MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 29 June 1933, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

(By J.H.S., for “The Daily Times.”) PUKE TE KUARE (THE HILL OF FOOLS). A.D. 1860 was a year of darkening memories for all Tairanaki, when every man and many women were armed in defence of ,their homes and children. Many isolated murders had been committed by Maoris, whose reprisals for numerous wrongs, unlike those of the Pakeha, were not directed against the wrongdoer, but against the whole white race of aggressors. Thus innocent lads were cut down by the tomahawk and the. stricken settlers were goaded to revenge. A settlers’ forc-e of fifty.under 'Captain 'Hanry Atkinson ■ accompanied an equal number of the -,6.5th •Regt,.. under Col. Murray and attacked a much larger force of Maoris at Wai r rcka. Col. Murray by a grave enrot of judgment sounded the retreat, leaving the settlers to their fate. Providr entially a small party of sailors from H.MJ.S. “Niger” came to ,the rescue, placidly hauled down the Maoiri flag, and caused a panic by their sudden at r tack. They returned to town to the strains of “The Conquering Hero.” Then followed the strenuous fights at Mahoe tahi, Puke te Kuare, and Huirangi, where many fell on both sides. Capt. William Outfield - King, a brave young officer of t-lie Volunteer Rifles, when visiting his estate at Woodleigh on horseback, was shot within view of Marsland Hill. A pairty of the 57th were killed near town, settlers had abandoned their homes, and the vacillating policy of the authorities led to the utmost confusion. Recognising this, the Maoris derisively named each position occupied by the Pakeha forces, “The Hill of Fools.” Governor Grey replaced Governor Browne, and General Cameron eventually brought a measure of relief to the locality which suffered years of disaster, simply because we failed in our moral obligations to the Maori by taking advantage of his innocence. To this day he remains as ■one “Not Understood.”