THE TRUE STORY OF THE BRIG ELIZABETH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 90

THE TRUE STORY OF THE BRIG ELIZABETH.

By Mrs E. M. Dtjnlop, Auckland

I have beside me an old Blue Book which contains much valuable information about New Zealand as it was at a very interesting period. It' is a report upon the conditions of the Islands- of New Zealand, printed in, August, 1838, by order of the House of Commons at Home, and: contains evidence given by numbers of important people, including Captain Fitzroy, R.N., and among others Joseph Barrow Montefiore, Esq. _ The person who bore the name was given the title of Esquire by order of the House of Commons, was a British subject of a very adventurous disposition, and typical of those voyagers whose exploration led to the settlement of New Zealand. Of those there were, naturally, many types, and we must not confuse that represented by Montefiore with any which anight personify in our minds those of the missionary party in New Zealand in the thirties. Possibly' his ends and objects were quite different, as he frankly says that he did not meet any missionaries at all during his stay i.n our country. His object in coming was, as he tells us, strictly mercantile. He chartered a vessel in 1830, and visited every place in New Zealand he possibly oould, with the intention of establishing mercantile depots for the distribution of goods among the New Zealanders, and the obtaining of such commo- ; dities as they were able to supply. He i met with most exciting experiences, and ! entirely satisfied any taste for adventure i he might have had. He entered the harbour of Kawhia on the western coast hi 1830. There he lauded, and had transactions with the Natives which he regarded as on the whole satisfactory. He was given la piece of land, on which to build a store and to establish his depot. He made friends with the Natives, and learned something of their language and customs. He was charmed with his prospects, and filled with admiration for the scene, the harbour, the climate, and the promised tesoiu'ces. The soil was good, and the country bore a most beautiful appearance. It was the most picturesque country he had ever visited, and he had been in most parts of the world. He went up several rivers as far as his boat would allow, and saw about eight or ten email villages. He saw hundreds of acres under cultivation, but he gives' it as his opinion that the people were the most lazy, jdle people ever he saw. The roots of fern, which they dug from the ground, formed their principal food, and was almost equal to flour, but for the trouble of obtaining it. They had an abundance of fish, of vegetables, and of pigs, which, introduced by Captain Cook, had multiplied exceedingly. : 'They are idle, and do not labour," says Montefiore, "because 'Nature has provided for them so abundantly." There were two or three white men there, but our gentleman .adventurer regarded these with great mistrust. "I suspected," he says, "that they were runaway sailors from New South Wales. We have," he continues, "in a great measure lost our character with the New Zeaianders in consequence of the very bad character of the run-away convicts, refractory seamen, and others residing among them. I think that, with the exception of myself and others, very few gentlemen have ever visited the * country. There are a great many very bad 1 characters on the island, but the Native people are very we'll able to distinguish between gentlemen and the individuals alluded' to." The chiefs appeared most hospitable. When Montefiore went ashore they would give up to him their wliola establishment, and make him most eomfcrtable. Nevertheless, he occasionally ): n A ojyr.se for alarm, as when he rp.ce'ved warning fj'orn a Native girt that It was th*i intention of a certain chief to kil! ihzm all The boats of the white men n-*re drawn tip on the shore r-,.„ th« N- •"'- ' ; - showed indications of ■}'■!?■:.■.:.'. o'.on ' '■ ":'■.:.. but the Europeans, seisin t. ia<*owv,&bU' opportunity, put OS '-■-' ' t'i '■* ..•:■.■•'!• ::d ">'.:{'• .' '6 district. They then •■ r ■; \r\ <•„• ••-., TsvcnaLH shore, and wo'id 1 •" la : o ---i -> ■„>-.>' for the weather. r nvenr.rr.c"? o* Mount Egmont." v. ; .;>-" simply splendid.' ( *on: : - Ltrj f* : .*

voyage our adventurers fell in with no less a personage than the famous —Captain Stewart and His Brig Elizabeth,. — Now we have the true, faithful, and unvarnished account of that terrible transaction in our New Zealand history, over which writers have exercised their wits and our imagination until the theme has wearied them. Wo have it here complete, as given in evidence before the Royal Commission in 1838, a few years after it occurred. Joseph Barrow Montefiore, owing to the disabled state of his own vessel, was compelled to take refuge with Captain Stewart on board the brig Elizabeth. What he saw arid heard there altered the whole of ]iis plans, and compalled him to return to Sydney, giving up for the time his determination to settle in New Zealand. In the hold of the Elizabeth he found a misserable passenger —no less a person than that mewt unhappy —Chief From Akaroa, Taumaranui, — whose wrongs have roused indignation, ever since, and have brought the tears to many eyes. Yes, ye.?, there he indeed was. We have it in the evidence given before the Boyal Commission. Fettered, bound, starving, wounded, dying, yet calm and proud in his passing moments, there in the filthy, bloodstained, and reeking hold of the Elizabeth still lived the victim of a white man's treachery—the once free, proud son of the mountain and the shore; he who once enjoyed all that, splendour of Nature's bounty spread before the inhabitants of Akaroa. Oh, ail ye who pass by, turn and shed a tear; for was there ever any misery like unto his misery?; Days, even weeks, had elapsed since he had been betrayed, since the dire moment when, coming" gaily with his wife and girl to trade with Europeans, he had been confronted unarmed with his hereditary foes and had instantly realised his fate.

