Death Of An Old Soldier

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2, 10 July 1912, Page 6

Death Of An Old Soldier

MAJOR MAIR’S ADVENTUROUS CAREER.

A brave soldier and a worthy •eolonist passed away on Monday morning, when -Major William Gilbert Mair died at Waiotapu. He was born at the Bay of Islands 80 years ago, and during a long life witnessed some of the most exciting and adventurous scenes that? went towards the making of the Dominion. Not only did he witness the*e scenes, but took part in them, and no one was more justly entßiled to be ranked among the “Defenders of New Zealand.*’ His facility in the Maori language led to his appointment as interpreter to General Cameron’s staff at the beginning of the ‘Maori war. and he served rigin: through the campaign. At the famous siege of Orakau (the Maori Thermopylae) young Mair was ordered to advance to the extreme limits of the sap’ to call on the defenders of the pa e?;her to surrender or send out their women and children. The reply was, as has often been told, *Wc -diall light on for ever and for

ever.” After delivering Ids message the plucky interpreter was fired on suddenly by a treacherous Maori, and the bullet ripjied open his tunic as it parsed over his .-boulder. At the end of the .Maikat » <-amj lign Mr. Mair was appointed Native Resident Magistrate, am! was loiated for some time at Taupo, bifs when the war broke out «m the Ea<t <’oast he was gazette<l Major ami entrusted with .he <*omman l of the Arawa contingent of friendly natives. The [Major had great inlbirtf e with his du*ky followers, who were not the ea-i--e*t of fighters to handle, as any one can judge for himself by reading Umlgeoii*’ history of he Maori war. and it was frequently only his personality and Id- daring i rarefy ah: h *awd the situation. It wa* during the East < oa*t « a r that the Major and the Arana* performed their famous feat of taking the Te Teko >\» That wa* in 1N415. The whole countryside from Taupo to the Ea*t Cap? wa* one M»ething masa of fanaticism. Volkner’s cruel murder by that H<oundre! Kereopa and hi* friend* wga followed bv the brutal murder of Falloon, the Government interpreter, and it wav to avenge the death of the hitter that

the Major organised a force of some 350 Arawas. Half went by the way of Lake Tarawera and the others went down the coast, and after some skirmishes with the enemy they joined forces to attack the stronghold at -Te Teko, where the Han-hans had taken refuge. The place was mostly strongly fortified with the swift-running Rangitaiki at its rear, and impenetrable palisading on all sides. The leader of the expedition saw that sapping was the only way to take the place, and he began to apply the lessons he had learned so well from the Imperial troops at Orakau. The fanatics at last were forced to'av’aeuate, ami great was the jubilation of the Arawas. who indulged in a most realistic war dance. There were 80 prisoiiers, including the "prophet” Te Ua and eight of the party of Fa loon's murderers, who afterward!, paid the death penalty for their erime. This was one of the most successfully organised and carried out expeditions of the campaign, and served

to illustrate ,n a marked manner the military genius of Major Mair. At the end'of the East Coast war the Major again settled down to the duties of Resident Magistrate in the Upper Waikato. On several occasions during the war he received the thanks of the Government for his military ser ces. and years afterwants he was mainly instrumental in securing peace with the Mai vi "King” Tawhiao, who in 1881 threatened to be troublesome over the land question. In 1882 the Major was appointed a judge of the Native Land Court, an office for which he was eminently fitted by his unique knowledge of the Maori ways, customs, and language, as well as by his high sense of honour and justice.” So great was the confidence of the Natives in him that he adjudicated upon the whole of the hands in what was known as the King Country, the Maoris being only too willing to come forward to have their ehiinis settled. When he retired from active public life the Major settled down nt Lake Takapuna, amt latteHy has been living on his station at “Rerewhak'.iitu,"’ about 29 miles from Rotorua. He leaves a widow, two sons (Messrs H. if. Mair and N. L. Mair), who live oh the station, ami one daughter (Mra H. Lloid Brett).