A Veteran of the "Forties."

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 10, 1 July 1900, Page 21

A Veteran of the "Forties."

By E. B. Vaughan,

Illustrated ly the Author,

fPARE, ruddy, bright-eyed, about the middle height, with abundant white hair and whiskers, and there you have the man, alert and hardworking even to-day, who was fighting for his country only thirty years after the battle of Waterloo ; a link connecting us irreverent moderns with the days of the duke and the makers of history a hundred years ago.

There are older men in the world certainly, but very few are there who would so easily carry the honours of his experience, nor are there many left who shared in the dangei's and gloines of the Sikh Campaign on the Sutlej River in the years of 1845-46 and who still walk upright and able with almost the energy of yonth, for there is no half pay slouch in the bearing of our old pensioner, who, when encountered by a stranger, glances keenly and enquiringly, and raps out his questions crisply as one long used to the habit of authority. He holds but three medals, and he saw only one campaign, but, as one of those three medals testifies, the short spell of fighting was long enough for him to show himself to be composed of the stuff of which British soldiers generally are made, for in that campaign he performed the feat which gained him the medal for conspicuous gallantry. His other two are respectively for good conduct and for the Sutlej campaign, the latter being one of the x'arest if not the rarest medal to be seen on the breasts of their winners and wearers. As a lad of seventeen Thomas Hilditoh had for some years endured fretfully the grinding monotony of existence in a Manchester cotton factory in an era long before the passing of the Factories Act Imd lightened the toil and brightened slightly

Voii. I,— No. 10.— 54.

the lives of the operatives ; and so in the face of evident slavery for a lifetime, and inwardly bent on being a soldier, ho betook himself on the 12th January, 1843, to tho neighbourhood of the recruiting office instead of the cotton mill, and renounced tho dismal echoes of its uncongenial surroundings for the jovial companionship of military comrades. Thus ho enlisted in H.M. 80th regiment of foot, having given himself twelve months' seniority in order to join by reporting his age as eighteen years. Even then Private Hilditch's ideas of soldioring were thoroughly in keeping with tho essential conditions of military life, cleanliness, order and discipline, and he, as the following will show, amply fulfilled at least one of these conditions. Standing in tho ranks on the early morning parade at the depot, he attracted tho attention of his colonel, who called him out with, " Come here, youngster ! How long have you been soldiering?" Tho colour-sergeant replying for him said, " He has been here for a fortnight, sir !" whims upon the colonel said to the other recruits, " Look at him ; some of you have been here six months, and you can't got near him. He's a pattern of cleanliness to you all ; fall in !"

Thus oarly brought under his officers' notice he was on the high road to promotion when opportunity offered. His first turn on foreign Service was in Sydnoy, New South Wales, when his regiment was sent to guard the convicts, and where he was for the most part employed as colonel's orderly, being picked out for reasons of smartness, cleanliness and general efficiency. Sometimes there was pretty rough work with the convicts. Some of them were, to quote his own words, " so damn wicked they stole the bread out of his knapsack." Once

he lost a lot of keepsakes, and having strong suspicions against one of their number, he took advantage of their being behind the

barracks together to give him what he called "a good lacing," but that did not result in the return of the stolen valuables. .On more than one occasion he was part of the guard on the chain gang of desperados, who were every day marched up from their barracks, then in course of erection. Life in a convict settlement was not altogether sweet even to the military, and the regiment hailed with delight an order for their departure for India, after less than twelve months spent in the colony. The monotony of their sea voyage was broken, and a spice of variety introduced by the total wreck of their ship on the Andaman Islands, from which place an officer of the regiment, the captain of the vessel and two sailors took boat to Oopang, and from there sent relief, which arrived just in time to rescue the regiment from starvation after a long period on half rations. He arrived in India in 1884, and after spending a hot season in Agra took part with his regiment, under Sir John Little, in the capture of a Sikh citadel, then joined

the army of the Sutlej under Sir Hugh Gough. Private Hilditch saw fierce fighting in the battles of Sobraon and Ferozeshur, as his medal clasps show, but it was in the former great battle that he distinguished himself, and earned by his reckless bravery the medal for conspicuous gallantry.

Round the camp fires on the eve of the battle of Sobraon, the British soldiers -were discussing the chances of the coming conflict, and speculating on the possibilities of their existence twenty-four hours hence. Private Hilditch, the adjutant's orderly, enquired

casually what was given for an enemy's standard should anyone be lucky enough to capture one, and he was told just as casually

nothing under a commission, then said he, "If there's one near me to-morrow I'll have

it."

