TO THE MEMORY OF BRAVE DEAD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7863, 19 May 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

TO THE MEMORY OF BRAVE DEAD.

WELLINGTON", Apish, 27. Yesterday, the ceremony was performed of unveiling a monument, erected at Manaia to the memory of the officers and men who fell during the last war on the West Cep.et. Jt. kttd-. lioon ;iT;*"“sed- jtKnt the Hon Mr Ballance should perform the ceremony, hut he was, unfortunately, detained on the East Coast. The ceremony was performed by Lieutenant-Colonel Eoberts, N.Z.A.C., who as Captain led the Forces out of Te Ngutu after the disaster there, when Von Tempskey fell. Colonel Eoberts, in speaking, said: As one of the surviving officers of all the engagements described on the monument, I should be neglecting a duty which lies upon me, to show honour to my dead comrades, if I did not say a few words expressive of my admiration of the devoted conduct of the brave men whose names are here recorded. When I look at this long, sad list my memory rushes back to within a few months of 18 years ago, at the TeNgutu O Te Manu, where fell the gallant Major Yon Tempskey, whose name appears first on the roll, and no wonder that it does - so appear. He was always the first in danger and the last to leave it, and never asked any man to do that which, by example, he was not prepared to do himself. We do well to honour such men as him. If he had any fault as a soldier it was the characteristic one of always being in advance, sometimes, mayhap, too far in advance. The next one on the list is Major Hunter, whose bravery and courage were always conspicuous, and who fell mortally wounded early in the fight while showing his love and devotion to his country. His last words I remember well: "Follow me closely.'’ Captain Eoss is next on the list. He lost his life in defending a post which he commanded, unfortunately for him ; and the handful of men who were with him were taken at such a disadvantage that they were, unable to make use of the soldierly qualities that he possessed. Captain Brown fell in the trenches before Ngahapa, while nobly setting his men an example of scorning danger when duty demanded exposure. The next name is that of Captain Buck, of undoubted courage jind ce** l sound judgment. Well do I remember his firm, unflinching courage at Te ifentu. Having lost our leaders, wn held -brief counsel together as to what sbould-be done, | and I directed him to hold a ci ir tain j position and await my return iron the search for Yon Tempskey. He carrh dou t the orders only too faithfully. lirdJlEtie® to find him there at the assigned pos«j, 'w dead, with his face to the foe.: 1 Palmer and Lieutenant Hastings I on the list, men who met their death j nobly doing their duty 5 and ™en . Lieutenant Hunter, who was the life cf "he. j camp with his sparkling wit and j j laugh, whose bright humour was not I absent in times of danger. . Only p. j minutes before he fell he laughingly : 1 “There is one of them; I can. see-"he . white of his eye; give it to him." T“ es ® f ‘ were simple words, but they were wort®. r * the brave, sustaining spirit—words 'tt™’’ ! spire men with courage in the difficr*"Y» j and lighten the sense of danger. I jp fain run over the list of officers and men who, with our allies, yao j friendly Natives, the majority of whom I j knew, and whose courage and devotion f I was an eye-witness to, but time djoes I not permit. We are too apt to forget i what we owe to the brave men whose memory we are here to-day to honour, and • the surrounding circumstances under which I they sacrificed their lives. All the pomps of war were wanting, but none of its hard- jships and dangers. There were no brilliant j uniforms, no flying banners to cheer the j weary, as they filed their way through j,-,. tangled, gloomy, trackless forest, nor blew j of trumpet, nor beating of drum to rouse j them to the charge, yet how nobly all dd ! their duty! The last moments of somj, j perhaps the majority, were not eased ly J comrade’s kindly touch, nor soothed If r sympathetic looks and hopeful word). 1 They were often agonised by fiendish yelk and savage mutilation of the foe. I ned . say no more. I trust this monument wU I be kept in good preservation, and thv; names thereon written, cherished with 1 pride by generations to com©; and I con-; elude by expressing my great regret tbatl Captain Hempton, to whom much credit isj,> due for the erection of this monument, is j\ not here to-day. (Applause.) jJ Some of the survivors were also present,-, hut most of them-were too affected to;\ speak at any length. ■ li *