THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF JOHN MARMON, THE HOKIANGA PAKEHA MAORI; OR, Seventy-five Years In New Zealand. Chapter XXI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 25

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF JOHN MARMON, THE HOKIANGA PAKEHA MAORI ; OR, Seventy-five Years In New Zealand.

Chapter XXI.

EADER, Cannibal New Zealand is a thing of the past. This raid was the last instance I have heard of cannibalism in the island, and. were I to continue this veracious history much longer, in place of interesting, I would weary you. The yarns of an old shaver like me have very

little interest for the youg sprouts of the present day, but, such as they are, they are given to you to recall a page of almost-forgotten New Zealand history. In August, 1839, we heard that New Zealand had been created a British Colony and that Captain Hobson, R.N., had received a commission as Governor of the new dependency. This was certainly news which filled me with joy and regret — the former because now things would be more settled, so as to induce emigrants to come out; the latter, because our actions would now be curtailed by the arm of the law. Those bright days when a man could act according to the freedom of his own sweet will were passed for evermore, and henceforth we would be bound down to act according to the will of others.

The natives went in for this change merely because they believed it would provide them with an unlimited supply of muskets and ammunition. All throughout the year there was considerable commotion attending the new movement, which roached its culmination when in February, 1840, the great Council of Waitangi accepted the supremacy of Queen Victoria. This was tho death-blow to Cannibal New Zealand. Another council was held at Hokianga in August of the same year, so as to conciliate the Ngapuhis and Kara was, who wero resident there, as well as to ascertain the mind of the Europeans who from timo to time had sottled there. I opposed tho creation of the colony might and main both as Maori tohunga and as European. I saw that it would injure my grog manufacture, as before long^ a duty would be put on all excisable spirits, as had been done m the early days at Sydney, occasioning thereby the rupture between

Governor Bligh and John M'Arthur.. .Therefore, a man would be a fool if he did not look to his own interests in the matter. But what could one man do against hundreds ; so I was compelled to grin and bear it. At these two Councils, the Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori chiefs and the Europeans was made and ratified chiefly through the influence of

missionaries.

The seat of Government at this time' was at Russell, Bay of Islands, but in 1842, this situation being found too remote, it was removed to Wai-te-mata, and New Zealand was declared independent of New South Waleai The European element rapidly increased, as the Maori element rapidly decreased, for the latter, seeking to imitate the example of their conquerors in everything, soon contracted their vices and diseases, which carried them off by hundreds. If there was good in the new state of affairs, to my mind there was tenfold more of evil. '

