THE MAORI WARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 58, 28 July 1906, Page 7

THE MAORI WARS.

The Escape from the Chatham Islands,

Renewal of Hostilities— Maori Methods.

No. XVII,

» ■ — (By J.M.F.)

The war in Maoriland, which was "renewed" in July, 1868f owed its renewal mainly to the fact that the loose oversight of certain Maori prisoners at the Chatham •Islands enabled them to escape from their confinement, and swoop down on. Poverty Bay like an avalanche. By a reference to "Truth," May 19, it will be seen that Te Kooti, after being given many chances TO SHOW HIS LOYALTY, was deported with several others to the Chatham Islands, and there detained for some thing like two years. The confinement became irksome, and availing himself of the absence of the captain and a part of the guard, Te Kooti made a bold stroke for liberty, and gained it. Towards the end of July, 1868, the schooner Rifleman arrived in Wellington Harbor from Poverty Bay, chief officer Payne being in command. The Rifleman was an English vessel, owned by a Lyttelton firm, and her acting commander had an alarming tale to tell. She had been made THE UNWILLING INSTRUMENT of the removal of all the Maori prisoners from Chatham Islands to the neighborhood of Poverty Bay. Mr. Payne reported himself to the Government immediately on his arrival, and made a statement which was taken down in writing. The Rifleman had left Wellington for the Chatham Islands about a month previously, for the purpose of conveying cattle to Dunedin. She arrived at the islands on July 3. On that day Sergeant Elliott, of the Guard of Armed Constabulary, came off to the vessel in charge of a dozen or so Maori prisoners to take the Government stores ashore. On. Saturday, as it rained heavily, no work, was done. Captain Christian, the master of the vessel, went ashore at 10 o'clock a.m. to transact business with Mr. Hood, one of the charter party. At 1 p.m. Mr. Hood came

off the vessel, accompanied by a gentleman . named Taylor, in the ship's boat. In the meantime Sergeant Elliott came on board, ; being rowed by a crew of prisoners, for a plough. He took the plough and went ashore, accompanied by Messrs. Hood and Taylor. As soon as the boat reached the beach, those on board heard a GREAT SHOUTING BY THE MAORI PRISONERS and the report of four musket shots. On the beach the Maoris were seen running backwards and forwards in a, very excited manner. The prisoners then seized the ■ Government boat, and 10 of them boarded the Rifleman, all being armed with rifles. On coming alongside Mr. Payne ordered them off, and told them not to attempt to board, at the same time pushing two of them back into the boat. The Maoris, however, insisted upon boarding, another boatload of Maoris closely following upon the first. The natives swarmed on deck and armed sentries were placed in the forecastle and cabin. The chief officer, the steward and three seamen, all the hands on board at the time, were forced aft and placed under a guard, being threatened with death if they attempted to move. . Several of the Maoris had swords which they flourished with vehemence, exhibiting at the same time PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS. The remainder of the Maoris were busily engaged in bringing off the women and children— wholesale migration being evii dently intended — making a total of about 200 souls. When all the women and chil- • dren had been got on board, some of the . Maoris went on board the Florence, a | ketch belonging to Greymouth, which was ) at anchor near the Rifleman. They, forcibly . took her and brought her broadside on to \ the schooner. Captain Priest and four men were on board tho Florence. When all the 'prisoners- had been "gbt'oh board the Rifleman, they ordered Captain Priest and his .crew to go ashore in the Rifleman's boat. They then lifted the ketch's anchor ' and allowed her to drift on to the beach, ' where she was found lying high and dry next morning. They then compelled the 1 chief officer (Payne), Captain Christian be- ' ing forcibly detained on shore, to weigh 1 anchor and ■ ' J ' SAIL FOR POVEKTY BAY, Jv which, aftei many threats, was clone,/'' " vei . y lelucfcantly, Mi. Payne sai<J/ ' Maoris promising to spare tho li> "'- --1 crew and surrender the ship- ' they— tbe natwes— were Linde<; leader,, Te Kooti, presumab/ i nearly the last, and dt on<^ that if they did not jif*f - to Poverty Bay the:' During this time ir* I on shore, amd the. that all the Euio • " Sail was made " / at 7 o'clock, b ■' from the we;.! [ beat out,*-" j tanga, ttx . ' as the y - t r ordei e(f look**

