MCGREGORS LEAP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 157, 5 July 1934, Page 4

M C GREGORS LEAP

ESCAPE FROM MAORIS SHAKESPEARE CLIFF INCIDENT. NOTED WANGANUI LANDMARK. Old landmarks in Wanganui recall from time to time the earliest days of rhe pioneer settlement. The betterknown of these are the old York Stockade and the Rutland Stockade, now known as Cook’s Gardens ami Queen’s Park. Not the least interesting, however, is Shakespeare Cliff, just across the river from Queen’s Park and Moutoa Gardens. The cliff is renowned not for its past redoubts, but for a leap for life made by Mr. Jock McGregor on July 1. J 847, just a few days over 87 years ago. While out searching for cattie. Mr. McGregor was attacked by live Maoris and his only method of escape was by leaping over the cliff into the river below. This he did, escaping with his life with the assistance of a Mr. Middleton, of the 58th Regiment. The feat was a remarkable one and is frequently referred to when the cliff is pointed out to visitors. For some time it was known as “McGregor’s I/eap,” but Shakespeare Cliff is the name by which the landmark is known to-day. An account of the incident is given in Mr. T. W. Downes’ book, “Old Whanganui,” and is taken from a diary kept by Dr P. Wilson. Trouble was being experienced with the Maoris at the time, for it was not long before that the Gilfillan massacre had occurred. “We had an instance yesterdav of the übiquity of the rebels, and the danger, accordingly, of going beyond the boundaries of our stockades.” stated Dr. Wilson in the diary on July 2. “Mr. McGregor went over early in the morning to Putiki, to look after his cattle in the vicinity of that pa: and missing some he extended his walk, but very circumspectly, across the creek Purua, and up to the top of Shakespeare Cliff, which is little more than 400 yards in distance from our upper stockade. “Having gained this height, and seeing no one. he esconced himself in an old potatoe pit to look around him, and thus that he might not be so easily observed, hie head and shoulders being all that was above the surface. But he had not been there a minute when, in the act of turning his head to look over towards the stockade, he was fired at from bushes behind, and wounded in the head. He instantly leaped from the pit, and, to his amazement, saw five armed Maoris within a few yards of him. He instantly discharged his gun at t-hem. but so at random that he is of the opinion he hit none. “He now started downhill towards Purua with all possible speed, but the grass was so short and slippery that he fell three different times before he got to the edge of the river. During bis run. he heard a number of voices calling to those who were in chase to shoot him, and some guns were discharged, but all fortunately missed their object. When he reached the bank of the river at Purua, he turned round and saw one of the enemy, at some ten yards distance, taking very deliberate aim at him, and rightly judging that from that proximity he could not escape being shot, he did not hesitate to leap over the precipice, and fortunately in doing so he lit upon a shelving bank of clay, but up nearly to his armpits in the water. ‘‘The Maori now came to the brink and endeavoured to fire down on him. but Mr. McGregor believes he could not, from their relative positions, gel a gun to bear on him. While thus