JOSEPH BARROW MONTEFIORE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10106, 18 March 1911, Page 1

JOSEPH BARROW MONTEFIORE.

His Adventures in Early Nevr

Zealand.

(By MRS E. M. DTJNLOP.) [All Rights Reseeved.] 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, and contains evidence given by numbers of important people, including Captain Fitzroy 4 R.N., and among others Mr Joseph Barrow Montefiore.

The person who bore the name as above and who was given the title of esquire by order of the House of Commons, was a British subject of a very adventurous disposition, and he is typical of those voyagers whose exploration led to the settlement of New Zealand. Of these there were, naturally, many types, and we must not confuse that represented by Montefiore with any which might 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 in our country. His object in going there was, as he tells us, istrictly mercantile. Ho chartered a vessel in IS3O and visited every place in New Zealand he possibly could, with the intention of establishing mercantile depots for the distribution of goods among the New Zealanders, and the obtaining of such commodities as they were able to supply; He met with the most exciting experiences, and entirely satisfied any taste for adventure he might have had. Ho entered the harbour of Kawhia, on the western coast, in 1830. There he landed and had transactions with the Natives, which ho regarded as on the whole satisfactory. He was given a 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 resources. The soil was good and the country bore a most beautiful appearance. It was THE MOST PICTURESQUE COUNTRY EE HAD EVER VISITED. and he had been in most parts of the world. He went up soveral rivers as far as his boat would allow and saw aboul, eight or ten small villages. He saw hundreds of acres under cultivation, but he gives it as his opinion that the people were the most lazy, idle folk ever he l saw. The root of fern, which they dug from the ground, was their principal fopd 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 Zealanders in consequence of tho very bad character of the runaway convicts, refractory seamen

and others residing among them. I think that, -with tho exception of myself and others, very few gentlemen have ever visited the country. There are a great many bad characters on the island, but the Native people are very ill able to distinguish between gentlemen, and the individuals alluded to." '>•

The chiefs appeared most hospitable. When Montefioro went ashore they would give him up their whole establishment, and make him most comfortable. Nevertheless, he occasionally had cause for alarm, as when on one occasion he received warning from a Native girl that it was the intention of a certain chief to kill them all. The boats of the white men were drawn up upon the shore, and the Natives showed indications of designs upon them, but the Europeans, seizing a favourable opportunity, put off to their ship and left the district.

They then approached the Taranaki shore, and would have loaded there but for the weather. " The appearance of Mount says our voyager, " was simply splendid." Continuing their 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 we writers have exercised our wits and our imagination until the theme has wearied us. We 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 and heard there altered the whole of his plans and compelled 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, miserable passenger, no less a person than that most unhappy chief from Akaroa, Taumaranui, whose wrongs have roused our indignation ever since, and have brought the tears to many eyes. Yes, yes, there he indeed was. Wo have it on oath, in evidence given before the Royal Commission.

THE VICTJJI 01" A WHITE MAN'S TREACHERY

Fettered, bound, starving, wounded, dying, yet calm and proud in his passing moments, there in tho 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, all ye who pass by, turn and.shed a tear; for was there any misery like unto his misery P 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 his visitors, who were perforce compelled to cast in their lot with him. Montefiore had many conversations with thiv chief Taumaranui, for after his long stay in Kawhia and his transactions with the Natives there he 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 seaboard a cargo of dressed flax. This they were busily preparing, and large parties of men, women andi 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 th© entreaties of Montefiore, or of the enemies of the Akaroa chief, whose wire 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 his fleshj 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 he was then helpless from the extent of his injuries. "He was as fine a man," says Moonefiore, "as ever.l saw in my life." Taumaranui aotually lived on board in this miserable otate for four or five weeks, no flax coming forward, the Natives not having fulfilled their treaty.

THE KILLING OF TAUMARUNr/I. Montefiore says: "I was anxious to get on to Sydney. . I told Stewart that I was certain that he would not got 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 1 saw his widow alive; she had his entrails strung in mockery around her as a necklace. His heart was cut up into several pieces, and sent to several tribes, tho allies of Te Rauparaha." Montefioro gave before the Commission a full _ account of the affair at Akaroa as it cam© to his knowledge. The brig Elizabeth was regularlv armed, carrying eight guns as well as two swivel mi her taffrail and she was well found in every description of small arms. She conveyed-to Banks Island about three hundred Maoris, all of whom were more or less armed. When she anchored off the island it was made to appear that there were no passengers on board, for they were all concealed below. Captain Stewart had conveyed this large force of Maori warriors to Banks Peninsula at the request of Te Rauparaha, who had boarded the Elizabeth at Kapiti, and had promised Stewart a cargo of dressed flax if he would be the means of delivering his enemy into his hands. The feud which existed was of very old standing, dated some twenty-two years before, when tho Akaroa Natives had killed and eaten To Pahi and other Taranaki Natives who had fallen into their hands. Since that period tho relatives of Te Pahi had been making preparations to revenge his fate, and agreed with Te Rauparaha for his assistance. The opportunity came when the captain of the Elizabeth wanted flax, and lent himself to their designs of vengeance. THE MASSACRE ON THE ELIZABETH. When the -Elizabeth cast anchor off Banks Peninsula canoes were put off.

from the shore. Some of the inmates, seeing her guns, were rather suspicious, and even asked if Te Rauparaha were on board. Being reassured, they boarded the ship, and, being unarmed, were an easy prey. Taumaranui immediately recognised his fate, and was seized and bound. The armed natives then went ast-.nre in the canoes which they seized, Killing the slaves and throwing them overboard. Stewart described the scene as being "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 Taumaranui 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, Stwart 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, Montefioro determined to proceed to Sydney. When he arrived there 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.