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A FORTUNATE ESCAPE.

INCIDENT OF MAORI WAR. ■ ] • BONFIRE PREVENTS MASSACRE. , , -The j celebration of Queen Alexandra a birthday has • recalled to 5 Major D. H. Lusk a strange incident connected with 1 tho celebration in Auckland of, the roar* riage of the lata King Edward VII. and the Danish Princess. . When the news of the marriage reached Auckland in May, 10615, UlO settlers of the district decided to celebrate the event ;by lighting bonfires ; on tho prominent hills. Major Lusk was 1 then living at J{auku, r near Pukokohe, and ■ was' officer in command of tho volunteer corps, formed at tho,outbreak of tho Wai- . kato War just a short timo before. ; He , and his neighbours proceeded to Bald Hill 1 and there lit a bonfire. Returning late in the evening to bis farm with ono or two 1 companions he Diet ; a party of fcome 15 ! Maoris, some of them armed, who had 1 evidently been to his house. ; Ho had a • ' strong suspicion ths.t there was trouble m' ' the wind, '« and, as was subsequently dis- ' covered, the Maoris had decided to kill 1 the pakehaa: that"" night. ' ; ■ The bonfire* * blaming on the hills ' had puzzled them, however. They had thought that tho bonr fires indicated that , the i settlers • had got [ wind of the attack, and .wero preparing 1 a counter-blast. . Not. then knowing this, r . Major Lusk decided to put up a " bluff. ■ He demanded'to know what; they were t 'doing , about* his place at that time of ' night. They replied that they.had thought 1 by j the fires , that the pakchas were -going 5 to do something against them. _ Major • ' Limk, carrying on the " bluff,''V said; that 5 if they behaved themselves nothing would | :bo done against them, but that if they, 1 did not, something would be done. . ; The r ! Maoris then went away • and, speedily; orr. gariising, the settlers drove them out. of ; the district,.:, Thus through the celebra- - tiou of-: the marriage of, Queen Alexandra '' the lives of the;settlers; in that district J were undoubtedly saved. '; ; 1

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19201210.2.101

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 8

Word Count
343

A FORTUNATE ESCAPE. New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 8

A FORTUNATE ESCAPE. New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 8