THE INVASION OF THE NGATIPAOA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9081, 6 January 1893, Page 6

THE INVASION OF THE NGATIPAOA.

AN HISTORICAL INCIDENT IN THE

EARLY HISTORY OF AUCKLAND. With the Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly • News, the proprietors presented its readers with a beautiful historical picture, in an entirely' new style to any previously given, reproduced in monochrome from the original painting by that well-known artist, Mr. Kennett Watkin. The painting depicted a memorable incident in Sir George Grey's first Governorship of New Zealand—" The Invasion of Auckland by the Ngatipaoa." We give the following portions of the article in the Weekly New s descriptive of this exciting and memorable incident in the history of Auckland : —

But for the firmness, promptitude, decision, and judicious measures taken by Sir George Grey on that eventful day Thursday, April 17, 1851— ib is hard to say what might have been the subsequent history of the infant settlement. Never again did the Maoris enter Auckland in battle array and with hostile intent, and the citizens were saved for ever within its boundaries from the horrors of civil war.

There were many circumstances in the history of the colony which tended to make our early annals more than ordinarily remarkable and exciting. Two races, both of strong and energetic nature, but differing in almost every respect, came in. contact The vast majority of the residents of Auckland now have few links connecting them with the past, in such a way as to make them familiar with the early history of what is now their home, and have but slight knowledge of the incidents which took place at the first settlement of the country. To recall these we now only have recourse to the memories of the few who still remain, and remember when Auckland consisted of a few tents on the beach, and to the early numbers of the newspapers published. The following narrative of an event, the like of which will never occur again, " Tho Invasion of the Ngatipaoa," will be of interest to our readers, and more especially all interested in the history of Old Auckland, as written from the writer's personal recollections of the episode, as well as gathered from various journals, public record?, etc. The incident is important, as marking the last appearance of an armed Maori war party in the then capital of he colony. Years befoae, Heke had threatened and planned an expedition, which, coming down by tho head of tho Waitemata and the Whau portage, should lay the infant settlement in ashes, but Tirarau, Parore/ Taurau, Manihera, and certain of tho Northern tribes, disclosed the project to the authorities, and interposed their protection. It was to protect the settlement on its western side that Ligar's Redoubt was then thrown up in what is now Hobson-street, a couple of hundred yards north of St. Matthew's Church.

THE AKREST OF NGAWIKI AND HOERA. Wars and disputes between races occupying the same couutry have generally had their origin in some trifling disagreement, and it need occasion no surprise, therefore, to learn that "The Invasion of the Ngatipaoa" arose through a native having been guilty of the larceny of a shirt —an article of personal adornment of which they stood much in need in those days. It was on Monday evening, the 14th of April, 1851, that a native named Ngawiki passed the shop of Mr. W. Osborne, in the Crescent, eyed the garment, and fell a victim to his cupidity. He was promptly apprehended by two policemen —a European and a native—for in those days it was necessary, from the number of natives visiting the town, to have a portion of the police force familiar with Maori customs and the native language. Another object which Sir George Grey had in view in employing Maoris in the police force was to train the natives fn the administration of law, and to give them an interest in our Government by being employed together with Europeans in the civil service, and made partakers in its emoluments. The offender, though not a Ngatipaoa, had been staying with and working for them, and a number of that tribe happening to be in the vicinity at the time of Ngawiki's arrest, came up, as they alleged, to inquire from himself as to the facts of the case. The police, however, thinking their object was to rescue their prisoner, kept them at bay. A scuffle ensued, in wr ' :h the European inhabitants took part in support of the police. The upshot was that the leading chief of the Ngatipaoa, Hoera, got struck on the head by the baton of a native policeman, and he and Ngawiki were placed in prison. It came to the ears of the authorities that the chief was in the lockup, and aware of the gravity of tho affair, in the then state of the colony, Hoera was released from custody the same night, at a late hour, by the Police Magistrate, Captain Beckham. Ngawiki was next morning brought bofore the magistrate, who severely lectured him on the enormity of stealing a shirt, in a country where every Maori could have his own blanket, and sent him to Auckland gaol, Victoria street, to undergo three months' imprisonment. On the previous evening the Mgatipaoas had gone off in their canoes with the avowed purpose of bring up the tribe to obtain satisfaction for their chief. Hoera went nearly crazy at the thought of the indignity he had suffered, being arrested and struck by a taurekareka (a slave), and the native policeman had to be spirited away to prevent his falling a victim to the incensed Ngatipaoas. It seems that at the time of the assault Hoera was lapued, or made sacred for the time, which rendered the incident of his being knocked down by a native policeman much more serious. As Tuesday and Wednesday passed without any appearance of the return of the Ngatipaoa, and Ngawiki had been summarily convicted and sentenced, it was imagined the affair had blown over, but the European residents of Auckland were speedily undeceived.

