AKE! AKE! AKE!

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15349, 9 July 1913, Page 6

AKE! AKE! AKE!

Sir,—ln the Herald of June 30, appears a letter from Mr. Gilbert Mair, anent the supposititious glory due to the memory" . of the late chief Itewi Maniapoto, as the author of the now celebrated and greatly adopted cry of defiance and perseverance, yclept, " Ake ake, ake," etc., flung in the teeth of our troops at Orakau. It has been a matter of surprise to me that despite' the clear statements made at various times by the late Major Mair and others to the effect that Rewi had no part whatever in that historical episode, so many people should persistently attribute to the credit of Rewi the origin of a challenge so justly and so universally admired ; when the very nature of the episode demands that the glory of it bo ascribed to the rightful author. To me personally upon two distinct occasions, once in his house built for him by the Government at Kihikihi, and again some 18 months later in his residence across the Puniu River, did Rewi state emphatically that he had no part whatever in the famous challenge, but that it was contrary to his personal wish and advice that the Orakau pa ever held out at all against the. pakehaa. and further ruminating (as was his won't towards his last days, he remarked in Maori), Ah me ! what counted it? The end came! Albeit a few more reached Te keinga. and (not to be omitted, of course, despite his opposition to the defence) a few more pakeha soldiers journeyed thither also. Peace camo and remains. Let it continue ake ! ake! ake!" Rewi also was willing to concede that the most likely person to have said the memorable words was Hauraki Tonganui, although he declared that being himself in the rear of the pa and taking no part in the fight, he could not

vouch for who shouted the defiance; but he himself was absolutely opposed to withstanding the British soldiers, '"knowing" the Maoris were foredoomed to defeat! It is some 18 years or more since Rowi told me this, and at that .time less importance attached to the authorship of this challenge, that now bids fair to become a fit motto for adoption by our Dominion; so surely does it- progress in favour of and admiration by the present v generation.

11. Bartlett-Miller.