CHAPTER VIII.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3752, 28 July 1869, Page 6

CHAPTER VIII.

WHABEPOAHA— A MAORI 7KLBCK— 4AKINa OF THE •EO3K'— FATE OF NARA.EA-— A, LUAP FOR LOT— TOIHATJ'S TRAP— A NIGHT AT MATATA— TH*"hOT7SI! ATMARKTU— A BUBAOtK— THB WZDOW'i SAOBIFIOI — DB. TAMBLIi— A MISSION Of PKAOI. Whabsvoaka, tho.brother4n»l*ir of Mr, Tftpwll, wm from the commenceratnt n utorling friend. He wm doroid ol the mejauwss aod grt«4 which cfcarao I

teriia so many of the Maori race. He never begged, but, on the contrary, was generous and liberal. He would call every now and then at Mr. Tapaell's dwelling and inquire how the harness cask was Retail? on, and, when informed that oolj two or three pieces of pork remained, would depart, and presently return with a couple of fine grunted, which Bon>e of hid people would kill and cut up in a very short space of time. His affection for hit sinter was Tery great, and bis solicitude during her laut illness •xtrtuie. The moment she expired ho ran out to the top of a high kill, and called alou'i to the Atua, praying him to direct the spirit of the departed to the right ro*d. There was a traoe of the sublime in such an aot. It did not accord with the prevailing faith of Europeans that such an interciasion after death would be availing, but it waa a recognition of a future abate, and, if not rsligion, was something , very like it.

AMAOBXPMNOE. It may be mentioned here that a brother of Wharepoaka, named Waikato," and Shonga, the great chief of the Ngapuhi, atone time availed themwires of an opportunity to viiit Europe, and when there were presented to King George 111., with whom they (had the honour of shaking hands, aud who conferred on them titleß of nobility, the relative of Wharepoaka receiving the cognomen of Prwee Waikato, together with a very coitly gold-mounted j double-barrel gun, upon which his name was en- j graved. The character of the New Zealaader is never at any time remarkable for the abnegation of self, and this interview with royalty had no tendency to promote humility in the minds of the two Maoria, who frequently let Mr. Tapiell know that thay had obtained a dignity to which he might in vain aspire. " Who are you ? " one would say ; " I have shaken hand! with the King, and you would not be allowed aven to ace him." Their vemeration for ra«k was manifested not only in the kind of feudal homage paid to their chiefs, but also in the distinction of treatment which they bestowed on pakehao who were rangatixas and those thoio who they supposed were only tangataware. They had somehow ascertained that the captains of trading vensels were subordinates employed by others, who were the owners of the ihipi, and therefore the real rangatiras, and that consequently captains were only taurikarikas, which they did not omit to tell them whea they were offended.

TAKING OP THE ' HOSB.' There waa about this time a brig called the * Hose* lying under Whale Island, for the purpose of loading with pork, and the captain was on shore killing pigs. In this vessel a native boy, son of Toihau, chief of Whakatane, was on board, and his brother Narara, coming alongside to nee him, askei him how he had been usad, to which he replied that he had been illtreated by the mate, who hud thrown him overboard. On receipt of this intelligence Narara went ashore, and mustered a number of natives, who went off in two canoes, and boarded the ' Host,' shooting the chief mate and several of the hands. The second mate climbed up the rigeing, where a shot from below broke one of his arms. The captain on shore, observing that the vessel was in the possession of Maoris, launched his boat, and palled away as hard as he could for Tauranga, where he found a vessel called the * Prince of Denmark/ of whioh Captain Clarke was oommander, who waa no looner informed of the circumstance! than he set aail at once for Whale liland, and, a Btrong N.W. wind blowing at the time, he ran down the distance very quickly. Tht natives in pousssiion of the ' Hoae/ when they saw the * Prince of Denmark' beating down on them, took to their canoes, and mada for the mainland, havibg first plundered the vessel of everything, unbent the sails, and taken away the second mate as a prisoner. It would have fared very badly with him but for a chief of the Arawa named Tohi, now known a* Becham, who interfered to aave his life, and took him under his proteotlon, ultimately conveying him to T*ur*nga, he delivered him up to Captain Clarke. When asked what he demanded as payment, he aiswored, "Nothing," but Captain Clarke presented him with a fowling-pieoe.

FATE OF NAKARJL. Shortly after this had occurred, Captain Stewart called with the ' N«w Zealander ' at Whakatane, where Nartra came on board, and was presented with a glass of grog, in which more than a hundred drops of laudanum had been put with a view of killing him, but the dose was too strong, and defeated its object, the chief throwing it up when he got into the canoe. On the next trip Narara came off again, and when alongside a woman called Kokopo, living on board, called out to him to keep away, or the whit* men would kill him. "Oh no/ laid he, " the white men are too fond of me for that." He came on board, »nd went into the cabin as before for a glass of grog, of which he was very fond. The captain gave him the grog, and then told him to go into his canoe, as the vessel was about to get under weigh. He accordingly went on deck, but was mmediately seized with a presentiment, which made iim very uneasy, for instead of going boldly over he side, he orouohed down at the gangway. Again th waa told to hurrry over the side, and the cap* hen, knowing what nan to follow, went down into tai oabin. tie had no sooner got into the canoe then a discharge of musketry from the deok of the thasel took plaoa, and he fell dead, pierced by four resfive balls. From Whakatane tha oaptain next went to Hiokson's Bay, wher« he landed his second mate with goods to trade for flax. At this pl*ce a European named Taylor had previously been trading for flax.