ADVENT OF HOERA's WAR PARTY. On the following Thursday morning at eight o'clock the residents of Mechanics' Bay were startled by seeing a fleet of war canoes crowded with dusky warriors, armed to the teeth with double-barrelled guns (while the troops had only the Erown Bess or Tower musket), sweeping round St. Barnabas Point —so called from the quaint native church of that name situate on the Pointand in a few minutes several hundred Maoris leaped upon the beach at Waipapa (Mechanics' Bay), where is now the Swan Hotel, where Hoera in a fiery speech harangued them, and demanded that the insult to his sacred person be wiped out in blood! A war dance ensued, led by Hoera, who at the head of the column flourishing his taiaha, which was gorgeously adorned with birds' plumage, gave the time. The party in their war paint danced the war dance, which was the genuine article, and not the miserable and feeble imitation given now-a-days to tourists for a consideration. The Europeans present were criticising the various stylos of tatooing on the flanks of the stalwart " braves," when one of them made a personal remark which caught the ear of a chief enjoying the soubriquet of " Piki Canoe" among the Europeans, who understood English. Piki drove the hilt of his sword (a basket-hiked weapon which had evidently belonged to a non-commissioned officer in a lino regiment) into the 'critic's mouth. The young man fell in a huddled heap in the sand at his feet, and there was no further criticism that forenoon of the style of Maori tatooing.

SIR GEORGE GREY'S PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES.

Meanwhile His Excellency Sir George Grey, the Govemor-inCbiof, who happened to be in Auckland at the time, was nob idle. The war party had called in at a native settlement on the coast, on the way up from the Thames, and the natives being friendly, detained the war party by feasting them for a short time, and despatched a small canoe with a secret missive to the Governor, so that he might have timely warning of the tana, or war party. This enabled Sir George to get tho start of the war party by a few hours. Immediate and effective measures were adopted to prepare for any contingency that might arise. Orders were issued to the 58th Regiment (Colonel Wynyard, O.B.), the Artillery (CaptainTravers), Royal Engineers (Colonel Bolton and Captain Chesney) to be in readiness. . Like instructions were given to H. M.s. Fly, Captain Oliver. Mounted men were despatched in hot haste to summon from the roads, the plough, and the fields the New Zealand Fencibles, whose settlements then cordoned the southern

frontier of Auckland. The Howick, Panmare, and Otahuhu divisions were directed to remain at their respective stations, to cover the routes to the- city, while the Onehunga veterans, promptly donning their cross-belts, shouldered their Brown Besses, and marched for town via Parnell, under Major Kenny, where, at. the point above Mechanics' Bay Bridge, preparations were made for their reception. The Pensioners lined the eastern ridge, which shut in that side, of the Domain valley, and the western side was occupied by the 58th Regiment, which extended its right flank across the swamp at the head of the valley to meet the line of Pensioners, so that an enemy landing in the bay was hemmed in, whilst H.M.s. Fly prevented escape by sea.

THE KORERO. As the natives were landing, His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by Colonel Wynyard, commanding the troops in the colony, Colonel Bolton, rind most of the principal military and civil officers, proceeded to the hill—Constitution Hilloverlooking the Bay, where the natives were dancing the war dance. His Excellency sent a message to the principal chief of the Ngatipaoa, Wiremu Hoete, requesting him, accompanied by the leading chiefs, to come to him, which they did, and made known their grievances. They said that they had no quarrel with the paheha, and no desire to injure the Europeans, but that a Maori policeman had grossly outraged a chief, and that he would have to be released from gaol and surrendered to bo dealt with according to Maori usage.

