MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 10 July 1936, Page 4

MAORI MEMORIES

(By J.H.S. for “The Daily Times.”.) NOTABLE EVENTS. In January, 1866, Major-General Trevor Chute was feted and highly complimented by Governor Grey for his lightning campaign between Wanganui and Taranaki. Sir George addressed him as follows: “It will be my pleasant duty to bring prominently before the Secretary of State for AVar and the Commander in Chief your noble and gallant conduct and that of the Avliole of your troops. By courage and sagacity, in a few weeks you have brought to a close on the A\ r est Coast a costly and ruinous, Avar Avhich .had lasted for years, entailing many deaths and heavy losses Avith embarrassment to the Colony and expense to tlie Motherland.” One dark night in the same month, 60 prisoners on board a anchored in AVellington harbour escaped. Four were droAvned in the long swim ashore, three came back pressed by hunger, tAvo Avere shot, and the others reached their allies. The Rev. Mr Volkner’s murderers Avere executed at Auckland on 17th May, 1866. Volkner Avas a man of excellent character, a Prussian, and a Lutheran Avho joined the English Church. Before the days of telephones or Avireless, the boon of the Cook Strait cable came on 17th October, 1866. Archdeacon Henry AVilliams died just three months too soon to see its opening to AA-hich he had looked forAvard so !yThe first Maori M.H.R. was elected, and the campaign of Titoke Avaru commenced in Taranaki. In July, 1868, Te Kooti and the Maori prisoners, 187 of them, escaped from the Chatham Islands in the schooner “Rifleman.” , They landed at Wliare ongaonga (the house of thorns) six miles from Gisborne. They made their Avay ever rough country, and aided by their allies, began a devastating campaign of guerilla Avarfare which lasted tAvo years,. Within a feAv months the Poverty Bay massacre occurred Avlien 29 Europeans and 32 loyal Maoris Avere murdered. Rev. John AYliitley, Lieut. Gascoigne, his Avife and children and trvo soldiers Avere killed at AYliite Cliffs. Turuturu Mokai redoubt Avas atta Iced, Lieut. Ross and 7 men Avere killed. Ngutu o te Manu was attacked by Von Tempsky avlio, Avitli four other officers and 14 men lost their lives.