THE MAORI WARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 7

THE MAORI WARS.

The arrest of tho party of Maoris convoying tho ammuaition sold them by .Dorrington did not give satisfaction to the Maori King, who wrote to Mr. C. O. Davis and Mr. Searancke requesting res- j titution of the ammunition and release of the three Maori prisoners. It was at first reported that the King had demand- ' ed their instant return to Tokangamutu, otherwise the Waikato settlers would be attacked by his people without reference : to Te Kooti. The letter of the King's ; Secretary, or Minister, to Mr. Searancke j spoke of a charge against that gentleman, but the matter was mildly put and no threat was apparent. The letter was as follows : — j "TO CHARLES DAVIS. j "Your letter is here; I have seen it. O, the loving friend, I see plainly, how can we two help it ? We two uncover things, and raise them, so that all may discern. Lo, this is it— the. men from the gates or entrances have come. Te Kooti j has j_yon* back ; Mauga (Rewi) has gone to conduct them to Taupo; but no reply has. yet bees received to the letter sent to Rotorua. "Friendly ono. salutations, friendly one; It Was lost, but is found. Some men have been captured at Ngaruawhla. I

have sent a letter requesting their liberation. It is said that the grounds on which their capture took place are guns ' carried by them from their villages. Our j word was right — namely, that Waikato be 1 not interfered with ; that is, hey have 1 begun to exasperate again. Friend, the only thing that will bring about the establishment of peace is what we two know. | ."If you are clear about this matter publish it m the press. "To the old love at Auckland. MANUWHIRI. "Te Kuiti. August (July) 29, 1869." * » » v Nothing very warlike m this communication, but the Government did not give up the arms and men, and, as shown last week, the men pleaded "guilty" and were sentenced, while Dorrington was acquit- ' ted. There appears to have been a rupture between Te Kooti and the King, i llt was reported that a well-known Hau ! Hau chief had arrived at Ohinemuri from! ; Tokangamutu with a message from the ] King that "If Te Kooti was found prowl- '

ing about the Upper Thames or Tauranga districts he was to be shot at once." * * * Bitter complaints were made m NewZealand at this time (September, 1869) a= to the misrepresentation and SUPPRESSIONS' OP THE BRITISH PRESS, it being the general opinion that the "Times" took it: cue from a Ministerial speech or a despatch, and the mass of newspapers which cared to touch upon New Zealand matters nt all took their cues from the "Thunderer" m Printing House Square- The result was that no colony had been more consistently • misrepresented. And the British public did ■not seem to care. It was said that a celebrated murder trial like that of William Palmer for poisoning John Parsons Cook, or Madalene Smith for the murder of her lover with all its "blue" particulars, or that of Frank Muller for t.he murder of Mr. Briggs m a railway carriage, would <"-eate iar greater, excite-.

THE CLOSING SCENES

Of a Long Struggle.

No. XXV.

(By J.M.P.)

ment and more lasting curiosity m the metropolis of the world than would half a dozen tragedies like that at Poverty Ray m distant New Zealand. As a writer of the period said : "Such comparative disregard is more or less unavoidable among the people of England, but that is no justification of cold-hearted neglect from the Colonial Office. Already it has worked a marvellous change m the minds of many who are naturally loyal and' : possess much affection for the j MOTHER COUNTRY, j and its old associations, and notwithstanding these, it is a very common sub- | ject of conversation that annexation to America would be good for New Zealand, the argument being that the United r States Government would not 30 callousIly leave its fellow-citizens to dangerous savage inroads. The matter of annexai tion to America was made the subject of a question put to Ministers not long before m the House of Representatives, a proof of the general prevalence of the j question m the public mind." The worm looked as if about to turn. - » » a A few weeks before this outburst, Mr. Stafford, ex-Premier, m the House, spoke

' m strong terms against the home country's treatment of the colony. So strong was Mr. Stafford's speech that Mr. Fox declared it to be more like that of a pro- ! fi-ssional Penian than that of a loyal British subject. * • * The defence propositions of the Government were carried. They authorised the appointment of commissioners to proceed to England to treat with, tho Imperial Government for the services of 1000 soldiers for a period not exceeding five years, on terms to be agreed upon. The commissioners were also to be instructed to confer with the Imperial Government and military authorities as to the description of the force, whether Ghoorka regiments or other body of •' disciplined troops — m addition to the 1000 Imperial soldiers already alluded to— it would be most advantageous for the colony to employ for its defence, the time of service not to exceed three years and the cost to the colony not to exceed £70,000 per year. The resolutions on being considered m the Upper House were met witb an