The morrow came, and the 80th formed part of the left division under Sir Robert Dick, who had fought through the battles of the Peninsular war, and later at Waterloo had led the Black Watch against Napoleon's Guards. This division was driving the Sikhs along their line of trenches at the bayonet's point when two of the enemy's standard bearers bolted across their flank. Private Hilditch immediately gave chase on his own account, and jumping outside the entrenchment he fired after them and missed ! Loaded, fired again, and brought down the rearward colour-bearer, then, as his quarry fell, throwing his musket into his left hand, he rushed forward and grabbed the colours from the expiring enemy with his right. By this time he had isolated himself from his regiment, and was surrounded by stalwart six-foot Sikhs, who cut and slashed at him with tulwars and fired their matchlocks and pistols almost point blank at his body, till it seemed as if the captured standard was going to be dearly bought; possibly the very number of his opponents, by their ferocious endeavours to assimilate his gore unto themselves, saved his life, for in that confused and excited medley he got absolutely no injury to his person, though a Khalsa warrior, who would have assuredly cut him down, was shot at the critical moment. A bullet had passed through his trouser leg, and another had torn the lock from his musket when some of his comrades jumped the trench and bayoneted his assailants with that pleasurable zest and commendable celerity peculiar to the Tommy Atkins of any period. Again the little party jumped the trench and joined Ensign de Quincey, who -was leading his company in line down to the banks of the Satlej, charging and firing for all they were worth, and driving the Sikhs before them into the river, to be shot in thousands ere reaching the opposite bank.

The only hurt Private Hiiditch received in the fight was from Captain Best, an old

New Zealand veteran of the first Maori war, who belaboured him over the head with the flat of his sword for firing on and killing presumed non-combatants and apparently wounded ; but they were in reality armed, and had done considerable execution among the British from the rear. Nemesis, however, in the shape of a shot from one of these " wounded " almost immediately afterwards overtook the too humane captain. After the battle, in which the British lost 2,400 men, the colonel, on receiving the Khalsa Standard, offered to make Hilditch a sergeant, but was promptly told by him that so long as he could keep stripes of? his back he didn't want any on his arm. Ultimately, however, he was prevailed upon or saw fit to accept the promotion he so well merited, and also had the proud satisfaction of knowing that the captured colours had been placed by the Marquis of Angleaea (he who lost an arm at Waterloo) in the Lichfield Cathedral, there materially to testify then, now, and in the future to British prowess in the field. Of the others mentioned, Sir Robert Dick was killed at the head of the 80th while leading a charge in the battle, Ensign de Quincey survived the campaign, and also served through 1 the New Zealand Wars, and after a lapse of fovty-two years met Colour-Sergeant Hilditch in Auckland. On returning home from India ten years after he wrote to his old colonel, who, as a lieutenant in the 80th, had been in Auckland in 1849, and whose company in that year had built the bari'acks at Fort Britomart, and from him received the following answer : —

11, fit. James's Terrace, Regent Park, iTth October, 1856, To Sergeant Hilditch,

Your letter 1 received yesterday, and after many enquiries this morning I at length found out the proper person to apply to for information , regarding the Royal Warrant granting the medal for distinguished conduct in the field. Mr Drake, of the Cpuiniander-in-Ohief 's Office, Horseguaitfs, entrusted with the details of the distribution of these honours, informs me that they are not to be bestowed retrospective of the date of the Warrant. I had a long conversation

