PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 69

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

UP THE WANGANUI. When I commenced to write on Wan- ' »i*nui I hadn't the slightest intention of writing three or four Chats on the river and its historic and legendary associations. But the subject grew, and I feel that I must give you another paragraph or two ttf round off what I wrote last week. ! After the defeat of the Hau Haus at Moutoa they retreated — that is, those who managed to escape — to Ohoutahi, two or three miles above the Island of Moutoa, ' and just about Hiruharama (JeiHsalem\ only to meet another reverse, and to make a further retreat to PIPIRIKf. : Vihere desultory fighting took plate for some weeks. Strangely enough, the Hau | Haus allowed the British to pdie themselves 1 through the narrow gorge just be'ow Pip:- | riki without in any way attempting to j block their progress, though they could I • have annihilated the invaders with little or • n? loss. The troops took up their position on the right bank, on two hills, Rangiahua and Koanga-o-Rehua, while the Hau Haus established themselves on Pukehinau, on the left bunk, just above Pipiriki. At one time the troops were reduced to 1 great straits for ammunition and provisions. Major Biasbey didn't care to send messages in writing in English, fearing the messages might fall into the hands of the rebels ; nor was French to be preferred, because some of the Natives had been taught Fiench at the Roman Catholic Mission static ns. He solved the problem by sending messages in Latin — down the stream in corked bottles, and overland by runners. One of the water-borne waifs contained the woids: — "Omnes sunt recti. Mitte res ] belli statim.' winch, translated, means: 1 '"All are well ; send ammunition imme- | diately." Anothei message ■which reached its destination was : "Sumus sine rebus belli ' satis," which reads : "We are short of , ammunition.'" Willis, in one of his guide ■ books, gives mmc details, and among them tells that the late Captain Fairchild, of the Government steamer Hinemoa, was the fust to take a steamer beyond the tidal waters of the Wanganui, and that it was uL^n conveying leinforcements to the garrison. After the desultory fighting, the H.m Haus retreated eastward-;, only to receive loi-gh handling by our allies, the Aiawa=. There are many other legends and historical events connected with the Wanganui district, but if my readers want to mjke a fuller acquaintance wilb these. I refer them to the works I have mentioned in writing these Chats A knowledge of 1 the legends and events will certainly make a visit to Wanganui, and a trip up the river, more enjoyable, and with a mind informed the visitor will not be able to re- \ frain froni contrasting the past with the present. To look at Hatntk and Ca.'s l&rjie warehousCj and their fleet of boats —

tv.-o. twm-sciewed, are quite palatial fo: river traffic — one would hardly imagine tha' within the memory of the middle-aged thi two races were in deadly strife. Now oni takes a pleasure trip up the river in com i fortable boats, and sits down to a three ' course dinner willi magnificent panorami< scenery by way of dessert and to assisi digestion. ! RIVER-NAMING. Some time ago I picked up at a sale z book by the Rev. Richard Taylor, M.A.. F.G..5. " It is called "Te Ika a Maui ;or New Zealand and Its Inhabltint«." Tt wa< published nearly 50 years ago. It is quit* a mine of Maori lore, and appears to be ; very accurate. Curiosity led me to look up what the author has ro Pay on Wanganui. Many interesting particulars are given ; but what struck me most was one of the bongs detailing the journey Han made to find his wife Wairaka, who had eloped with a man named Weku. Paraphrased it runs like this : On his journey, the fir«t river he came to he named the Wunganui (The Great Mouth, or the Great H.iiboui). Pacing on to the next river, he describes it as being so near that he cciild sp'a&h the waters of the Wanganui a» far. and therefore named it Wanga-ehu (The Splashed Mouth, or The Harbour of Spray). The next was so near that if he felled a tree on the Wangaehu the head of it would reach the river, which he called the Turakina (felled or thrown down). Hu\ing to walk a considerable distance to I the next river, he called it Tikei (a pace), from "tikei," the action of the legs in walk- ( irq ;it is now called Rangitikei. Passing <m, he came to a large nver, which he feared he would not be able to cross ; this therefore, he named Manawa-tu (The Depi essed Spirit). As he proceeded on his way, the wind whistled past his ears, and he called the place where he was at tha time Hokio ; and the next small creek Ohau, perhaps after himself. He now carried his spear in a horizontal position, and called the next rivei Otaki, from "'taki," to level a spear when making a charge. WLen he strengthened himself by praying, lie called the next place Wai-mea. from "mehameha." to make sacred. At the next river lie looked out slyly from the corner of his eye to see if he could discover his wife, and called the place Waikanae. He breathed hard when he discovered his wife 1 and her lover at Te Paripari, where the Tararua Range ends, and said to her. "Wain'ka, I am exceeding thirsty ; fetch me ( .some water." She got up' and walked ' down to the sea, with a calabash in each , hand. When she was up to her knees, she commenced filling them. He called to h*r t-i go farther ; she went in up to her waist, \ but he bid her go still deeper, and $he went on again til the watei nearly covered her bhoulders. He then repeated a karakia. and she became petrified, and has remained s> ever since. Leaving her there, a rock in the sea, still bearing her name, he joyfully went on his way, and called the I next river Wairarapa (The River of Jovfu!ne>s), from "rarapa, ' the glistening of the eye? with delight. I Willis gives a part of this in quite a 1 different dressing. Of the two I prefer ; Tavlor's ; With this I leave the Wanganui.