THE TRAGEDY AT THE WHITE CLIFFS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1919, Page 6

THE TRAGEDY AT THE WHITE CLIFFS.

A TALE OF OLD TARANAKI. KEV. JOHN WHITELEY'S SACRIFICE. In the middle distance of that fine seascape of seventy miles, as seen from the high land at the foot of Paritutu, the great Sugarloaf at New Plymouth, the eye is caught by two high cliffs of greyish white on the coast line. Under their Maori name of Para-ninihi they may be hardly recognised, but as the White Cliffs they give their name to the adjacent district, and also to that frightful tragedy which fifty years ago to-day was the closing scene in the war in North Taranaki. The cliffs are over nine hundred feet sheer. The beach at their baso -w|as the only practicable road in those days to north or south, and only then at low water. When the tide is making it soon reaches the foot of the dill's, and should the unwary traveller be cut off, the Waipingao Gorge, which divides them, is his only refuge, and here he must wait for hours until the tide again recedes. They extend for about two miles, and towards Pukearuhe, the southern cliffs drop suddenly to some four hundred feet. At this place, the scene of the massacr?, access is possible by means of a steep ascent on the aide of the Waikaramararna Gorge to a mote practicable road running parallel with the coast line, and a, little inland At the top of this gorge, and guarding the track, wae the old Maori stronghold, Pukearuhe, i.e.. Fern Root Hill, in 1569 the site of a bloakhouse, and the key to Taranaki from the north. The beach track is dosed just north of Uara-ninihi, and south of Pukearuhe by the sea. The Maori War, though it still dragged on in the south of the province, had lapsed into a condition of uncertain peace in the north—the soldiers were withdrawn in 18G7; though two detachments were sent a little later to New Plymouth they did not remain long. The settlers gradually returned to their farms and took up the work of agirin bringing them bads into cultivation, though they did so at a very great risk. In December of 1808 the Superintendent of Taranaki received a copy of a telegram to the effect that the Ngatimauiopoto (Waitako) tribe had threatened that they would go to the White Cliffs on their own account. Some precautions were taken by the Superintendent, but they were soon abandoned as no danger was anticipated by the Provincial Government. On that Black Saturday a tana (war party) of about sixty men from the Awakino came along the beach in broad daylight, the main body halting at the beach at the mouth of the gorge, a small party going up to the redoubt. "There they found two Europeans, whom they enticed away by telling them there were pigs for sale on tile beach. Milne went first and was tomahawked on the path loading to the beach. Seeing that Richards, the other man, did not follow, the party returned and urged him to come and look at the pigs. The unfortunate man descended the hill, and was killed near where Milne fell. The taua then rushed up to the redoubt and found that Lieutenant Gascoigne and his family were absent in their field of corn and potatoes. Lieutenant Gascoigne, looking up, saw the Natives at the blockhouse, and at once proceeded towards them, carrying his youngest child Mrs Gascoigne and the other children followed him. On arriving at a little stream at the base of the hill on which the blockhouse stood, Lieutenant Gascoigne gave the child to his wife and went forward to meet the Maoris. Approaching, they shook hands with him. and accompanied him to the door. Upon his raising his hand to open the door he was struck from behind and fell. Soon after Mrs Gascoigne came with the three children, and she and the little ones were killed. The murderers then tomahawked the house dog and cat." THE MURDER OF MR WHITELEY. But there was yet one more victim to fall, and round him chiefest interest centres. On Saturday morning, an old clergyman, the Rev. John Wbiteley, left the Methodist Mission Station at Xew Plymonth. It was his custom to ride to some remote part of the district evenSaturday, preaching at all the villages and settlements as he returned on Sunday. This day his destination was Pukearuhe. He was not so very old, but he was war worn with the stress of an apoatolate arduous and stern, which covered a space of 37 years, at Hokianga, Kawhia, where the best of his days were spent* amongst the Ngatimaniopoto tribes, and in the Taranaki district riding where possible, paddling his canoe along the rivers and creeks, or walking. There was a practical side to his preaching, for husbandry with European implements, and handicraft, with the use of the hammer and saw| plane and square, formed part of his curriculum. Strong, active, abstemh ous, loving his people and beloved by them, no outpost was too remote, no weather too severe. At length he had finished the work it was given him to do. When lie left New Plymouth for Pukearuhe on February 13, 186!>, he was not unconscious of danger, for he had written a letter of warning to the Government concerning this very outpost. As the old missionary rode along, now on the margin of the high sea cliffs, with the spectacle of Ruapehu in front and Egmont on his right, both lifting their sunny crests from the bosom of the dark forests to the bright blue sky, and the dancing wavelets flashing the reflected snnli|ht on his left, now cantering aloimthe Jandy beach, amid the irridescent bubbles of the sea foam, little did he think bow black a crime was bein" perpetrated on the spot he was rapidly approaching. It was late in the evening when he rode up the track to the blockhouse. Presently a Maori voice haded him: "Hokoia!" (Go back!) and the old man answered, "Why should I go back? My place is here." Again! came the order from the Chief Wetere: "Go back, Whiteley, your, place is not here." "My place is here and here I remain for my children are doingwrong." Again the order to go back was given without effect. Then an evil voice—was it a Pakeha voice?— cried out in the gathering gloom: "Kahori a tangi nga tikaka mate." (Dead cocks do not crow.) Shots were fired and the faithful old horse fell. Disengaging himself from the dying beast, he knelt down beside it in prayer. More shots were fired. Five bullets pierced him, and so he passed. What that last prayer was is not known, but it would be on* qjf harmony with the man's wW*

