THE MANGATORO ESTATE AND ITS OWNER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 14, 6 October 1906, Page 14

THE MANGATORO ESTATE AND ITS OWNER.

We give this week an illustration of Captalin Hamilton’s residence on the Mangatoro Estate, Hawke Bay, which has been before the public on many occasions owing to the trouble with the Bank of New Zealand which some years ago put the estate (comprising 31.003 acres) up to auction, and bought it in for £5.000. Captain Hamilton is endeavouring to recover the sum of £70,000 which it is claimed the bank books show to his credit. The case has not only been before the law courts, but has been the subject of an inquiry by a Committee of the House of Parliament. This line estate was secured by Captain Hamilton in 1857, and from a state of Nature was largely improved by the owner. English grasses replaced the fern, scrub, and bush at the rate of 0000 or 7000 acres per annum —10.000 acres of bush being Idled, and sown with grasses in about three years. Thou ands of acres were ploughed. There were more than one hundred miles of fencing, making many paddocks. Nearly 50.000 sheep were shorn, and the estate carried a thousand or two head of cattle. The clip was one of the leading ones of this country, and at the Melbourne Exhibition of 1888 took first prize for the most value per fleece, unskirted fleeces packed in 3cwt. hales, agair.'t practically the

whole world. The owner had always managed this property —as well as some others. Captain Hamilton, the owner of this fine property, who is at present in Auckland, has had a most interesting career. Born in France, he was educated for the army, and when sixteen was appointed to a commission in a crack cavalry regiment, which was given up to come to New Zealand. Within three weeks of his arrival he joined a Maori hunting party

(on the East Coast) going into the interior. During this trip Mangatoro was reached, ami negotiations were begun for its occupation as a stock station. I his and the surrounding country from coast to coast was then practically unknown

to Europeans, there being no Government maps. It was roadless, trackless Maoridom: lawless, and in a state of nature. Captain Hamilton was warned by the Government that it could offer no protection to life or property in such a place,

and that it could take no action if either were lost. He took the risk, and soon obtained influence with, and the confidence of, the Maoris, and in this way, after some time—the war troubles having begun —was able to avert what would probably have l>een raids on. and massacres of. Hawke’s Bay and other settlers, and to persuade some of the tribes not to join the rebels. The Government took advantage of this influence and knowledge by asking Captain Hamilton to help with information and appointed him to a special commission and command. In this capacity he recruited some 700 or 800 of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe and some 150 of the Arawa tribe. These received Government pay, and were armed by Government. Later, when the war had again broken out, and Te Kooti escaped from the Chatham Islands, Captain Hamilton was again invited to take a part in the fighting. Te Kooti’s escape and return had been a surprise, and he and his band committed great atrocities —-upwards of a hundred settlers, including some ex-officers, having been murdered near Gisborne in a day or two. There was a garrison of 150 armed constabulary in Fort Galatea, on the Rangitaiki river, and one of armed natives at a fighting pah on lake Taupo, where the Waikato leaves it. Communication was cut off. and there were fears for the fate of the garrison of Galatea and for the loyalty of the armed garrison at Taupo. The country between Napier and Taupo, over one hundred miles, was in the hands of the enemy. Te Kooti’s men and the Urewera natives numbered some eight hundred. There was no possibility of raising a force sufficiently strong to meet the enemy in such country, and Captain Hamilton undertook to try and get through the enemy and ascertain the fate of the garrison at Galatea and of the Arawas at Taupo. In this he succeeded, finding the garrison of Galatea safe, and the Arawas. with a few exceptions who joined Te Kooti. loyal. Captain Hamilton later had command of the Armed Constabulary (then soldiers) and of the Awara Maoris, between Napier. Lake Taupo and the upper Waikato, and formed three redoubts on this line—at Taupo, Te Harato. and Pohui. As soon as the fighting was over he returned to pastoral pursuits. Among other decorations he holds the New Zealand war medal, and the medal for the rifle championship of the Hawkes Bay Province —which was then open to all branches and ranks of the service—including the volunteers. The Maori trouble was one of England’s “little wars,” but the casualties among some of the colonial troops in the field were, in proportion to numbers, heavy. Of nine officers, personal friends of Capt. Hamilton, and frequent guests at Man-

gatoro, all were wounded, and five were killed in action. Captain Hamilton was hit four times. As may be imagined, the troops had to suffer great privations. They had to lie out in the open in severe weather. and in snow sometimes. Rations were scanty. Sometimes there was only wild horse, and they seldom had more than potatoes and broken biscuit. Besides military positions, Captain Hamilton has held other important appointments from the Government. Capt. Hamilton is a popular man He was elected (without opposition) for more than twenty years president of the Woodville Jockey Club, of the Dannevirke

.Toekey Club, of the Woodville Farmers’ Club, and of the Hawkes Bay Angling and Shooting Club. These otliees, with the exception of the latter, were resigned from, a year or two ago. Since 1867 he has constantly advocated a cheap money policy, and while president of the Farmers’ Club contributed, about fifteen years ago. an article entitled, “ The relation of Capital to Agriculture and Labour in New Zealand.” At the request of some of the l-abour organisations, this was published in pamphlet form, and has probably done much to shape the present

policy. Tit TR7J, be pitrcha>od fiom fhff Maoris for the Government the count rjr between Takapan and the Maimwate (Jorge—hlxnit a (pvuter million neres—on which now st aml the townships of Ntirsewoo-l. Orinondville. Danncvirke, and Woodville, surrounded with a < loseljr seltleil and pro.sjioixnki population. AuM this was omo lawless Maoridom. lie declined any remuneration for this purchase. Captain Hamilton is u sportsman. ami was probably the first (n it>tro<lu<*e brown trout to the North Island. 'This was about IS7O. Ho has contriIniteil articles to the loading papers ott subjects jwistoral. military and sporting, ami is the author <»l “ Trout Fishing and SiH»rl in Maorilaml.” This book has bee* very favourably ioueiv«*d by the Biilisli and colonial press. It was written for, ami published by. the (Government, andl should Im* in the hands of every sportsman tourist, as besides the chaptvr.s oa dishing, shooting, iind sport, there is & detailed description of over a thousand rivers, streams ami lakes, aggregating about IK,<lOO miles in length, ('aptaiil •Hamilton ha- prcpaiotl a snap of the whole country showing how to get t© the various places, and tlie distances l»y road ami track, and the position oZ hotel.**, etc