ESCAPE OF MAORI PRISONERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 5

ESCAPE OF MAORI PRISONERS.

Sir,—ln Mr. H. 8.: Morton's very interesting account of the detention of the 200 Maori prisoners in the hulk Marion which, with the prisoners on board,, was towed to Kawau; (Sir George Grey's residence) some doubt iis expressed as to how the Maoris escaped from the hulls:. Possibly the following' incident may help to throw light on the matter. '• Some time early in 1866 (I think I am right as to date) the V late C. O. Davis, si very prominent Pakeha-Maori, was put on trial in, the old Magistrate's Court, High'.Street, i for inciting ;.-. ono tribe of ; Maoris • against another ■by means of a printed leaflet in the form of a catechism .concerning : th© alleged wrongs suffered 7, by the ! one-- tribe at the hands of the other which was likely to bring about war ? between ,the j tribes.. So serious was the crime considered, that in order to secure a copy of the leaflet, the provincial v police forcibly ■ entered the premises in High Street where --the (leaflet was printed. v I was in A court during the trial, and £ well remember Mr. Wynn Williams,—a leading lawyer in those days —examining a Chief who was : one of ; the hulk's prisoners; '" You were one of ? the 200 prisoners &on board the hulk at the Kawaii ?" " Yes," : answered the ? Chief, " You all escaped?" "Yes," "How did you- manage to escape?"-, "The v Governor let us away quietly one Sunday morning," " How; many of, : you went to fight against the Queen again?" " All:but five.'".:: The; above remains ;(very clearly; in my mem-;; pry,'; It -was -ibis affair '-•■a'ncVi the quarrel with General Cameron; that caused a general > antagonistic feeling toward the i Governor. ' ; .v- It "was -always ; ; a .'puzzle .to ; '. she; that .'.; Sir George Grey, an autocrat of the first vater by nature,; could pose as an ultra-democrat at times. ' I. Hopkins.

Sir,—-Mr. Morton _been giving as a very interesting account of the t Ranginra prisoners ;'/but he -Has \ failed to state exactly i how the escape was carried out. Mr. Jakins" suggestion that they swam- the North Channel—-a distance of three miles —may: be ".:■ taken with a/ grain ,of .salt. There were % plenty of canoes available, and r the prisoners : had the f sympathy I; of the local natives, as we residents of Big Omaha well - knew. A small party-j landed at; Tawharanui. T.i Two hundred others,-in-cluding ; the local native auxiliaries, in several canoes, landed iat what V is; now, the upper wharf, Big Omaha. //'Ninety of these' entrenched themselves '■-■. pa. Mount Hamilton (Tamahuhu) and ware, our constant:; visitors for nine month?. -Whether, it is true or not, the old Maoris have told us that this " escape ";s was arranged between :' Sir ; George Grey and 'the- local chiefs,' 1 conditionally '~' on thii ■:' good behaviour of the prisoners. M.H.A.