TE KOOTI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9193, 6 May 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

TE KOOTI.

SLAVE, OUTLAW, AND HERO. No. I. [BY C. O. MONTROSE.] The people who took up their morning papers at their breakfast tables in Aucklard on the 21sb July, 186S, received a great shock. Side by side with a column, headed with big capitals, chronicling a yield of ISOOoz of gold from a 16-hours' crushing of stone from Hunt's claim, was. another column with still more sensational headings recording the escape of To lvooti and the Maori prisoners from the Chatham Islands. The news had come by the schoonor Agnes from Poverty Bay, the first intimation of the startling episode having reached Turanganui on Sunday, 12th July, when the Maoris had landed at Whareongaonga. At first the accounts wore vague and meagre. It was rumoured that the prisoners had come over in a French whaling barque ; their numbers were variously estimated at between 200 and 400; and their leader was called "Koatee," depicted in the fertile imagination of one of the newspaper correspondents as a savage-looking ogre, with a " hooked nose; thin, cruel lips; and a low, beetling forehead, which betokened his brutal nature." Even at that early stage he was invested with the character of a bogeyman; though peaceable civilians, distracted by daily reports of Maori risings in different parts of the colony, and the doings of new chiefs with unpronounceable names, could nob foresoo the influence which the so-called " Koatee" was destined to exercise in the shifting and changing struggle for supremacy between the two races. No clear or authentic particulars of the manner in which the escape had been effected reached tho colony until the s.s. Stormbird, in which a Government agent had been despatched to the Chathams to make inquiries, returned to Wellington on tho 11th August, 38 days after tho incident itself. It then transpired that tho prisoners had effected their escape on the 4th July by a clever coup de main, planned by and carried out under the direction of a man named To Kooti Rikirangi, a person of no rank or inana, who had, like many othor men of notoriety, gained ascendency over the minds of his followers through religious fanaticism. By a concentrated movement the prisoners seized and handcuffed Captain Thomas, tho Government resident, overpowered the guard, tomahawking one man named Harnett, who resisted, captured all arms and ammunition, looted the Government Treasury at tho Custom House, seized the schooner Riflemen, 82 tons; and made themselves, in short, completely masters of the situation. They sent Captain Priestly ashore, brt held captive Payne, the second officer, and the crew, compelling them, under threat of death, to navigato the vessel to Poverty Bay. „ All the dotails of the plot and its execution were carried out with a

cool daring, careful forethought and precision, and an absence of needless vidence or bloodshed, which displayed consummate skill. In a short time 163 men, 64 women, and 71 children were safely embarked, with an ample supply of provisions and fresh water, and the schoonor set sail. The thoroughness of the'plans was shown in the observance of the most minute precautions against pursuit. The small ketch Florence, which .lay in the harbour, was cast adrift on the beach. Te Kooti wis almost the last to go on board tho Rifleman when the final touches had been added to the plot. The passage to Whareongaonga, six miles from Poverty Bay, occupied six days. Progress was impeded by baflling winds and a high sea ; and the voyage was marked by a tragic incident, which illustrated tho power which To Kooti, even at that stage of his remarkable career, wielded by working on the superstitious fears of his followers. Ho pounced upon a feeble old man as a Jonah, and declared that his sacrifice was required to appease the god of the winds. The poor wretch was dragged on deck, bound, and, in spite of his piteous cries and struggles, cast into the waves like a dog. It is related, I know not on what authority, that shortly afterwards tho wind and the sea moderated, a strange coincidence, which would doubtless invest To Kooti with the character of a miraclo - worker, and intensify the mysterious awe With which his fellow-escapees already began to regard him, and which ho,took care in after years, by means of many ingenious tricks and illusions, to increase to a degree but little understood by Europeans unacquainted with the Oriental fatalism and childish love of the marvellous which is so strong an eloment in tho Maori temporament. At Whareongaonga bhe escaped prisoners landed with a large supply of flour, sugar, tea, gin, and porter, wearing apparel and blankets, looted from the Rifleman, put two casks of water on board, and told Payne and his crew to head the vessel oat to sea. Tho Maoris then possessed 38 rifles, seven double-barrelled guns, four revolvers, nine pistols, six swords, three kegs of powder, and about 4000 cartridges. Among other spoils was the wedding dress of a young lady who had come to tho Chathams to be married only a few days j before the emeute. A Maori wahine strutted about resplendent and envied in the gorgeous garment of her pale-faced sister. From the obscurity of an insignificant tut.ua, or nobody, Te Kooti sprung up" at a bound into the position of a man of mark, whose very name soon became a terror to Europeans, and one to conjure with among his fellow-countrymen. The newspapers teemed with more or less sensational and incorrect stories of his parentage, personal appearance, and prowess. All sorts of sources were ransacked for information as to his antecedents, character, and probable influence among the tribes. But there was very little to learn. His past gave no indication of his future. Like many oth'er men who have risen from obscurity, and become prominent figures in the world, he was ab first despised, then feared, and lastly ad- • mireclt Jo was known that he was an E"jf3t>

