TARANAKI REFUGEES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 8 October 1913, Page 6

TARANAKI REFUGEES.

REMINISCENCES OF THE 'SIXTIES. '

(By Fifty-one.) A paragraph reently appeared in the Star chronicling thev death at New Plymouth of MrsH. T.j'Yates, an old and much respected resident' of the mother town. It was mentioned in the para-, graph that the deceased lady had refused to take a forced trip to Nelson during the war, and as perhaps many of your readers are not conversant with the happenings in those days, I will as far as my memory serves me briefly relate what led up to the deportation of Taranaki women and children to Nelson. When all outlying settlers were compelled to seek refuge in the town of New Plymouth every house was necessarily taxed to its utmost to provide accommodation and even churches and schools had to be used by families. After a time an order .was issued by the commanding officer (Imperial) that all women with families over a certain number should go to Nelson. Many went without, much trouble; but others resisted, and I believe in some cases the services of a file of soldiers had to be sought to induce women to leave their husbands at a time when every man carried his life in his hands. Outeide the overcrowding question, the military authorities were constantly dreading an attack on the town by Maoris at night; and juniors creating this fear were frequent. The "alarm" would be sounded on Marsland Hill at the dead of night, jand the commanding,officer would rush through the town (then very circumscribed) and order all women and children to get to the barracks. This fear of an attack had as much to do with the Nelson trip as anything elsey-in fact. _I believe it was the principal .reason. Tho6e> who vent to Nelson were termed "Taranaki Refugees, "and 1 of course they had to be supported ,by_ the authorities during their forced abeence. There is one incident in connection with this matter that is worthy of recalling. A woman with a husband and one son already doing duty, thought she would take her second eldest boy to Nelson and place him at school. This she did; but she was determined to return, and as no woman oquld come back to New Plymouth without the consent of the commanding -officer (which it was impossible to obtain), scheming had to be resorted to. This is what happened: The father knew all Ohe captains of coastal steamers, and he arranged with one to pick up a passenger at Nelson, and on .reaching the Sugar Loaves to slow down to enable a boat, whose occupants had apparently been fishing, to come alongside. This was done, and the passenger from Nelson was lowered into the boat. Fishing operations again proceeded till dusk, when the party landed at Candish's Bay. In those days New Plymouth boasted of a "Punch" —a remarkably clever prodution it was- —and in its next issue appeared a wood-cut representing a woman jumping out of a. boat, with Colonel Carey (generally tJubbed "Mother Carey's Chicken," or "Little Robin Red Breast," the latter because of the flaring red vest worn by the little Colonel) standing a little distance away, nearly fainting with horror at the 6ight. "Underneath the picture were these words: "Landing the enemy at high water."