life and character if it were for himself May we not believe that it was for forgiveness for liis murderers. The taua then burned the blockhouse and hut and returned to Awakino. Strangely enough neither the flames of the burning blockhouse or buildings were seen nor the report of firearms heard by anyone although there were settlers Jiving within a mile of the place. This may be accounted for by the fact that the weather that night and the following dav was very stormy. The bodies were discovered on the Monday morning by a settler, who was looking for some stray cattle. He immediately rode into New Plymouth With the news, and the following day an armed party proceeded to the CliilV in the s.s, Wellington, and recovered the bodies, which were brought into New Plymouth and interred in the beau- ' Te Cemetery—a place without peer of its kind in New Zealand. REASON'S FOR THE RAID. The reasons given for the raid are as lo In tlle of February, 180J, the iVgatimaniopoto were gathered in force near the Awakino Heads, ami it had been proposed to make a raid on Taranaki. The time was considered opportune as the district was practically 111 a defenceless state through the departure of the military and the military settlers, and the general exodus of the , men from the place to the Thames, attracted by the wonderful output of «okl from the mines. . Honi Wetere te Rcrenga was the principal advocate of this course, but Wahanui, the Maniopoto chief opposed it. Wahanui further taunted \\ etere by saying that Wetere's family were ever noted for saying "Go into the fight," but never said "Follow nie. This taunt was the more calling because of its truth. Stung to fury b? it, Wetere gathered the men of his hapu t.ogether and went to Pukcnruhe. On their return to Awakino after the massacre the assembled tribe gathered lound the party to hear of their exploits. At the mention of the killine of tha men nothing was said. When thej told of the murder of the mother am! her little children Wahanui expressed his disgust, saying war was not with women 'and ch" war' S W <T lmmlor > lu,d "ft nart of tw reception of this part of their news, they hesitated and then told of the murder of White-' •or' ° hief Was silent with horIvi f « W ° mon brokc i,lto wild wail for the dead. For a long time this continued, the men bowed wtth covered heads, the women wailing. Then Wahanm ordered the camp to be broken up, a,id _ lns people to go into the wilds of the King Country, saying: "Here let it end, for the death of Whiteley is more than the death of many men." $ THE VICTORY OF SACRIFICE. With this death the fighting ended between the two races. Mr. White et lost Ins life because lie, in that supreme moment, made his election, and ,fC d M r is vwe to JviJl hi n they knew he was their Inend, and being an Ariki of the tribp his person was sacred. For that rea It was his duty to ascertain the fate of he settlers at the blockhouse-intinl duty he fell. Had he not bit™? to his high calling, tho flamo* & would have a^i„ J l;e was true, and so once more ho pnnciple of vicarious sacrifice so fr quentlv denied by mere sciolist again "ave h!Hf^f ransom for many He u-,o • to his last re.Hn.rfi 1 eommitterl friend and fcllo^T m' Archdeacon Gov?tt. On' a hi»h t' overlooking a beautiful valley L his long sleep. I n the 11// '° epS of the setting sun the flowers" bW w' and memorial stones a " this lovely garden of finH in deepen, and for a few fleeting lows Eden once more coMcffo I r™' 8