THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 DARK CHAPTER 
 
 FKOM 
 
 NEW ZEALAND HISTORY. 
 
 BY A POVERTY BAY SURVIVOR. 
 
 " Solitudincm faciunt, pacem appellant* 
 
 j s a 
 
 ANT> PrBI,l!<HED Y JAMK8 WOOD, AT HIS PUJNT1XO
 
 REPRINT PUBLISHED BY 
 
 CAPPER PRESS 
 
 CHRISTCHURCH. NEW ZEALAND 
 1974 
 
 Printed offset by The Caxton Press, Christchurch 
 from the copy in the Canterbury Public Library, Christchurch
 
 430 
 P1H3IS 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THESE pages have been chiefly written for such as desire to forward 
 to distant friends a brief connected account of one of those terrible 
 massacres, accompanied by wholesale destruction of property, which 
 bid fair to depopulate and lay waste the North Island of New 
 Zealand. 
 
 It is possible that only vague, indefinite reports respecting the 
 calamities which afflict this colony have reached the majority of 
 far-away readers ; more especially in Great Britain, impressions 
 are known to prevail which are often opposed to facts. In this 
 little work it is intended to tell a " plain, unvarnished tale ;" to 
 briefly review the causes which led to the perpetration of a great 
 tragedy, and to shew how it might have been prevented. If the 
 sad story contributes, even in a slight degree, to bring about an 
 improvement in the future, the purpose for which it was written 
 will have been accomplished.
 
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF POVERTY BAY. 
 
 TURANGA, or Poverty Bay, lies between the East Cape and the 
 Maliia Peninsula. North and south, the district consists of hills, 
 and a circlet of hills bounds the interior ; the hills are partly occu- 
 pied as sheep runs. 
 
 The central portion of the district consists of a fertile plain, 
 which stretches for about 25 miles inland, and averages from six to 
 eight miles in breadth. The plain ia traversed by several rivers, 
 navigable for a few miles by small craft, and is diversified by clumps 
 of forest in all directions. 
 
 The plain and adjacent valleys are richly clothed with grasses. 
 Fruit groves abound, and wild honey is found in every forest. All 
 descriptions of vegetables and fruits the production of temperate 
 zones thrive to perfection, and require little culture ; exotics are 
 reared in gardens with little trouble or expense. 
 
 The climate resembles those of Hawke's Bay and Nelson, but 
 is sensibly warmer at all seasons ; rain is more equally distributed 
 than in Napier. All parts of the plain are accessible by dray to 
 the coast; vessels of moderate draught can enter the principal 
 rivers, and the roadstead is safe for large shipping in all weathers. 
 
 Turanganui, the village capital, is situated at the bottom of a 
 deep bay, from which the district derives its English appellation, 
 on the south bank of the Waimataha river. It contains several 
 stores, a handsome hotel, fine court-house, post-office, etc. On 
 the northern side of the Wai-mataha, opposite Turanganui, two 
 redoubts are placed, named respectively Wilsoh's and Hirmi's 
 redoubts. The population of Poverty Bay in 1867 consisted of 
 about 500 Maoris and 150 Europeans of all ages. Matewhero 
 was situated about five miles from the sea, in the heart of the dis- 
 trict. Many people resided there in houses surrounded with 
 gardens and orchards.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 "AULD LANG SYNE" NATIVE PURSUITS SWIFT DECAY. 
 
 SEVERAL settlers of thirty, and even forty years' standing yet reside 
 in Turanga, or Poverty Bay, as it is named by Europeans ; and the 
 description given by those settlers of its condition on their first 
 arrival is interesting and instructive. In those days the Maoris 
 were numerous and industrious ; they manufactured a variety of 
 elegant and useful articles ; their houses, sometimes handsomely 
 carved, were of a superior description, and their war canoes were 
 magnificent specimens of ingenuity and beauty. Eighty of those 
 canoes, each capable of carrying from 70 to 100 men, have been 
 counted at one time in the Waimataha river. The natives exported 
 large quantities of prepared flax and other produce, which was 
 disposed of to Sydney traders by the earlier settlers. 
 
 Hostilities sometimes broke out between different tribes, but 
 the settlers were slightly affected by their occurrence, and, on the 
 whole, the whites found the Maori was a good neighbour. At that 
 time the morality of the natives was of a higher standard than 
 it subsequently became, and the power of the chiefs was in the 
 ascendant. 
 
 At a later date the influence of the chiefs declined ; another 
 species of domination arose, under which the Maoris (probably 
 the most acute people in the world where their temporal interests 
 are concerned) learned to prefer their rights before their duties. 
 From this period the natives rapidly degenerated : old customs 
 were forsaken ; industry declined ; and immorality prevailed where 
 before it was almost unknown. All these causes combined, sadly 
 deteriorated the race. By the end of 1863, the Turanga natives 
 were a remnant of what they had been. But if they had declined, 
 the natives still far outnumbered the whites, and had become 
 domineering to an extent unknown before. It is true they have 
 learned to read and write, but it is questionable if their knowledge 
 was beneficial to themselves or their neighbours. Of their reli- 
 gion it is sufficient to say that whilst minutely conversant with the 
 forms of Christianity they knew nothing of its spirit. They were 
 even then suspicious and distrustful of Europeans, and had be- 
 come what they have since (with a few honorable exceptions) 
 shewn themselves to be a discontented and dangerous people.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 WELD MINISTRY VOLKNER's MURDER WELD APPLIES TO M'LEAN 
 
 HUNGAHUNGATOROA MR. WELD RESIGNS FALSE PRETENCES 
 
 WAERENGA-AHIKA TE KOOTI WAIROA WAIKARE-MOANA 
 OMARANUI REMARKS PEACE DEPORTATION. 
 
 IN November, 1864, the Weld Ministry assumed office. At this 
 time the war, being waged for Imperial objects, continued with 
 varying success. It was at first viewed with alarm by the natives 
 of Poverty Bay ; at a later date they were imbued with the belief 
 that their countrymen were victorious. 
 
 At the latter end of 1864, the Haubau superstition had reached 
 Poverty Bay. On the 1st of March, 1865, the Rev. Mr. Volkner 
 was murdered at Opotiki, 100 miles from Turanga. On the 15th 
 of the same month, the murderers came to Taureka, in Poverty 
 Bay, carrying with them a Europtan head. They were led by 
 Kereopa, who had swallowed Volkner's eyes. The object of the 
 party was to win over Hirini te Kani, the principal chief of Tu- 
 ranga, to their side. By the end of March, most of the Poverty 
 Bay natives had become Hauhaus, and the Bishop of Waiapu was 
 obliged to fly the district ; a sad commentary upon their presumed 
 conversion to Christianity. 
 
 About this time, Mr. M'Lean, then suffering from severe ill- 
 ness, was urgently requested by Mr. Weld to undertake the paci- 
 fication of the East Coast ; no light task. The Hauhaus were 
 already in arms at Waiapu, and avowed their intention to exter- 
 terminate loyal subjects of both races. The Hauhaus were daily 
 gaining adherents. Assistance would not or could not be obtained 
 from the officer commanding the Imperial troops ; and, but for the 
 unexpected stand made by Mokena, a chief of the Ngatiporou 
 tribe, the East Coast settlements must have fallen ; as it was, they 
 were in great peril. Mokena, after defeating the enemy on several 
 occasions, was compelled to act on the defensive, and barely held 
 his pa, against overwhelming numbers. One pa of his, in which 
 he had placed bis women and children, had fallen, and a young 
 chief of high rank, nephew to Mokena, had been literally cut to 
 pieces. This occurred in June, 1865. On the 1st July, Lieut. 
 Biggs, with a few volunteers, were ordered by Mr. M'Lean to 
 proceed to Mokena's assistance, who was thus enabled to resume 
 the offensive. His relief by Biggs was the commencement of that
 
 long train of brilliant successes which brought the war on the East 
 Coast to a glorious conclusion a war which would have proved 
 final if its fruits had not been frittered away by a Government 
 without principle, a Government that has sacrificed every vestijze 
 of self-respect, and is guided principally by an unflinching resolve 
 to retain office at whatever cost to the colony. 
 
 By the llth October, the first stage of the victorious East Coast 
 campaign had been reached, by the capture at Hunga-hunga-toroa 
 of 500 Hauhaus, the greatest triumph ever achieved in New 
 Zealand. It was won by Lieut, (afterwards Major) Biggs, who 
 fell in the Poverty Bay massacre, and Ropata, a Ngatiporou chief, 
 who avenged that massacre. The force that accomplished so much 
 was mainly composed of loyal natives, and was assisted by a handful 
 of Europeans (120), who were enthusiastic in the cause whilst 
 directed by Mr. M'Lean. Between July and October, 186o, that 
 force had routed the enemy in every encounter ; had stormed and 
 captured Pukemaire Kairomiomi and other strong pas hnd fol- 
 lowed the enemy into what had been deemed inaccessible districts 
 had killed several hundreds of the enemy, captured many hun- 
 dred more, and had compelled the remainder to swear allegiance 
 to the Queen. Fraser, Biggs, Westrup, and other officers dis- 
 tinguished themselves in this campaign. 
 
 The second stage of the East Coast campaign commenced with 
 the accession of the Stafford Ministry. On the 12th October Mr. 
 Weld resigned, on the ground that his Ministry was not ade- 
 quately supported by public opinion. He was the author of what 
 is termed the " Self-Reliance Policy," which might have issued 
 differently to what it has hitherto done if a regiment or two had 
 been left in the colony for a year or two, and the mother country 
 had granted that pecuniary assistance to which New Zealand was 
 fairly entitled when she undertook to establish the Queen's supre- 
 macy, and to end an Imperial war after the British forces had 
 failed, and for which the colonists have been heavily taxed. 
 
 It may be truly said that Mr. Stafford obtained offL-e under 
 false pretences. Whilst accepting the " Self-Reliance Policy" he 
 promised to effect a reduction of 240,000 upon the Estimates, 
 which (and no one could have known it better than himself) it 
 was impossible for him to do. This was proved at an after date, 
 when it was found that by a cheese-paring economy, calculated to 
 impair the efficiency of the public service, his boasted savings 
 amounted to about eight thousand pounds.
 
 8 
 
 Mr. Stafford became Premier on the 17th October, 1865. 
 During that month the Hauhaus in Poverty Bay were busy erect- 
 ing three formidable pas, of which one named Waerenga-ahika 
 was the strongest. On the 9th November Mr. M'Lean arrived 
 at Poverty Bay with the victorious forces from Waiapu. On the 
 10th he sent an ultimatum to the rebels, of which no notice was 
 taken. Fighting ensued on the 17th, and continued five days, 
 during which about sixty of the enemy were killed. On the 22nd 
 Waerenga-ahika was surrendered, 180 men and 200 \vomen and 
 children being made prisoners ; 160 guns and a vast amount of 
 plunder stolen from settlers were likewise captured. Shortly 
 after a spy named Te Kooti was taken. He was afterwards better 
 known as the author of the Poverty Bay and other massacres. 
 
