TE KOOTI RIKIRANGI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16558, 23 May 1914, Page 6

TE KOOTI RIKIRANGI.

THE REAL STORY OF THE REBEL

LEADER.

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE MAORI FANATIC RELIGIONS, PAI-MARIRE, RINGA-TU AND WAIRUA TAPU.

(By Colonel Porter, C. 8., T.D.)

(Written for the “ Lyttelton Timea.”)

(All Rights Reserved^

CHAPTER XIX.

EXPEDITIONS OF 1870—1VA1KAREMOANA, TOLAGO BAY, UREWERA COUNTRY. To Kooti now led his broken forces back through tko Uravcra mountains and re-occupied his old pa of refuge near tho source of the Wnioeka River. He also crossed over tho dividing range Mauugatapere, and took possession of an old kainga named To Houpapa, just under the south side of the range. There he established a provisioning depot, whore being on the verge of the open fern country, huge numbers of wild pigs were obtained, besides the birds with which the forest fringe abounded. These foods of tho bush were preserved in wild honey. The open country also abounded in the edible fern root, tho biscuit of the Maori warriors. A large quantity of these provisions fell into our hands on our'expeditious and the food was great-, ly enjoyed by tho force. It was hidden in a cavo together with a small supply of ammunition. It was now tho month of May and winter was approaching, a season whose severity was lelt much earlier in these .glands. Te kooti imagined himself eccni'o for a time, but tie was not long left in peace. It was determined by the Hon J. D. Ormond to give him no rest. At tlio end of April wo again took the field, or rather forest, in pursuit of the rebels. A column of some 300 reliable friendlies, principally from Mahia, Wairoa and. Alohaha, under Lieutenants E. Hamlin, Witty anil Large, was-organised to move upon Waikare-Aioana, co-operating with our columns. Attached to this force was James Carroll —now Sir James—then a boy in his early teens. Unlike the two previous expeditions, this column did very good work. Having secured two canoes and a whaleboat on May

21, a scouting party led by Witty, Large and Carroll, successfully crossed the eastern arm of the lake at Whan-ganui-a-Parua, when they had a sharp skirmish with the rebels of the Urewera, capturing a canoe and supplies. Tins success was followed up by a movement in force by land and water upon Matuahu pa, on a headland on the northern side of the lake, from which tho occupants were driven. The whares were burned and the cultivations destroyed. This supposod stronghold of To Kooti stood in a menacing position, overlooking the lake, but was really not fortified as it would have been had To Kooti himself occupied it. Tikitiki pa, on an opposing headland, was also occupied. In July the expedition was withdrawn, winter weather having set in and thero being no possibility of the main force crossing the mountain to Ruatahuna as had been intended. THE UREWERA EXPEDITIONS. The centre column, numbering two hundred, under Major Ropata, and tho right column of two hundred, under mysolf, scoured all the surrounding country, making prisoners of outlying tribes allied with the rebels. These, to the number of some four hundred, were exiled up tho coast and located in Major Ropata’s country as prisoners of war. They were only released at the end of 1871, after the final defeat of To Kooti at To Hapua, in September of that year. These expeditions of pursuit suffered much from cold and nungor during tho winter months of May, Juno and July, constantly on the move through the roughest of forest, gorge and mountain country. We were not successful in discovering the exact hiding places of the rebels, and the men returned to their homes. Te Kooti meanwhile, in his forest retreat, was driven to desperate straits for supplies of arms and food and for reinforcements. He now determined on a bold raid into the country of his implacable enemies, the Ngati-Porou. RAID ON TOLAGO BAY. Among his followers were some members of the Tolago Bay people, Te Aitanga Hauiti/ who informed their leader that if he raided the Bay a large number would join him and that he could easily surprise and plunder

