Honouring the Brave.

Otago Witness, Issue 1797, 30 April 1886, Page 14

Honouring the Brave.

Wellington, April 27

Yesterday the ceremony was performed of unveiling a monument erected at Manaia to the memory of the officers and men who fell during the last war on the West Coast. It had been arranged that the Hon. Mr Ballance should perform the ceremony, but he was unfortunately detained on the East Coast. The ceremony was performed by Lieutenaut-colonel Roberts, New Zealand Constabulary, who, as Captain Roberts, led the forces out of Te Ngutu after the disaster there, when Yon Tempsky fell. Colonel Roberts, in speaking, said : "As one of the surviving officers of all the engagements described on the monument, I should be neglecting the duty which lies upon me to show honour to my dead comrades if I did not say a few words expressive of my admiration of the devoted conduct of the brave men whose names are here recorded. When I look at this long, sad list my memory rushes back to within a few months of 18 years ago, at the Te Ngutu o Te Manu, where fell the gallant Major Yon Tempsky, whose name appears first on the roll. And no wonder that it does so appear. He was always first in danger and last to leave it, and never asked a man to do that which by example he was not prepared to do himself. We do well to honour such men as him. If he had a fault as a soldier, it was the characteristic one of always being in advance— sometimes, mayhap, too far in advance. The next one, on the list is Major Hunter, whose bravery and courage were always conspicuous, and who fell mortally wounded early in the fight, while showing his love and devotion to his country. His last words I remember well — ' Follow me closely.' Captain Ross is next on the list. He lost his life in defending a post which he commanded, and, unfortunately for him and the handful of men whom he had with him, was taken at such disadvantage that he was unable to make use of the soldierly qualities that he possessed. Captain Brown fell in the trenches before Ngatipawa while nobly setting his men an example, scorning danger when duty demanded that exposure. The next name is that of Captain Buck, of undoubted courage and cool sound judgment. Well do 1 remember his firm unflinching courage at Te Ngutu, Having lost our leaders, we held brief counsel together as to what should be done, and I directed him to hold a certain position and await my return from a search for Yon Tempsky. He carried out my orders only too faithfully. I returned to find him there at the assigned post — but dead, with his face to the foe. Captain Palmer and Lieutenant Hastings are next on the list— men who met their death while nobly doing their duty ; and then Lieutenant Hunter, who was the life of the camp

with his sparkling wit and jovial laugh, whose bright humour was not absent in times of danger. Only a few minutes before he fell he laughingly said, ' There is one of them. I can see the white of his eye. Give it to him.' They were simple words, but they were words of the brave sustaining spirit — words to inspire men with courage in their difficulty and lighten the dangers. I would fain run over the list of noncommissioned officers and men who with our allies the friendly natives— the majority of whom I knew, and whose courage and devotion I was an eye witness to, but time does not permit. We are too apt to forget what we owe to the brave men whose memory wo are here to-day to honour, and the surrounding circumstances under which they sacrificed their lives. All the pomp of war was wanting, but none of its hardships and dangers. There were no brilliant uniforms, no flying banners to cheer the weary as they filed their way through the tangled, gloomy, trackless forest ; nor blow of trumpet, nor beating of drum to rouse them to the charge; yet how nobly all did their duty. And the last moments of some-^perhaps the majority — were not eased by a comrade's kindly touch, nor soothed by sympathetic looks and hopeful words, but were often agonised by the fiendish yells and savage mutilation by the foe. I need say no more. I trust this monument will be kept in good preservation, and the names thereon written may be cherished with pride by generations to come ; and I conclude by expressing my great regret that Captain Hempton, to whom much credit is due for the erection of this monument, is not here to-day. — (Applause.)" Some of the survivors were also present, but most were too affected to speak at any length.