with him on the subject of your gallant conduct at the Battle of Sobraon, and of your capture of one of the Sikh Standards, subsequently placed by the late Marquis of Anglesea in Lichfield Cathedral. # # * * * I have for a considerable time past refrained from making any application to the authorities at the Horseguards in favour of those who formerly served under me with honoured credit. Failure has too frequently followed my endeavouring, to cause me to wish to repeat the experiment, but in your case I felt that I had no other alternative, and I cannot but regret that your services will not (by the provision of the warrant) entitle yon to similar distinction with those who have claims for more recent exploits. The Waterloo Medal, you will recollect, was given in a manner quite similar, passing over the -whole of the army who had fought the Battles of the Peninsular in favour of the youngest child. Believe me, Your well wisher and friend, T. Bunbury, late Lieut.-Colonel of the 80th Eegiment. The colonel's letter, as is apparent, records the failure of the application, but eventually Sergeant Hilditch's case appeared strong enough to justify the authorities in awarding him the medal " for conspicuous gallantry," which, besides being a higher distinction, carries with it an annuity of £15, and is second only to. the Victoria Cross, for which, by the way, he was recommended, and which he would have received but that his action was prospective of the date of the cross's institution. Some little time after returning from India, Oolour-Sergeaut Hilditch, with the temporary rank of Sergeant-Major, was placed on the recruiting staff in his native town, there to entice and allure to the ranks of his regiment the later - bovn generation of his fellow citizens, and by the evidence of his own rank, assure them of the advantages which merit and good behaviour insured to the soldiers of the Queen, though the alluring and enticing on his side were somewhat counterbalanced on the other, and the experiences he gained were as many and varied, as were the tricks and dodges played on him by worthies desirous of obtaining the Queen's shilling

without thereby surrendering themselves to the necessary obligation of serving Her Majesty in return. Deserters, bounty jumpers, direct dodgers and whole regiments of the physically unfit passed through his hands and deprived him of his speculative shillings,

the coats of horriblo cut aud slovenly fit that to-day mar the gallant bearing of our New Zealand Volunteers, though tho earlier sort were in somo measure redeemed from the absolute commonplace by porfect fit, emblazoned badges and smartjfaoings.

with bad results both to his pocket and temper. Here is His picture at that time ; the style of uniform had changed with the age, and in place of the smart and effective coatee which he had worn in the previous years of his soldiering, we see him in the dress of a period when military costume and civilian clothing were at their ugliest point of iutorcst, iv the luug-skirteil tuuics similar tt>

Of the many amusing episodes of his experience during the piping times of peace space forbids to tell but one. It was on tho march in the days when infantry took tho road, and wore not yet relegated to fcbe luxury of railways that Corporal Hilditch, in charge of a squad, was billeted at an inn at Sittingbourne in Kent, he and his men occupying one largo room usually set aside for passing troops. During the niglita private uiitl an

acting corporal quarrelled, and Corporal Hilditch, as the non-commissioned officer in command, was called upon to exercise his authority. It was rather an awkward affair to settle. He did not know where to find the guard house, and could not send them off under escort, so finally to compromise the matter he allowed them three rounds apiece. They fell to willingly, and at the end

of the throe rounds he asked them if they were satisfied, receiving a vehement " No ! " from both parties, he allowed them to fall to again, and that not satisfying their lust for slaughter, was followed by a third three rounds, which damped the energy of the private, who yielded more or less gracefully to the physical influence of the acting corporal's muscles, probably assisted by the moral influence of the acting corporal's

rank. Thus the business ended happily, all concerned agreeing that it was much better than the trouble that would have been entailed by a visit to the guard house. After twenty-one years and six months' service, Colour-Sergeant Hilditch in 1864 applied for his discharge with permission to retire on a sergeant's pension. The application was met by a remonstrance from his adjutant, who protested. " Why, there's ten years' good service in you yet." " But," replied the colour-sergeant, " there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and lip, and I'm sure of my pension now!" "Well," said the adjutant, "if I could keep you I would." Shewing the shrewdness of the sergeant's observation as well as the precarious nature in those days of non-oommissioned rank and its contingencies, it may be mentioned that the same sergeant he recommended for his colours was reduced to the ranks, some six months after, for allowing a prisoner to escape from a faultily-constructed guard room. This same accident may or may not have occurred to Colour-Sergeant Hilditch had he continued to serve, but he would nevertheless unavoidably have had the risk. The year following his discharge saw Mr Hilditch, late Colour-Sergeant of H.M. 80th Regiment of Foot, settled in the colony of New Zealand, where he has since remained, and is now snugly ensconsed amid the comforts ensured by a life of frugality and hard work, backed by a substantial annuity in the shape of an Imperial pension. Occasionally he emerges from the commonplace of civilian life and the shell of domesticity to parade bravely on military gala days, when in the old-fashioned uniform of his regiment and mounted on his old white horse, his striking personality shows out in the full strength of its picturesque effectiveness. On the last of one of these occasions he was presented by Colonel PolePenton to His Excellency the Governor and Lady Ranfurly, which in itself is a distinction in a democratic community like this.

As if was in the Land of Tara.