In 1844 we had a visit from Hone Heke, then the Ariki of the Ngapuhi tribe. He was a man whom, before this, I had had a thorough contempt for, considering him only a tool in the hands of the parsons, to be used as' they saw fit. They had succeeded in converting him, as they called it, and always held 'him up as an example of consistency. He had not gone in heartily with the scheme of making New Zealand a British colony, because he thought, and that justly, that it only meant the slavery and extinction of the Maori race. When he came over to Hokianga and I saw how he felt, I said to myself, now here is a chance of getting things once more into our own hands. I therefore persuaded him that the British only made a show of leaving the natives independent, that in reality they were abject slaves, whose disobedience would be punished with death. Now the one_ idea that is repugnant to the Maori mind is that of slavery. In warfare, a man will rather die a horrible lingering death than, fall into the hands of enemies; because hie knovvs slavery will be the result, and if a chief he will thereby entirely lose his caste. This, therefore, came home with great force to 'the mind of Hone Heke, and he swore tom e ha would not submit to it, that if his 'brotherchiefs were content to ' lick the feet ' of the pakeka he never would, that the spirit' of his father-in-law Hongi was in him, and that' although hitherto ho had shown the missionaries all tne good in his power, he would do so no more since they had betrayed him. I strove to keep him to this, told him how the British had treated the Australians in the'other colony, robbing them of their land without compensation, and then forbidding them to come near any large towns for supplies, unless with a permit from a magistrate — makingthem, therefore, slaves most truly. Hone's rage was past all description at this, and he swore that he would cut off every European in the North Island. This was not what I wanted, however, and I dissuaded him from it. ' Simply over* turn the^ Government, 1 1 said, 'and you will do all that is needed.' To keep him to ,the point, I journeyed with him to. the" Bay, and, .when ,we sighted the Korora'reka flag-staff, j"'Now,* I said, ' there is the emblem of your slavery} they tell you it is merely to, signal ships,. but the flag that floats on the'staffc'an brook no equal, and you are therefore inferior to. the possessors of it.' A stern, /determined look came into Hone's face, and I knew the game was won. In July, 1844, the flag-staff/ of ( Kororareka was cut down. It came t about in the following way: Heke had married Harriet the daughter of the great chief Hongi, and con' sequently he considered he thus inherited his father-in-law's mana. They lived at Kaikohe, between the Bay of Islands and, Hokianga. It appears that Makamaka had .endeavoured to stir up most of the Northern 'chiefs to 'take up arms against the Government, but Bad riot gone to Heke, who was much offended at .what he considered a great slight. He supposed Maka did not consider him of sufficient importance to be consulted in the matter ;, so to show off he went one day with a, number of his tribe to the house of a white man named Jimmy Lord, who had a slave woman of Heke'a tribe' for a wife. Heke, to pick a quarrel, asked Lord for payment for some offensive words she had used to him on a former occasion. This was refused. Heke then threatened to, take the woman away, which Lord thought, he would not dare to do, as she was his lawful wife. However, Heke, who had a large number of his tribe with him, carried the woman away, saying he did not care for the laws of the pakena. The woman escaped about three days afterwards and returned to her husband. A few days later, Heke with about fifty or sixty of his men, went to the Bay of Islaqda, cut down the flagstaff, and then returned quietly to his own place at Kaikohe. ' The Bay chiefs set up the flagstaff again. Things went on in the same way as before ; the Maoris became still more dissatisfied ; the number of white people increased, and the traders told the chiefs that a great many more would come, and ultimately take their land from them. I think it must have been about three months after the first' time the flagstaff was cut down that Heke came and cut it down the second time. The white people— the respectable few —and the Bay chief set it up again.' A dej tachment of soldiers arriving, and Pomare and ohiefs with their men, found the military in defence of the flagstaff, and for a short time matters were quiet ; but the fire was not put — it only required fanning to burst out into a , blaze. At Kawakawa there lived a European who had for his wife a native woman of rank, daughter of the late chief named King George, and sister of the present chief of the same name. This white man ,had been to -the Bay of Islands. Two men were with hiiii, pulling in the boat. On their way they fell in with a whaleboat ; it was drifting. There > was a coat or cloak and oars in the boat, which one of the men took possession of— a Yankee, I think he was, the other an Englishman, How* ever, to make a long story short, after they got home they began to quarrel about what they had jf ound ; and the Yankee, in a rage, went off to the Bay of Islands, and informed the magistrate, Captain Beckham, of what he termed a robbery. A warrant was made out and constables went to the Kawakawa to arrest the chief. The cloak was not found, and there was a row. The police drew their cutlasses, and in the scrimmage the wife of the European got (her hand scratched, but not badly. The woman had seized the cutlass, and it was in taking it away from her that the wound was inflicted. The constables took the two men to the Bay of Islands. Shortly after this there was a great outcry; the natives were flying about in all directions with the news that King George's sister Kohu was wounded, then that she was dead. King George and his .tribe started off to see the supposed dead woman 1 and found that her hand had been cut with a cutlass ; her blood had been split, and must be paid for. Kawifci and his men joined, and together they proceeded to the magistrate at the Bay of Islands, and demanded of Captain Beckham ten pounds payment for the wounding of Kohu. ' No, yon taurikarika, I will not give you anything. The wound, such as it is was an accident; the constables were doing their duty, and the woman had no business to interfere.' 'I want twenty pounds, now,' said King George, 'for calling, me' a slave.' *% don't care what you want,'' sajid.,, Captain. Beskham * I wiU cot give 'you, oiw far*