Thursday, July 9, when having had a head wind for two days, the Chief Te Kooti ordered one of their number to be THROWN OVERBOARD to "bring," as he said, "a fair wind." This was accordingly done about 7 a.m. The unfortunate man was dragged on deck, his hands were tied, and notwithstanding his pitiful cries and resistance, he was pitched over like a dog. He was seen for some time after struggling in the water, but his fel-low-countrymen -did not relent. The sacrifice of the wretched man was the more remarkable, as' it was stated that he was the FA'THER OF THE CHIEF, TE KOOTI. The Maoris were generally quiet throughout the passage, but an armed guard walked the deck day and night, narrowly watching every movement of the crew. A Maori stood hear the helm, armed with a carbine and a sword, to see that the proper course was steered. The crew were not allowed to cook, a half-caste, named Baker, having charge of the galley. The Rifleman anchored off, Whareongaonga, six miles south of Poverty Bay, on Friday, at 7 p.m. The landing of the natives,, their women and. children, occupied all night, during which the crew were kept below. * On the Saturday morning, at daybreak, the Maoris commenced to take the cargo ashore. This consisted of a quantity of. flour, sugar, tea, a case of gin, and a couple of cases of porter. They also stole all the wearing apparel, blaiiketSj etc., they could find. Finally, they brought the casks of water off the ship, and told the chief officer that he and his crew might go, as they, the Maoris, had done with them. Sail was immediately set, and the Rifleman started at once for Wellington, THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, the chief officer 1 being anxious to report the whole episode at headquarters as soon as possible. Head winds and gales from the

north-wesfc to the south were experienced for a whole week, during which no canvas could be carried. This accounted for the delay of the Rifleman in arriving at Port Nicholson. THE ESCAPED PRISONERS were well provided with arms; they had 38 rifles, seven double-barrelled guns, four revolvers, ■ nine pistols, half a dozen swords, three kegs of powder, and' a quantity of cartridges. All these, with tomahawks and other articles of. offence and defence, made them rather formidable. On the passage, when questioned by Mr. Payne, the Maoris said that they HAD KILLED NO ONE on the Chathams, but had overpowered and tied them all up. They appeared to be very jubilant over their performance, laughing constantly, and evidently pluming themselves upon having outwitted the too-confid-ing white man. The sensational escape of the Maoris from the Chathams caused great excitement in the North Island, and was quickly followed by active hostilities. The redoubt, called Taro-taro-Hokai, was attacked by the Maoris a little after 4 o'clock on Sunday morning, July 12th. The redoubt was held by a detachment of the ARMED CONSTABULARY, under the command of Captain Ross. The natives must have been in the trench at least a quarter of an hour before the alarm was sounded, as steps and standing-places were cut into the sides of the trench. By these means the. natives had obtained command of the inside of the redoubt; but the chief cause of the defeat of the defenders was THE INFAMOUS CONDUCT, as reported at the time, of some of the men, who ,immediately on the alarm being raised, rushed out of the redoubt in their shirts, without tg&Ang their arms. Of all wlio acted thu£H§l|fL three escaped, Oobbs, Wilkio, aagJjP « ,' ' >tf s. Notwithstanding that halLr\ v Tfciison ran out thus, the lejrfP ' v ' i|£ e e P lOU( i °fCapta, ' /%iough the head aftev*' " *jves while they WMP ' '^entrance. His i - and tho f , . . ' «d one, but / ■• ' f * uto P' av * ' vJiis neai 't > by bia %iumber"\>r Von *:, and f'way, ■\ I" Te- *

fore. The particulars were supplied by an eye witness. "Rauperha, the fighting chief to Te Pahi, having avenged his master's murder at old Kaiapoi Pa, 15 miles from Christchurch, was crossing Cooks Straits from Taupo Pa in Porrirua Harbor to Te Arioiti, Queen Charlotte's Sound, in a largo war cano«; a heavy gala of wind cam* on, and so terrified Eauperha that h« vowed to the god of the winds that if he were safely landed he would sacrifice two children who were with him in the canoe. They reached the land in safety, and no sooner , did the canoe touch tbe shore than Rauperha jumped into the water and seizing one of the children by the legs, whirled it round his head, and having SMASHED ITS BRAINS OUT against the canoe, he threw the body into the sea. The barbarian then served the other child in a similar manner, and thus fulfilled his horrible vow." * ♦ • ; When the New Zealand Government sent assistance to the "tied-up" people at the Chathams, a more correct detail of the pccurrences were obtained than those supplied by the chief officer of the Rifleman. One of the main guard named Harnett resisted the Maoris, while they were making him captive. He was immediately TOMAHAWKED AND KILLED. Three prisoners (Maoris) still remained. They were averse to the rising, and warned the' guard of the intended surprise. Their information, for some reason not explained, was not takem advantage of. The three prisoners had to hide themselves until the departure of their countrymen. On the afternoon of July 4- the prisoners attacked the' redoubt, secured the guard, and killed , one of them. They, then ransacked/ the Custom-house, taking from the chest £600 in cash. A portion of the money belonged to the Government, and the remainder to the inhabitants having been deposited in the Custom-house for safety. The prisoners then took 4000 rounds of ammunition, and from 20 to 30 stand of arms. They seized Captain Thomas, the officer in charge of the i ■islands, and marched him handcuffed from the redoubt to the Custom-house, telling j him that they would not hurt him if he I would show them where the money was. j After the departure of the Rifleman with v the Maori prisoners, an attempt was made to float the ketch Florence for the purpose of proceeding to Wellington. The attempt was unsuccessful. A native who was assist- » ing became entangled beneath the bottom

of the vessel and was drowned. Thj vessel became a total wreck. * * * Within two short months of the "renewal" 'of the war Von Tempsky was numbered with the siain. (To be Continued.)