THE INVASION OF WELLINGTON BY THE NGAPUHI LEAGUE IN 1817.

By Elsdon Best,

f^^HEN, in the early part of the mSMk century, the Ngapuhi and other A'/w) Northern tribes obtained fireOp^n arms from the early traders they piously proceeded to raid the less fortunate Southern tribes, and, armed with the much dreaded guns, inarched in victorious triumph down both coasts, leaving scenes of death and desolation in their trail.

About the year 1817 an expedition was formed by Ngapuhi, Ngati-Whatua and other tribes of the North to attack the people of Taranaki and Kaukawa (Cook Straits). We will listen to the account of that bloody foray, as given by a survivor : —

" Friend ! Let me tell you of our raid ou Taranaki and the Southern people in the days that are past. To the far South we marched, even to Raukawa, the Sacred Sea (Cook Strait), and to the great harbour of Tara,* and the Valley of the Shining Water, t

It was the third raid I had joined, for I was then a young man. The war party of Tuwhare arose. We assembled at Kaipara. The fighting men of Ngapuhi joined us, and we, who marched against the South, were five hundred, twice told. But we who returned, after twelve moons of fighting, were but three hundred, twice told; and the others ? Son, they are lying beneath the waves of Raukawa, in the sand hills of the coast, by the flowing waters of the Land of Tara.

We were marshalled under the chiefs

*Te Whanga nui a Tara, Wellington Harbour, fWairarapa.

Hongi Hika, Te Kawau, Tuwhare, To Waka Nene, To Karu, To Paroa, Pori, Moctara, Taoho and others. As wo a Ivanccd down the coast Te Rau-paraha joined us with a band of his warriors.

We had four guns, and Hongi Hika had one of these, as he was a good shot.

Whenever we approached a pa those who had the guns went before, while we of the rakau Maori (native weapons) followed. When the enemy recognised us as a war party their braves ascended the puwhara (platforms — see note I), or stages, that they might be able to assault us by throwing down stones upon us. But thoy knew not of the now weapon — the gun. They knew not how it destroys man from afar. For thus it was that wo overran the White World and marched to and fro across the land, from far Te Keinga to the Land of Tara. Even that the namo of Ngapuhi struck against the heavens.

So our warriors with the guns would advance opposite the fort and dance defiantly and defy the men on the stages with insulting words and gestures, and the enemy would challenge us to the attack. Then they would begin to cast stones at us, and our gun men would fire upon them. Friend, it was like Hhooting pigeons on the forest trees, as they fell from those stages. And those in the pa would hear the sound of the guns, and see the smoke and the flashing lightning and their bravest warriors falling, slain from afar by some strange power they knew not of. They thought that it was Maru, their war god, who had ranged himself on our side, and that the death of their bravea was caused by the power of that god

and the tcijiu and superior knowledge of our priests. Yes, it was the thunder sent by Maru. Their ancient war god had deserted them. So lost they the strength of battle. Feebly they fought, without courage and without energy, and we of the fighting North, we had then but to assault the fort, and take it with but little loss. Then would be heard the groans of dying men as they fell beneath the club and stone axe. The slain were cooked and eaten by us, and those spared wo made prisoners of. They were useful in carrying the flesh of their slaughtered friends as food for our party on the journey southward

We would camp at each fort that fell to us, for a space, that is until we had eaten all the bodies of our slain enemies, or until those bodies became offensive. Then we would march further south — ever south. So we desolated the land, slaying the people thereof, burning villages, taking and destroying food, even that no man might live in our rear.

The tribes of Ngati-Awa, of Taranaki, and of Ngati-B/uanui went down before us ; the people of the Setting Sun fled from our path, the children of Turi and of Ira arose and disappeared like the white mist that at early morn rises from the forest ranges.

So came we to Otalri and Pae-ICakariki, there we saw the place where the monster whales of the Great Ocean of Kiwa drift ashure. Their bones lay on the beach and we took many thereof, wherewith to fashion the weapons of the Maori. Then we found a stranded whale, and ate it. At Porirua we saw the Kotuhu (white crane — note 2), and we fought the peope of that place and slew some. There was no pa there; we killed the people in their cultivations (note 3).

