Here Herangi, who is upwards of 70, states that he bad an elder brother, Graham Herangi,- who died some 30 years ago over 80 years old, and that from this brother he had received the information that Te Rongo bad been buried at Tuamarina,- and that it was the intention of the Natives to remove the body at some future time to the North Island for final burial. As a result, of flu.- unsettled conditions that opportunity never came.

..Other relations of Te Rongo residing at the Wairau Pa are the Luke family; one of them is nrrmed after her distinguished ancestress, Te Rongo. They state that they have no knowledge of Te Kongo's burial place, but they are convinced that the remains found are hers, so they have put in a claim for the remains to be interred in their family burying ground. The hill at Tiitrinarina never was a Maorfbtii'ial ground. Natives say that to the best of their knowledge no Maori woman was ever buried there. Taking al] these facts into consideration, there can be no reasonable doubt thirt the skeleton found nt Tuamarina is that of Te Rongo.-— W. E. Redman, Blenheim.

The sole assertion made in these columns is that so far no tangible or concrete evidence whatever has been put. forward Io convince historians that Ibe Tuamarina skeleton is that of Te Rongo, rather Ilian of any other Maori woman killed at the massacre. There is no evidence that Te Rongo was the only woman slain; but she lnn>peued to be a iierson of some consequence. Unfortiinatiely, there is no list of tlie Maori casualties. Other skeletons found formerly nearby were never carefully examined.

There is, however, concrete evidence that the skeleton was not To Rongo’s. in tlie absence of Wakefield’s watch, stated by Rauparaha to have lieen buried with her.

There is equally no evidence that the Kobin Hood Kay grave was Te Kongo's except that the Maoris are known to have stopped nt Port Underwood after (lie massacre, that tile time at their disposal was ample for tlie burial, and that, local tradition is at least more convincing than a complete absence of any such tradition.— S.G.