MAORI MEMORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

MAORI MEMORIES

NOT THE REAL MAORI

(By

J.H.S.—Copyright).

Shining in the sunlight from New Plymouth and within an hour’s distance by car toward the north is the sacred spot known in the tragic early history of New Zealand as The White Cliffs. Early in 1869 the British redoubt and block house at Puke Aruhe (fernroot hill) had been evacuated, when a taua (war party) of Ngati Manaiapoto from Waikato murdered eight persons’ in circumstances so brutal and unusual among the Maori people that many who knew their character have always marvelled that any party of Maoris could be guilty of such an atrocity. The victims, moreover, were prominent people of fine character, and are considered to have been sacrificed to some unknown grievance. Other opinions are that Milne and Richards, who were the first to be killed, were the only intended victims, and that Lieutenant Gascoigne’s family and the Rev. John Whitely were killed in a panic to prevent discovery of the crime. This impression is strengthened by the fact that one of these tangata kohuru (murderers) was the halfcaste son of a European. After they had killed Milne and Richards these four saw Gascoigne approaching from the field carrying the youngest child. The raiders shook hands with him; but when he was opening the door he was struck from behind and killed. Mrs. Gascoigne and the children were then killed. Against all Maori custom they then tomahawked the dog and cat. Later, at sunset, John Whitely, beloved of all Maori people, approached on horseback intent upon his regular mission of goodwill, peace, mercy and healing. Recognising him as ‘their great benefactor, even these brutal youths’ urged him to return to New Plymouth. When he firmly refused both he and his horse were shot. The bodies were recovered and buried with military honours at New Plymouth. The monument bears the following details. The Rev. John Whitely, 62 years. Lieut. Bamber Gascoigne, 40 years. Annie Gascoigne, 27 years. Laura Gascoigne, 5 years. Cecil John Gascoigne, 3 years. Louisa Annie Gascoigne, 3 months. John Milne, 40 years. , Edward Richards, 35 years. Rivals. Rival-es, the original form of the now degenerated word, meant that two or more neighbours enjoyed the same brook or river. Let us therefore call it emulation which flared up when Dr. Featherston arrived with 300 picked friendly Maoris to assist General Chute. The general profoundly distrusted friendly and enemy Maoris alike. Featherston, behind a kindly nature, was strong, proud and self-reliant, and genial when not irritated. Chute and he jarred whenever they met. The general ordered Featherston’s Maoris to, make a long detour through the forest at dawn and take a strong pa* while his men attacked it in the rear. Featherston said the allies were weary and footsore after constant marches for 200 miles and that to be hurried was contrary to tribal custom. The general lost his temper. “Damn your allies, I. will have no mutiny or civil authority in my camp,” he said. Chute marched off and left Featherston silently smoking cheroot after cheroot—a bad sign. Featherston silent was a dangerous man. A ’diplomat in camp, Commissary Strickland, well-known to both, intervened. He called on Featherston, who was still smoking, and said, “The general has sent me to ask you to supper.” Featherston flared up. “It’s like his damned insolence,” he said. “I wish to God every soldier was out of this colony.” Strickland smoked awhile, then said quietly, “His temper is the curse of his life, but he’s a good fellow; you’ll like him when you know him as well as I do.” To Chute he said, “I’ve just seen Featherston. He wishes me to say he is coming to supper with you.” The only reply was “The Devil he is!” The three supped together, and arose with a permanent friendship and understanding. A field officer of the 57th and a private of the 14th confirm the following incident in which defeat was turned to victory by rivalry:— In the attack on Otapawa, a fortified rifle-pitted pa of formidable strength, both regiments wavered under the deadly fire. Chute rode up whacking his old horse, swore and blasphemed in an awful manner, stood in the stirrups, and said, “You do not know me, men, I’m Billy Chute. You’d make me a laughing stock. I’ll leave your bones to bleach before I turn back. 57th, I’ll disgrace you •before the whole army! 14th, charge!” Both knew the “Kerry Bull.” The rivalry to get in first was so impetuous that the rebels never again 'dared face a British bayonet charge. Moriori, Maori or Moor. Traditions and discoveries make it clear to us that the Moriori came centuries before the Maori. The Chatham Islanders, as we now call them, . were short and plump, physically inferior to the Maori. In the last 100 years it is reported from several apparently authentic sources that a Moriori burial place found in Waikato contained many undersized skeletons arranged in a circle, each in an upright position with a block of wood on its skull, this being the mode of burial used in the Chathams but never adopted by the Maoris. The superstitious reverence for the resting places of the dead shown by the Maori people prevented the exploitation of this sacred spot. An interesting study is the origin of the splendid race of New Zealanders found by our pioneers. The analogy of the Maori, the Indian and the European language may be definitely confirmed. The definite article te, and the indefinite he (pronounced like tay and hay) are identical with our article the and a. Maori, Moriori, Malay, Maure, Moor—these names show that the Maori is most probably a cross between the Arab and Ethiopian. The Maori method of hongi (rubbing noses) is generally regarded as peculiar to New Zealand; but Marco Polo in the thirteenth century refers to the Mautze people of Yunnan who saluted in this way. The Egyptian word typhon and the Maori taipo both mean an evil spirit. The sun is known from the earliest times as ra, and this name is always used by the Maori. That communication by sea between New Zealand and India existed in ancient times is shown by the discovery in Waikato of a broken bell bearing the inscription in the Tamil language, translated as “Mohoyden Buk’s Ship’s Bell.” It would be of equal interest to many New Zealand lovers of history to know where that ancient relic is now deposited, as to peruse the Sinaiticus for which the Russians received a hundred thousand pounds.