You must know that the name of this island is Te Ika a Maui (the Fish of Maui). Wellington Harbour is the right eye of that fish, and the Wairarapa Lake is the left eye. The rocks known as the Tangihanga-a-Kupe are just north of the harbour (at Te Kawakawa, near Cape Palliser). They stand in a row, like mourners at a tangi. Those

rocks were formerly people, men and women, who mourned there in times long passed away, and were there turned into stone. When we were at Te Kawakawa we saw a ship sailing on the sea. Wq made fires on the hilltops to attract the people of that ship, but they took no notice of our invitation. Had they landed we would not have injured them, and should they have asked what we were doing there Aye would have said, " We are killing people." When we arrived at Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara some of us camped at Pipitea, and another division, mostly young men, at Te Aro. Now we found food very scarce at that place, so much so that we were compelled to kill our prisoners for food. Fortunately we had many prisoners taken on our inarch down the coast. We agreed that each chief should kill so many of his slaves for this purpose. I killed fifteen of mine. We stayed at the harbour of Tara until nearly all our slaves were used in this manner. So we thought it wise to send out an expedition to search for food. The party consisted of the young "warriors of the camp at Te Aro. They went by the coast, towards Te Ea-whiti and Te Ika-a-Maru (an old fort near Mr. James McManaman's homestead) . They attacked a party of the people of the land and slew them. But our enemies assembled and made a night attack on our party, killing many of them. They were young men those of the Te Aro camp, and, like young men, would not be cautious to guard against surprises, and so wandered over the land like children. Then one of our chiefs assembled his warriors and marched towards the Western Sea to attack those who had slain our young men. And with our chief went his daughter, who was a ptihi, that is, she was promised in marriage to a man of Hokianga. But that chief and his daughter and the whole party were destroyed by the men of the land. Then were our hearts dark within us, and we rose to avenge the death of our people."

It will be as well to explain here that at the time of the raid of the abovementioned

war party of Ngati-whatua, Ngapuhi and other tribes on the south, that the Wellington district was occupied by a tribe known as I^gati-Ira, who had, nine generations before that time, migrated from the EastCoast, above Poverty Bay, and as they became powerful, gradually acquired more territory until they occupied all lands between Cape Palliser and Pukerua, near Pae-Kakariki. Ngati-Kararu, a division of this tribe, were living at Porirua under the famous chief Te "Whanake and his equally famous wife, Tainai-rangi, at the time of the Tuwhare raid. Ngati-Ira had several fortified settlements, as Maupuia and Oruaitiat Miramar, Ngutuihe atPuke-atua, near Waiwhetu, Korohiwa, opposite Mana Island, on which island (known as Makaro to the Maori) are also to be seen old defences.

These people must have been fairly numerous, inasmuch as an old tribal saying runs thus : "Eo tini o tepekeha Jci te moana, h Jfjgati Ira hi uta" ' — that is "The multitude of the pekeha on the ocean is like unto tie numbers of Ngati-Ira on land." The pckcha is a small sea bird which is seen in large flocks.

Notes,

1. Fuwhara : A patforni on high posts, a stage erected within a pa near the palisades, and on which fighting men stood, armed with long- spears, stones, etc., in order to repel attack. 2, Kotuku : The white crane. These birds were numerous at Pori-rua Harbour in pre-pakeha days. The feathers thereof were much prized by natives. They soon disappeared after the arrival and settlement of whalers. I saw one in the Kenepuru Stream about thirty-six years ago. I TSopa at Porirua. At that time the Pa-o-Kapo at Titahi was occupied, and probably another on the coast a little further south, but of which I forget the name. The war party, however, probably came by land, down the coast, thus the above forts would very likely not be seen by them. It was during Te Rau-paraha's second raid that Takanae and Tungia took the 'Wai-inapihi pa at Pukerua. Old Ngahuka, of Pukerua, is a son of Tungia.

11.