 Upon the fall of Waerenga-ahika a profound dread fell upon 
 the remaining Hauhaus ; the other fighting pas were precipitately 
 abandoned, and their garrisons fled to Wairoa, there to stir up 
 sedition ; the remnant came in and submitted to European rule. 
 
 The last stage of the East Coast campaign of 1865-6, was 
 marked by the severe defeats sustained by the Hauhaus at the 
 Upper Wairoa and the Waikare-moana. Upon the borders of 
 that lake, the Haubaus suffered a heavy loss ; the survivors es- 
 caped in their canoes, but were mostly killed or captured at Petane 
 and Omaranui, on the 12th October, 1866. 
 
 Thus ended a campaign unmarked, as far as the author is aware, 
 by a solitary reverse on our side. There has never been a cam- 
 paign like it in New Zealand, before or since. It was won for us 
 by friendly natives and a handful of Europeans, who numbered 
 about 120 whites. The force was led by brave officers, and chiefs 
 who secured the goodwill, respect, and confidence of their men, 
 European and native. By uniform courtesy and a gentlemanly 
 demeanour towards tnose over whom they were placed, such men 
 as Biggs, Wilson, and\the chiefs Mokena and Rapata, found that 
 the men would follow them wherever those officers and chiefs were 
 pleased to lead the way. Hunger and hardships were endured 
 without complaint by all alike ; districts unknown, and hitherto 
 deemed inaccessible, were penetrated, no matter how savage or 
 remote ; and the murderous rebel was taught, for the first time, 
 that no place could shelter him from the consequences of his 
 crimes. In various ways, not less than 400 natives are believed 
 to have been killed or to have died of their wounds. From first
 
 to last the prisoners were not far short of a thousand, all ages. Of 
 these the ringleaders were afterwards deported to the Chatham 
 Islands. The grand result was perfect safety for life and property 
 in the lately disturbed districts ; that result was obtained for the 
 colony in the wise selection made of brave and intelligent instru- 
 ments to carry out his skilful combinations, by Donald M'Lean. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EXILES THEIR LANDS A COMPLIMENT GKATITUDE IMBROGLIO 
 A SUPEBINTENDENCY LAWYER AND LAND SHARK PUNIC FAITH 
 "DISTRICT POLICE ACT" INTERESTS CLASH COMPENSATION 
 A MUDDLE "SOFT SAWDER" NO GO ANNEXATION. 
 
 THE East Coast Hauhau prisoners were deported to the Chatham 
 Islands in 1866, to the number of 187, of the worst characters; 
 their women and children were permitted to accompany them. 
 Land, seeds, and implements were allotted each man ; they were 
 well fed and clothed, and a guard of 25 men was placed over them. 
 One of the prisoners was the spy Te Kooti, who had planned an 
 ambush to murder an escort party. 
 
 The Chathams are well adapted for expatriation purposes, their 
 nearest point being 400 miles from the mainland of New Zealand. 
 When the prisoners arrived, the Cbathams were inhabited by 46 
 Europeans and a small number of Morioris and Maoris ; the former 
 were aborigines of the Chathams, who had been conquered by the 
 latter. 
 
 Upon the restoration of peace, a problem of difficult solution 
 presented itself, viz., the administration of Hauhau lands. In 
 accordance with Maori usage, those lands were so minutely divided 
 and mixed up with lands owned by loyal natives, that the greatest 
 tact and intimate acquaintance with native customs and land tenures 
 were requisite in him who should be entrusted with the unpleasant 
 task, in order that injustice might be avoided. There is no subject 
 upon which a Maori is so sensitive as that of his land : but so con- 
 fident were the natives in Mr. M'Lean's impartiality, that the whole 
 of their lands were placed at his disposal, by the unanimous desire 
 of all concerned. There is not another man in New Zealand to 
 whom such a compliment would be paid ; and if the land question 
 remains unsettled to this day, the fault is attributable to Mr.
 
 10 
 
 Stafford and his colleagues. It has been shewn that, by his con- 
 quest of the East Coast, Mr. M'Lean had paved the way for ita 
 speedy and peaceful colonization. At this juncture ministers 
 stepped in, and, jealous of his unrivalled influence with the Maoris, 
 meanly tried to filch the laurels he had won. The administration 
 of the East Coast was practically transferred to themselves, and 
 Captain Biggs, a highly meritorious officer, but quite incapable of 
 dealing with a question of such magnitude, was appointed to nego- 
 tiate between them and the natives. 
 
 Consequences followed that might have been foreseen. The 
 natives, irritated and bewildered at the Deeming refusal of the 
 Government to accept their liberal offer through Mr, M'Lean, 
 whilst another agent was treating for the very lands included in 
 that offer, became first suspicious, and finally disaffected. Between 
 the date, however, of their offer to place all their lands at Mr. 
 M 'Lean's disposal and the disaffection alluded to, the natives had 
 taken an important step and petitioned the Assembly that Poverty 
 Bay and East Coast districts might be annexed to the province of 
 which Mr. M'Lean is Superintendent. Such a proposal was "gall 
 and wormwood" to ministers ; accordingly, they played into the 
 hands of Mr. Whitaker, and thereby prevented the proposed 
 annexation and consequent settlement of those districts, though 
 they were well aware that at that very time Mr. Whitaker, the 
 Superintendent of Auckland and a General Government Agent, 
 was breaking the law, and assisting to prevent a settlement of th ; e 
 Poverty Bay land question, by negociating, through his agent, with 
 rebel Hauhaus, for the cession of the Poverty Bay oil springs and 
 other lands. 
 
 The recognition of rebel claims by a person holding such a high 
 position, led to similar dealings of the most irregular description, 
 involving breaches of faith with the loyal natives, whose confidence 
 became weakened by the treatment they experienced after the 
 valuable services tendered by them in the East Coast campaign of 
 1865, while the assurance of those lately in rebellion greatly in- 
 creased, and led both to deny what had been at first unanimously 
 approved, viz., the justice of the principle embodied in the Out- 
 lying Districts Police Act of 1865, which assets, that "expenses 
 incurred in suppressing rebellion should be borne out of lands of 
 the insurgents." 
 
 By 1867, manifold conflicting interests had grown up in Poverty 
 Bay and East Coast districts, in the shape of land purchases and
 
 11 
 
 leases of runs, which of necessity interfered with a settlement of 
 out-standing claims. A committee of the House of Representa- 
 tives had eschewed the right of East Coast settlers to compensation 
 for losses sustained in 1865. This led to some of those settlers 
 applying for and obtaining compensation from rebels in land. The 
 consequence of all this was that complication after complication 
 arose, until the land question became an unintelligible web of con- 
 fusion to ministers, who, seeing no other way of escape from a 
 serious dilemma, called Mr. M'Lean to the rescue. 
 
 But though they had by their injudicious meddling marred the 
 fairest prospect that ever presented itself for settling a question of 
 vital importance to the whole colony, and were compelled to ask 
 the assistance of the man whose influence they envied and tried to 
 undermine, their peddling policy was perceptible to the end ; even 
 whilst they gave Mr. M'Lean to understand they had no doubt 
 though " the opportunity for carrying out good arrangements bad 
 long passed by," and the question " had become complicated by 
 circumstances which greatly increase the difficulty ;" and whilst 
 they were constrained to admit, that if any solution of the difficul- 
 ties could be arrived at, it would be solely through his exertions. 
 
 In truth, the difficulties in the way of a satisfactory solution 
 were well nigh insuperable. Nevertheless, Mr. McLean, whilst 
 pointing out that in his opinion not much could be achieved in 
 the settlement of the land question, agreed to go, if Ministers 
 would indicate what they proposed to do. He afterwards pro- 
 ceeded to the East Coast, but fresh complications arose. Finally 
 his exertions were rendered nugatory by the criminal negligence 
 that precipitated the massacre of Poverty Bay. 
 
 There can be no doubt that Mr. McLean earnestly desired the 
 settlement of the East Coast lands question, in common with every 
 settler interested in the welfare of those districts, and it was es- 
 sential for the welfare of his own province that the East Coast 
 should be occupied by a European population. But apart from 
 that consideration, the high and influential positions held by him 
 for so many years must enable him to take a more comprehensive 
 survey, embracing not a part only but the whole of the colony, 
 and to act as he thinks best for the general welfare. 
 
 It has been insinuated that Mr. M'Lean desired the annexation 
 of a certain district to Hawke's Bay province, from personal con- 
 siderations, and that the petitions presented to the Assembly upon
 
 12 
 
 tbe annexation question from natives and Europeans were ficti- 
 tious. Both insinuations are fabe. With respect to the first, it 
 ought to be known that Mr. M'Lean desired the Poverty Bay 
 district to be administered by a Commission. The annexation 
 petitions were the spontaneous expressions of the opinions of a 
 very large majority of native and European residents in the 
 Poverty Bay districts, who, seeing the advantages enjoyed by 
 their neighbours, desired to share in those advantages, and to have 
 their district administered by the man who saved them from de- 
 struction. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 TREATMENT OF PRISONERS PROPHETIC RIFLEMAN REVOLT 
 FOOD FOR THE FISHES WHAREONGAONGA A GENEROUS SEA- 
 MAN WELLINGTON. 
 
 IT has been shewn that the Hauhau prisoners were considerately 
 treated on their arrival at the Chatham Islands. But few and 
 trifling restrictions were imposed upon their movements from the 
 first $ gradually even those restrictions were withdrawn, and they 
 were always allowed to communicate with the main land. More- 
 over, a promise had been given, contingent on their good beha- 
 viour, that they would be permitted to return home at a specified 
 period, which the writer understands to have been two years. In 
 letters written by the exiles to their relatives in Poverty Bay, con- 
 stant mention is made of the kind way in which they were treated. 
 
 By-and-bye the small guard of 25 men was reduced to 15. 
 This was ordered by Ministers from pitiful motives of economy. 
 Mr. Stafford had promised to save 240,000, a sum which will 
 perhaps be added to the heavy burdens of the colony before the 
 subsequent mischief that ensued has been repaired. However, the 
 reduction of the small guard most likely caused the prisoners to 
 meditate an early escape, and a leader was soon found capable of 
 executing the project. 
 
 In September, 1867, a waiata or poem was composed by Te 
 Kooti, the burden of which was to the effect that Te Kooti was 
 inspired and a prophet, and he appears to have been accepted as 
 such by his brother Hauhaus without question. Being sent to 
 prison for practising Hauhau rites, he affected, after his discharge, 
 to have been delivered by the angel Gabriel. He was a man ori-
 
 13 
 
 ginally of no importance, and bore a bad character in Poverty Bay 
 as a thief and drunkard. 
 
