PAGES OF THE PAST

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1923, Page 11

PAGES OF THE PAST

(By

"Juvenis.")

FROM NEW PLYMOUTH TO WELLINGTON.

A TREK FULL OF INCIDENT.

IN THE LATE THIRTIES. _

(Continued.)

Near the end of a hard day’s journey, upon, rounding a point of land on to a fine sandy beach, we met a travelling party of twenty-five to thirty natives, clad with European articles of blankets, .shirts and trousers, having well-stored pikaus, amongst which were tents and boxes, evidently containing good things, and headed by a reverend gentleman, v. ho was proceeding northwards. Bowing to him, our first enquiry was about the schooner Jewess, to which he, with drawling emphasis upon each word, informed us that “he had passed her upon the coast, upwards of a hundred miles off, a total wreck—high and dry; some of the crew and a Mr. Wade were drowned”; “was not made aware of what became of the cargo.” After a few curt replies to our questions about our route ahead he, to our astonishment, terminated the interview by abruptly bowing us a “good day, gentlemen,” as if the meeting had occurred in the streets of Wellington, without one distant remark about our journey—if refreshment from his evidently, abundant stores would be acceptable, or whether we were interested otherwise than ordinary strangers in the wreck of the Jewess, and not one word to warn us of the horrible trap that we were shortly to walk into.

“Merciful powers,” exclaimed our guide, as the reverend gentleman and his retinue passed round the point, “that man is a greater barbarian than I have met with yet, for the Maoris generally offer the best they have before asking if you have a mouth upon you.” “Certainly,” muttered Nugent, “that is the most extraordinary instance of incivility I ever experienced; surely his behaviour must originate from a feeling, as I have heard remarked, that some missionaries look upon European settlers in the couhtry with repugnance.” Mordaunt observed that “the characteristics of the Maori, which we have so frequently lauded, of offering foed at first sight of a stranger, must certainly be discouraged among his people by so unchristian-like an example”; and so reflections upon the reverend gentleman toned our conversation as we pushed on. “It is absolutely inexplicable to me,” exclaimed Nugent, “such cutting coldness; let us inspect our exteriors; do we look like escaped criminals? Here, give me your gun, Tom, you look consumedly wayworn, and as if you had not dined for a couple of days. As to you, Mordaunt, your appearance is that of a fagged sportsman who had lost his way for the same period. As to my own particular self —although all jauntiness has been taken out of me—l cannot but believe that some indications of genteel breed still remain, and spite of my suffering boots and unbrushed attire.”

ALARMING INDICATIONS OF WAR. Little did we imagine of the lamentable part which the reverend gentleman had been playing between two war parties. At our next station for the night, two or three hours after this event, we came upon grounds that had been under cultivation, belonging to the large Waitotara pah. Here we perceived alarming indications of war—fences burned down in ail directions—potatoes, maize and kumara crops uprooted—speared and tomahawked pigs here and there — whares burnt down —canoes split, burnt and' rendered unserviceable. Hungry, footsore and “used up,” as Tom remarked, we, albeit, summoned airs of confidence and ascended the pah (for rain was smartly descending). Here everything had been destroyed, and a number of wild-looking savages, perfectly nude, were erecting a long sleeping shed, or “hot house,” letting off, whilst at their hasty work, deep-toned exclamations in gusts, and throwing themselves occasionally into war dance attitudes.

* We eilsconced under some of the disarranged barricade with feelings of repentance at having ventured into this scene of savage confusion, in which yelping curs assisted. . Being now dark, and the rain pouring down, we had no chance to shift our quarters save into the “hot house,” where a night of groaning discomfiture awaited us. Packed closely over every, space of floor in thia New Zealand “black hole,” with its one aperture at the gable end, was a sweltering mass of humanity —as in the hold of a slave ship—reclining against our pikaus, respiring is as much fetid atmosphere as a Mark Tapley could withstand; diluted with steaming pipis, passed about on kits just out of copperMaoris. For not a particle of the edibles which had passed under the weapons of the war party were deemed consumable, from the circumstance of such being tapued, and consequently being death to all who wittingly or unwittingly partook of it. However, junks of what was said to be “cow” were being devoured with great avidity, but. alas! our hunger could not smother another idea which had seized us, that a soul of an enemy might be near with a ghastly warning.