" So we rose to avenge our comradeH who had boon slain by the people of the land. Ngapuhi marched by Herotaunga (the lluttj and round the coast to the mouth of the Eiver oi : Wai-raropa, where we made moki (flax stalks or dry raupo tied into bundles, the buoyancy of which enables a person to bestride it and cross a wide river thereon), and there were iifty of us, twico told, who paddled across the rivor on those mold in order to attack the pa on the eastern side of the river mouth. But the fifty, twice told, were defeated and driven oil, and retired in confusion. Many wore killed, and their bodies were oaten by the people of that pa One of our chiefs was also severely wounded in the breast by a spear thrust, and afterwards died. We heard of others of our people having boon killed, that is of our people who had campod at To Aro. For that party had captured canoos from our enemies, and had crossed the Whanga-nui-a-Tara and landed near the mouth of the Wai-rarapa, and were roaming over the land fighting the men of Kahungunu. We, who had lost men, decided to pursue the enemy, who had left their pa and gone up the valley of Wai-rampa. So wo crossed the Wai-o-liotu Jiiver on our mold, and pursued them. For three nights* did wo follow them. Then wo came up to them, and we fought and conquered them, slaying many and taking many prisoners. Thou wo returned to where our dead chief lay (the one who had been speared), and there we slew those prisoners wo had taken to servo as food for the mourners for our chief. When we had performed the usual rifcea over the dead chief we then cut off his head. The body was buried, but the head wo preserved in accordance with our ancient customs, that we might carry it back to our home in the far north land, there to be greeted and mourned over, after the custom of the Maori. But while we were engaged in preserving and drying the head, and

*The Maori reckons * time by nights, > not . by days. *

before the flesh thereof was rendered firm and hard by heat and smoke, some of our people took away several of the palm leaves which formed a rude shelter for our priest, and in which to preserve our chief's head. These leaves they used for bedding. It was then that we knew death. Eor the gods afflicted us sorely for that deed. The sickness sent by the gods attacked us. Day by day men sickened and died, until two hundred had passed through the gates of death. That is how we stayed so long on the eastern side of the entrance to the great harbour of Tara. Many of our chiefs there perished of that sickness. We preserved their heads, the bodies we burned, lest their bones should fall iuto the hands of our enemies. But those of the party of Tuwliare who died, their whole bodies were burned, for no person of that party possessed sufficient sacred power (maiia) to perform the act o£ taking off the heads.

When we were recovered from that dread sickness, it was then that we were attacked by those people. We defeated them, and they fled across the river, where we pursued them. That river is beyond the islands of Matiu (Soames) and Malcaro (Ward). We found our enemies in apa and we attacked them, and defeated them. For two weeks we remained at that place devouring the bodies of our slain foes. When we had finished them we went on up the river, where we took another fort, and slew and ate the people thereof.

Again we travelled on until we came to a pa, which our prisoners told us was the largest fort of the district. We arrived at it by keeping moving up the river. We found the pa abandoned by the people. Two hundred of us, once told, camped there, and one hundred went on up the river. In one week from the time the one hundred left us they were attacked by some of the people of the big fort. They fought in the river, and our hundred were defeated, but a handful escaped. Our main body rose and marched swiftly to the battlefield. We lifted the trail of those who had slain, our hundred. We paddlecl all day in our canoes, and as night

fell, we came to a large fort, and we saw that it contained many men. Te Jiau-paraha proposed that we should not attack the fort, but paddle on up the river that our foe might pursue us. So we paddled on, and the men of the pa followed us, running along the banks of the river, and keeping pace with us in our canoes. Soon we arrived at a branch river, which blocked the people on shore, for the bottom of the stream was soft and boggy. We would have killed them had they attempted to cross it, while they were struggling in the soft mud. "We landed on the other side of that branch stream, and ever as those people followed us did they jeer at us on account of our small numbers, and style us foolhardy to raid a numerous people as they were — and we so few. But the guns had not yet spoken ! They cried out that they would assuredly eat us all, and that we, being so few, would not satisfy them. And the guns were still silent ! Our priests told us not to answer the jeers and insulting words of those peope, so we stayed on the bank of that branch stream, and our foes remained on the other side thereof. .A nd we looked at them and they looked at us. And the voices of our guns were not heard ! They continually jeered us, those people across the stream. But we remained silent. And our prisoners remained silent as they sat in the canoes. And still the guns were silent ! We remained on shore, and our slaves prepared food for us. The warriors rose, and, stripped to the war girdle, marched down to the . bank of the river, where we stood in file while the priest performed the rites of the war god. When the told ceremony was over and the invocations repeated, we returned to our canoes, which we had taken from our foes, having found them concealed along the banks of the river. By this time many more of the people of the land had arrived, and all stood on the river bank looking at us. And the guns of Ngapuhi were dumb towards them. As we approached them in our canoes

they started up and defied us by rolling their eyes, thrusting out their tongues at our gun bearers, and calling to us to land and fight. Maybe that they thought to destroy us by their great numbers ?

