REMINISCENCES FROM THE LAST MAORI WAR.

NZ Truth, Issue 56, 14 July 1906, Page 7

REMINISCENCES FROM THE LAST MAORI WAR.

(By C.W4

A Mail Hunt and Great Wat 1 Dance.

Long before the dawai of day the whole force waa afoot, eager to continue) the pursuit; and as We had fid solids to eat it did not take long to finish breakfast.,, W« had hoped to procure provisions at the old Pah, but were disappointed, and had to go without* As soon as daylight permitted we Were off, travelling at a trwnendous fat« through th« tangled foiWSt, th« rebels' tracks being plain be^tore us. ' Towards 10 o'clock, however, a change became apparent, for the tracks split up more and more, and finally disappeared altogether, showing that the enemy, finding himself hard press*!, had scattered with a view of hiding m the thick jungld around. Shortly after several Were discovered m the tree tops and shot down like Bo many crowa. A close search .of the Surroundings now took places wt;lch resulted m about 20 Hau Haua being shot m the trees, their heavy bodies coining: down With a great thud, which was ftbt pleasant to hear. Leaning against a sapling we found ah old warrior, sitting on his haunches,: with an empty musket be-" tWeen his knees. Me was wounded* his shoulder-blade -being badly shattered* and evidently m great pain. I examined his gun, looked for ammunition and not find-! ing any, passed on, intending to leave the poor devU to his misery; but a nian named Adams bdunded bast me, seized the warrior's grey hair with one hand and, drawing his tomahawk with the other, bashed hia brains out.' This Adams,- though a white man, Was as big a savage as any of the Hau Haus. He waa one of the ■ scouts, ft Very big, powerful mail, a native of Wanganui, and always walked barefoot like a Maori when away from camp. . The search continued till midday, and as - sons were beginning to clamor for food, it had to be given up. Half a dozen of the most perfect rebel heads were carefully decapitated just below the jaw by our Maori friends, m revenge for v the young chief killed at Otahu, and carried all through that long j and weary nmrch. Night came on at last, and Te Kepa was forced to make a halt, after tearing through the jungle Without food and without a rest for fully, 35 miles. • • • At daylight the next morning we were again on the move, but the pursuit was now abandoned and Te Kepa took a bee line for the nearest Maori village* which We reached about noon, thoroughly hungry and worn out.. It was- a very pretty place, this nest of Wbares, lying m the midst of the virgin forest, ironn Which it had been literally cut out. EJvery hut was surrounded by a neatlykept plantation, carefully fenced, and containing every description of vegetables, whilst fruit Was plentiful and pigs rah about everywhere, itot five minutes elapsed before Some of the latter Were simmering on the fire, with potatoes .-.-. and onions making a most savory mess, and ending for the time all our worldly troubles. After dinner I watched a Vil-lainous-looking old Maori, who evidently wad a medicine man, preserving the heads that had been, brought along.- 'He seemed to be an expert at the process, and without difficulty removed the brains and inside flesh, leaving the eyes and exterior'perfect. He then rubbed the inside portion with a certain herb, and the horrible task was completed, preserving tho heads perfect, I was told, for any length of time. • * * Fully refreshed,, and m the best of spirits, we resumed the inarch towards the coast m the afternoon, and at dark reached the main camp, which, during our absence, hnd been shifted further sorth, on the edge of the forest. Next morning our Maori friends arranged a great war dance, which proved a performance such as is but . rarely seen m this world, j The six heads Were impaled oh painted sticks, three feet high, which were driven ihto the ground, forming a ring. l?re- j Serntly two Maori chiefs marshalled their ! mm, about 000 strong, m two compact j bodies, on the level ground Around the ' heads, every man being perfectly naked, I with the exception .of a colored cloth i round the loins, and each carrying a rifle. Then the chiefs fail up and down i chanting a war song, and instantly every j maii threw himself into pstfttiah, balanc- . ing first on one foot, tbfta on the other, ( striking vigorously hia brawny chest j , .with! right and, left hand, alternately^ [

