A RAGLAN CELEBRITY.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 1600, 31 May 1924, Page 3

A RAGLAN CELEBRITY.

AN INTERESTING STORY c

(By A.W.)

There is a belt of sand dunes opposite the old wharf at Raglan. It stretches out towards the south head of the Whainga-ro-a Harbour and lies between the harbour and the Tarat'a Creek. This 'strip of land is called Papahua. and according to what can be found out about its history, it has been undergoing -continual -changes for many years. It appears to have been an extensive alluvial flat at one period. There is a gnarled old tot-ara tree growing halfway 1 along, which is perhaps the sole remainder -of an old forest. The, Maoris say that where these sand dunes are now was an extensive native settlement in early times. One old Raglan resident told me he had a sawmill on It 'in days gone by. Another old gentleman, who lived in Raglan 50 years ago, informs me that there used to be a racecourse on the flat in the early seventies, and that he rode two races on it and won them both. Thirty-eight years ago a surveyor laid out a. road along the point to opposite the wharf, and describes the land as being covered with manuka tand briers on his plan. Now' it is a succession of sand dunes. The force of the westerly gales blowing in from the Pacific Ocean has worked great havoc and continual changes have been going on until the place has become a wilderness. There was once a native cemetery, called Tuahua, on the south side of the point situated about opposite the Opotcru bridge; dow all that remains is cne solitary grave fenced in by an iron railing. All its neighbours have been swept -out of existence, but this one has stood the “wrack of the storm” for 58 years. Every vestige of vegetation has been destroyed by the force of the gales, the sea and the drifting -sands, and no (race of anything is left except -one small-loafed creeping plant of very humble appearance which has twined itself round the headstone and in and out amongst the railings, and as this grave is the last resting place of a man who was a great personality in his day it looks as if the little plant Was making a palhelic effort to protect his tomb from oblivion.

The headstone boars the inscription: “Sacred to the memory of Wiremu (Nera) Tawaitaia. He was <a great friend of Ihe Europeans and was much respected by all who knew him. .... Dated ISGfG.”

I w.is curious to kn «\v what this man had been and to learn something of his history, and I enquired from some of tile local Maoris who Wire mu Nera was. They corrected me and said “not Nera, Nero,” and they just volunteered the same information as was conveyed on the stone, that he had been a great friend of the pakeha. So on my return home I tried to find out something of his early history. At first the name “Nero” misled me, and think'ng as Nero was r.ot a Maori word that perhaps he was 'called after Claudius Domitius Caesar, but there was nothing of the Nero element about this man. The word Nero is the Maori rendering of Naylor, but I still think Nera would be more phonetic. I have taken the trouble to look up a lot of early writers to see what they had to say about Whainga-roa with tire object in view of tracing too history of NVircmu Naylor. Te Rauparaha, the Napoleon of Maoriland, attacked Whainga-roa in about 1821, and indulged in an indiscriminate slaughter of the inhabitants. Dieffenbach the Naturalist, was there in 18-11. and estimated the native population at 1 200. Ilochsteller, another naturalist, went to Raglan in 1858; he was the guest of Rev. J. Wallis while there, and his estimate of the native population was 400, showing a depletion of 800 in 17 years. Rev. J. Buller visited Whainga-roa in 1839 and also slopped with Rev J. Wallis, end remarks in Ins book “Forty Years in New Zealand”: “It is encouraging to observe ..the eagerness of the people for rePgious instruction. An old warrior called Muri-Whcnua had just returned from a lighting expedition. Thus the din of war mangled its harsh sounds with those of the Gospel.” But no reference to William Naylor. On looking through the Treaty of Wailangi 1 find the first record. There sure enough is “Wircmu Tc Awaitaia (Waingarca Ngali-Mahanga) his mark X.” Witnessed by R. Maunseil, B. Aslnvell. and W. C. Symond, at Waikato Heads, April, 1340. T. L. Buielc in ids book on the Treaty of Waitangi also mentions his name as Wirema Tawe.ilaia AViremu . Nero) and quotes the same witness and dates.

S. Peroy-Smith in his history of the Taranaki Coast, Quoting from White’s Ancient Maori History, gives a lot of information about William Naylor. 1 Inferring to a Waikato raid in 1834 on Taranaki, the particulars of which were evidently supplied to While, the historian, by William Naylor:—“After a while Ngati-Mahanga, Ngaki-Tuhin-ga, Ngati-Tewehi and Ngati Maniapato, numbering in all to 34 0 men again went to Taranaki. This party searched in vain for men, they could not find any. . . . Waitara was “marked”

(i.e. taken possession of) by Wircmu Te Awa-i-taia and his people. This was done by burying' a musket 'used for sh'Oting men. An old method of registering title. Introduction of Christianity.