It was then, 0 son ! that the voices of our guns were heard, and those jeering people were caught in the snare of Hine-nui-te-Po (Goddess of Hades). The guns resounded. A gun sounded and a man fell, a gun sounded and a man fell. They were so startled by the reports of our guns that they stood foolishly about ; fear had deprived them of strength, of all power to act. Our ears tingled with their piercing shrieks. They shouted and wailed, broke and ran. They fled to cross the muddy creek, but one of our canoes, laden with warriors, had gone there to intercept them, and shot several of them. So they fled back towards us, and we rose against them, while our men of the canoe in the creek also landed and attacked them on that side. Again the guns sounded, and many were killed. They fled by the way they had pursued our canoes, and we followed them, slaying as we overtook them, and taking many prisoners. So we chased and slew them until we arrived at their pa, which they rushed into, but we of our war party entered with them, even that they had no time to close the gates of that fort. So we attacked them within the walls, and killed, and killed, and killed, until our arms grew weary with striking, and the pa was full of their dead. Then we cut up the Ika-a-Tu (the fish or prey of Tv, the war god), and for three-quarters of the moon we remained at that place and ate the finest ones. Those whom we could not eat we prepared the flesh by cutting it into strips and placing them on a platform of sticks, that the heat of the sun might dry them. The pieces were then packed in vessels, which were filled with the fat from the bodies, that the damp might not injure it; We found this very useful when travelling. All the bones of the bodies were burned lest they be collected by our foes, and deposited in the sacred places of the tribe.

The heads of the slain chiefs were cut off and piled in a heap, and the head of fclio principal chief was placed on the top of that heap. Then we took other heads and threw them at the pile of heads. Tlio one head ou the top of the pile made a fino mark to throw at. This is an ancient game ; it was practised by our ancestors, although stones were often used instead of human heads to throw at the pile of heads. We continued our game until all the heads were quite crushed. After we had finished our game the young men took those heads and burned them. They thought that burning those heads was Hue sport. The leg and arm bones were broken at one end, then :i fern stalk was heated at the lire and inserted in the buno in order to molt the marrow (inongamonga) within tho bone, which we then sucke I. It was a very good relish. After that we fared on inland to attack another pa there. Our prisoners had told us of this pa. When we came to that pa To Kau-paraha advised that wo should deceive the people thereof by pretending to make peace with them. So wo made a deceitful peace with those people that they might not discover our intentions in regard to them, and that we might the more easily take the fort. For it was a large pa, and its defenders were numerous, while wo were few. So we sent a messenger to make peace with the pa, and to invite the warriors, who were three hundred and fifty, once told, to attend a feast that we had prepared for them. And it was arranged by Te Eau-paraha that each man of our guests should be placed between two of our people (placed alternately), and that when the women brought the food, and just as those people were stretching out their hands to take food, each of our men was to attack the man sitting on his right hand. At the appointed time it was Te llauparaha who gave the signal, and each of ours struck at the head of his man. Then were heard cries and groans as men'B heads were crushed by our weapons with a sound like that of a calabash being broken. Even bo

that three hundred and fire tens were slain by us, not one escaped, and the land was covered with the dead. Then black fear struck at the hearts of those people, and behold, they became as a nameless people and were not known of the land !

We took the pa. The people thereof started up but to be slain, and some were enslaved by us.

It waß in this fight that Hongi Ilika first swallowed the eyes of man. For one of these people had killed a relative of Hongi, one Keke-ao by name, and here we slew the slayer, and Hongi plucked out and swallowed his eyes (to square the account). You must know that Hongi was a young man at this time. This raid south occurred some time before he went to England.

During this expedition all the surprises, treacherous attacks and deceitful acts were taught us by Te Kau-paraha. The chief

Keke-ao was killed during this raid. Other chiefs who were of our party were Patu-one, Wharepapa, Te Rangi-haeata and Tawhai, and the rest of the chiefs of old who have passed away. And of these Te Keke-ao and Moetara were slain in the southlands.

We were a whole year absent on that expedition, and as we marched we plundered the different places of food and canoes, and we burned everything that fire would burn. One thousand, once told, were we who invaded the lands which border upon the Sacred Sea, and six hundred of us returned to the north. But we brought back the heads of our chiefs, even of those who died of sickness and in war, back to our homes.

And the slaves whom we brought back with us were slain by our people at home in revenge for our warriors who fell in the southlands, and for food. For human flesh was sweet to us in those dajs."

[to he continued.]