 By the end of June, 1868, Te Kooti appears to have matured 
 his plans. All the prisoners had become privy to the intended 
 escape, which three of them declined to share. Information was 
 even forwarded by a settler to Captain Thomas, the Resident 
 Magistrate, of which he took no notice. 
 
 On the 3rd July, the schooner Rifleman arrived at the Chathams ; 
 on the 4th, the prisoners rose upon the guard, and clove the skull 
 of the only one who offered resistance. The prisoners next 
 secured the Resident Magistrate, the guard, and the male European 
 residents, but left the women and children uninjured and free; 
 they then boarded the Rifleman, and imprisoned the crew her 
 captain was on shore. On the afternoon of the same day, the 
 prisoners, 187 in number, shipped their women and children. 
 They next plundered the island, cut the cable of the only other 
 vessel at the Chathams, in order to prevent pursuit, and set sail 
 for Poverty Bay on the 5th July to which place the mate of 
 the Rifleman said he was compelled to navigate them on pain of 
 death. 
 
 During the voyage, armed guards paraded the deck day and 
 night, the crew were forbidden to cook, and a sentry with a drawn 
 cutlass stood by the man at the wheel, to see the right course 
 was kept. On the 9th, when in sight of New Zealand, Te Kooti 
 ordered his uncle to be thrown overboard. The victim was one 
 of the three prisoners who had objected to the escape and informed 
 the authorities. He had been secured by Te Kooti before leaving 
 the Chathams : revenge was the motive for the murder. The 
 Rifleman arrived at Whareongaonga, six miles south of Turanganui, 
 on the evening of the 10th. That night and the following day 
 were occupied in landing the cargo, women and children, and 
 everything portable : finally, two casks of water were shipped for 
 the use of the Rifleman's crew, and the mate was told to go where 
 he liked. 
 
 At this time the wind blew fair for Turanganui, six miles distant, 
 and it is noteworthy that, with a head wind, the Rifleman sailed 
 for Wellington, 250 miles distant, leaving the inhabitants of an 
 unprotected district to the mercy of a band of desperadoes who 
 had committed two murders.
 
 14 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 POPULATION IN 1868 RUMORS BIGGS AT WHAREONGAONGA GON1 
 TO THE BUSH TREACHERY PAPARATU THE GUIDE WHIT- 
 MORE FURTOSO A SOLDIER'S GRAVE CONTRADICTORY ORDERS 
 
 TANGATA KAI AT PURETAPU. 
 
 Ax the beginning of 1868, the inhabitants of Poverty Bay num- 
 bered about 450 natives and 200 Europeans. Most of the natives 
 were Hauhaus of 1865, who had become once more exceedingly 
 disaffected, owing to the non-solution of the land question. It 
 appears probable that they were aware of the intended escape 
 from the Chathams before that event occurred. 
 
 On the 9th July, 1868, it was rumoured in Poverty Bay that 
 the prisoners had escaped, and were at Whareongaonga. The 
 rumour was disbelieved. It was afterwards ascertained that a 
 Taranaki chief, one of the prisoners, proposed, on the night of the 
 landing, to march at once on Poverty Bay, and murder the Euro- 
 pean population ; but was overruled. On the llth, Major Biggs 
 received a letter from Mr. Johnston, a runholder near Whareonga- 
 ango, stating 49 armed men had passed his house, but that he had 
 been unable to ascertain their intentions. Next day, Major Biggs 
 called at Johnston's, on his way to Wairoa, and heard sufficient to 
 prove the prisoners were really at Whareongaonga. He at once 
 returned, and mustered what men he could on such short notice 
 120, of whom 40 were Europeans. With these he arrived at a 
 spot within half-a-mile of Whareongaonga, at 10 a.m. July 13th. 
 
 Major Biggs found the prisoners camped in a hollow fronted by 
 the sea, and backed by a semicircle of steep cliffs. By surmount- 
 ing those cliffs and crossing a ridge, the prisoners could plunge 
 into an almost impenetrable bush country, extending inland for 
 about 20 miles. Major Biggs at once despatched a message de- 
 manding the surrender of the prisoners, who ridiculed the idea. 
 They, however, said they had no wish to fight if left alone, and 
 allowed to re-occupy Poverty Bay. All the prisoners were found 
 to be well armed. As there was no reserve force in case of defeat, 
 Major Biggs decided not to attack them whilst the prisoners were 
 so nigh the settled district, but to wait in the vicinity and observe 
 their movements. Messengers were also despatched to W T airoa 
 and Napier.
 
 15 
 
 On the night of the 13tb, the ex-prisoners, fearing the arrival 
 of reinforcements, crossed the coast range, and got into the bush 
 unperceived, upon which Major Biggs decided to make a detour, 
 after enrolling every available man, and intercept the ex-prisoners 
 as they emerged from the bush inland. All the Europeans but 
 the very aged, and at the most four or five others, volunteered at 
 a few hours' notice. About 150 professedly loyal natives were 
 armed and ordered to pursue the retreating enemy. The Euro- 
 peans numbered 65 at starting, and were but badly armed. They 
 were mostly mounted. 
 
 On the 16th, the Europeans started for a point inland, distant 
 about 30 miles. The route lay over a very rough country. On 
 the 18th, they were lying in wait for the ex-prisoners at Paparatu, 
 where they were expected to emerge from the bush. On the 
 evening of the 18th, it was known our doubtful allies had trea- 
 cherously abandoned the pursuit. Some of them had seen Te 
 Kooti and accepted presents. 
 
 On the 20th, Major Biggs being absent, with the view of in- 
 ducing the native deserters to resume duty, the Europeans were 
 attacked by Te Kooti, who had been somewhat reinforced by 
 quondam Hauhaus of 1865. At sundown the whites were defeated, 
 with the loss of seven killed and wounded. The Europeans had 
 expended all but a few rounds of their ammunition, and but for 
 night must have been cut off. The enemy stormed the European 
 camp, and captured horses, food, in fact everything but the men 
 and their arms. The Europeans retreated all night through a 
 fearful country, with their wounded, and pursued by the enemy. 
 Their escape is due to the fidelity of Henare Kakapanga, a brave 
 chief of Turanga, and universally esteemed by the whites. 
 
 On the 20t,h, Colonel Whitmore assumed command in Poverty 
 Bay. He had volunteered his services, and they had been ac- 
 cepted by his friend the Defence Minister, Colonel Haultain. 
 Very little was known of Whitmore in Poverty Bay at the time of 
 his first arrival. He brought with him considerable reinforce- 
 ments, sufficient to have crushed Te Kooti, if well directed. 
 
 The first thing done by Colonel Whitmore, was to announce 
 that he would capture Te Kooti in twenty-four hours ; his next 
 was to heap the foullest abuse upon every settler and native with 
 whom he came in contact. Having thus paved the way for a great 
 success, he proceeded to tke front. In rather less than a month,
 
 16 
 
 he had advanced about ten miles further inland than Biggs had 
 done in two days. On the 8th August, he was beaten by Te 
 Kooti at Ruakiture. Seeing some of his men fall, Colonel Whit- 
 more retreated, leaving his wounded to the mercy of the enemy. 
 He afterwards asserted they had been killed ; but, subsequently, 
 the bones of Captain Carr were found on a hill nigh half-a-mile 
 from where he fell. He was a gentle, brave officer, much beloved, 
 and had distinguished himself whilst serving in the Imperial Army ; 
 and it is sad to reflect that such a man should have survived, per- 
 haps for days, to find himself helpless and deserted by his com- 
 manding officer. 
 
 Major Eraser and his men are said to have remained at Ruakiture 
 fighting with Te Kooti for several hours after Whittnore's retreat 
 from the field, and, it is believed, would have beaten and captured 
 the enemy if he had been properly supported. 
 
 In the meantime, two expeditions started from the Wairoa to co- 
 operate with Whitmore. Both failed ; one through the cowardice 
 of the natives, the other by reason of contradictory orders from 
 Colonel Whitmore. Those expeditions were headed by Captain 
 Richardson, a brave and able officer, who did good service in Mr. 
 M 'Lean's East Coast campaign of 1865. 
 
 Colonel Whitmore, in his after despatches, claimed to have 
 driven "the enemy from his first position" in short, he had won 
 a victory. He also stated the enemy had "suffered severely." 
 He should have said it was our side suffered severely : what the 
 enemy suffered was impossible for him to tell, because he did not 
 wait to see. Such misrepresentations can deceive no one who 
 looks below the surface. At a later date, we find Colonel Whit- 
 more, after he had been beaten in fair fight on the West Coast, 
 and had left eleven wounded men to fall into Titokowaru's hands, 
 stating that those men were " missing ;" though it afterwards 
 came out that nine of the eleven were taken into Tito's pa and 
 cooked ! Colonel Whitmore left Poverty Bay after his defeat, all 
 the forces were withdrawn, and Te Kooti retired to Puketapu, 
 about forty-five miles inland of Poverty Bay, having lost eight or 
 nine men in the two engagements, and carried with him his ac- 
 cumulated plunder.
 
 17 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 STATE Of POVERTY BAY IN NOVEMBER, 1868 DISAFFECTION SPIES 
 SETTLERS CONSIDER STATE OF AFFAIRS MEMORIAL REDOUBT 
 SCOUTS ENEMY'S APPROACH NIGHT PATROLS BIGGS NOT 
 WARNED BY MINISTERS RICHMOND IS WARNED REFLECTIONS. 
 
 Br the withdrawal of all the forces, Poverty Bay was left in a pre- 
 carious state. No one could tell when the victorious enemy would 
 return to avenge the repeated attacks made by us upon the ex- 
 prisoners. Whitrnore's conduct had exasperated the friendly 
 natives, and increased the disaffection of the quondam Hauhaus, 
 who very well knew that Whitmore had been defeated, notwith- 
 standing his assertions to the contrary. Spies began to visit Te 
 Kooti, and there were few arms in the district. Moreover, a large 
 proportion of the able-bodied European population, alarmed at 
 the threatening aspect of affairs, began to leave the district. By- 
 and-by, Ministers, influenced it is believed by Whitmore's asse- 
 verations, withdrew Eraser's troop from the Wairoa, in spite of 
 Messrs. McLean and Ormond's urgent repeated protests. Thus 
 the important East Coast settlements, by the infatuation of Minis- 
 ters, were left a prey to Te Kooti. 
 
 In October, 1868, meetings of settlers were held to consider 
 the state of affairs in Poverty Bay. A memorial was forwarded to 
 Ministers, praying that 50 men of the colonial forces might be 
 stationed in the district, and the settlers offered to build a redoubt 
 and pay scouts. Little attention was paid by Ministers to the 
 memorial, but after the settlers had organised a scout party, Go- 
 vernment undertook its management, and agreed to pay the men. 
 