thing < When' the chiefs found they could do nothing with tho magistrate they cleared put. The magistrate did not understand # the flour and. sugar humbug. I suppose a little later on a magistrate would never have spoken so to a New Zealander. Pakeha soldier officers like Captain Beckham thought law was law, aboard snip or ashore, and did not tolerate bounce from savages. lam sure the natives would have been much better if they had been treated properly from the first, instead of like a lot of oabies— one time coddled and another bullied. • There were plenty of fine sensiblo chiefs-who could understand well enough, and were not the fools they were thought to be by the pakeha, who found out, though rather late in the day, that they were not the only people ,in the world who knew how to fight. The next morning the chiefs went to the Police Court again and asked for payment, and on this occasion they were accompanied by the Rev. Mr Williams, Churoh of England missionary, who advised Captain Beckham to give the natives something to keep them quiet. He, however, refused to give the natives anything, and^ 'the whole mob went away. The two men were tried for stealing the coat, which belonged to; Captain Hingston. The Englishman got two. ?' ears' imprisonment— the Yankee went scot; roe for having informed. I have forgotten the exact date, but think it was after Heke cut down the flagstaff the first time, that Governor 'Fitzroy and a party of officials went to the Waimate, and, after a great deal of talking on both sides, peace was promised, but we folks 'here took very little interest in the affair. I had rather a nice bit of land, and was anxious < ,to have my deeds and get my affairs settled, so made up my mind to go to Auckland. There ; ; were plenty of vessels going backwards andforwards then. It was a ousy time at the Bay of Islands. When I reached town I heard 'that the Governor and Mr Clarke, ' the Native 'Protector,' had gone that morning to the Bay "of Islands, to see about the soldiers that were ' expected from Sydney. I- went to see Colonel Godfrey, Commissioner, or something of the 'kind, at the Land Office. I went backwards and forward day after day, without getting anything' attended to, so after about a week s ."dancing about from one to another I went to D'r Sinclair. 'He said he had written about my land, but could do nothing till Governor Fitzroy returned. . I went from the Land Office to ' my agent (Mr Atkins), who advised me to stay ' a few days longer in Auckland, when perhaps the Governor would be back. In the mean- ' 'time I could go ■ and see his private secretary. ' Isaw the gentleman, and he asked me lots of questions.'theh told me to call the next day at ,'ten o'clock!. While I was at breakfast the ''following morning an orderly officer came to , ! me with a note. I was to go to the Government House. I was taken to see Governor ', Fitzroy, .who had returned during the night. { The Governor asked mo many questions, and, 'iktoong others, if I thought the peace made at the Waimate was likely to last. I , ' Sir,' I said, ' no, I don't believe it will— not ' six months, sir.' . ;' "'The' Churoh Missionaries at the Waimate .'fissured me,' says he, 'that it would last for * &V&V °" f Sir/ says I, • what did the natives give you 1 (New Zealand fashion) to make peace ?' •' 'Twelve old muskets — twelve old toma- " hawks,' says he. c '"":' Then,; your Excellency/ says I, ' they want "you to '{five them twenty-four new muskets, ( twenty-four new tomahawks, and as much flour > ' and as many blankets as they can'get/ * '• ' The Governor asked me a great many questions about the Maoris, their, ways, and what ' 'they , thought, of the new Government. I an;'swered,'all the questions as well as I could. ''Tfre'Goverriorsaidhe thought it looked as if '"the Northern native's were going to be trouble- " Borne'; andi if there should be any disturbance, j ,' would I help the Government ? Having lived - Bolong with the natives, he thought I could be * of good service, and if I did so, he would see 1 that Government recompensed me for anything ,"' I did.' Of course I promised His Excellency to ' ' doalll could to help the white people. I tol^ , the 1 Governor it would be my duty to do every5 thing in my' power, 'and 'l toill, sir,' says I. '"'After' leaving Government House, I went to 'the Land Office, where my business was soon ' settled, for the Governor had spoken up for '."' me,,X was told: , Three days after I left Auckj: land." 'and .returned by way of Kaipara to ""Hokiahga." ' On my way, I heard a capital V story from an old chief, who had been visiting ! ' Taranaki. He was an old acquaintance, and I ' ' had not seen him for many years. • '"A' great many vessels were in the habit of ' coming from Sydney to Taranaki, trading for ; flax, giving powder in exchange. After a bit % the 'natives found, on opening the casks of powder, that they were not more than three ' ' garts fulLand the empty space stuffed full of ." paper.' The Taranaki chiefs said nothing, but I 'prepared their flax as usual, and the neat little ''bales weighed the proper weight, and looked ', as nicely dressed as possible. When the flax .bales were opened in Sydney they were found to contain several stones, which, of course, " took a great deal off the proper weight. On ' the return of the vessel from Sydney, the cap- ': .tain, who traded with the chiefs, showed the » 'tones, and said he could not understand how i: •Itrs all right,' said the Taranaki chief with •"' the greatest politeness and good humour, " J Quite right. 'Utu' or payment for the •" ■ paper you sent us in the powder casks.' r This was a first-rate sell, and, I think, the ".'very ; first bit of cheating done by the Maori, ' ' but you see, we showed them the way. How '• I did laugh when I heard it. I was at home, ' ' living quietly as usual, when some natives told V ' me' ttiere was another row at the Bay of '-'Islands. ' I did not believe it, as I knew that " "there was a man-of-war there at the time— the

