BATTLE OF ORAKAU

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 151, 30 June 1925, Page 7

BATTLE OF ORAKAU

STOBY OF THE SIEGE.

_ "The Waikato/.Campaign was. practically ..over- when the Imperial troops occupied.-Te .Awamulri :,early .in tub year," writes Mr; Andrew Kay, of. Kahikahi, in telling the story 7,' bE the I'amons Battle, of Orakau. "The conquered torritory, including Orakau, .was. being surveyed into; 50-acre sections for occupation by the militiamen. It was the surveyors who discovered and reported the. earth works' in course of construction. They.; saw in the distance ■ what appeared to bo the waving of 'flags'..-An inspection by glass revealed the heaving of. soil from the bottom of- the trenches on to the parapet. What led to Ngatimaniapoto coining back and resuming the offensive was that the Waikato Natives twitted the . Maniapotos, saying, 'We fought for and lost our land, but as soon as the conqueror, touched your territory (Kihikihi). you all cleared off to the mountains.' they had just received two i^egs of good sure-to-kill, powder, and with this they ■ expected to wipe out 'the.taunt of cowardice. The site chosen for the pa was poor in the extreme. It was on almost level land, with, no natural advantage, and was' overlooked by some rising ground close by, on which the besiegers placed an Armstrong gunj The .Natives complained that we did not play the game, inasmuch as we attacked the redoubt before they had it finished or provisioned. On the northern, side of the pa there was .then a white pine bush and swamp with some open' laiul between strpngly held in. caso the Natives mMifc mako a dart for cover. On the southern' side there, was a. hollow close to the pa, but, clear of .gunfire. Hero was stationed an. outlying picket, of.the 40th Iteeiment. The. main body'of the 40th was in a flat, about 20 chains, from the pa; cutting tea-tree, which was tied in.bundles and carried, round a detour of at least- 60 chains. These bundles of toatree were used to protect the men who were digging and guarding the sap. On the third day of the siege things were looking bad for the Natives. They had lio food, or- water, and their' ammunition was ■'running low. Kcwi spoke to his people, saying, 'If we stay 'hero much.xlonger we will be all killed; if we iniikea dash for liberty some of us may get a-wny.' A while flag was planted on the northern angle just opposite the end of our sap : the bugle sounded cease fire.-' The garrison 'sprang 'out.from the opposite-'side-with the old men and women in the centre. They easily brushed the small outlying 10th picket aside. The other members of the 40th who were engaged cutting and carrying ihn tea-treewere taken completely by surprise, and (he Natives line! passed thrminli before they know wlifil. was iip. The Nsiliviv jrarrison was Kfiid to lie 300 strong, and lit least .ISO 1 got, clear away. The only .'prifinnc-rs talcoii woro a few wounded in- dUn-hloi! nion." ■'