OUR BELONGINGS STOLEN. Supper discussed, we soon found our selves inveigled, and finally robbed out of every small article we had remaining, even to powder flasks. Gasping for oxygen, and writhing under sanguinary fleas (after two or three hours of .their enjoyment), we wriggled off trousers, rolled them up, and thus entrapped multitudes of our lively enemies. With these as pillows we struggled through the hours in a sort of fitful exhaustion, panting and gasping as it were our last. Near dawn of morning we managed our escape in a drenching rain to the river below, on the banks of which we launched a broken canoe, and seizing some sticks were about to shove off, when four or five of our late entertainers arrived upon the spot and demanded

“utu.” Money gold was insisted upon, then guns and blankets. Without heeding, we pushed them off, one fellow toppling inboard during the excitement. Upon reaching the other side, borne dcovn some distance by the current, we gave him a crown piece, at which he called ou t tt» some Maoris who had slept unoer .an. extemporised hut, and they.Jmmed! made after us. Coming uib_y.. a nd guns were seized ostensibly, u* uuume, for irpoas of

carrying same. In an instant three of them were forced to the ground,, and we made use of our heels to the extenu 1 never excelled before nor since. Procuring their spears, they followed with maniacal displays of war, until Nugent turned and presented his empty doublebarrel. This display of his was successful, and they gave up the chase.

THE GREAT CHIEF, TE HEU HEiU. We subsequently learnt that the cause of this seizure of Waitotara, was a raid of allies of the great chief Te Heu Heu, head of the interior districts of Lake Taupo, the volcanic mountainous country and surrounding river heads. This extraordinary warrior stood seven feet high, with his head of white silvery hair, a giant in bulk, and also in his ideas of conquest, for fighting sake. About five years after the Waitotara event, whilst staying at the pah, situated at the base of ’ Kakargmea mountain, ’ abounding with steamy eruptions, from fissures in the sides, and where, all the stone formations are thus. decomposed by boil- , ings, an avalanche of softened strata came suddenly down the mountain upon the settlement, and overwhelmed Te Heu Heu, his six wives, and fifty-four of his people. Great were the lamentations over this formidable hero, whose heathen prestige bore down all Christianising influences £hat began to characterise some of tiie coast people. By this kind of death he became associated with the mythology of his god-like ancestors, who constantly manifested their presence in him in the intermitting display of passiveness, anger, etc., by quietude, or outbursts of fire and steam among the mountains of Tongariro and Ruapehu, with the surrounding members of their families, the smaller volcanic cones of which Kakaramea was one, 3000 feet in height; Great preparations were made to convey Te Heu Heu’s remains. to sepulture on the top of his great ancestor, Tongariro, 6500 feet above sea level, but upon their approach towards the cone, subterranean rumblings, sulphurous steam, and threatened outbursts of fury emanated from the, mountain, and -struck terror into the souls of the cavalcade of mourners.

THE PANIC WAS ELECTRICAL. Leaving the body of Te Heu Heu on some masses of scoriii, they fled downwards, over the rugged rocks, through the region of snow—for the cone’s summit is bare of vegetation —and, with bruised and lacerated limbs, related hundreds of horrors, undefiled by any written description, but all intended to be strictly tapu, together with the mountain itself from all further intrusion by the foot of man. This late aristocratic chief, when the numerously signed Treaty of Waitangi was presented to him for signature —about May, 1840—declined, with the remark that he “was a law unto himself,” asserting that his “Rangatiratanga” as “sufficiently strong for the rule of his own people; and desiring no foreign assistance.” Te Whero Whero, of Waikato, was actuated by much the same motive; hence also his name does not appear amongst the subscribers to this political compact.