 In the same month the loyal natives asrreed to erect the pali- 
 sades of a strong redoubt at Matewhero, in the heart of the dis- 
 trict, if the Europeans would assist. This was agreed to by the 
 settlers, but after the natives, at great cost and labor, had built 
 the heavy timber work, it was put a stop to by Major Biggs, 
 acting by Government instructions. The non-erection of the 
 Matewhero redoubt was a fatal mistake. If finished, it would 
 have proved a sure refuge for every one who resided at Mate- 
 whero. 
 
 The scouts, twelve in all, were too few to watch the three great 
 avenues of approach from Puketapu, seeing they are situated man j 
 miles apart, and divided by many precipitous and rugged ranges.
 
 18 
 
 Early in November, Lieut. Gascoigne, who commanded the 
 scouts, reported the enemy's approach. Their fires were seen 
 upon the hills by many settlers, some of whom watched nightly. 
 Major Biggs was impressed with the conviction that Te Kooti 
 would come by the Arai, instead of the Patutahi track ; conse- 
 quently, the scouts were detained at the former. There is little 
 doubt now that Te Kooti purposely evaded the scouts, of whose 
 movements he must have been informed by quondam Hauhau 
 spies. 
 
 It has been said that Major Biggs received warnings from 
 ministers of Te Kooti's advance. There is ample proof, that in 
 conversation held with settlers a few days before the massacre, 
 Major Biggs shewed that he had received neither message nor 
 warning, though it is perfectly well known that the Native 
 Minister had received information which if forwarded to Major 
 Biggs, would have prevented the destruction of a flourishing 
 settlement, and the slaughter of its inhabitants. 
 
 A brief outline has thus far been given of causes which led to 
 the massacre. On the night of November 9 the residents of 
 Poverty Bay retired to rest, very few of them, it is true, without 
 misgivings ; but some trusted to the scouts, others thought the 
 enemy were not within many miles. It was remembered, too, that 
 as yet Te Kooti had committed no atrocity upon Europeans since 
 his landing, and it was generally believed he would merely advance 
 to the boundary of the settlement and build a pa before taking a 
 more decisive step. It has since transpired that the murderers 
 were lurking about Matewhero before its inhabitants had gone to 
 their beds, and belated settlers passed that place on their way to 
 their homes without noticing anything unusual even after the 
 bloody work had commenced. 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 
 WEST ALARMS TAUREKA STATION MASSACRE EUROPEANS NA- 
 TIVES SUBSEQUENT MURDERS DESTRUCTION OP PROPERTY 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 ABOUT midnight, November 9th, 1868, Mr. Firmin, a policeman, 
 who resided near the Patutahi ford of the Waipawa river, which 
 he and the male adults of three neighbouring families were accua-
 
 19 
 
 tomed to watch, heard shots in the direction of Matewhero, two 
 miles from Firmin's house. He woke his wife, but as it was not 
 unusual to hear the sound of shots by night, they considered the 
 sounds heard on this occasion as proceeding from friendly natives, 
 yet they were not entirely free from apprehension, and slept no 
 more that night. At dawn of day, Mr. Firmin went out to re- 
 connoitre. At the Patutahi ford, he saw a Maori, who appeared 
 desirous of avoiding Mr. Firmin, who hailed him to know the 
 meaning of more shots just then heard at Matewhero. The native 
 stopped, and appeared excited. He said the Hauhaus were kill- 
 ing the white men. Nothing more definite could be extracted 
 from him, Firmin being ignorant of the Maori language, so Mr. 
 Firmin hastened to warn bis neighbours, Wyllie, Stevenson, and 
 Benson, all married men with very young children. These men 
 and their wives, snatching up their children, fled along the bank 
 of the Waipaua, making for Turanganui, but the firing before 
 them became so heavy they feared they would be intercepted, so 
 they decided to cross the Waipaua, and escape to Murewai, on 
 the coast, by the right bank of the river. The Waipaua, except 
 at the few fords, is generally deep, but although some of the 
 women were nigh drowned, they got to the other side, and made 
 for the village of Tutari, a good man and faithful chief. He re- 
 ceived them kindly, and shewed them best how to escape. He 
 was urged to fly with them, but, being very ill, declined. He 
 afterwards lost his life and those of two children for assisting the 
 Europeans. Messrs. Wyllie, Firmin, and the rest pursued their 
 way, overtaking other families as they advanced. Finally, they 
 overtook Major Westrupp. Under his guidance, the survivors 
 south of the Waipaua retreated by a fearful bush country to 
 Mahia, where most of them shipped for Napier, the capital of 
 Hawke's Bay province, at which place they safely arrived. 
 
 About an hour after Firmin and his neighbours left the village 
 where the chief Tutari lived, Te Kooti and 12 Hauhaus arrived, 
 and demanded where the Europeans had gone. Tutari declined 
 to tell, though Te Kooti promised to save his life if he would say 
 which route they had taken. Finding threats and entreaties of 
 no avail, Tutari and his two children were taken a few yards away 
 from the house, and killed by Te Kooti's orders. Tutari's wife 
 sat near with her uncle, compelled to witness the murders. When 
 her husband and children were dead, she was asked to reveal by
 
 20 
 
 what road the white men went. She, too, was faithful. She 
 pointed out a track which the fugitives had not taken. One of 
 the Europeans, Mr. Wyllie, was especially obnoxious to Te Kooti, 
 for it was Mr. Wyllie who helped to capture Te Kooti in 1865. 
 After being miss-directed, Te Kooti rode of! laughing, saying he 
 would cut slices of nVsh off Mr. Wyllie until the latter died. 
 Tutari's wife, Miriama, was spared, and atterwards escaped to 
 Turanganui. 
 
 About half-a-mile from Firmin's house, Messrs. Hawthorne 
 and Strong resided. They, too, were warned on Tuesday morn- 
 ing, first by Mr. Benson, and directly after by Sergeant-Major 
 Butter. Mr. Butter had been to Taureka, a station owned by 
 Messrs. Dodd and Peppard. where he intended to assist in shear- 
 ing. Arrived at the wool-shed, which stood about 400 yards from 
 the dwolli noj-house, he was attracted by a furious barking from 
 the chained-up sheep dogs, and wondered to see no one about. 
 So he walked up to the house, and round it. At the back door 
 he found Dodd and Peppard lying dead in their shirts on the 
 threshold. Throwing down his shears, be rode away to the Mis- 
 sion premises at Waerenga-ahika, where he and other people 
 usually resided. After warning the inmates of Waerenga-abika, 
 he made for Hawthorne and Strong's, who with one friend and a 
 servant lad escaped. It was afterwards ascertained that one of 
 Dodd and Peppard's men got away three miles on his road to 
 alarm Major Biggs, but was overtaken in his night-clothes by the 
 murderers of his employers and killed. Sergeant Butter pursued 
 the road to Matewhero, and had a narrow escape. As he neared 
 the residence of Major Biggs, where he was bound, he found the 
 Hauhaus were inside the premises, and their horses fastened to the 
 garden fence to the number of 12 or 14. He found all the habi- 
 tations between Matewhero and Turanganui deserted ; every one, 
 Europeans and natives, who escaped, were flying for life, and 
 several houses were already in flames. About two miles from 
 Matewhero, he passed Mr. Mann's house. Mann was lying dead, 
 shot and tomahawked ; his wife was mutilated and partly burnt ; 
 and their baby stabbed in several places. Mr. Mann's family 
 resided nearer Turanganui than other victims, and his place 
 marked the limit of the massacre in that direction. 
 
 Captain Wilson's house was the first attacked at Matewhero. 
 It stood in a garden, and was nearly equi-distant from most of
 
 21 
 
 the other residences at that place. The Wilsons' promises, in- 
 deed, were centrally situated, being surrounded on all sides by 
 those of their neighbours, at distances varying from a quarter to 
 less than half-a-tnile. 
 
 The assassins, guided by three resident and professed " friendly 
 natives" of Poverty Bay, came to Captain Wilson's bouse on the 
 night of Monday, November 9th. The family had retired to rest 
 with the exception of Captain Wilson, who sat up late writing 
 letters for the English mail, which was to leave next day. It was 
 probably 12 or 1 o'clock when the Hauhaus knocked at his door 
 and told him they had brought a letter from Hirini-te-Kani the 
 principal chief of Poverty Bay. Captain Wilson appears to have 
 suspected mischief, and told them to put the letter under the 
 door. Looking out, he saw a great many natives flitting about, 
 and, calling to his servant, Edward Moran, who slept in an out- 
 building, told him the Hauhau* were upon them, and desired him 
 to come to his assistance, which Moran immediately did, though 
 the Hauhaus tried to catch him as he ran across the open space 
 between the two buildings. They appear to have been afraid to 
 fire, lest they might rouse the sleeping neighbours. Finding they 
 could not induce Captain Wilson to open the door, the Hauhaus 
 proceeded to burst it in with a log of wood. After they Lad bat- 
 tered down the door, however, they feared to enter the house, 
 knowing it would cost some of them their lives, as Captain Wilson 
 bore a well-deserved reputation for resolute bravery. For some 
 time Captain Wilson and Moran kept the murderers at bay, but 
 at last the Hauhaus set lire to both ends of the house. Captain 
 Wilson even then defended his home to the last extremity, and 
 only left it when the flames had singed his wife's hair and scorched 
 bis children's feet. Captain Wilson headed his family in their 
 retreat frcm the burning mansion, revolver in hand, and his un- 
 daunted carriage appears at that terrible crisis to have cowed his 
 murderers. The family comprised Captain Wilson, MM. Wilson, 
 four infant children, and the servant Moran. As the little party 
 left the house, the Hauhaus assured Captain Wilson they had 
 made up their minds not to kill him or his family. There was 
 just a chance they might keep their word ; the enemy were nu- 
 merous, and it is probable considerations connected with the safety 
 of his wife and little ones induced him to put faith in the assevera- 
 tions of the cowardly wretches, who were all armed with rifles and
 
 22 
 
 bayonets. To prove their good intentions, one of the Hauhaus 
 took up one of the children to carry. Captain Wilson, his wife, 
 and Moran carried the others, and the party, Hauhaus included, 
 proceeded towards Goldsmith's bouse, about a quarter of a mile 
 distant. After walking about 200 yards, a Hauhau rushed upon 
 Moran and knocked him down. Another stabbed Captain Wil- 
 son with a bayonet in the back. He fell with his little son James 
 (whom he carried) uttering a dying exclamation. The little boy 
 extricated himself from his dying father, and got away in the dark 
 to some scrub. Mrs. Wilson, hearing her husband's death-cry, 
 turned round and uttered an exclamation of horror. The same 
 instant she was thrust through the body with a bayonet, her arm 
 being likewise pierced whilst trying to defend her baby. She fell 
 insensible, and received several other bayonet wounds, to the 
 number of four or five, besides being beat on the breast with the 
 butt end of a rifle. Yet she survived for several weeks, and re- 
 lated how, when she became conscious the following day, she s&vr 
 all her family lying dead around her, with the exception of her 
 boy James. All that day (Tuesday) she lay unable to rise, with 
 the murderers in sight, busy at their awful work. Whilst she lay 
 helpless, a "friendly" native came and robbed her of her shawl, 
 leaving her attired only in her night-dress. On Wednesday 
 she managed to crawl to what had been her home, and got some 
 water. Still the Hauhaus were about, and many buildings were 
 being fired, at or near Matewhero ; but she contrived to reach 
 a little outhouse left standing on her grounds, and hid herself. 
 