the place and kill the pakehas. Taking time to receive, as he said, divine inspiration from the Atua, at the end of June he announced to his followers: “I shall again strike my enemies, and tho plunder of pakeha kaingas shall be ours. I shall take only the strongest of the soldiers with me, because the march will be a hard one.” Then, selecting about eighty of bis host men, the rebel leader struck across the inland trackless Mangatu ranges, and in July, 1870, descended upon Tolago Bay. The residents of Gisborne were alarmed by the arrival in desperate haste of a messenger from Tolago Bay, who brought tho startling intelligence that Te Kooti had descended upon tho settlement and killed some of the people, and that fighting was proceeding when he left. I and Captain Richardson, with all the available mounted men, some twenty in number, at once made a forced march of 36 miles to the relief of the settlers by a night ride, reaching the settlement at daylight tho following morning.. In those days there was a fairly strong pa on the south side of the river at Hauiti, and in this tho few European settlers , and friendly Natives had taken ' refuge. One lady did spartan duty, arming herself with a gun and doing everything possible to instil a spirit or courageous defence into the defenders. By the time tho relieving party arrived, Te Kooti had retired, and particulars of his raid were ascertained. Marching across country from i To Wera he surprised and captured at I Mangabua, a man named Te Pcka and his family, whom ho threatened to execute unless tho very fullest information was given as to tho position of the district and its settlers. Te Poka sub- ] mitted, but on the first opportunity mode a rush out into thg darkness and ! escaped. He was fired- at, wounded, and closely pursued, but nevertheless succeeded in reaching the settlement and giving the alarm, which enabled ; the settlers to gain the shelter of tho ■ pa. There is no doubt that but for ; this bravo net by Poka (who was afterwards rewarded with a bonus) the settlers of Tolago Bay would have shared a fate similar to that of the unfortunate victims of the Poverty Bay and Mohaka massacres. Following closely upon the heels of Peka. To Kooti advanced, and at daybreak in tbe rear of the hill overlooking Tolago surprised some five Natives, killing one and wounding two. He then opened fire upon the pa from the ridge, bub finding it promptly and pluelnly returned knew that his intended surprise had failed, and therefore withdrew. The moment was critical, ns the least treachery or wavering would have doomed the settlers to death, the Natives to captivity and the settlement to j devastation.

A FRUITLESS CHASE. A pursuing forco of 100 friendlies, in addition to tho fow European troopers, was hurriedly organised, and at nightfall was near To Kooti’s temporary camp at To Hapua, Arakihi. The weather was extremely wot and cold, and the travelling all day had been through rivers and swamps up to the men’s waists. The force was entirely without tentage of any kind, and had to lie in the fern all night uncovered. It was too late to attack, and operations were deferred till morning, when it was intended to surpriso the camp. A prisoner afterwa.ds gave information that To Kooti was completely off his guard, and assured his people that tho Government forces would tot travel in such weather, as Ropata and Porter wore not there. At daylight we advanced through the hush in tho rear of tho camp, and when close up were in tho act of extending from both flanks in order to surround tho enemy’s position, when one of tho Tolago Natives, doubtless in sympathy with Te Kooti, fired without orders, so frustrating the surprise. The contingent then commenced firing at random, without aim or object, and would, not leave tho shelter of tho bush. Tho main body of Te Kooti s force had marched half an hour previously, he himself remaining with a rearguard of only ten men, and ho was just about to move when the surprise occuried. But for tho bad behaviour of tho Tolago contingent, there should ha vo been an end then of Te Kooti's career: ho would assuredly havo been taken dead or alive. But ovon in war there is a Providence which directs all things. With six men I emerged from the bush and closely followed on Te Kooti’s heels and captured one of his wives, Huhana, who afterwards gave the full storv of the raid. lan the time was witliin fifty yards of Te Kooti himself. He was calling and making signs. I mistook him for a Tolago friendly directing mo and wo did not even exchange shots. When his wife recovered breath she said it was lo Kooti and that ho was signing to her. Then quickly following up the ridgo our own men rushed from the bush and volleyed into us, mistaking us for rebels. .The pursuit was continued for some miles and we exchanged shots at long distances. Tho pursuing force, having no food and the majority being unreliable, returned to Tolago to await the arrival of Ropata and _ his moil He was not long in responding to tho call,'and soon appeared with fifty men, much incensed at Te Kooti’s temerity in carrying the war into his enemy’s country. We then started again in pursuit, and went right through to Mangatu, hut did not succeed in overtaking the retreating rebel. Only one man was killed, a straggler from Te Kooti’s rear-guard. Te Kooti_ also succeeded in evading tho cutting-off party, as on nearing Mangatu his scouts reported having seen the smoke of the (Simp fires incautiously lit by the men. He then inclined to the right, crossed tho Waipaoa River and Mangatu ranges, and gained the refuge of Te Wera country onco more, after a fatiguing and fruitless raid. The Government forces then withdrew to iwait further instructions. The whereabouts of the rebels after this raid wore for some months quite unknown. Rumours were continually circulated as to tho location of the rebels but all were unreliable.

