STORY OF THE MAORI WAR.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12490, 17 March 1909, Page 1

STORY OF THE MAORI WAR.

, The Christchurch "Press" gives the following as told by Mr HurstJioiiso or .an experience during the Maori war in Taranaki :— ln 1860 during the war, a party of thirteen one day went for a walk behind New Plymouth. They were all armed and carried haversacks for foraging. A mile or so from the town they came upon the deserted property of the late Capt g) ,r or man y J'ears Taranaki' s Chief Magistrate. In the orchards were abundance of peaches,' and tho foragers began to fill their bags. To get to the best fruit on the tree he was attacking, Mr HursthousG stood his rifle against the trunk, and climbed up. "The poaches were going into the bag at a very satisfactoiy rate when the calm fresh morning air resounded with a single shot of a firearm. A pause followed, during which there was time to hoar the echoes of the report drifting wave-like into the " distance silence, and to wander who amongst us was -fool enough to discharge his rifle, when rip 1 bang! bang came a volley of bullets, killing instantly one of our party, and wounding another, and knocking bark, twigs and leaves off the .trees." The orchard was bounded on one side by native bush, affording splendid cover, and on the other by a thin hawthorne hedge with a convenient gap in it. Those of tho party who were on the ground rushed through the hedge and formed up on the other side, facing' the enemy. Mr Hursthouso scrambled down, seized his gun and bolted to tho gap, with death at his back. He says he never felt smaller in his life than when he was covering that 20 yards, but he must, surely have felt even smaller when the rush he made at the gap in the hedge failed to take him through, and he had to force his way with bullets whistling about him. Two of the party went off for reinforcements,'and the rest stood up to the attacking force of thirty Maoris until help came. The wounded man is believed to be still carrying a bullet about in his side.