 In the interim, her little boy, eight years of age, after escaping 
 from the murderers, wandered about for several days, unperceived 
 by the Haubaus, though one night he slept in a house to which 
 they came. He appears to have confined his rambles to Mate- 
 whero and its vicinity, supporting himself by food found in those 
 houses not then destroyed. He said he " did not thirrk it would 
 be exactly stealing," as " everybody had run away." He saw, he 
 thought, " as many Hauhaus as would fill the Turanganui re- 
 doubt." One day he went back to his old home, and found his 
 "father, and brother, and sisters, with Moran, all dead," and 
 wondered " what the Hauhaus had done with his mother," but 
 " thought they must have eaten her." After all the houses were 
 burnt at Matewhero, he went " home," and found his mother in 
 the little out-house, to their mutual surprise and delight. Here
 
 23 
 
 he subsisted her for several days upon eggs and whatever h* could 
 forage. At last the poor lady get a card and pencil trom her hus- 
 band's coat-pocket, and contrived, after four hours' labour, and 
 many failures, to write the following : 
 
 Could some kind friend come to our help, for God's sake. I am 
 very much wounded, lying in a little house at our place. My poor 
 eon James is with me. Come quick. 
 
 ALICE WILSON. 
 
 We have little or no clothing, and are in dreadful suffering. 
 
 This note, after several attempts to reach Turanganui, six miles 
 distant, was delivered to Major Westrupp, at that place, by the 
 little boy, who had been picked up not far from Turanganui by a 
 party sent out on the 16th to rescue missing settlers, if alive. On 
 the same day, Mrs. Wilson was brought to Turanganui on a litter. 
 She was tended with the greatest solicitude, but though she rallied 
 for a time, and was at one time thought to be out of danger, she 
 ultimately succumbed to the terrible injuries she had sustained. 
 She died in Napier in December, and her death is thought to have 
 been hastened by the intelligence of the Pipiwhakau affair, which 
 occurred whilst Mrs. Wilson was on board the Sturt steamer, in 
 which vessel she had engaged a passage for Napier. Few ladies 
 have lived through such afflictions as those witnessed and suffered 
 by Mrs. Wilson. 
 
 It appears to have been Te Kooti's intention to first kill those 
 officers who had distinguished themselves in 1865, judging the 
 settlers, if deprived of their leaders, would become confused, and 
 so fall an easy prey. There is no doubt Te Kooti was right in 
 his conjectures, as the result proved. Had Biggs, Wilson, or 
 even Walsh survived, many of the murders would not have oc- 
 curred, for neither of those officers would have remained cooped 
 up in the Turanganui redoubt to witness the wholesale destruction 
 that ensued. Knowing this, they were marked first for destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 The dwelling of Major Biggs, the Resident Magistrate, was 
 rather more distant than several others from Captain Wilson's 
 house, yet it was the second residence attacked at Matewhero ; 
 and it is a singular circumstance that no one at Matewhero seems 
 to have known what transpired at Biggs' or Wilson's until all was 
 over screams, shots, and flames alike appear to have been neither 
 heard or seen.
 
 24 
 
 About dawn of the 10th, Major Biggs and family were roused 
 from their beds by a knocking at the back door. Upon opening 
 it, Major Biggs, who was followed by a servant lad, was immedi- 
 ately shot, and fell whilst telling the lad to get his rifle. The boy 
 ran to the front door, but was met by a number of Hauhaus. 
 Making for the back door, he fell over the wounded Major, but 
 got up and ran out into a flax bush. As be lay concealed, he 
 heard Major Biggs calling to his wife, " Emily, dear, the Hauhaus 
 are here, run for the bush." The poor lady would not leave her 
 husband, but stood by him with her baby in her arms. She had 
 not long been married. Her servant, Mrs. Farrell, in her turn, 
 would not desert Mrs. Bigps, to whom she was much attached. 
 So they all died together. They were awfully mutilated. From 
 his retreat the boy heard their dying groans. Afterwards, settlers 
 flying for their lives witnessed the ghastly spectacle. The boy 
 alone escaped to tell the sad tale. He hastened as soon as he 
 could emerge from his hiding place to wa-n the neighbours, and 
 by his means many ladies and children escaped to Turanganui in 
 their night-clothes. He was subsequently rewarded by the in- 
 habitants of Auckland, who invested a handsome sum for his 
 benefit. 
 
 It is not intended to enter into a rninnte relation of all the 
 horrid butcheries which took place on that fatal 10th November. 
 In two day?, 29 Europeans and 32 loyal natives were killed under 
 revolting circumstances. Subsequently, many loyal natives were 
 butcbeFed by Te Kooti at various times. Some hapus of tribes 
 hare been well nigh exterminated, and, including natives killed at 
 Ngatapa, most of whom had been carried captives to that strong- 
 hold by Te Kooti, the loss of life must have been very great 
 probably not less than 250 people in all were slain. Some settlers 
 escaped the massacre by miracle, but the instances are too 
 numerous to record them all. Mr. Daniel Munn and Mr. T. 
 Goldsmith were both riding towards Matewhero to ascertain the 
 meaning of shots heard so early in the morning. The former 
 tound himself amongst the Hauhaus before he was aware, and 
 barely escaped with a severe bullet wound. The latter rode up 
 to the assassins of the Mann family, who were busy burning the 
 body of Mrs. Mann. Goldsmith seems to have been stupified by 
 the horrid sight, until a Hauhau snatched at his bridle. Fortu- 
 nately his horse swerved and galloped off, and his master, being a
 
 25 
 
 good rider, escaped, though he was chased for several miles. Mrs. 
 James, who had not long been confined, hid with her children for 
 hours in some scrub close to her burning house ; and one old man 
 named Garland passed Lieut. Walsh's house whilst the murderers 
 were firing into it. 
 
 The exact mode by which many people died we shall perhaps 
 never know. Lieut. Walsh, who had greatly distinguished him- 
 self on one occasion, was shot with his wife and child. Mr. 
 Walsh's partner, Mr. Padbury, was killed at the same time. Mr. 
 Cadel, a storekeeper, just about to be married, and a very amiable 
 man, fell shot in front of his store. His faithful retriever dog 
 preserved Mr. Cadel's body from mutilation by pigs for eight days, 
 having never deserted it from the 10th to the 18th November. Mr. 
 M'Culloch was shot whilst milking. His wife and child fled to 
 the scrub, but were overtaken and killed. Mrs. M'Cullorh's 
 brother, a child, standing by her when she was bayoneted, escaped 
 to reach Turanganui unhurt. Many people, after lyinjr concealed 
 for awhile, contrived to get off clear, all in a pitiable plight, with 
 nothing on them but the clothes chiefly night-dresses in which 
 they escaped. Mr. and Mrs. Newnham, an aged couple with an 
 adopted child, were beguiled into the belief that the Hauhaus 
 would not hurt them, by two old Maori spies. Thase spies brought 
 the murderers to Newnham's house on the succeeding day, Novem- 
 ber llth. The Newnhams were killed ; but Mr. Brown, a neigh- 
 bour, saw the murderers coming from Newnham's to his house, and 
 escaped across a muddy river, whither the Haubaus declined to 
 follow him. One of the spies was afterwards taken, but was let 
 off in a shameful way by the authorities, as were many other Hau- 
 hau villains. The reason why they were allowed to escape the 
 halter was this in most cases the murderers were connected with 
 friendly natives, and it was thought desirable not to offend those 
 " friendlies," as they might prevent a settlement of the land ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Two principal rivers divide the Poverty Bay plains the \Vai- 
 paua and the Waimataha. With the exception of Messrs. Dodd 
 and Peppard, no Europeans were killed south of the Waipaua 
 until a later date, when one man and three boys lost their lives at 
 Pipiwhakau, whilst Colonel Whitmore looked on at the head of 
 400 men, he being busily engaged at the time settling the land 
 question in conjunction with Mr. Richmond.
 
 It was between the Waipaua and the Waimataha that the mas- 
 sacre of the 10th and llth November, 1868, was perpetrated. All 
 the Europeans who lived between those rivers and escaped the 
 slaughter fled to Wilson's redoubt, situated on the north side of 
 Waimataha, opposite Turanganui, at a distance of a quarter of a 
 mile from the sea. Most of the settlers reached the redoubt on 
 the first day of the massacre, and were joined by the scouts on the 
 evening of the same day. The scouts were 12 in number. They 
 were commanded by Lieut. Gascoigne, some of whose relatives 
 were lately destroyed in the massacre at the White Cliffs, Tara- 
 naki. The scouts had been set to watch the passes into Poverty 
 Bay for a few weeks before Te Kooti's arrival. No blame can 
 fairly be attached to the scouts, because Te Kooti evaded their 
 notice. They were far too few to keep efficient watch over a 
 tract of country 40 miles by 20. The blame, if any, must be at- 
 tributed to the Government, who would not even have appointed 
 scouts if the Poverty Bay settlers had not first taken the matter in 
 hand. Great credit is due to the men for forcing their way to 
 Turanganui at all hazards, when intelligence of the massacre 
 reached them, instead of escaping to Mahia, as they might have 
 done. Their arrival was gladly hailed by the few survivors who 
 escaped to Turanganui, and but for the scouts the redoubt could 
 not have been held in case of an attack by the Hauhaus. On the 
 second day of the massacre, several missing settlers reached the 
 redoubt, after narrow escapes. At the same time, some doubtful 
 friendly natives arrived. A few days later, all the remaining 
 Turanga natives, except those residing at Muriwai, joined Te 
 Kooti. Most of them voluntarily went over to the enemy. Of the 
 latter, many afterwards fell into our hands, but were almost in- 
 variably "let off" whenever they chanced to be in a position to 
 assist in " settling " the Poverty Bay land question, although some 
 of them were known to be deeply implicated in the murders of 
 Europeans or loyal natives. Others of those who joined Te Kooti 
 of their own will deserted him afterwards, and " came in " with 
 piteous tales of the compulsion used by Te Kooti to make them 
 join him. These men, in almost every instance, deserted Te 
 Kooti only through fear of losing their lands. Some of them were 
 employed by Government in land negociations, and used their 
 influence to enrich themselves by laying claim to lands belonging 
 to defunct loyal or Hauhau natives. In this way, villains, who
 
 27 
 
 deserved the halter, have attained a status they could never have 
 acquired but for the massacre at Poverty Bay. 
 