j A HARD WINTER CAMPAIGN. I In December, 1870, further pursuing expeditions were organised from tho East Coast under Major Ropata and myself, and from the Bay of Plenty under Captains Gilbert Mair and G. W. Preece. Theso parties thoroughly ! searched the country for many weeks but did not come into contact with the enemy, although many abandoned camps were found. The Tough, forested ranges at the sources of tho Waioeka and Motu Rivers were traversed by the forces. Our parties also scoured the country from the Waipuna, by Maraetai, following that river across to Waiinana (Whakatano Valley), and thence back through the Urewera territory to Rocky Mountain and Waimaha. The Ahikereru, Te Whaiti, Ruatahuna and Maungapohatu districts, in tho heart of the highlands, were thoroughly searched by tho party under Mair and Preece, but there wero no tidings of Te Kooti’s people. We captured some small tribes who had taken refuge in the back country as far back as 1865, after tho Pai-Marire fighting. One of these sub-clans was the Whanau-a-Kai, whose members made their home and sanctuary in a mountain kloof that would require a Rider Haggard to describe.'

During that winter campaign we suffered much hardship and actual starvation in the forost. At times we were reduced to the berries of the hinau and tawa trees, pounded up and made into a sort of pasty bread, and on pikopiko fern shoots. The weather was terribly severe, and wo lost several men in the bush, frozen to death. Tho brave old Major Ropata, on. being remonstrated with by the lesser chiefs for persisting in the search in the winter weather, related the tribal story of the hardy man and the weak one, by way of instilling a spirit of perseverance and resolution into his followers :

“ Remember j” said Ropata, our ancestor Tougra, who wove and wore the rough garment, the ' paki, and defied the snow and storm. We are descended from him, and we shall not die. Now, were wo the descendants of tho lazy fop Ruamoko, we might die as lie died. Ruamoko was fond of wearing fancy garments, to win the admiration of women. He was in the forest beyond Hiknrangi Mountain with some of his people, and, being weak and not inured to privation and being improperly clad, ho was frozen to death in the snow. Tongia and his people were out at tb.e same time, but being hardy and clad in the rough-looking but warm woven garment, the paki, they survived, while Ruamoko left his bones in the bush. We are the descendants of Tongia. We shall survive all these perils. Remember that and be strong to endure.” The search expeditions were all withdrawn from the mountains by tho end of 1870. While wo were scouring through all these months the Urewera valleys and ranges, the country round tho south and west of Lake WaikareMoana and Waka-Punako mountain was searched by a force of Government Maoris under Major Pitt and Captain Ferris, who dispersed a raiding party of rebels descending upon Mohaka. and captured a noted rebel and murderer named Maaka. Waikato, who was one of the executioners in Te Kooti’e band. Ho was afterwards tried and hanged at Napier.

In after days followers of Te Kooti informed mo that |no permanent ‘•'pupae” (camp) was formed hi those anxious months in the deep forest, as tboir object was to avoid the pursuers until the rebel force was eufficientlv augmented to talco the field again and meet the foe. Ever watchful for the “ Kawanatanga ” pursuers, they moved over long distances in this rugged highland territory, ranging from the Urewera boundaries on tho west or Taupo side to Waikare-Moana on tho south and Te Wera on the east. From time to time they received supplies from the tribes in sympathy with them, through whose lands they passed. They wore well served by spies and always advised of the movements of the Kawanatanga forces. It was during thse fugitive wanderings that Te Kooti composed and chanted to his people this song of lamontation for his shattered cause, still well remembered by the disciples of the Wairua-Tapu in the mountain land: —

E ’ha te putake To Kooti e whaiwliaitia nei? Ana kei Waikato Te putake, E hu ao—o! E toru tekau tonu He waki noi te puihi; To kai-pupuri ra I a ICenana, E hu ae—e! (Translation.) Oh why is To Kooti Thus relentlessly pursued? Yonder in Waikato is the reason. Alas, my sorrow 1 Only thirty now, c All that roam the forest, Tho faithful few who still Hold fast to Canaan. Alas, my grief! In his allusion to Waikato as containing the “ putake ” or_ reason for this continued chase, Te Kooti meant tho Maori King, Tawhiao, with whom tho Wairua-Tapu leader actively sympathised. (To be continued.)