Reminiscences of an Old Colonist.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 20 May 1905, Page 10

Reminiscences of an Old Colonist.

By THOMAS BKVAN.

vi r. When I lived in Wellington in 1842 tlio whole of the hills were coveied wiUi dense forest, which was cut down and burned oil by dcgioes, to innke room for house* and gardens, as tho settlers occupied their hill Mile sections. Tho houses weie of vciy primitive character, consisting of titaii interlaced with kareao (supplejack), ntul then dabbed with clay. In the vicinity were scvenil foi tilled pas belonging to the N gut law a tribe, containing four or five hundied inhabitants, 'lheir principal chief was Te l'uni (miscalled "X I'uut" by tho settlers,), and their lighting chief was Wharopori. If these natives had been so disposed they could have men and ciushed'the pakch.i ; but the lelutions between them were always of a friendly character. Conscious of their infeiionty in numbers, the settlers always prudently maintained as effective a show of stiengtii as possible. 1 can remember the rejoicings in tho year 1G44, in which all the settlers took part, when Governor FiUroy was iec^lled. JSonfiies were lighted, ami as tho Governor stepped into tho boat his elii;;y was burned, while the Wellington Hand played "The King of tho Cannibal Islands." This wiis tho iiist brass band foiined in Wellington, and the following are the names of the oiiginal bandsmen : — Joseph Masters, John Webber, lli-my Ovcvcnd, Joo Oiimaldi, Chailie Howe, Uobeit Duiio, John Woods, Kdward lievaii, George HevHii, William Dodils. In 1842 a. fire, wliich bioke out in Lamb-lon-quuy, caused gical lops of pioperty. ft .started on the picmiscs of Mr. Lloyd, baker, and spread to Olaypoint (where the Stewart-Daw son building now stands), deslioying sonic thiilj live business houses, and lPMiltmg in a total damage estimated al £16,000. In Inter years, when the Maori King movement., spieud through the NoitU Island, the West Coast natives came under its influence. In iB6O tho King Hag was hoisted at Otaki, and (ill tha Xgatiwehewehe, save the old chief Paoia, joined tho King paily Paora used all his powois of persuusion to prevent his liibe fi om joining, but his efl'mls weie in win. Most of the N'gatiawa ut Waikanae, with Wi T.iko, joined tho Oli.ki Mnmis at Piikukur.ika, as well a* some hundieds of nativis along the coast, Wi Tako, Heremam, and llupe beinu the leading chiefs of tlu> King p-'tly °f l'uUnl»aiiika. Hciemaia, wanting rigging for the flagstaff, came to me and gave me an older for nil the necessary ropes. These he had tailed, and when the Staff was finished and rigged up it rct-emhled the mast of a ship. The Maoris placed a tattooed ima^o clothed v ilh a. mat at tho foot of the llat'st.ilV, and said it wax their ancistor. The King Hjir- wiis hoisted d.iily, and guards put lolled around the flagstaff Jay and night. Tiiey appointed mugistiates and policenveli, i^ned sunvnonses in the Kinij's n.injß, and njnoicd ,ill summon 1""*1 ""* issued under the Queen's authority, saying that they belonged to the King. They dulled t'hur men like Kuropeun troops, and posted guuids at nicht at the Pukukar.iko. liridge and at the Waitott. A second large meeling-house was huilt. and I have M-en about three hundred Kine; natives holding meet in^s at nijht. They would get veiy mudi excited w lien they heuid bad news fiom the iiistiicts when 1 lighting was going on. One day a letter ciiiio fioin the " Kinu," oiJinng them to take up arms against tlie "Cttlcis, and a pioat m -ering w-as held to considei tho Mibject. I went to the me.ting-housf to hear and see what «nf done. One of tin* chiefs ioie nnd snid : "The slity is on I'm- :it Tiir.m>vUi. X»w let the eels of (Itaki e.it the (Vh of Otaki. and the etls of Taiauaki tint the lUh of T.ivuu.iki." Many spoke, counselling' violence ; but Wi T.iko warned tlmie asseinhlod of (he dilVicultiefi in which such v couisc would involvo them. Tlu> ruuauya ((ouiicil), he Mild, wna established to l.;y down lit us for the good of the island, and he was opposed to further shedding of blood, "hut those who want to light," he said, "go to the seat of- war, 1 am faithful to'thn 'kingdom' till it dies, but will nol eountfniini'e bloo Ished nor .illy tn\M.H with mad ' hauluu ' prophets." lloremaia s:vid that m> long as the militaiy were kept away from the district there would ho no di^tutbance ; but that ho looked with suspiiion on the movements of tho Governor and tho conHsc.it ion of native lands. Hupe said: "The Governor hits sit firo to the feuis of Tur.mnki, and t'lo smoke will cover the whole island." "Let our warfare bo of the lips nlono," Wi Tako replied. "If this be tho case our path will be long and our days nviiiy. Let it bo re en th.it this is our intention — we are not going to arise and light." His counsel prevailed with the assembly, and tho lunango, decided that the people of the Otaki district should nol rise. In 1662 Sir Gcoige Grey icceived from certain native. 1 ; of Otnki tin assurance of loyalty mid infoimation of a ical or supposed plot on the part of some of the followers of tho "king" to rise and deMroy the Euiopenim in their district. Without loss of time, he visited Otaki in person, and sent a letter to Wi Tako ut Pukuki.raku, to come to the Mission School with al! his men, us he wished to hold a, meeting there. Wi Tako sent a letter in reply, to this effect: — "I cannot como to see you. You come to me, and then 1 will talk to you." Sir Georce Giey rejoined: — "I cuinot come under the Kin^'ft Hag ; but 1 will meet you ut Pukukaiaku Hridgo." To this Wi Tako :i-v-en(ed, and, accompanied by all the "king" luUivey, met the Governor al the bridpe. Sir George told them the outlines of the policy ho hoped to imrsue — not to renew militan opciations out to retain his old Maonfiiends and reduce the number of his enemies. He explained that they wore only injuring themselves by canying out the "kinit's" orders, and ha was sorry to .«*e that the majority of the Otaki people appeared to Iw'vo identified themselves with tho disloyal proceeding of hoisting the ilag of llu 1 so-called king. Wi Tako niisweied : "Salutations to you, Governor Grey. This is our word to you; hearken. Wait am was the source of evil-t-not tho king. You go to Waikato and talk to him. Go to tho loots. If the kiiu is brought to naught by your plan, well and good — the branches will dry up." Hcremuia said : "We will not givu up tho king nor his ilag. If the Governor attacks our king wo shall be evil— and do nol accuse us of muidoi." Sir George rouit nod, recognising that he had made no imme&siuu ; hut the int^iview maj have hiul some effect on his subsequent action ; for ho afteiwards withdiew the hoops from Taianaki to Auckland, and took measuies to attack the king in his own country, ft good deal to tlie surprise of 'the disaffected natives. Aichdeneon (a ft ei wards Hishop) Hadfield waa impressed by the imminent danger of au open ruptuic at Otaki. Hostile paities from the King Countiy weie cousUntly coming and going) urging the local natives to exterminate the settltitj Maori scntirios weit) nightly posted ; and every wheio ther*. was uneasiness, suspicion, and appichension. He called a meeting of all Maoris, .friendly and dUaft'octeu, at tho Mission School, and made a long t>peecl) to them. Ho said : "It i» said that some of you talk ol liaing and Oitoimiiutuig "the pakehn.