SIR GEORGE GREY'S ULTIMATUM. The Governor declined to entertain the Maori proposal for an instant, made by men threatening with arms in their hands the civil authorities, and resolved that the law should take its course, and that the war party should be oompelled to give up their arms or leave the town. By the Governor's direction Captain Beckham, Commissioner of Police, communicated to the natives through Mr. Johnson, interpreter to the Native Secretary's Department, His Excellency's decision that only two hours would be allowed them to go away, unless they surrendered their arms. The further warning was added that if they did not within the time specified launch their canoes and return to their homes, forcible moasures would be taken to expel them, and to place the town in a state of safety before nightfall against armed and excited men, threatening violence with arms in their hands. They endeavoured to obtain a modification of the order so as to remain for the evening tide. But the order was peremptory. Wiremu Hoeto went with some chiefs to consult the others, and to tell them they would bo forcibly expelled. Ho then in a short time returned, ascending the hill at a rapid pace, and told the Governor that the expedition would at once re-embark, and laid a handsome greenstone mere Parewhenua"at his feet in token of their submission. The war party dragged their canoes down the beach, under the guns of the Fly. Owing to its being dead low water, they were compelled to haul the heavy war canoes over the sand and shingle, which they did sullenly. By three o'clock in the afternoon Mechanics' Bay was cleared of the war party, and the fleet was on its way down the harbour.

SCENE AT NIGHTFALL. Every measure was taken to guard against surprise after the defeat of the w.ir party, as a native reinforcement of considerable strength had threatened to unite with them, and enter the town. The bivouac fires of the Pensioners, as evening drew nigh, lit up the few houses which then graced the fern-clad slopes of Parncll. On Constitution Hill the 58th posted their patrols and outlying picquets, while H. M.a. Fly's boats rowed guard on the Waitemata. It was expected that the natives would return the same night, and tho citizens, with their wives and children, were prepared to make their way, on tho warning note of the bugle, to tho Albert Barracks, which, with its crenelated wall and flanking angles, could have been held against any attack.

A FALSE ALARM. About ten o'clock p.m. a gun boomed out from the Fly, which was imagined by some citizens to be the signal of the return of the war canoes, and there was a miscellaneous rush of people, scantily attired, to Princes-street, to ascertain in the uncertain moonlight, if their conjectures were true. The gun fired proved but a signal to the guard-boats, and the night passed without further alarm.

HOW THE TROUBLE ENDED. On sailing down the harbour the fleet of canoes put in to Okabu Bay, Te Kawau's settlement at Orakei, where they remained for the night. Next day they were reinforced by .100 men from the direction of the Thames, who, not knowing what had taken place on the previous day, were on their way to join them in Auckland. In the course of the day Hone Waiti (a Weslcyan Maori student at the Three Kings) visited them. As it was Good Friday, he invited them to engage in religious worship, which, on their concurrence, he conducted amongst them. Hone, like Tatnati Waka Ts'ene, had " a white heart with a brown skin," and in a fervid speech he cautioned them against disloyalty to the Queen and her representative, and urged them to return peaceably to their settlements. After the service thoy held a consultation, the result of which was that they made up their minds to go homo and resume their usual occupations, all the more speedily thai old Taraia, from the Thames, was expected up to urge the continuance of the quarrel. Thus ended the invasion of the Ngatipaoa. Other difficulties have intervened with the native race since then, unfortunately—notably the Taranaki war of 1860 and the Waikato campaign of 1863—but never again has a Maori laua brandished their arms and danced their war dances within the bounds of Auckland city. The Maori policeman, by the way, was not punished, and the Maoris were taught that when they had a grievance thoy must come in peace, not in war.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. The New Zealander newspaper of that date, commenting on the episode, says : —" Tho judgment, decision, and knowledge of the native character evinced by the Governor on this occasion cannot be too highly appreciated. Even a little mismanagement might have swollen tho affair into a serious disturbance, which it might not have been easy to repress ; but as it is, the natives have no doubt been impressed with a sense of the uselessness of attempting to resist tho Government—while in many other instances they have had ample reason to know Sir George Grey's determination to maintain their just rights, and his paternal regard for their real welfare."

The Southern Cross remarks :—"lt is but justice to His Excellency, Sir George Grey, to state that his measures to meet the emergency were taken with calmness, decision, and promptitude. Tho Governor and the people might have been subjected to the greatest indignity, if not outrage, had there not been a regiment of the line in barracks, a detachment of artillery in the fort, and by the merest chance a sloop of war in port. We believe Sir George Grey did what he could to prevent the premature weakening of our military defences. The natives yield frankly to European laws when enforced by European authority, but when executed by one of themselves, and that individual probably a slave, should a blow be given, even accidentally, we have seen to what extremities it may lead."

Sir George was good enough recently to go over the ground at Constitution Hill and Mechanics' Bay—the scene of " The Invasion of the Ngatipaoa"—with the writer, and graphically narrated the events that took place on the ground on that memorable day, over 40 years ago. These interesting reminiscences by Sir George have been woven into the narrative.