The dastardly Stewart related the whole story of the preceding weeks to hia visitors, who now were perforce compelled to cast in their lot with him.

Montefiore had many conversations with the chief Taumaranui, for after his long stay in Kawhia and his transactions with the Natives there be was. able to converse in Maori. He thus heard both sides of the story—that of the suffering chief and that of Stewart, who was even then keeping the unfortunate victim as a hostage for the fulfilment of the promise of Te Rauparaha and his people to bring to the ©©aboard a cargo of dressed flax. This they were busily preparing, and large parties of men, women, and girls had gone into the interior to collect and prepare the flax. Stewart was firm in his determination: not to part with the captive chief, either by releasing him at the entreaties of Montefiore or of the enemies of the Akaroa chief, whose wife had been taken ashore by Rauparaha's people. Taumaranui was in a shocking state from, neglected wounds, and from the friction of his fetters, which, eating into the flesh, had caused a state of mortification in his lower limbs, from which he could not possibly have recovered. He was resigned to his fate. He knew he would be killed, and scorned to show fear, anguish, or dread. In conversation with Montefiore he denied having taken part in barbarities practised upon the crew of the British ship, the Warspite, which had been wrecked off Akaroa.

In vain did Montefiore and other white men beg for mercy for the unfortunate chief. Stewart was afraid of his just vengeance should he be released. At last his irons were struck off, but lie was then helpless from the extent of his injuries. '•' He was a fine man," says Montefiore, "as ever I saw in my life." Taumaranui actually lived on board in this miserable state for four or five weeks, rio flax coming forward, the Natives not having fulfilled their treaty. Montefiore says: "I was anxious to get on to Sydney. I told Stewart that I was certain that he would not get his flax. We set sail at last, but first he gave up the chief Taumaranui into the hands of his enemies. I saw the whole process of preparation for his intended sacrifice. I did not actually see him killed, but I know he was killed during that night. The following morning I saw his widow still alive. She had his entrails strung in mockery around her as a necklace. His heart was cut up into several pieces and sent to different tribes, the allies of Te Rauparaha." Montefiore gave before the commission a full account of the affair at Akaroa as it came to his knowledge.

—The Brig Elizabethwas regularly armed, carrying eight guns aa well as two swivels oil 'her taff-rail, and she was well found ir every description of small arms. She -conveyed to Banks Ishuxl about SCO .Maoris, all of whom -were more or less armed 1 . When she anchored off the island it was made to appear that there «<;>. no passengers oil board, for they were all concealed below. Captain Stewart U&d conveyed this large force o:' Maori waxriors to -Banks Peninsula at the request of Te Ra-uparaba, who had- hoarded the Eliiw.befeh at Kapifci, and had promised Stewart a cargo of dressed! Max if ha would be the mea-cis of delivering hie enemy into his hands. TL r - feud which exiftnd was of very old s,loading, dated some 22 years S.u;ore. wheu the Akaroa- Natives had killed and eaten Te Pahi and other Taranaki Vativea who had fallen into their hand;-. Since that period the relatives of Te Pahi had been making preparations to vevenge hi? fate, and .uyesd with'Te Bawpars.ha for his assistuice. Tfo< or'.>.,i-t.irn-w-v csme when the captain r>f tha Elizabeth wanted flax and V-.it hi'Dself to their design* of vengeance. -.Then the Elizabeth oast anchor of? Hanks Peninsula canoes were put off farom the shore. Some of the inmates, sesinef

her guns, wore rather suspicious, and even asked if Te Raupavalia were, on board.

Iking reassured, they boarded the ship, and, being 1 unarmed, were an easy prey. Taumaranui immediately re-cognised: his fate, and was seized and bound. The armed Natives then went ashore in the canoes, which they seized, killing the slaves and throwing them overboard.Stewart described the scene asbeing "most interesting." It was one of terrific slaughter, though only one on the side of Te Rauparaha was killed ; the ship reeked' with the blood of the Akaroa Natives. The wife and daughter of Taum&ramii were among- the captives, and the father and mother killed the girl with their own hands rather than that she should remain in the power of the enemy. The cargo of flax not being forthcoming, Stewart would not permit his grizzly friends to unbind the chief and take him ashore, but kept him aboard in irons during five weeks while hanging about the coast waiting for flax. The Maoris were now incensed against Europeans, and it was unsafe to land. For this reason, and filled with horror at the sights he had witnessed, Mon-tefiore determined to proceed to Sydney. When he arrived he caused Stewart to be arrested and tried for his conduct, but was unsuccessful in bringing him to justice. Stewart- soon afterwards met ■with a somewhat mysterious death at sea, either being washed overboard or thrown off his ship by his crew.