Coast) native, allied to both the Ngatik&hungunu and Ngatiporou, was in tho prime of life, but, up to the event which first brought him into notoriety, had exhibited no conspicuous proofs of talenb either in war or peace. He had served with the Colonial Forces in the operations against the rebels, but had given no promise of that eingular capacity for command and skill in guerrilla warfare which were afterwards to cost the colony so dear. Ho was suspected of being a spy, and was arrested by Captain Fraser at Waerengaahika about November, 1865. Of so little account was ho ab thab time that the captain only noticed the matter in a casual way in his report to the Government. One version of his offence was that he had been caught in the act of stealing a sliirb from a clothesline. This probably had its origin among the low pakeha Maoris and half-castes who are always to bo found hanging aboub the fringes of civilisation. Bub ib servos to show the contempt in which ho was held. His real offence arose out of fraternal fooling. Ho had a younger brother in a pa which was threatened with attack, and he stole away under cover of the darkness to warnJiim of his danger. Some enemy informed tho military authorities, and To Kooti was seized and summarily expatriated to tho Chathams. There he brooded sullenly, and plotted his escape. His apologists allege that ho had, with the other prisoners, been promised liberty at tho expiration of two years (some authorities say one) if his behaviour was gbod. Whatever foundation in fact thore may havo boon for this statement it is certain that others of the prisoners were uuder tho same impression. Te Kooti was landed at tho Chathams on the 15th Juno, 1866; and he made his escape on tho 4th July, 1868, a little after tho expiration of two years. It has never been suggested that ho was subjected to any form of trial other than & kind of drumhead court-martial. A Parliamentary return, laid on the table of the House on tho motion of Mr. Man tell, stated that "there was no writ, warrant, or other form of authority for tho exile or detention of any of the

prisoners." To Koobi always affirmed that) he intended bo pursue a peaceful life after recovering his liberty if he had not been driven to desperation. In any case he had no option. Ho had hardly landed ore Captain Biggs, with a email force of Europeans and natives, was on his heels. The captain was zealous in his duty, bub had ho formed th« slightest inkling of the cousoquences of his action ho would doubtless have shown more discretion than ho did in harassing a desperate enoray, and making demands which, with inferior numbers, ho was powerless to enforce. To Kooti contemptuously refused to surrender ; and Biggs, in the language of diplomatic strategy, "acted on the dofensive" —or, in other words, kept out of To Kooti's way, just as the Northern troops in the American war were described as " executing a judiciou", retrograde movement" when they wore obliged to run away from the Confederates after the disastrous battle of Bull's Run. Captain Wosbrup, with another inadequate force, attempted to intercept To Kooti's retreat through the Maumaukai ranges. The rebel chief turned at, bay, and captured Westrup's camp, commissariat, and horses. Ho also eluded Major Richardson, who tried to stay his progress at To Konaki, on the Hangaroa river. Colonel Whitmoro hoped to hem him in at Ruakituri, where To Koobi was wounded in the right foot, but again the wily robol slipped away and hid himself in tho fastnesses of tho forest. Ho showed the slippedness of an eel. Many times during his strangely chequered careor his enemies thought they had him like a rat in a trap; but ho always contrived, sometimes by stratagem, once or twico by sheer luck, and occasionally through jealousy and division botweon tho mixed forces sent against him, to slip through some unguarded loophole of retreat. It was after one of these pursuits that To Kooti turned like a hunted tiger and committed deeds of atrocity which were intended to strike borror into his enemies, and cause his name to ring through the/world like that of Nana Sahib. Major Biggs had neglected to guard tho way between Poverty Bay and To Reinsja, though repeatedly warned to do so. Te Kooti dashed through tho opening, swooped down in the night upon tho quiet, picturepquo village of Matawhero, and ruthlessly butchered 32 Europeans, including many woman and mere infants, besides a number of. our native allies. The news reached Auckland by tho e.s. Lord Ashley on tho 13th November, threo days after tho massacre; and it created a profound sensation, grief, horror, and desire for summary vengeance being universal. To Kooti had carried out all tlio details of the butchery with tho same consummate skill and method as had characterised tho escape from the Chathams. The house of Lieutenant Biggs was tho first visitod by one party of natives. Hearing voices outside, and thinking bhoy wore thoso of friendly scouts, he went to tho door, and was immediately shot, vainly trying bo defend himself. His devoted wife, who stood by his sido with a child in her arms, was also killed. Mr. Wilson's house, a short distance away, was sob on fire; and Wilson, his wifo, and four children and femalo servant wero shot down at the door. Tho body of John Morton, a male servant, was hacked into threo pieces. Among the others who fell a victim to tho demoniac thirst for Mood were : Mr. Walsh, his wifo, and a three-wceks'-old infant; Mr. and Mrs. Mann, arid a boy ono year old; Mr. McC'ulloch, wife, child, and seven-year-old niece; Maria Goldsmith and her little brother; Messrs. Caddoll, I)odd, Padbury, and Peppard. Seme of these murders wore marked by fearful barbarity. After killing Mrs. Mann tho wretches sob fire to her clothes. This tragic affair was marked by the courage and devotion of a little fellow named James. lie escaped by crawling under a platform and into the scrub, and, at groat risk, ran to tho house of Mrs. Bloomfield calling out, " For God's sake, run for your lives ; the Maoris are murdering everybody !" Mrs. Bloomfield and her children oscapcd in their night dresses. Other parents, who were similarly warned, carried their children a distance of six miles to tho nearest place of refuge. Poor Mrs. Wilson, bayoneted and bruised, was lefb for dead. Recovering consciousness sho crawled into an outhouse. _ On the third day her boy, who had been in hiding, discovered her. Mustering up her feeble strength in ono last effort she wrote on a card:—"Could some kind friend como to our help, for God's sake ? lam very much wounded, lying ab a little house in our place. My poor eon James is with me. Como quick.Alick Wilson." After seven days of torment and starvation she was rescued. A description of the numerous hairbreadth escapes would fill a volume. To Kooti solomnly swore if Mr. Wylie fell into his hands "bo cub pieces oub of him until ho died."