" Hazard, at Eussell. I heard too that Kawiti's ' tribe had gone over to Heke's party. One eve- ' ning the Rev. Mr Williams was aboard the Hazard, when some of the officers noticed that theife' were a great many natives about the ; beach at Kororareka, and wondered what they '' were up to. The Rev, Mr Williams said he ' did not, think anything was the matter, but \ '' that they were showing off a bit. He did not think they # meant fighting. The very same ' night a white man, named Bill Hoff, who lived 1 with Kawiti's tribe, went aboard the Hazard, « and told the captain and officers that the natives intended the next morning to cut down ' the flag-staff and take Kororareka. Neither 1 the captain nor officers believed what Bill Hoff said, and so he left the ship in a rage with him- '' self for having taken the trouble to go aboard 1 ' atid warn them of tho intonded attack. About

' three o'clock in the morning Hcke with a mob - of about one hundred men came to the Bay of '■ Islands, and mado for tho hill where the flagstaff stands. Kawiti and his men came to the • other end of Kororareka beach, and waited the signal from Heke. ,Heke and his tribe cut down the flag-staff, then fired into the signal- ' houso, shot the sentry dead, killed a little halfcaste girl — the daughter of Captain Wing — and ' wounded the signal-man. The officer on duty and the soldiers ran away down to the magis- • trate, Captain Beckham. Kawiti then came from Pomare Bay, and began to fire on the - houses at that end of the beach. The captain 1 of the Hazard landed with his marines, and 1 attacked the natives, killed one chief, ' and ' wounded several others. Kawiti's men, find- ;' ing they vyerp getting the worst of it; got away

as quickly as they could. The captain of the Hazard— a fine brave gentleman— was badly wounded in five places, while one sergeant and two marines were killed. Heke came down with the flag, and when he saw the white people flying in all directions he tried all he could to stop them,— told them it was the soldiers he was fighting, said he would take care they should be safe, none of the natives would touch them if they would only remain quiet. A gr,eat many of the people belonging to Kororareka had gone off in boats, some got on board the Hazard and some vessels lying m the bay. When Heke saw how frightened the people were, he told Borne of his tribe to get the flour out of their stores, for they were leaving everything behind. Heke Btood and watched his men carrying the white people s flour to the boats, and while he was there a cannon-shot from the Hazard struck a chief who was standing, beside him, and who was killed on the spot. Heke did not take any notice of this, but tried to persuade the settlers to stay, or else he ordered them to take food if they would persist in going. The white people got aboard the vessels, and left their houses to the natives. Jack Grant and Bill Shipley,who had run away when the row first began, j came ashore from one of the vessels and went into the Duke of Marlborough public-house, which belonged to Bill Johnson. The place was crowded with natives, Grant and Shipley had drink too ; there was no one to prevent them all helping themselves, Bill Johnson, the owner, having made his escape at the beginning of the row. Jack Grant and Bill Shipley went round to the store at the back, got two casks of rum, which they floated off to the schooner where Bill Johnson was. Grant and Shipley; returned and had more drink with the natives. The priests at the Roman Catholic Mission and a few other white people had remained quietly in their houses, and the natives did not go there, nor interfere with them in any way. The other houses were nearly all abandoned, and most of the natives were drunk ; some who were a little less so went into the houses and took whatever they had a fancy for. During the afternoon, some houses near the Duke of Marlborough caught fire, it is supposed, through tho natives carelessness in lighting their pipes (it was not done wilfully), and soon the whole place was burning. The same night tho news was brought to Hokianga of all that had happened at the Bay. There was much excitement everywhere, and I began to think it was about time to keep my promise to Governor Fitzroy, — ' To help him with the chiefs if trouble came/ Sol thought the best thing I could do was to see the principal chiefs, and find out what could be done, for, I thought, things have gone too far in certain directions to please me. Early next morning, I went to Nene's, Tamati Walker's place, on the Waihou, and said to him, ' Now here's a chance for you if you like to take it; you have bounced a great deal about Heke's having cut down the flagstaff, and what you would do to help the white people — if you and the other chiefs help the Government against Heke, you will be sure to be well paid for it/ Walker said he was quite willing if *Macquarrie/,the biggest of the Waihou chiefs, would go with him.

(To be continued.) '