A FAMOUS MAORI CHIEFo

Otago Witness, Issue 1904, 18 May 1888, Page 22

A FAMOUS MAORI CHIEFo

Lieutenant-colonel M'Donnell, N.Z.C.i writes to the Wellington Post as follows in regard to the late chief Renata Kawepo, whose decease was recorded recently : — ■ . ' I regret to notice in your issue of April 14 the death of the Hawke's Bay chief Renata Kawepo. As the telegram contains nothing but the news of his death, except that he led a contingent against Te Kooti, the following may be of interest : — When 'Tlfiiuu nai a young man he was captured by a war party of Ngapuhi during one of the old Maori wars, and taken to the Bay of Islands, where he lived for some years a prisoner at large. This occurred some time in the thirties, but he was eventually allowed to return to his own people, and in' course of time became one of the leading chiefs among the Ngati Eahungunu. The great influence he had over his people prevailed upon them to retrain from joining the King party when war broke out in 1860 and subsequently. As an instance of the benevolence of his nature and kindliness of heart the late Sir Donald M'Lean used to relate the. following : — A milkman who used to supply the town of Napier with milk grazed his cows on land belonging to Renata, but without that chief's permission, and though grass rent was repeatedly asked for none was forthcoming. So after several months of arguing Renata either impounded the cows or stopped their grazing. In consequence of this the milkman was put to his wits' end to know how to provide pasture for them. The noble-minded chief, however, on its being pointed out that scores of little children would now be deprived of their morning and evening's milk, withdrew his objection, and let the' cows graze on for the sake of the European families, who otherwise would have gone without milk, and abandoned his claim for back rent, as he Was informed that the milkman could not afford to pay it. No stauncher friend and ally had tbe European than Renata Kawepo. He took a prominent part in suppressing the Hauhau disturbances in Hawke's Bay, when Te Hapuku and Rangihiroa were defeated by Sir George Whitmore, and by his services at Taupo in September and on October 4, 1869, when we defeated Te Kooti at Tokanu, and stormed his pah, after a severe fight, at Te Porere, on the Iwituaroa Ranges, on the confines of Tuhua and Waikato, which crushing defeats made the Waikatos, under Rewi, give up the intention they had formed of joining Te Kooti and letting him plan out a raid on the settlers in Waikato similar to the one he had led on Poverty Bay, the results of which are still fresh in New Zealand settlers' minds. Renata^s personal services on these two occasions again proved what a loyal and brave man he was, and as I had the honour of commanding the forces at Taupo on the occasions referred to, I am in a position to bear testimony to the services of their gallant old chief.' During the action at Te Porere pah, Renata lost an eye, and was otherwise severely .wounded. lam glad to say he pensioned; for his wounds, and received besides a. yearly sum of money- for his faithful services, which he continued to draw until he died, and right well he had earned the same. Ib would be a graceful act now to erect a monument to tbe memory of this brave old cbief, if only to show the rising generation that faithful and long service is appreciated. l