R.S.A. RE-UNION.

Upper Hutt Weekly Review, Volume I, Issue 20, 1 May 1936, Page 4

R.S.A. RE-UNION.

The Upper Hutt Branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association held their Annual Re-union on Thursday evening 23rd, when a large number of ex-service men were present. The President (R. E. Anderson, Esq.) presided and during his address of welcome to those present appealed to them all to become members of the Branch and pull together, as there was a lot more work to be done for the soldiers who were up against it. Mr. V. Ward spoke of the good work done by the President and stated that he was sorry to know that Mr. Anderson had left the district, as since he had been a member of the Executive he always found him a President to look up to. Mr. Collins, of the S.A.V., also spoke of the good work done by Mr. Anderson, and wished him the best of luck in his new sphere. The usual toasts were honoured and replied to by representatives present. The following assisted with musical items:—Diggers J. C. E. Cottle, A. Harper, li. Tomlin, H. Holland and H. V. McGhie. Mr. Mcßae acted as accompanist." A very pleasant evening came to an end at 11.15 p.m. The following -were responsible for arranging the evening: Messrs. R. E. Anderson. C. R. Stroud, J. Jillet, H. McGhie, F. P. Kelly, S. F. Carver, G. Humphrey, G. M. Lloyd, J. Cameron, A. Gratton and the Secretary (R. H. Ashford).

JK.AKAU—PRIEST AND WARRIOR. My old friend Kiwi Amohau was sitting on the verandah deep in thought as J. entered the little -wicker gate and walked up the narrow path leading- to the house. As the gate clicked into place behind me the old gentleman looked up and I saluted him. with the customary Maori geeting. "Tena koe, Kiwi." "Tena koe, Ata Haap. E noho ki raro." I sat down on the verandah as bid and handed the old gentleman my tobacco pouch and matches. While he was filling his pipe I took out my notebook and proceeded to sharpen a pencil in readiness for a story." "The last piece of Maori history I told you was about the cause of the war between the Ngapui and Arawas, was it not?" "Yes, that is so," I replied. "And the previous one to that was about the start of the -war?" "Yes." "I think I mentioned in that narrative a Tohunga and warrior named Rakau ?" "Yes, he was the man who brought the news to Ohinemutu Pah that Hongi Hika and his Ngapui were sighted off the Bay of Plenty in their war canoes." "Yes—good. Now I will tell you part of the history of this great man whilst fighting on Mokoia Island." At that time he was in the prime of life and I should say that his age was about thirty. My grandfather told me that he was the most perfect stamp of a Maori he had ever seen. His height was six foot eight and he weighed over twenty stone, and not one ounce of surplus fat on his huge frame, and for strength and durability there was not his match throughout the whole of Te Arawa country. He had a younger brother -who practically worshipped him, and wherever Rakau was this young lad was not far away. This boy was not on the island when the fight started as he had been ordered by Rakau to be on the lake with his canoe in case of accidents. This precaution, as after events showed, proved a very wise course. When the fight developed into a hand-to-hand conflict Rakau was worththree ordinary warriors and many a Ngapui fell beneath his miri." Here Kiwi paused in his narrative and then put a direct question to me. "You have been on the island, haven't you?" "Oh yes, practically all over it," I replied. "I take it you have seen a cave on. the south-west corner?" "Yes, but I have not been inside it as the entrance was blocked up with a huge boulder." "That is the place, but the boulder was placed there by the Ngapui at the time of my narrative. "Rakau, seeing that the Arawas had no possible hope of success and knowing of the cave, gradually worked towards it. Several Ngapui, realising that he -was a chief, -were anxious to capture him, and at times he was very hard pressed, but eventually he reached the shelter of the cave. "Once inside, he was quite safe as a. man had to bend his head to enter and directly one of the enemy's heads appeared within the cavern the skull -was immediately crashed by Rakau's miri. "The Ngapui, realising that it was impossible to capture him, decided to roll the huge boulder you saw into the mouth of the cave, block the entrance and thus imprison and starve him to death. This did not trouble Rakau, however, as he knew the cave had anoutlet leading into the lake under water. "When it was night and all was quiet he dived through this subteranian passage and swam to his brother's canoe. Taking as much food as he could carry he swam back to the island and entered the cave by the same way as he had left. "After partaking of a meal he again dived through the passage into the lake and quietly landing a few yards to the north-east side of the island, where the Ngapui were camped, and' nearly all" asleep, he killed several before the alai'm was raised, and then jumped into the -water' and disappeared. "This -went on for several nights and the sudden disappearance into the water and not coming up again -was so demoralising to the highly superstitious Maori that they thought the island haunted by a Tanawha (a mystical -water monster that ate human beings). "Hastily boarding their canoes, they evacuated the island and Rakau, joining his brother in the canoe, paddled to Ohinemutu on the mainland and, collecting the remnants of the Arawas, folio-wed the retreating enemy overland." —ATA . HAAP.