 Those natives who resisted the blandishments of Te Kooti and 
 his band retired to Muriwai, an almost (to natives) impregnable 
 pa, and joined its defenders. There were several reasons for the 
 Muriwui natives holding out against the Hauhaus. They pos- 
 sessed and believed in a rival prophet, who assured them Te Kooti 
 would die by his hands. Besides, their pa was very strong, close 
 to the sea, and only six miles from Turanganui, across the bay. 
 From Turanganui they could and actually did receive assistance 
 from time to time, and they were perhaps doubtful of the treat- 
 ment they might receive from Te Kooti if they surrendered. 
 They numbered about 70 men, and could easily hold their own ; 
 but although they remained nominally loyal, it by no means fol- 
 lows they were heartily attached to our cause, and there is good 
 reason to believe that but for Mr. M'Lean they might have fought 
 against us. Had they done so immediately after the massacre, 
 there is little doubt the quasi-Hauhaus who assisted to hold the 
 Turanganui redoubt would have deserted, and left the little gar- 
 rison of 40 Europeans to be overwhelmed by vastly superior num- 
 bers. 
 
 Through the exertions of Captain Read, all the women and 
 children but a few, who would not leave their friends, were safely 
 shipped for Auckland and Napier on the night of the 10th. 
 During that day, Captain Read toiled for many hours to overtake 
 two vessels in sight, and by his means the female part of the com- 
 munity were placed out of danger, and by his directions, there 
 being no one else left to take command until Lieut. Gascoigne ar- 
 rived, the redoubts were provisioned and prepared for defence 
 from the threatened attack on the morrow. That night of the 
 10th will never be forgotten by the survivors of Poverty Bay. 
 The whole plain was lit up by blazing homesteads, which illumi- 
 nated the entire horizon, and enabled the pensive settlers cooped 
 in the redoubt to trace the passage of the vessels far out to sea 
 which were carrying away those loved ones they might see no 
 more. 
 
 Every man who had them stood to his arms and lined the para- 
 pets that night. About half the garrison was armed, including 
 the " friendlies." Little dependence was placed in the native 
 allies, as it was evident from their demeanour and language they
 
 28 
 
 had no stomach for fighting. Afterwards, when reinforcement! 
 arrived, they plucked up a little more courage, but, as a rule, the 
 friendly natives of Poverty Bay took care never to expose them- 
 selves. In the subsequent fighting with Te Eooti they had little 
 if any share, which was reserved for the Ngatikahungunu and Nga- 
 tiporou tribes. 
 
 A faint outline has thus been given of events that occurred at 
 the massacre of Poverty Bay. Some of the deeds perpetrated 
 cannot be even hinted at, and will never be generally known until 
 the great day of reckoning. Of the destruction of property, it is 
 sufficient to say the settlement of Poverty Bay, with the exception 
 of Turanganui and four or five houses, was annihilated ; even the 
 few houses left inland were gutted of their contents. Former visitors 
 would scarcely recognize the district ; friendly natives and Euro- 
 peans alike suffered ; cultivations and gardens have been swept 
 away, and, most of the fences having been destroyed, live stock 
 have been dispersed in all directions. The fertile lands, unsur- 
 passed by any in the colony, now lie deserted and waste ; and the 
 few survivors, huddled together as close as possible near the coast, 
 have been forced to build a blockhouse upon the margin of the 
 sea ; and the spot upon which Turanganui stands repre3ents as 
 much of the Poverty Bay district as the colony can fairly call its 
 own. 
 
 It has been shewn that this massacre was brought on by the 
 refusal of ministers to listen to repeated warnings. They were 
 told by Mr. M'Lean and others what would ensue if Fraser's force 
 was withdrawn from the East Coast. There is good reason to be- 
 lieve ministers were influenced by envy of Mr. M 'Lean's unrivalled 
 influence with the natives, and they have proved, by the animus 
 shewn in their later dealings with that gentleman, an exhibition of 
 petty spite and malevolence which have never been surpassed in 
 the annals of New Zealand. 
 
 Nor are ministers alone to blame for such a sad calamity. There 
 can be little doubt that it was mainly owing to the representations 
 of their creature and tool, the officer commanding the forces, that 
 Fraser's force was withdrawn when most wanted. Colonel Whit- 
 more, by his arrogant, insulting demeanour, had deeply offended 
 almost the entire population, European and native, of Poverty 
 Bay. After his disastrous defeat at Uuakiture, the Poverty Bay 
 ettlers were the first to expose what has since been demonstrated
 
 29 
 
 his utter unfitness for command ; and he never forgave them or 
 lost an opportunity of venting his petty spleen ^chen be safely 
 could. It is well known that previous to Ruakitnre he addressed 
 a flattering "order of the day" to those Poverty Bay settlers who 
 accompanied him upon that disgraceful expedition, and that after- 
 wards, in the Legislative Council, he gave them unlimited abuse. 
 
 Intelligence of the Poverty Bay massacre was received every- 
 where with feelings of horror for the victims, and commiseration 
 for the unhappy survivors. The Province of Hawke's Bay came 
 forward with a large subscription, and immediate aid for those who 
 were most in want of assistance ; one lady, Mrs. Tiffen, raised a 
 large sum in two or three days. Taranaki the ruined sent a beau- 
 tiful and touching address of condolence, with offers of assistance. 
 The kindness was keenly felt, though the assistance was gratefully 
 declined for the reason that Taranaki out of her slender means 
 was already supporting many people who had lost their all in that 
 province. The distant province of Otago offered homes to the 
 survivors ; and Auckland subscribed munificently. Other provinces 
 aided in the good Samaritan work ; but it must be said that Hawke'c 
 Bay, a small province with not a numerous population, exerted 
 herself to relieve so much distress with a benevolence and energy 
 rarely seen ; and it was natural it should be so, for the Hawke'i 
 Bay people saw what others at a distance could not see, and reflected 
 that the sad fate of Poverty Bay might some day become their own. 
 
 CHAPTER VIH. 
 
 NATIVE ALLIES MAKEKETU COLONEL LAMBERT AND GOVERNMENT 
 VICTORY PURSUIT. 
 
 A DETAILED account of subsequent measures taken to punish the 
 assassins lies not within the compass of this little work. The 
 future historian will find ample materials for the interesting task 
 whenever it becomes desirable to use them. At present it may 
 suffice to summarise those operations which resulted in the capture 
 of the mountain fortress Ngatapa, and led to other massacres by 
 Te Kooti. 
 
 Intelligence of the raid and massacre at Poverty Bay reached 
 Napier on the llth November, one day after the outbreak. On
 
 so 
 
 receipt of the news, his Honor D. M'Lean, Esq., Superintendent 
 of Ilawke's Bay province, and General Government Agent for the 
 East Coast, immediately took steps for the relief of the survivors 
 of the massacre and the capture of the murderers. So vigorons 
 were his measures, that by the 13th the garrison in Wilson's 
 redoubt at Turanganui had been largely reinforced, and other 
 active operations commenced, which caused Te Kooti to retire at 
 once to Patutahi by the way he came. Taking with him the plunder 
 of Poverty Bay, and strengthened by nearly the whole native popu- 
 lation, Te Kooti retreated to a position named Makeretu. This 
 position consists of three low hills forming a triangle, bounded on 
 two sides by a river, and on the third by scrubby hills. Here Te 
 Kooti entrenched himself with rifle pits and other defensive works. 
 He was overtaken on the 23rd by a force of 250 loyal natives 
 despatched by Mr. M'Lean. Te Kooti was taken completely by 
 surprise, and driven from his camp, which was somewhat in advance 
 of the position. It was thought Te Kooti lost about thirty men, 
 but as the country around Makeretu for miles is covered witb 
 impenetrable manuka scrub, his loss was not accurately determined. 
 On our side the fighting was done by Ngatikahungunu, Hawke's Bay 
 natives, under Tareha and other chiefs. A dozen European and 
 half-caste scouts led by Lieut. Gascoigne assisted. 
 
 It had been arranged by Mr. M'Lean that 300 natives were to 
 advance from Wairoa, and attack Te Kooti in the rear simul- 
 taneously with Tareha's charge in the front, and orders had been 
 accordingly sent to Major Lambert at Wairoa ; but Major Lambert, 
 acting under instructions from ministers at Wellington, refused to 
 obey. The result was, Te Kooti escaped what might have been 
 certain capture if Mr. M'Lean's skilfully-conceived plan had not 
 been frustrated by Colonel Haultain and his coadjutors. After- 
 wards, when too late, Lambert was ordered to carry out Mr. 
 M'Lean's directions. In the interim. Te Kooti somewhat altered 
 his arrangements, but still retained Makeretu as the key of his 
 new position. 
 
 Finding himself getting short of ammunition, Te Kooti planned 
 a bold scheme to obtain some at our expense. On the 27th No- 
 vember, about 8 a.m., he contrived, at the head of 60 men, to get 
 in the rear of Tareha's force unperceived, and intercepted a con- 
 voy of stores proceeding to Tareha's camp. The escort being 
 overmatched by three to one, and badly armed, were forced to re~
 
 81 
 
 treat, and the depot at Patutahi fell into Te Kooti'* hands. 16,100 
 rounds of ammunition and a large supply of food stores were 
 captured by Te Kooti on this occasion, and communication was 
 cut off for several days between Turanganui and the force at the 
 front. 
 
 On the 3rd December, the men composing the Wairoa expedi- 
 tion arrived. They were of the brave Ngatiporou tribe, and were 
 commanded by Ropata, the chief who, it will be remembered, as- 
 sisted Biggs to capture 500 Hauhaus at Hungahungatoroa, in Mr. 
 M 'Lean's East Coast campaign of 1865. Upon his arrival at 
 Makeretu, Rapata announced that he would rest his men for two 
 days, after their fatiguing march. The announcement was a ruse 
 to disguise his real intentions from native traitors who might be in 
 bis camp. An hour afterwards, Rapata stormed the enemy's posi- 
 tion, and Te Kooti was forced to abandon Makeretu with heavy 
 loss in men. It was not until some time after that the true nature 
 of this gallant affair became manifest. It was thought 40, or at 
 the most 50, men of the enemy had fallen ; ultimately 97 bodies of 
 the enemy were recovered, amongst them 14 chiefs, one of whom, 
 named Nama, had been a turbulent and dangerous man. Most of 
 the bodies were found in dense scrub, and there can be no doubt 
 many more were killed besides those recovered. On the night of 
 the day that the fight took place at Makeretu, the enemy re- 
 treated to an almost inaccessible mountain stronghold, named 
 Ngatnpa, whilst the force commanded by Rapata pressed forward 
 in pursuit. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 UGATAPA DESCRIPTION GARRISON AT THE CROW'S NEST BAPATA's 
 ADVANCE IN THE TRENCHES AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE " 8KB 
 THE CONQUERING HERO COMES." 
 
