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Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 34 (Supplement)

TE KOOTI

soon became a leading influence in the little community of exiles. He was a fluent lay-reader and expounder of the Bible, and aa his line

of Scriptural study mainly resolved itsdlf into drawing clever analogies between the captivity, trials and triumphs of the Children of Israel and the position of his fellow captives, his :nfluence was naturally congenial and sympathetic. Presently Te Kooti foretold the day of rescue for himself and bis fellow captives, and, more fortunate than most prophets, was able to fulfil his own prophecy.

When the schooner Rifleman arrived at the Isllands with Government stores on July 3, 1868, she was cleverly seized under Te Kooti's directions. Having secured the way of release, it was only a matter of detail to annex stores, firearms, and ammunition, and, welt provided with all these things, the "Chosen People" emerged from captivity. The run to New Zealand was successfully made, any possible misfortunes being guarded against, and the great sea god "''Tanga-roa" propitiated by the living sacrifice of one of the escapees, bound, and pitfully protesting, being cast into the sea. Arrived off the coast, a landing was effected about six miles south of Poverty Bay on Friday, July 10. Never, surely, in all the age-long procession of ill-omened Fridays, did one more fateful dawn ! The attempts to induce Te Kooti to surrender and give up his arms were, of course, futile. He disclaimed any desire to fight for fighting's sake, but announced his inflexible resolve to do so should any attempt be made to obstruct his simple and modust programme of marching through to the Waikato, where he proposed dethroning *he Maori King, Tawhiao (old Potatau's son), and reigning in his stead. Active measures were then taken to prevent Te Kooti's march inland, but the force at the disposal of the Resident Magistrate, Major Biggs, v,* quite inadequate, and the "'Chosen People," free md rejoic ng, began their journey through what was to prove — despite its luxmiant beauty —

a very wilderness, strewn with the bones and lattened with the blood alike of rebel and patriot.

Now ensued Captain Gascoign's memorable and daring rid« from Poverty Bay to Wairoa to summon relnforoements. When Major Whitmore's little force of volunteers arrived, further but equally futile attempts were made to arrest Te Kooti's progress. The nature of tJae eountey was all in favour of the rebels, and the only result of these abortive attempts was to thoroughly inflame the vindictive spirit of Te Kooti and change his plan of going .nland to one ot temporarily fortifying a position from which to avenge himself foi 1 this "interference." While fortifying a pa at Puketapu Te Kood frankly announced his intention of taking "utu" from the Pakeha because the Government had frustrated his "peaceful plans," and to this end he invited the Wairoa and Urewera tribes to join him. The Poverty Bay settlers made such prov-Sion of defence .is they could, and we may be sure tasted the bitterness of death in many a midnight anticipation of the awful fate which finally overtook them.

On the night of November 8 Te Kooti, with about 80 picked men, descended upon the scattered settlement at Poverty Bay. Dividing his men into small parties, he instructed them to do their work silently and at close quarters, so that in their ghastly house-to-house visitation no sound of firearms might give the alarm. Thus the whole deadly work was accomplished ere the day dawne.l, and then a number of friendly natives being captured and shot completed in