In the same book, referring 1 to the introduction of Christianity, Mr Smith says:—“Wirimu Te Awa-itaia, Chief of Ngati-Tahinga branch cf Waikato, whose home was hi Raglan ancl the neighbourhood, a very fine old man, handsomely tattooed, dignified and courteous, whom I remember well on his visit to sec the Governor in 1859. And who was our loyal ally in the Waikato War of 1863-64, was one of the early converts to Christianity, and used bis powerful influence to cheek the constant state of warfare into which the whole of the North Island had drifted —mainly through the introduction of the musket. . . . .

In his narrative (A.H.M. Vol. VI. p. 7} lie says the party (from To Mann battle) then returned to their homes. Then the Gospel was introduced, and after the arrival of the missionaries I always restrained my people from going to war. I, Wiremu Te Awa-i-laia and all my tribe accepted the word of God. . . . Subsequently a Wed-

Rato war parly went against Ngati-Rua-Nui. and To Ruaki Pa was invested. When I heard of the Pa being mesieged I took the word of G-od to the Waikato party and to Ngati-Rua-Nui (in Orange-tua-peka Pa). The work of the Gospel could no't he carried on at that time, eighty of us went. Wo spoke to the Waikato and said that should be 'the hist, war by the Waikato. Enough, that Pa was taken by Waikato, they came back, remained. and believed in God.” The Rev. Robert Ward in his book “Life Amongst the Maoris, published in 1872. describes a meeting held at Paeta'i about the appointment of a King in 185 G. about 2000 people attended and were divided into two parties Wiremu Tamihara (William Thompson) was leader of the King movement, and Wiremu Te Awa-i-tara (William Naylor) leading ihc opposing party. Mr Ward writes: —“The last named chief was a superior man. In his early days he took a prominent place as a warrior, and his influence in Maori Gouncils was very commanding. He had united with the Missionaries nearly twenty years before the meet-

£ng was held; his allegiance to the Queen was a sacred thing and his friendship to the white race was indisputable. The settlers at Wbangaroa have been safe during the war, their safety being attributed in no small degree to the influence and efforts of William Naylor. In alliafice with this Chief at the Paetai meeting were all the tribes of lower Waikato, they then opposed the appointment of a King, but unhappily they afterwards changed sides, joined in the war against the Queen and were divan out of the wide plains their fathers had cultivated and on which they might ioave remained unmolested. William Naylor and his people remained our steadfast friends.

. . . . At the Paetai meeting Naylor hoisted the Union Jack anti Thompson unfurled the flag which had neon presented to the Confederate Tribes at the Bay of Islands by William IV. but now bearing the words “Potatau. King of New Zealand.” A Courageous Speech.

At the meeting- many speeches were made by both sides, the speech of William Naylcr was an appropriate one, and displayed great courage and foresight. The following extract from Ward’s book is worth repeating:—“Ngati Haua. do hot be dark! Waikato hear! Taupo attend! I speak as a father, and my word is this: I promised the first Governor when he came to see me, and I promised the rest that I would adhere to him. and be a subject of the Queen. I intend to keep my promise for they have kept theirs. They have taken no land. The desire to sell was mine and they gave me money. Why do you bring that flag here? There is trouble in it. I cannot see my way clear but I know (here is trouble in that flag. I am content With the old one. It is seen all over the world, and it belongs to me. I got some of its honour. What honour can I get from your flag? It is tike a fountain without water. Do not trouble me. Let me alone. Do not bring troable upon us. Go bavk to your mountains and let us live in pence.” The Raglan Town Board have acquired the strip of sand dunes called Papahua. and I understand they are going to reclaim it from its present state” of wilderness to a place of beauty. This is a most commendable scheme and I hope they will he very successful, when they have mastered the difficulties of the shifting sands and come 'to Lhc stage of ornamental planting, what an ideal place it will, be for cultivating our coast growing trees such as the Kobikohi, Puriri. Karaka, and Pohutakawa, no harbour is complete without the latter, the Christmas tree of the harbours all round the North. And lam sure the Board will take steps to protect. Wircmu Te Awa-i-taia’s lonely old grave and Ms guardian creeper.