Would you defile with human blood your chinch uud the soil where your f*l)it»w and uncestois aiu buried? Would you dw-xi.i'u all youi tnlicH for uvtr'by uiuimitling murder in thin Miciei placer' {-in Kienl. wn.s his peihomil infiuvii'-v that all the leading men awst-ni^-d, and <]«• ' laud thai no rising should take place in tjieir di'-liiet, but ih.ti any one who wiOicrl l<i join ihe king 1 !, fighuny men sliimld ho at libeily to >;o. 'J'hw hcttlwl tin matter, and there wab no Tinny:. fiul (or th« Aichdeaeun's w use and bold .n'tioii, tliuißt miijlit have iuim-d out \piy diffuenlly — them would in all lilu;1 1 hood hts'c l,<-en a in.i«iacie of ucttlt'iii nnd ,i \Vf>f (,o« < -t war. Aftfr th^ mcct in», many of tho luih'ilerit. «-j.in:<» who advocated the rising went to thfr kniß's help at the beat of wnr, nnd never leturncd. One of the.se was M enare J'aratoa, a teacher at tho Mi,«»Mi>ii Coliepr, Otaki, who fell at the flute Pa, Taiiiufiga. On his body was found a written oider of the day for war, btginnin^ with a prayer and ending with the wohls, "If thine enemy hunger, ferd him ; if he thirst, givo him drink." Hen.ue, who wa.<* highly educated in Eng-h'-'h, and had ii.M;n to the position ol teacher, had many children under his c.ire, and had done excellent work in tho hchool nnd college. These iustitu. lioiim, under the coiuiol of Archdeucon lladfield, wcio then in a nourishing condition ; many cluldien weie boarded in the school, and hundieda of natives regulaily attende<l the church. The church, bell rang ut hiinnso and sun«t to call them to prayers, and I havo aeon tho chinch mi lull of Maoris that many had to ."it aiound the poich outside, unable to t'iiiii admission. The most piomising of all the branches of Una nourishing mishion was the hoarding col!<>>>e for Muori children, where they weie educated, clothed, fed, and brought up in the church ; and a great mistake was made when it was abolished. The Maoris had given six hundred acres for this charity school, uud when they found that the minion had leased the land and tliut the children no longer bonefiled by Iho proceeds, they lost interest both in school and church, and ceased io .vend their childien lo tho day school Consequently, they grew up in iunorauco, and littlo belter than heathens. When Archdeacon Hudfield left Otuiv. the Maoris be-jan to fall away fiom the church, and ever sinue the' college and church have In en going i> ;ic k. The only way I can see to check the tendency is to re-establish the old institutions, and U..in up tho rhildien in Christian or■linunccx. Otherwise, it will be impossible to bring the Maoris back or to check their decay. Tho older people have .«M.t confidence both in tho Mission and the Chuich. If the "Otaki College were ! ie-coiiiliucted and established as a ccntie of education for all the Maori childien of the \\"e.st Coast, tho Slute miyht ftivo valuable assistance in various ways Many of the West Const native children have now no opportunity >. whatever of education. The college has many adv.inta..^!,—large pioimds for gaiden and ppmuio where the children could be t tamed in tilling small plots of their own, and receiving iinconseiouslv lessons, in self-help and self-reliance.* No moic eligible spot for such a purpose could bo found in the Island, nor a more comfortable home for the Maori children. Tho Arrhdeacon's farm was c.uried on by Mr. Woods and sons; he had the best shorthorn cattle and merino .-heep on (lie coast; a flourishing dairy was one of the features of the farm, and the j-ettleis used to go there for their supplies of butter. Errata.— -In last wecUV instalment of "Konuniscenees" the year of Kangihaeta's deuth is incpirectly given; it- -should have been 1856. It wax tho Waiknvu, not the Wiiikaimo. Kiver into which he plunged when MtUeriug from the eruption. The name of the priest referred to .should have been Comic, not Courtej he kthoiued at Pukukuiaka near Otaki, not the impossible "Bsiki" us printed.