, amendment to omit the words relating to the Ghoorkas. On a division, the voting was equal. The Chairman of Committees gave his casting vote for the amendment, and the Ghoorkas were out of it. The Ghoorkas were extolled as being a force admirably fitted for coping witb the rebel Maoris, and were looked upon as likely to prove A GREAT TERROR TO THE REBELS, as Mr. Mete Kingi, M.H.R., showed ia entreating the House not to send the "black men here." The proposal to import Ghoorkas was that of Mr. Cracroft Nelson, C.8., an Indian who did good service m India during the Mutiny, and who eulogised, from nersonal observation, the "qualities, cheapness, pluck, and endurance of the Ghoorkas." »» . • An interesting question of historical interest occurred about this time. It came up as a question of privilege. Major lie own a member, of the House q£ Re£-

resentatives, was also Major lv command ' of the militia at Taranaki. On the qxiestion of the defence proposals of the Government (a question involving: » policy 'which, as' an officer m high command, it would be Major Brown's duty to carry out with large discretionary powers), the Major voted against the Government. Mr. Fox, ibe Premier, wrote requesting him either to RESIGN HIS SEAT or his commission, as the Government could not hays its own officers voting against it. Major Brown at first refus. Ed to resign either, when the Premier told him that if he did not do one or the other he would be dismissed from the militia. A Committee of Privileges was appointed, and it reported that it could find no precedent to show that Mr. Fox httd committed a 'breach of privilege Onco more the question was raised, a motion being brought forward declaring Mr. Fox's action to be unconstitutional and a breach of privilege. The debate became a party battle, but tne motion : was defeated by a small majorits' of 2 m a House of 56, Mr. Fox himself pushing the matter of a division. * ■» * Meanwhile Te Kooti had lost none of his activity.- He waa at Rotoaria* and was said to bo building a pah. The TJriweras had returned to tho east sido of I Waikaremoana, but nothing was known .of their movements;; To Kooti's force Was computed at between 150 and 200 men, he being encumbered with a large number of women and children.; Te Heuheu and Rewi were with him, but only m the capacity of watchers, to see him j carefully out of the I IMMEDIATE PRESENCE OF THE KING., The_ Wairoa was protected by all the available force. The forts at Te Haroto and Titiokura secured communication With Taupo, and protected the settlement on that side. A force of 200 men had reached Ruanga, Wnich was composed of 90 infantry, 40 cavalry, and about 50 natives, under Colonel Herrick. Colonel McDonnell had taken possession of Hare Tauteka's camp m the Taupo country. One hundred mounted natives from Napier joined Hare Tauteka. These, with Hare's own cavalry and constabulary, made a force of 200.- Captain St. George .had a force of 100 at Taupo Lake. These forces were not to act on the offensive unless attacked, or unless there was a certainty of crushing Te Kooti. So far Te Kooti was provided for at Taupo. I

