BATTLE OF ORAKAU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16491, 5 March 1914, Page 5

BATTLE OF ORAKAU.

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS.. [Per Press Association.] HAMILTON, March 4. .

The. Hon Dr Pomare has signified his intention of being prosent at the jubilee celebrations of the siege of Orakau, in the Upper Waikato, which ended the war in Waikato in .1864. He states that if the restrictions preventing Natives from travelling are removed lie had no doubt that that occasion would be marked by one of the biggest Native gatherings held in New Zealand. Every local body in the Waikato has also decided to be represented and has appointed members to attend. At the unveiling, of the memorial General Sir lan Hamilton and. General Godley will be present, and it is expected that 3000 mounted troops will attend. The celebrations are to take, place, on April ,L. TO THIS ■ EDITOR. Sir, —Your article on the “ Ake, Ake!” incident in the, Orakau fight makes some very interesting reading. Poor old Rerni’s war cry has come in for a lot of discussion at one time and another, and I do not suppose that even Major William Mail’s version can be safely recorded as absolutely correct. • According to a description given by Hitiri te Paerata, a chief of the.Ngatirhukawa who was. present, several chiefs had a word to say. The following is the translation hy Cnntaip Gilbert. Mail- at the Parliamentary Buildings. Wellington, August 4, 1888: “ When the General again sent Major Main, who said, ‘ Lot the women and children be sent out; we will protect them, so that .they, may not die! ’ then up rosemy sister, Ahumaij. amongst the women, and said, ‘ If our husbands and brothers are to die, of what profit is it to us that we should live? Let us die with the men! ’ Seeing that the women were all of one mind, then Hapurona. (Hapuronn Kohi of Uriwera) Rewi, and my father (Te Paerata of the Ngatiraukawa) said ‘ Ake, Ake’ (We will fight on for ever). The people repeated these words with a great shout, and one of my people 'named Wereta fired at Major I 'Hair, hitting him on the top of the right shoulder.”' Also, according to old Hitiri (he remembered a fight at Horowhenua. in 1830) Ahumai.came out of if pretty badly:—“She was shot in the right side, the bullet going through her body and coming out on her left; she' was shot 1 through her ■'shoiildef,. the bullet' 1 coming out at her back;' she was also shot through'the Waist;, and her left thumb, was shot away. Yet she is alive and resides at Taupo.” There were some hard old Maori women in those days. The Taupo chief, Hauraki Tonganui, is not mentioned in Hitiri to Paerata’s version.

I visited Orakau two years ago, but alas! fliers is nothing left to distinguish the old battle-ground from the surrounding country. A road runs through it, the ditch and earth works have long since been filled in and ploughed up and the stockade turned into pig 6tyes.—l am, etc., 11. O. ROGERS.