A MAORI BATTLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 101, 30 April 1909, Page 3

A MAORI BATTLE.

4 . . . THE WATERLOO OF WAIKATO. AN INTERESTING STORY. fß* Tilegbaph. — Special to Tins Post.] PALMERSTON, This Day. At last night's meeting of the Philosophical Society, Mr. W. Welch read an interesting accoi nt from data supplied by the late Mr. Alex. Macdonald of the Maori battle which practically decided the fate of the Waikaio lands. The following is an excerpt from the paper :—: — After the depopulation of the Waiksto, culminating in the storming and massacre of Matakitaki pa in 1822 by the Ngapuhis from North Auckland, the tribes of the Lower Thames, who had also become supplied with firearms, invaded with intentions of settlement the great depopulated triangle formed on the west and east by the Waipa and Waikato Rivers, and on the south by the Maungatautari mountain and range. During this time the Ngatihawas, under their politic and warrior chief, Te Waharoa, driven from their ancestral home on the Waikato, maintained by sheer talent and bravery their tribal individuality and independence in the inland country north of Rotorua. Through the Ngaiterangi tribes, Te Waharoa contrived to obtain a considerable number of firearms, and had greatly distinguished himself on behalf of the Ngaitcrangis against the Arawas and others. Up to 1830, however, he had been quite unable to make any attempt to recover the home of his f athers in the Waikato, but now learned that remnants of other Waikato tribes, -having also obtained firearms, were forming plans to attack the usurpers of the triangular district. Now, according to Maori custom, it would be very derogatory to the prestige of Te Waharoa if that district was reconquered by any but his tribe. TO WIN BACK AN ANCESTRAL HOME. Ngatihawa at this time mustered some three hundred first-class warriors, 90 per cent, of whom had firearms of some kind, and they had been disciplined by Te Waharoa, who taught every man of them for eight years to look forward to the time when they could burst into the Waikato and by sheer valour win back their ancestral home from the numerous enemy. It was time, therefore, for Te Waharoa to act, or leave others to recover the land. In the emergency he appealed to his friends of the Ngaiterangi tribe to lend him 1000 men, not to be exposed to imminent risk, but murely to make a show of force. The Ngaiterangi consented, and together they crossed the Waikato River a little above where the town of Cambridge now stands. The enemy (Ngatimaru and Ngatupaoa) were formed along the brow of the gully and terrace, their left resting on their strong pa; their right on the perpendicular cliff of the Waikato River. Their whole line formed nearly a right angle, but they neglected to occupy the mass of loose rocks in the angle formed by the river cliff and the steep terrace. These rocks lay a few yards from the foot of the terrace. Te Waharoa noticed this, and these rocks became a, distinct feature in his dispositions. ' DISPOSITION OF FORCES. He first of all disposed all his 1003 allies along the gully with orders merely to keep up as hot a fire as they could across the gully. He then placed twenty picked warriors on their extreme left, with orders at a given signal to charge across the gully with as many of the allies as would follow them, regardless of the numbers opposed to them. The remainder of the little force of attackers was divided into two bands of 140 each, one to be held in readiness under the leader to attack the centre, and the other to make an attack on the extreme right. The latter body had no leader, and its task was a difficult one. The warriors crept through the fern to tho edge of the chasm, and lowered themselves down by ropes to the bottom. They were followed by five of their women, who loosened the ropes when the warriors had descended and dropped them into the chasm. Then up the face of the pa^a cliff on the other side went one intrepid man with a rope, and when he had made it fast ' and hauled some of his fellow-attackers up with the other ropes the rest of the party were soon on top. They rested for a while in a clump of trees to .gather then* little force together for the dash across the open, and then, with a wild war cry, leaped to the attack. 'Before they came to close quarters, however, the fire from the numerous enemy was so hot that a third of their number perished. SUDDEN FEROCITY. The little band, however, came with such sudden ferocity that it carried all before it, and slowly and surely began to roll the enemy's flank back on to the centre. Then at the given signal the twenty picked , warriors followed by as many allies as had caught the fever for fight, attacked at the other extreme, and tlits bewildered defenders saw that their line_ o-f retreat was in clanger, and the panic-stricken cry was raised that they were being cut off from their pa and their women. At that moment Te Waharoa, who had been waiting his opportunity, hurled his men at the centre with terrific force. The panic spread in the enemy's line, and a rush was made to reach the pa. The advancing,contingent on the right soon joined Te Waharoa's men, and together they swept the retreaters back on to the pa. The twenty intrepid men, who had been sent to cu^ off the retreat, met the full force of the flying enemy, but they stood like ■rocks till the last, although their numbers were reduced to ten. The enemy' got safely into the pa, and the attacker's retired out of range of Brown Bess. THE CASUALTIES. The attackers lost 70 men killed and 90 wounded, while the enemy lost 440 killed md as many wounded. At there were still consideiably over 2000 men, and as Te 'Waharoa could not altogether depend on his allies, he entered into negotiations with the enemy, and it wa3 agreed that hostilities should cease- and the defeated tribe should evacuate the territory, bag and baggage, and leave Te Waharoa and his warriors in full possession of their ancestral home.