 NOATAPA, to which Te Kooti retired after his severe defeat at 
 Makeretu, is about 45 miles from Turanganui. It is a wooded 
 mountain, whose summit is about 2500 feet above the level of the 
 sea. The pa derived its name from the mountain on which it 
 stood, and crowned its crest, which is surrounded on three sides 
 by steep cliffs of great altitude. On the side looking towarda 
 Poverty Bay the ground sloped away on this the only approach to
 
 32 
 
 Ngatapa. The pa covered an area of about an acre and a quar- 
 ter, and occupied the site of an ancient hill fort. The mountain 
 is wooded to within 1 50 yards of the ruined pa. 
 
 The existence of Ngatapa was not suspected until discovered 
 by Rapata in his pursuit of Te Kooti. It was then found that by 
 strongly fortifying its only assailable side, Te Kooti had created a 
 fortress which is believed by all who saw it to have been the 
 strongest in New Zealand. Works of great magnitude protected 
 the vulnerable side ; they comprised three great earth-banks, run- 
 ning from side to side of the hill, powerful palisades, and deep 
 trenches parallel with the earth -banks, which were about 15 feet 
 in height, and placed one behind the other. There were also 
 underground passages to facilitate communication between the 
 trenches. The interior of the pa was a maze of rifle-pits, so ar- 
 ranged that a heavy fire could be concentrated upon any one pit, 
 in the event of an attempt being made to storm the pa. Outside 
 the pa, a space had been cleared for some distance in front by 
 cutting down timber. The tree stumps had been left standing for 
 three feet above ground, and the branches strewed between. The 
 object was to prevent a night rush upon Ngatapa. 
 
 The mountain is surrounded in almost every direction by forest 
 extending to an illimitable distance, and the entire district for 
 many miles around is cut up by precipitous mountain ranges and 
 profound ravines. Ngatapa mountain rears itself unconnected 
 with neighbouring hills, from which it is separated by chasm-like 
 gullies. No drawing can convey an idea of its tremendous 
 strength, because a complete view of Ngatapa cannot be obtained 
 from its base. 
 
 Events will prove Te Kooti retired to Ngatapa with not less 
 than 400 men. He had forwarded on the women and children, 
 amounting to 200, some days before his defeat at Makeretu. The 
 women and children were set to work to strengthen the fortifica- 
 tions of Ngatapa, and to dig fern root to increase the supply of 
 provisions, of which at this time the garrison were by no means 
 deficient. 
 
 The distance to Ngatapa is six miles from Makeretu, through a 
 very difficult country ; the last two and a half miles are the worst. 
 About half a mile from the pa, at a point termed the Crows' Nest, 
 the ground improves, until emerging from the bush at 200 yards' 
 distance from Ngatapa pa. At this point the ruins of the pa may
 
 38 
 
 be seen situated upon a lofty mound. Between the Crows' Nest 
 and the pa the track is traversed by consecutive lines of rifle-pits. 
 On the 3rd December, Rapata and 70 of his men reached the 
 Crows' Nest, and by sundown had fought his way through the 
 intervening rifle-pits to within a few hundred yards of Ngatapa. 
 That night Rapata stormed the two lower trenches, and despatched 
 a messenger for reinforcements. By some mistake, they did not 
 arrive ; and after retaining the important position he had so bravely 
 won until noon of the 4th, Rapata was constrained to withdraw ; 
 but the enemy stood in such awe of 'him and his men, that they 
 made no effort to bar his retreat. 
 
 There had been a slight misunderstanding between the Ngati- 
 porou and Ngatikahungunu tribes, which may have affected Rapata'g 
 arrangements. It was about to be rectified indeed, both tribes 
 were about to make a combined attack on Ngatapa, when the 
 arrival of Colonel Whitmore rendered Rapata' s plans nugatory. 
 The natives, almost to a man, disliked Whitmore's domineering 
 disposition. However, they subsequently served with him ; but 
 they fought under and received orders from their chiefs, who mainly 
 arranged the plan of the seige and effected the capture of Ngatapa. 
 
 Wbitmore assumed command of Poverty Bay district on 4th 
 December. Of his reception in the district he had so greatly 
 injured, the less said the better. This much, however, may be 
 observed : he had been forced upon the district much against its 
 will. His credentials had not improved since his first visit, but 
 were much the worse for wear. He had in the interim been inva- 
 riably defeated on the West Coast, and had retired with over- 
 whelming forces before a despicable foe, leaving a wealthy, extensive 
 district to be ravaged by Titokowaru. It was felt he had been 
 despatched to reap laurels he knew not how to win, and by so 
 doing prove that ministers bad wisely selected their man; for if the 
 current opinion could be diverted from its true course, ministers 
 might hope the colony would endorse their pitiful policy. 
 
 On the 5th December Whitmore marched to the front ; by 
 the 9th he had returned. In the interval he had marched over a few 
 miles of fine, easy country, chiefly level. Beyond this promenade, 
 he made no attempt to find the enemy. Scouts who had been out 
 reported fires in the direction of Ngatapa, and Whitmore gave out 
 the enemy had retired to the interior. On the 10th the Con- 
 tabulury were stationed at Makaraka, three miles from Turanganui;
 
 34 
 
 the natives were paid off, and half the whites. Whitmore had 
 brought 400 men from Wanganui : since their arrival they had not 
 fired a shot. And now the expedition was at an end. 
 
 It has been shewn how the Poverty Bay land question remained 
 unsettled. Here was a chance for ministers. Te Kooti had been 
 beaten by Whitmore no, not by him, by Rapata, but it was all 
 the same ; ^ great many of the native owners had been killed by 
 Te Kooti ; he himself had disappeared. Natives likely to be 
 troublesome had been sent a^way, and Whitmore was present with, 
 400 men to overawe dissentients. Operations accordingly com- 
 menced. At this time Te Kooti's fires were seen not far distant ; 
 however, the land settlement was proceeded with until the arrival 
 of a newspaper which commented severely upon the proceedings. 
 By this time it had been decided to embark the Constabulary once 
 more for the West Coast. The settlers now became alarmed at 
 the state of affairs, and a deputation waited on Whitmore on the 
 12th, to learn if they were to be entirely abandoned. After much 
 demur, it was agreed to leave 50 of the Constabulary. On the 
 same day most of the European forces concentrated at Turanganui 
 for shipment, and the first batch embarked on board the Sturt. 
 In leaving the river the steamer sprung a leak, and had to put 
 back. In the evening of that day too, some settlers struck off the 
 militia roll departed for their former homes. At sundown a deserter 
 from Te Kooti arrived and reported Te Kooti, at the head of 250 
 men or more, was in Poverty Bay. 
 
 The following morning, just before mid-day, a native arrived 
 with news that one European and three boys had been murdered 
 and horribly mutilated at Pipiwhakau, about four miles from 
 Whitmore's camp at Makaraka, on the open plain. The intel- 
 ligence was, alas ! too true. 
 
 Whilst 400 men had been kept inactive, the enemy had boldly 
 come down and murdered the unfortunate victims in sight of 
 Makaraka. About this time, Richmond telegraphed to Welling- 
 ton, saying it would be " time enough to strike a blow on the 
 East Coast five or six months hence." As a commentary on this 
 valuable telegram, on the 13th, or day of the Pipiwhakau murders, 
 a party of the enemy attacked and put to flight about 20 of our 
 scouts, despatched the evening before to scour the Patutahi track. 
 Had Te Kooti remained quiet for a few days, until the steamers 
 departed with the forces, he might have slam every soul in Poverty
 
 35 
 
 Bay. The providential accident that delayed the Sturt alone pre- 
 vented such a dreadful catastrophe. 
 
 The Pipiwhakau business effectually cleared the mist from the 
 eyes of Messrs. Richmond and Whitmore, and from this date we 
 may trace the real pursuit of Te Kooti. It required four more 
 victims before it was set about, but it was initiated at last. The 
 Constabulary were ordered to Patutahi, the Militia were re- 
 enrolled, and the natives recalled. Rapata was once more in 
 requisition, and, though severely ill, came forward at the call of 
 duty. He became the life and soul of the later expedition, and 
 brought it to a successful issue. 
 
 Much valuable time was lost by Colonel Whitmore, but by the 
 28th December the force, amounting to about 800 Europeans and 
 natives, was concentrated at Ngatapa. Light cohorns were car- 
 ried to the front, as were large supplies of ammunition and pro- 
 visions. The enemy was known to be deficient of both. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 BEFORE NGATAPA WHO TOOK UP POSITION NIL DESPERANDUM 
 WHO STORMED THE TRENCHES " OH ! MY UNLUCKY STAR" AS 
 USUAL WHITMORE LOOKS ON WHILE THE HERO PURSUES 
 RESULTS "PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT." 
 
 RAPATA was absent on Whitmore's arrival before Ngatapa, and 
 Whitmore could do nothing unless Rapata was present, and 
 waited accordingly. That chief had been sick, and was slowly 
 recovering. On his appearance at the front, Rapata at once led 
 the way, by advancing gallantly within 50 yards of Ngatapa, un- 
 perceived by the garrison. He immediately seized the advantage, 
 and entrenched a part of his men to the right of the pa by its only 
 approach ; then hurrying to the left of Ngatapa, prepared in like 
 manner to fortify himself, when he was discovered by the enemy, 
 who rushed from the pa pell-mell to drive him off, falling over 
 each other in their eagerness. Extending his men in a line, he
 
 36 
 
 advanced at their head with a steadiness and courage which 
 elicited a burst of admiration from the European force, that, by 
 orders from Whitmore watched the advance from a safe distance. 
 The enemy were at length forced to retreat into Ngatapa, and 
 opened a heavy tire from the triple tier of trenches. This affair 
 occurred towards night, and is said to have been an interesting 
 and beautiful sight. 
 
 The siege continued until January 5th. The garrison became 
 nearly starved, and were driven to such desperation that some of 
 them leaped from the cliffs, preferring death to being taken alive. 
 The pa was at one time completely invested, and not a man could 
 have escaped if proper precautions had been taken. On the 3rd, 
 the water supply was cut off. Several desperate attempts had 
 been made to break through the encircling lines, in one or two 
 instances with partial success, proving that the pa was thoroughly 
 surrounded, and that a strict watch only was required to starve 
 the enemy into a surrender. So well were the garrison aware of 
 this that they repeatedly urged our native allies to depart, saying 
 it ought not to be a fight between Maoris, and that they could 
 easily beat Whitmore if Rapata would go away. 
 
