INCIDENTS OF THE WAIKATO CAMPAIGN.—No. 3.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6362, 8 April 1882, Page 6

INCIDENTS OF THE WAIKATO CAMPAIGN.—No. 3.

ISY KNDYMWN.] After a few days of rest we went to Rangiaowhia, then considered the garden of Waikato. Signs of cultivation in deep dark loam were every when- extensive. Two large churches stood in a central position. There was the usual redoubt ; and the peach groves were very numerous. On the borders of the settlement were the sites of the llourmills. It must have boon interesting to visit the place in its palmy days, in the Maori time, when its population assembled there, when the chiefs gathered in couneil, when the general tillage took place with due observances, and the 'broad garden bloomed in abundance. The village youth then met in number.-s to pursue their sports. 'I he wide land swarmed with horses, pigs, and kino. It was then truly Maori-land in the heart of tlie country, where the white man was a stranger in those days of fancied security, when being told of the approaching advent of the conquerors, the chiefs disdainfully exclaimed, " AV-.-<(."' I cannot describe their state of civilisation at that period. It may have been the present normal admixture of Maori rudeness and pakeha ■ 'entility—something between a swell and a savage : but, by the mills, the cultivations, and various evidences of industry, it seuiiH they were ontorpri.iing and active. One of the chiefs forwarded a specimen of flour to England, from one of the mills presented to iiim, and the ijutcii, to acknowledge his industry, sent him a very handsome picture of the royal family in a most elaborate train..-. The existing state of liangiaouliiaatour visit was—a redoubt containing the old sixty-fifth, sentries, deserted Maori houses ill every direction, containing .splendid boxes, leaves of religious books in tho Maori language, pieces of matting, bottles of melon seed, a lew eel traps, and le-ioii.s of fleas— cultivators bereft of their pro.luoo by a hungry army : yawning pits that held Uie stored provision.-;, every thin' in a lone abandoned state, and in disorder, told of the sudden departure of the inhabitants that morning wlu:ii the soldiers rushed unexpectedly upon them. The nshes marking the site of a irlinn- were pointed out to me by a soldier who told me thai on tlie arrival of the forces the natives were greatly taken hy surprise, depending upon i'atcrangi to thoroughly repel the invaders. A number rushed to this house, and from it opened lire on the intruders. '1 fie occupants were ordered to surrender, but they paid no attention. At last, one of the militia rushed to the back of the idnin; and tried to elit.ct an entrance. He was immediately shot, and dragged in. This exasperated his comrades, who instantly set fire to the house. Thereupon several hastened out, and were dispatched, but one native was seen to fold his arms deliberately, after laying aside his rillj, and to stand in the flames till consumed. "They did light fiercely here to the last," lie said. " Ojiu young native was brought ill on a car mortally wounded. He begged for a drink of water, which I quickly brought him. Having eagerly quenched his thirst, instead ol thanking me, with a look of hatred I can never forget, and witli his last effort, he suddenly hit me with the tin canteen between the two eyes, and died." "And who is this ancient, the last of them :-" I inquired. '! He seems to bo a century old." I alluded to a once tall, but now a bent and deerepid figure. His hair was snow-white, and his face black with tatoo, and his small eyes gleamed fiercely. Sometimes he surprised yon by meeting you in an old uniform, but his favourite attire was the easy, handy blanket. "That is our pensioner," replied the soldier. "On our arrival the poor old fellow rushed out alone, and shouted, ' Here I am ! Shoot me ! You shut my sons in the war, shoot me too !' His brave, touching speech gained our sympathy. We took care of him, and he regularly gets his rations, and he is quite contented."

At Kaiigiaowhia the change of climate was perceptible. In tin; morning it was very cohl, and a frost covered the ground. We had many exouriions throughout this interesting locality by the open lands and the forest, or by the eel weir, or tlie peach groves : and the place became familiar to us. Maungatautari and Pirongia were pictured in memory. We left one morning, bidding farewell to the old chief. He was attired in regimentals, especially for the Occasion, and looked rather a queer sight in a curved po.->turo. All that was martial in him was long ago extinguished, am' he seemed only a figure to sit by "a lire; and there we left him, gazing in a dazed stare at the ground, while lie listened to the bugles, and surrounded by his treasured acquisitions—several eel traps, bottles of melon and gourd seed, ami an empty box with two paddles.

