AN HISTORIC ANNIVERSARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16052, 20 April 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

AN HISTORIC ANNIVERSARY

I BATTLE OF ORAKAU. i MAORIS' HEROIC DEFENCE. HAMILTON, April 1. 1 Fifty years ago to-day a fierce fight \ was proceeding at Orakau, some 25 miles from Hamilton, where the defence put up by the Maoris was equal to anything in the history of the world. To perpetuate the memory of the heroes of the fight the Government erected a monument on the site of the pa, and this was unveiled , yesterday by the Minister of Defence in the presence of several thousand Euro- ■ peans and Natives, Major-general Godley • and his staff, the Hon. W. H. Hemes, Dr.Pomare, Bishop Averill, five members of the Lower House, and two members of , the Upper House. A large number of : veterans from all parts of the dominion, ( under Colonel Morrow (commander), were ! also present. The speeches dealt chiefly , with the bravery of the Native defenders and the gallantry of the British troops, who set such a noble example to present i and future generations. A touching and ! pleasing feature was when Han Wahanui, j on behalf of the Native race, presented the ! Hon. Mr Allen, for the Government, with a sword, old muzzle-loaders, and a tattered , standard bearing the title of "Taranaki j Military Settlers, No. 6 Company, Clifton j Institute," which was seized during the •, fight. These, he said, were returned as a i token forever cementing the bonds of , peace between the two races. i The battle of Oiakau was fought on , March 31, April 1 and 2, 1864. It is said j to bear the same, relation to the Maoris j as did classic Thermopylae to the ancient ( I Greeks, and the pages of modern history ( ' contain nothing more heroic or worthier k of remembrance. The battle saw the ter- -, mination of the war in the Waikato. The < Natives weTe surprised aaid completely t surrounded by 1600 troops, armed with the latest weapons, and'' outnumbered by -, six to one. The Natives possessed obso- t lete fowling and flint pieces, were inade- „ quately supplied with ammunition, and E had to load the guns with peach stones, j plugs of wood, and break iron pots to j I use as bullets. They were without water; t and had only raw potatoes to assuage their hunger and thirst. They kept at bay six g times their number for two nights and 1 j three days, inflicting heavy losses on the I : British forces. When General Cameron j arrived on the afternoon of the third a I day he was so impressed with the heroic '. defence that ho immediately instructed Maior Mair to get into communication I with the garrison, and, if possible, induce them to surrender, and so save the lives : of many brave men Major Mair stood up at the head of the sap and called out : t "The general is filled with admiration at f your bravery, but you are surrounded and j cannot escape. Therefore he urges you o to surrender that your lives may be J i spared.'' All was quiet for a few minutes, £ while the matter was being discussed, £ ' Then one of the Natives rose out of the - trenches and hurled back the famous I reply: "Ehoa! Ko te tikanga tenei ka J I whawhai tonu ki akoe ake, ake, ake" £ ("Friend! The understanding is we will £ fight you for ever, and ever, and ever"). Major Mair then spoke thus: "That is 1 well for the men, but let the women and d children come out Why should they die J> too?" Someone asked: " How do you £ know there are women and children?" 1 Major Mair replied : " Last night I heard £ them crying over the dead." Then a very li tall woman stood up on the edge of the ditch and answered : " If the men are to , p die, the women and children will die with J F them." The troops cheered when the de- £ cision was made known, and the fight l! became fiercer than ever. Late in the £ afternoon of the third day the remaining ti garrison formed up. placing the women I C rand children in the centre, and broke j £

through the flimsy defences, cut their way through the cordon surrounding them, .and entered a huge swamp, where they were quickly decimated by a tremendous cross-fire from all sides, while the Forest Rangers and mounted men endeavoured to cut off their retreat. Even then they turned upon their pursuers, and not till nearly 200 had fallen did the remainder make their escape across the Punui River into the King Country. General Cameron, in a despatch after the battle, wrote: "It is. impossible not to admire the heroic courage and devotion of the Natives in defending themselves so long against overwhelming numbers, surrounded on all sides, and cut off from their supply of water. Deprived of all hope of succour, they resolutely held their ground for nearly three days, and did not abandon the position until the sap had reached the ditch of the last entrenchment. There probably were not less than 150 killed, out of a garrison not exceeding 300."