 At noon on the 4th, Rapata stormed the lower trench without 
 European assistance, except a covering fire, and Whitmore looking 
 on at some distance. That night, Colonel Whitmore was warned 
 that the enemy would escape. He appears to have lost his senses, 
 repeatedly starting up with apostrophes to his " unlucky star." 
 It had been arranged that Ngatapa should be stormed on the fol- 
 lowing morning at daylight. Just before dawn of the 5th, a 
 woman cried from the pa that the garrison were escaping. The 
 pa was rushed, but the Hauhaus were gone. 200 women and 
 children and 7 men were taken. The men were shot. 57 dead 
 bodies were found. It was likewise found the enemy had escaped 
 at the exact spot to which Whitmore's attention had been drawn. 
 
 Unaccompanied by Whitmore or any of the Europeans, Rapata 
 started in pursuit of the flying Hauhaus. For a week he chased 
 the enemy through one of the wildest regions in New Zealand. 
 He overtook and killed 80 men, and captured 50 prisoners. 150 
 fighting men or more must have got away with Te Kooti, half of 
 whom were perhaps Chatham Island prisoners.
 
 37 
 
 By the end of January, 1869, Whitmore and his men had left 
 Poverty Bay. Before their departure a meeting of Poverty Bay 
 settlers was held, to consider once more the state of affairs. At 
 this time, January 9, Te Kooti's fires were visible by night on the 
 inland Opotiki track, and Te Waru was known to be not far from, 
 Puketapu. At the meeting Mr. Richmond informed his audience 
 that it was perfectly safe for them to return to their estates ; but 
 the statement, like his Pipiwhakau telegram, has not been verified 
 by subsequent events. On the 18th a New Zealand Gazette 
 appeared, with a list of promotions for Ngatapa. Every one 
 looked for the name of Rapata, and found instead that of a needy 
 relative of Whitmore. Nothing was done for Mr. Edward Harnlin, 
 a gentleman who, bedides laboring very hard at his avocation as an 
 interpreter, had worked like a cart-horse to expedite the transit 
 of ammunition and stores to Ngatapa ; but others were mentioned 
 who did little worth speaking of. Previous to leaving Poverty 
 Bay, Colonel Whitmora sold a number of horses the Government 
 property to a gentleman to whom he was indebted, for a nominal 
 sum (l per head), when those horses might have realised 7 or 
 8 if offered for public competition. It is but fair to say, how- 
 ever, that Mr. G. Smith, the purchaser of those horses, was unaware 
 that the transaction was at all irregular. 
 
 Thus ended Whitmore's East Coast campaign of 1868-9. During 
 its progress a great deal of public money had been squandered, and 
 it appropriately ended with a sacrifice of the public property by 
 the commanding officer. Whitmore's despatches, as usual, claimed 
 the chief .merit of the success for himself, though the success was 
 unquestionably due to Mr. M'Lean, in the first place, and in the 
 next to Rapata. By Mr. M'Lean the native force was organised, 
 and the campaign initiated ; by him Rapata's sterling qualities 
 were discovered and utilised for the colony. 
 
 But for Rapata, Ngatapa would never have been taken. He 
 discovered the pa and its intricate approaches; he took up position; 
 chiefly arranged the plan for cutting off the retreat of its garrison ; 
 stormed the trenches ; and but for Whitmore's incompetence, would 
 have captured every soul in Ngatapa. Of 230 Hauhaus killed in 
 this campaign, 180 were slain by Rapata and his men, assisted by 
 half a dozen Europeans ; half the remaining 50, it may be fairly
 
 38 
 
 assumed, were destroyed by Rapa"ta and his people, leaving 25 as 
 Whitmore's share. All the prisoners were captured by Rapata. 
 
 To the fall of Ngatapa we may ascribe that improvement in the 
 morale of the Constabulary which has been visible ever since that 
 pa was captured. Whitmore's interminable failures, unredeemed 
 by even a partial gleam of success, had taught his men to look 
 forward to defeat as an inevitable consequence of his tactics, if 
 they may be termed such. It was a familiar saying amongst the 
 men after ISTgatapa, that " they would follow Rapata anywhere." 
 They had been accustomed to retire before a contemptible foe, 
 and Rapata had shewn them how to reverse the practice. 
 
 Injudicious friends of Colonel Whitmore have praised him for 
 qualities he can never possess. The best friend of that officer is 
 he who points out those defects which mar his efforts to serve the 
 colony. He has been praised for the state of efficiency to which 
 he is said to have brought the troops ; but, notwithstanding a 
 saying to the contrary, it is possible to have " too much of a good 
 thing." On some occasions, it is well known, the men have been 
 so worn out by the unmerciful exactions to which they have been 
 subjected by Whitmore's ideas of discipline, that they were 
 utterly unfit to take the field. They dare not complain ; for should 
 one of them presume to write to a newspaper on the subject, and 
 the name of the writer be known to Whitmore, expulsion from 
 the Constabulary as a " dirty bird" would be the probable conse- 
 quence. There is no doubt the colony has lost the services of 
 good men in this way, and no one seems inclined to put a stop to 
 such a state of affairs. 
 
 It must be confessed the colony has not gained much by re- 
 taining Colonel Whitmore in command. It is said he supplanted 
 Colonel M'Donnell at the very time he was writing to the news- 
 papers in M'DonnelFs defence. It is further stated that docu- 
 ments exist to prove the fact, and, looking at the close connection 
 that exists between the Defence Minister and Colonel Whitmore, 
 it is not unlikely. Yet Colonel M'Donnell did much good service 
 for the colony. He never allowed Titokowaru to ruin an exten- 
 sive district, and drive the European force before him like a flock 
 of sheep ; nor is it probable M'Donnell would have permitted the
 
 39 
 
 fiend-like cannibal to escape with impunity had he been in com- 
 
 mand of Whitmore's large force. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 SETTLING THE LAND QUESTION " THEKE IS NO SURE FOUNDATION 
 BUILT IN BLOOD " COLLAPSE OF NATIVE POLICY ON WEST COAST 
 SEALED ORDERS WHAKATANE MOHAKA. 
 
 THE writer would fain draw a veil over subsequent proceedings at 
 Poverty Bay, but important interests are at stake which would 
 render concealment criminal. It may suffice, however, for the 
 present to say that once more a settlement of the land question 
 was attempted. Combined with what ministers represent as 
 Whitmore's victory at Ngatapa, the settlement of a difficult ques- 
 tion might have some effect in disposing a bamboozled colony to 
 forget the West Coast disasters. Accordingly, Government set 
 to work to accomplish their purpose at any sacrifice of principle. 
 Between November, 1868, and February, 1869, many prisoners 
 known to be implicated in the murders were captured, some of 
 them related to professedly loyal chiefs and to quondam Hauhaus 
 of 1 865. With the view of securing the adhesion of the latter, 
 their relatives were permitted to escape, after mock, and in some 
 cases secret, examinations. In some cases evidence was tendered 
 that criminated the accused, but it was refused. Again, the as- 
 sistance of known or suspected Hauhaus was resorted to in settling 
 the land question. The result was, that by the end of March, 
 1869, many murderers had got off, of whose guilt there was no 
 question, and men were employed by Government who should 
 have been committed to close custody. Even the spies who guided 
 the murderers to the slaughter of Major Biggs' family, the Wilsons, 
 and others were set at liberty. One of those spies was Karepa, a 
 noted scoundrel, son to the Hauhau chief Tamihana Ruatapu, 
 whose influence in the land question was of some importance. 
 Other perversions of justice were permitted, until everything con- 
 nected with these singular transactions stank in the nostrils of all
 
 40 
 
 but those who, from interested motives, shut their eyes or looked 
 on in silence. 
 
 In the interim, Whitmore, on the West Coast, had done little 
 to reverse the popular opinion respecting his merits. His notori- 
 ous infirmity of temper had disgusted our native allies, who ac- 
 cused him to the Governor before his face at Wanganui. Things, 
 indeed, had come to such a pass that natives refused to re-enlist 
 after their time expired, unless unheard-of privileges were con- 
 ceded ; and as the state of the colony would not permit such con- 
 cessions, and ministers feared it might be discovered that their 
 native policy, such as it was, had utterly broken down, they de- 
 cided to denude the East Coast of its only available force Rapa- 
 ta's and other tribes. Knowing that the Government agent, Mr. 
 M'Lean, would object to a step which would enable Te Kooti, 
 known at that time (March, 1869) to have been largely reinforced, 
 to attack and destroy East Coast settlements in detail, ministers 
 despatched a steamer, under sealed orders, direct to the East Cape, 
 and by misrepresentations induced Rapata and a portion of the 
 Ngatiporou tribe to embark for the West Coast. The true nature 
 of the transaction may be understood if it is remembered that 
 ministers are supposed to confer with the General Government 
 agents upon all matters seriously affecting the interests of their 
 districts. Fortunately, as it proved, the steamer was forced to 
 call at Napier for coals. At an interview which followed between 
 Mr. M'Lean and Rapata, both learned the deception that had 
 been practised. From Mr. M'Lean, Rapata also learned that Te 
 Kooti was in force, and meditated an immediate attack somewhere 
 upon the East Coast. Rapata, upon this, decided not to abandon 
 the East Coast settlements at such an alarming crisis, and Mr. 
 M'Lean, knowing that mischief was impending, approved of Ra- 
 pata's decision. For this Mr. M'Lean was deprived of his agency, 
 in insulting terms ; but events have since justified his wisdom and 
 foresight. Following hard upon the notice of his dismissal, came 
 intelligence of the destruction of Whakatane, and many murders 
 of loyal natives and Europeans. Early in April, the butchery at 
 Mohaka occurred, in which 47 friendly natives and 7 Europeans 
 perished, and the settlement was destroyed. The Mohaka mas- 
 sacre was perpetrated only three weeks and one day after the 
 dismissal of Mr. M'Lean ; and the belief universally entertained 
 throughout the East Coast settlements that the disasters of
 
 41 
 
 Whakatane and Mobaka would not have occurred but for that 
 ill-timed dismissal was speedily manifested by those great meet- 
 ings held at Wairoa, Napier, Meanee, and Waipukurau, to de- 
 nounce the action taken by Ministers ; nor have those natives been 
 backward in the expression of their sentiments, who, aided by a 
 few whites, won for the colony the unexampled successes of 1865-6, 
 and the later triumph of Ngatapa. To them Mr. M%ean has 
 been the wise counsellor and firm friend, who has alone taught 
 them to live at peace with the European race. The depth of 
 their regret has been shewn in numerous gatherings and deputa- 
 tions from the most influential chiefs ; unfortunately, neither are 
 likely to dissipate the suspicious distrust that has fastened upon 
 the native mind, in consequence of the suicidal course pursued by 
 the Stafford Ministry. 
 
 Printed and Published by JAMES WOOD, of Napier, at his Printing Office, 
 Tennyson-street, Napier, Hawke's Bay.
 
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