The I NEW ZEALAND NANA SAHIB j was very active notwithstanding. From fear, treachery, or vindictiveness, he had killed four of his own men wttio had been left as scouts or spies upon the friendlies lat Wirehaua. He had burned all the na- [ tive settlements east and west of Lake Taupo ; he attacked the force under the I Command of Henare Tokomoana. The en- ! gagement was brief, Te Kooti retiring to I Tokanu Pah with a loss of three killed ! and many wounded. |*» - * j Te Kooti was now m a trap. Returning . unwilling and m disgrace from the King country, he appears to have contemplated a raid upon the country formerly raided land harassed by Titokowaru, at this i time hiding away m the ranges between : Patea and Wanganui. The friendly na- | tives on the Upper Wanganui sent for 'assistance to their friends on the lower portion of the river. The Government [was also appealed to for aid.. Before tho ; appeals arrived a native force under an I EXCELLENT ALLY, HENARE TOMOANA, [ had been despatched from the East Coast to intercept Te Kooti.- At Tauranga— not the Gate Pah, but a small place near Taupo Lake — the two forces met, and some smart fighting took place, which ended m nothing definite. In the first engagement Te Kooti had "the worst of it" and fell back on the pah he had built at Tokanu, with a loss of three killed and several wounded. In a day or two after there was a more important skirmish, with the same result. To Kooti i was without doubt m a cage; but , his ability was recognised. He could slip out of every ca.ge into which he could be trapped. His ancient coadjutor, Titokowaru, was now wandering about and harmless. Without a settled home he was without influence, and as the • net was closing round Te Kooti it was seen that the long drawn out and DISASTROUS WAR was drawing to a close. • • » Our old friends Ropata and Kaihau, late m September, visited Tokongamutu, and interviewed a white man named Jack' who shot tho Rev; M. Whitely, about whose murder at White Cliffs there was always some mystery. Jack said that two other white men were concerned m the slaughter of the unfortunate clergyman. Whitely was unpopular with natives and whites, excepting one sect, and very little exertion was made to fix the guilt of the murder upon the proper parties. • * •»■'.# Colonel McDonnell, with a small force, proceeded to reconnoitre Te Kooti's position, and was fired upon. Lieutenantcolonel Herrick and Henare followed up Te Kooti, who had fallen back unon Moerangi, and had taken a lot of cattle with him. Te Kooti had killed four Waikatos out of a hapu for refusing to join him. Tne Waikatos, greatly exasperated, applied to the Kino- for permission to attack To Kooti. and destroy him and his people. Te Kooti had, however, retreated .to two pahs 10 miles from Tokano a position very strongly fortified, and Te Kooti now boasted that his full strength was 450 men. In October, 72 Maori prisoners were TRIED FOR HIGH TREASON at Wellington. Tauroa, who pleaded guilty after giving evidence for the Crown! m ona case, made a four-hours' speech m answer to the question why the death sentence should not be passed. The judge without assuming the usual black cap' relic of a bygone age, sentenced the whole six dozen to be HANGED, DRAWN AiND QUARTERED explaining that he had no power to pass any other sentence for the crime— high treason !— of which they had been found guilty, but that the sentence would be commuted to imprisonment for a few years, after which they would be restored to liberty if they conducted themselves well. ♦ * » Late m September, when defeated at Tauranga, Te Kooti fled to his old quarters on the Lake Taupo, Moerangi, where he was strongly entrenched. The whole of the force m tho locality had been call- _? i J UP ° n^° attack Te ICooti m this strong-, hold. The sagacious and ever-vigilant savage watched the measures taken against him very keenly, and deoided tnat the odds were against him; Receiv-, ing the intelligence that, all -the hors.js to the number of 100 belonging to GcAonel Herrick's division were secreted m a lonely spot some distance from the main force, he without delay came to the conclusion to make the. best of his time and escape. The horses were all well-bred, of good mettle and m splendid condition, with saddles and saddle-bags all of the best class. Having secured the horses and their accoutrements, he made a masterly retreat, and by tho time the concentrated force was ready to attack the pah, Te Kooti was miles away. Colonel McDonnell had no enemy to meet. Ho and his force entered an empty pah. * * * While Te Kooti was , flying from the attempted embraces of Colonel McDonnell, some fighting was taking place on the west side of tho Wanganui River at a place called Poutere. The enemy occupied a redoubt. The colonial forces rushed it, led by the NGKAUS AND ARAWAS, supported by No. 2 Constabulary and other natives. Thirty-seven of the enemy were killed. Twenty women and children and one. man belonging to Taupo were taken prisoners.- It was not known where the retreating enemy had got to.- The spot was dense bu3b, and it was raining hard when the engagement took place, jmd th* tv4js}f*-*\y _o**ivea did not lotto w

up. Reuata had his eye goueed out by a j Hau Hau woman. Te Heui's wife had com. into camp, and Te Heui and his ' tribe would come m next day and give themselves up. » * • Towards thc close of the year fortune seemed to smile on the efforts of the Government to reduce the rebellion. Trade and its profits wero now prefered by the Taranaki natives to the use of the tom*hawk against the white settlers, and confidence was being restored. Te Kooti was short of food and ammunition, and the King had at last DENOUNCED TE KOOTI. The powerful tribes— the Waikatos, the Wanganuis, and the Ngatimaniapotos (the latter tribe most hostile and truculent towards the Europeans) — resolved to close up the roads m order to prevent Te Kooti's escape.; One chief proposed to seize Te Kooti and hand him over to the Government. There was a standing reward of £5000 for the capture of Te Kooti, • • * ; Mr; McLean, the Native Minister,; was active m preparing terms of peace. He met an assemblage of chiefs, who received him with the greatest respect. Rewi desired that all fighting should cease. Mr.; McLean agreed upon tho following conditions :— (1) That Tamati, N)gapora, : Rewi, and the King party generally, set an example by putting an end to all fighting within that part of the country; (2) that all murder bo Stopped. It was agreed that messengers be despatched to withdraw marauding parties, and that no shelter, would be given natives m arms against the Government. Rewi said* "THE SDN WILL SHINE NOW*" Two days after this satisfactory arrangement Hamiora, one of the Poverty itßay murderers, was hanged. .He was com* pletely and abjectly cowed and afraid, so much so that he had to be almost carried tb the scaffolds