.Returning to Te Rori, we were unfortunately consigned to a large party of friendly natives, who had special privilege-;. J wondered they were not mistaken for the enemy, and fired at occasionally. We were to be conveyed by them down the river. It was getting dark, and as Maoris cannot comfortably undertake anything of importance without a debate, a long-continued clamour took place, much to our annoyance. All took pnrt in the argument, and many :it a time. Now a chief was rapidly responded to by an old native woman ; then a boy took up the discourse, and was opposed by another youth. When niuht set in we started at last, the chiefs standing in the prow of the canoe, singing out at intervals. Tile rain began to fall, ami another argument then ensued about proceeding or staying till morning, and it was decided in favour of the latter. To our misery we were landed in a humid, gloomy forest, and began to stumble in the long, wet grasses. Alter difliculty a tire was lighted, a canopy on four sticks, sustaining a blanket we could badly spare, was erected, and which imperfectly protected us from the rain, and beneath we spent a wretched night. 1 was awakened i>y a bellowing noise at times, but whether it was a bittern or a well sustained snore, 1 could not determine ; but the Maoris in the morning were of opinion it proceeded from some water reptile. During the night, seeing the lires and hearing the loud conversation of the natives beside them, 1 wondered how we escaped notice of the next military camp a lew miles down the river. Next day we were among Europeans agnin, and were surrounded by many species of military personages. The" steamer was towing a shallow barge, which was frequently receiving or discharging its living freight of imperial troops or militia. Some of these bore traces freely of pugilistic warfare—as if it had been a civ'il one—"instead of the honourable wounds received in action. Venturing on the barge in the evening to see to the safety of our luggage -—hearing an unusual row—l looked below the deck. Two combatants were on their knees for a tight, not having room to stand upright, while Die spectators looked on by the li"ht of the candles. At one side the peaceable Were huddled like sheep, and generally recumbent, one of them grasping a bunch of poultry, which, during the uneasy sleep ol the owner, and the general disturbance, Happed and cackled often. One man was staring blankly and whistling, as if he were contemplating one of the most cheerful aspects of life. A noisy old fellow, too old for such a proposal, was issuing invitations for any one, or all, to light him. To my surprise "the sentinel was slightly inebriated. He sat awkwardly, with .1 dull glare in his eyes, ami grasping periodically his musket, "threatened to maintain order by shooting some one. Then more confusion ensued,"a Hushed sergeant came, a row tojl; place, and the old man, loudly protestii g, was dragged 0.1 deck with a r.>pc. Having ascertained the security of the luggage. I regained my companions. 1 met one (Id soldier whose creat forte was standing sentry. 1 asked him interestedly about lis system of challenging, and how long he would wait for an answer. He told me an anecdote connected with his favourite pursuit, and characteristic of the New Zealand war. " While 1 was sentry on one-occasion, ,, be said, "my walk was on a slightly rising • 'round near the edge of the bush. Of course X often loolied that way, and I began to notice a nikau tree that seemed to me very peculiar. The next round it seemed to haw changed position, and the .third time I was positive about it. -Tree's don't travel,' 1 argued ; and then another peculiarity about it occurred tonic. The inside of the branches appeared lacing outwardly. 1 tired, and, as 1 expected, the tree fell. It contained an armed native, who was stealthily advancing on me. ile mad..- a fatal mistake in not .studying the appe.irancc of the foliage better."

As wo npproauhcil Iliu end of our jonniry on the rivt-r its broad Ntri::un, whirling and rolling in lirown eddies, loolu'd graiul bunoath the tail .soiiiln-i; m:issi:.s of pine on tin , shoiv. Then: was w melancholy iispont in the lone .scone as if the land mourned for the tribes I hat movyil their eanoe.i iijion its waters. Ah we. hinded, the moonlight elianged Hie appeanuieo of tliu river to a lalce 'of molten silver, while tliu sable .shade of the trees eoncealed the banks, and an air of peace and ropo.su was dill'nsed over the Waikato. The blaek form of the steamer had passed out of sight, its two ilaring, liery lights glowing like tho eyes of a moustQr of war t