whilst tittering a! loud guttural sound, lolling out the tongue arid showing only r the whites of the eyes, the whole 600 , acting simultaneously,- and -with a precision that was marvellous. Th 4 ground I B'fiboK fOr t mils af dutifl as tR§SB gigantic' figured, ffißving *« one, throW tbSir weiffßfc fr'o'nl one foot to" tha other, or suddenly dropped 66 on* knee m the act of firing. There W4i* no hesitation^ no blunder,- thg roiling of the eyes even toeing timed to perfection, and proving with what extreme care thesß men were drilled m tfegir own villages. It was <t Weird, novel a»d imp6§irig spefitttdle, this Maori war-dance, the brawny, ptiwerM bodies and muscular limbs of- the difsfcy. warriors ever changing lit their attitude with faultless precision, and showing m bold relief against the green background. The heads were afterwards carefully" packed and sent to the village of the tribe whoso, youttrr chief had been killed* to be kept as relics for all ttnie; • ♦ * For several weeks we remained camped m the locality, doing at times a little driliinr.- to remind u»-that discipline must not wholly be neglected, of organising foraging raids to some of the natiVe settlements, for which leave was always readily granted. The' USUaI monthly payj reached us a b6ut this time very irregularly* and was sometimes three months behind, which Was a constant source of complaint among the men- Money was wanted for the poker schools, which m some cages sat undisturbed night and day while the' coin lasted. Moreover, an fStefpfising individual from Patea followed the force with ft couple of kegs of rum siting to a pack saddle, which he retailed at a shilling a tap and refused to give tick, which was Hard for the men, When perhaps! £S0 m pay was due to them. On one decasion half a dozen told a Sergeant that they wished to lay a complaint before the commanding officer, and he marched them up m front of Colonel 'Whitniore's tent, Wnen the dapper little man appeared th« following dialogue took place : — "Well, what do yoU want?" "'WSant money, sir/ "tVhat the hell do you Want money for 1 ?" . "Buy soajJ, Sir; are getting lousy/ "Lousy ? Lotisy be damned* ' I've been lousy for the iast six months.^ And he looked it. Sergeant : "T6 the right face 1 Quick march !"- WMch ended the interview* *, • ♦ At letlgth there came an end to outcomparative idleness, for the scduts reported that Tito KowafU's forces had rallied and taken refuga with a chief whose Village was situated on the edge of an immense swamp called, I think, Ti Ngafa, and" who was supposed to have remained neutral during the rebellion. Terrifying tales had been told us of this swiamp, which Was said to be « treacherous, bottomless bog, and Wolild suck down into its fathomless depth anyone venturing on it.- To make another atrtempt to capture the wily cannibal leader and crush the rebellion, finally and for ever Was the object of an expedition which started shortly after the report reached us. The track led aWay into the interior for about 25 miles, through fine .open bush,; with here and there a few difficult patches, until that mysterious and terrible swamp came iri Sight. It appeared to be about a mile and a half across, and stretched away itf horseshoe form as fail as the eye could reach. On the Opposite side, where the solid ground rose steeply from the swamp, could be seen a large Maori village, perched ptithe highest part of a peninsula Which: jutted out into the level, watery waste, and it was m this village where the rebel forces were said to be located/ To approach it the morass had to be crossed, as undertaking, of which our Maori friends seemed more afraid than otirseives. We camped m the bush, a hundred yards, from the shore-* and for two days all hands, were engaged making hurdles intended to bridge the swanip. iDurtng this time no fires could be lit; smoking and talking, except m Whispers, Was prohibited, and the only food We had consisted of biscuits- But grog Waß served put liberally several times a day, keeping everyone in 1 good huano^ On th© third night after our arrival it Was reckoned that We had sufficient hurdles to reach across, and When darkness set m the Whole force was paraded for the purpose of placing them m position. It was, however^ sfdon 1 discovered that we- did not have half enough, and when some 6f bur men tumbled io the darkness and fell into the swamp, finding solid bottom, though somewhat deep, all further attempts at bridging Were relinquished, and we commenced to. flounder across, wading over our knees m! slush and waters Here and there Were deep watercourses, into which We tumbled m the darkness, generally over the Waist, and we had some- difficulty keeping the ammunition dry. Yet no one grumble ed, and all Struggled doggedly forward. At length, after wrestling for tWo houra with mud and water. We again felt terra firma, exhausted and thoroughly ftoakedi The night being too dark to march 1 through the bush, We had to wait here for daylight, and it Was freezing hard< the season noW being late m May.- This -was the Worst part of the trip, and We were all shivering With the cold. But, a* a liberal allowance of grog Was served out, our spirits rose again, and we "thought lightly of our "Wretched predicament- By degrees, however, the effects of tbe good Jamaica died away, and the teeth of officers and men were again chattering and all 1 Were praying for daylight. At length it camey We fell into ranks and moved through the forest, Colonel Whitmore leading, accompanied' by a Mr, Booth, a Native Commissioner, who m certain cases is more powerful than the Commaiider-in-Chlef. „ Although opinions differed, as to the . neutrality o f the Chief, I Whose village We were approaching, the Government, always willing to cultivate friendly relations with the natives, had given him the benefit of the, doubt, and Mr.- Booth had been sent along to ascertain if this tribe had assisted the rebels before any offensive steps were taken. We were approaching the settlement from the rear— that is, the saddle of land Which connected the peninsula with the mainland—and as we drew near the open apace,, that surrounded the village we were or* dered to halt, Whilst Mr. Booth proceeded alone and unarmed to interview thy chief. It was still early, and' profound silt nee reigned m the Maori quarters. Our men, being m skirmishings order, covered the neck of land from side to side, and escape m that direction was' impossible. Presently We saw the Native Commissioner emerging from one of the WhWeS, accompanied by several Maoris, all talking excitedly and coming towards USj ■,-."• • » • The officers Hastened to meet them, and our men, without orders, closed vp o h the position until teaching! a fence that run across the vPper part of theneck. "Don't fire ! Don't fire !" Was then wildly shout* ed by the officers as they rushed along the line,' but rifles went involuntarily to the shoulder When We saw 800 warriors, with heavy knapsacks, and each> carrying a rifle, plunging into a narrow bight of the swamp, and making towards the Solid ground beyond. Then the order was madly repeated, "bon't fire I They are friends.*' But hone of us believed it. Within a hundred yards of us, beneath our feet, the warriors Were floundering m mud and Water, and offering excellent opportunity for rifle practice ; but we had to remain inactive. The chief claimed them all as members of his tribe, and the native commissioner believed him, ] without further proof* Shortly after,---j when the fugitives had gained the firm I ground beyond, we walked through the j village, and looked into the whares, when 'we discovered poor Von Tempsky's , j sword, McKenzie's Indian dagger, andY quite a number of our own rifles and • clothing, taken probably from the dead, 1 giving positive proof that the fugitives were- rebels. Then the friendly Maoris i were ordered forward m pursuit, which ' ended, as usual, without any tangible re- : suit. j Everyone of the force, officers and men, i .was .thprp.ughljr disgusted at the ingloxi-