▲ LEAP FOB LIFE. Toihau, the father of Narara, on hearing of the death of his son, determined to hare revenge, and, learning thatthe second mate of the 'New Zealander' was landed at Hiolcson'a Bay, proceeded thither, killed Taylor, and was about to take the life of the second mate, whom ha had bound hand and foot with that intention, whin he saw a tcwol bearing down on the Bay, and a boat approaching the shore. Thinking that the second mato would be *f service in decoying the boat's [crew to land, he desired him to hail the boat, and induce the crew to come on shore ; on which the second mate repreiented to him that if they saw him bound they would fear to land, but if he wtre released they would believe that no harm Tras.infcended. This proposition appearing feasible, he was relieved of his bond* and placed on a rock which the boat could easily approach. When it was within a short distance the second mate hailed the crew, told them what had occurred, the plot to capture and massacre them, and desired them to throw the steer oar into the water. He said he could not swim, but he would leap into the sea and endeavour to grasp the oar. They did what he desired; he leaped into the surf, succeeded in getting hold of the steer-oar, and w»» picked up by the boat. The Maoris fired from the shore, doing no injury; the sailors returned a volley, and pulled off in safety to the ship. Thus, Toihau had killed one European in revenge for th« death of his son, but was not satisfied, having been heard to say that the life of Taylor was not sufficient payment, as he was only a " taurika* rika," while his son, Narara, was a "rangatira; ' and he expressed his determination to hava the head of Tapsell, who was a " rangatira" like his son, and with that he wonld be satisfied.

TOIHAU'S TitAT. About this time a chief of Matata named Kopenga offered to purchase flux, and requested to lie furnished with goods to trad* with. Mr. Tapaell then applied to the natives for a crow to pull him down to Matata, but was refuted, the people reminding him of Toihau's threat to take hlo head ; on whioh he told th*m that if th*y did not provide him with « orow|he would walk thither, when they furnished him with forty men, all wall armed. Kopenga' s place was a considerable distance up the rivtr at Matata, requiring tht best part of the day to pull up, »o that it was towards evening before Mr. Tapsell arrived, and in consequence he atayadthtro all night. la the morning he iutpeottd the house, weighed the flax, and wai satisfied with the prospect of trade to be done. Abomt the iciddl* of the day, the natives prepared a feast for tht visitor*, and a I pig was being cooked in the oven, when all at once an undefined misgiving came over Mr, Tapsell's mind, and he determined to start homewards without wait* ing for the food whioh was prepared. The crew objected, wishing to wait for the dinner which had been oooked, but he Insisted en setting off without delay. Accordingly, th»y pulled down the river, and, when about the mouth, met two men, who in* quired whither they were going. The orew returned answer that the pukeha was mad, and had insisted on leaving Kopenga's without waiting for bis food. The two men stated that if the onoe went out to sea it would infallibly be capsized, as bad weather was coming on. Mr. Tapsell all the while had bean watohing the olouds, and obierved that they were setting in from the eastward. The crew culled his attention to what the two men had been saying, but he still insisted that they should proceed, and when they were out at sea a nice easterly breezo set ia, and th«y made their way in safety to Maketu. He afterwards learned that Toihau had gone up tho river with two oanoes full of armed men, on purpose to intercept him and his party, and they certainly would have succeeded in doing so had th« party remained to the dinner provided for them. After tki*. Mr. Tapsell took Mf. Whit* to Matata with a fresh supply of goodi for th« parpoiei of trad*, and, arriving there, proceed.** dawn th* ri? *r to

' Whakatane, where Rangitraara was fortifying himself in a strong pa for fear of the Ngapuhi. Toihau wan alao there at ih« time, to whom Air. Tapsell al once said :— • „.,,., V j * i " I undnatand you intend to take my bead, and I am come hera to lav* you the troubia of looking for me." " Oh." replied h«, " that was only talk."

i A KWBT AT MATATA. This was all tbat pa«sed, and Mr. Tapsell then proceeded down the mer to Wbakatane, where he left Mr. White with his " trade," after which he roturned seaw«rd to Matata, when off that place experiencing a severe gile, which, together with the ebb tide, made it a matter of extreme difficulty to get inside the river even with the uniud exertions of the crew, who jumped «ver and towed the oanoe with ropea againit the tide. The party were completely drenched with the spray and rsiD, which fell in torrents, but fortunately there were some unocoopied hufc« in which they Bought shelter, lighting fire* within. The hut occupied by Tapsell took fire acoidentaly, and for a while his party thought he was burned inwde, but byand-by he emerged unhurt. When th» gale moderated they embarked for Ma* ketu, which they reached in lafety.

THB H»T8B AX BUKETU. Id addition to the store and house at the foot of the oliff, Mr. Taptell had now a house on the top, which he uned ai a dwelling, of rery superior con■traction, fitttd around with cedar lockers, vvrt" curved work all ov«, the »pace between the upright timbers being taitefuUy t«eded in different colours. Beßidethis, thowwas a bnildiog for storing flax, 120 feet lose and 40 broad, and in addition a battery o! twelve gun« coaamandiog the harbour and eotrane. (To be continued,) (All right of authorship reserved.)