A RECORD OF BRAVERY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1265, 24 March 1886, Page 2

A RECORD OF BRAVERY.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, March 22.

Lieutenant-Colonel McDonnell was recommended by General Cameron for the New Zealand Cross, which has been so tardily given him, so long ago as 1863. In that year the General was in the "Waikato. and the Maoris were known to be at a place called Paparaki. General Cameron complained that none of the settlers could give him any information about this position, which it «*as suspected they were fortifying ; and McDonnell, then sub-inspector of the Defence Force, offered to reconnoitre it. He explained that probably plenty of people knew the place by sight, but not by name, as it had only just come into prominence. The General was unwilling to send anyone to what he considered certain death, for the country was very open, and swarmed with natives, who had a strong post close by. McDonnell offered to go on his own responsibility, and Major yon Tempsky went with him. They managed to get to Paparaki safely, and found the Maoris busily throwing up works. In the darkness they mingled freely with the natives, and found out all that was required. Hardly had thej r started back than they heard a body of men coming, and they hastily dived into the friendly concealment cf a raupo swamp. Here the two men stayed all night and all next day. During the morning a Maori dog smelt them out. and nearly betrayed their presence by its barking. They could near the owner cursing the dog for the noise it made, and tolling a friend it had stuck up a pig. When the shades of night fell McDonnell and Tempsky emerged from the swamp, and, taking advantage of a small growth of fern, managed to crawl back to head-quarters. For this service McDonnell got his first recommendation. In 1865 General Chute mentioned him for the cro^s under the following circumstances: —The British forces were besieging the famous Wereroa Bedoubt, near Wanganui, and a proposition was made to negotiate for its surrender. The man who took the lead on the native side was a chief of the Patea tribe, then considered the most dangerous and bloodthirsty section of natives in New Zealand. The friendly natives were strongly against listening to the offer, as they considered any ambassador |would certainly be murdered. McDonnell, however, undertook to conduct the negotiations, and he was the only man before or after who trusted himself to the Pateas and escaped from their clutches. He stayed a day and a night with them, carried his revolver constantly in his sleeve, kept tho chief always closs to him. These precautions enabled him to return with a sound skin. The parley came to nothing, however, as it was expected. In the same campaign McDonnell again distinguished himself by recoimoitering the Patea Pah a few month's later, and was again recommended for the cross. Thus he was mentioned in all three times, but the Commission resolutely refused to take notice of his services, and he now gets the decoration after 20 years have elapsed. Capt. Mair's particular action, for which he is to receive the cross at Col. Whitmore's instance, was in the campaign against Te Kooti. That redoubtable chief appeared before Kaitereria Pali, Eotorua district, and tried to persuade the occupants to surrender. -Thpy immediately bent off a message to Major Mair. who \\ as some distance away and amused Te Kooti hj keeping negotiations going. The latter .-.melt a rat, and before a mau could arrive, decamped. He had some 2o<) men with him. Mair had about 10 -all Arawas, and not the the best fighting men by any means. Nothing daunted lie went off in hot pursuit, and caught up to Te Kooti, and began a running fight. At the first fire the majority of the friendly natives decamped, and left Mair with about 10 men. Dashing through the bush he kept up a hot fire, and, being a splendid shot, picked off man after man. Te Kooti believing his antagonists were were only tho advanced guard of a large force, was was afraid to halt and make a pitched battle of it. and the retreat continued, Mair and his few staunch men hanging on to the flying natives like bull-dogs. Before the hunted Maories finally shook them off and disappeared in the bush, 35 or 40 of their number, including some of Te Kooti's best men, had been killed, and a large portion of them fell to Mair's own rifle. These two men having obtained the reward so well merited, but so long withheld, it is probable the claims of other forgotten worthies of the days of Maori warfare, will be received and adjudicated upon, as it is well known there arc others wlic were equally deserving, and who have been equally overlooked in what must now seem an unaccountable delay.