The Good Old Days.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 13, 27 September 1911, Page 62

The Good Old Days.

REMINDER OF THE MAORI WAR.'

•Residents of Auckland who do not date back to the days when every man capable of bearing arms had to be prepared to fight for. the town that was to be, will perhaps be surprised to lean* that in the grounds of the Auckland Hospital there still exists a reminder of the line when all males had to turn out under a thoroughly compulsory system of military service, and tramp during the night, knee deep through mud parading the boundaries of the town, from block-house to block-house. Erected by military, these places of refuge were generally perched on a bold advanced position from which the sentry could get an extended view of a large stretch of country. One of these blockhouses may still be seen in the hospital grounds, but unfortunately it will shortly have to be demolished to make room for the extensions to the enginehouse and cooking department. At present the building is utilised as a residence, and has been added to. but all the same the form of the old original block-house can still be seen, and every here and there around the walls examination discloses an upright brick, which has been put in to block the loop holes round the building, through which the shooting was to take place in the event of a rush by the Maoris. They built to last in those days, and the bricks as well as the mortar, are worth the. examination of modern builders. It is a significant fact that where the loop holes have been filled in with modern bricks, the latter are wearing away, while those used in the original building are still apparently as good as ever. There was another of these buildings on the top of the Domain hill, another in Karangahape-road; in fact, around tho outskirts of the town was a chain of these block-houses.

As already indicated, 'those were the days of universal service for all males capable of bearing arms, and a good story is told regarding one parade that took place in the barracks at 6.30 a.m. one day. A bold defender fell into line holding in his right hand a big Maori kit. The argus-eyed British officer, who was inspecting the men, promptly called him to the front and said, “What do you mean, sir, by coming on parade without your arms !” “Please your. honor,” answered Miekey, “the blamed thing's in the kit.” “What do you mean by that, sir?” asked the ira'te officer.

“Well, your honor told me to clean up me musket, and I did so, but as I could not get it together again I brought the thing here in tine kit.” The rest was not “silence.”