BY A POVERTY BAY SURVIVOR. “ Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant. ” 1869. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JAMES WOOD, AT HIS PRINTING OFFICE, TENNYSON-STREET, NAPIER, HAWKE’S BAY. 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...

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 ar

Turanga, or Poverty Bay, lies between the East Cape and the Mahia Peninsula. North and south, the district consists of hills, and a circlet of hills bounds the interior; the hills are partly occupied 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 is traversed by several rivers, navigable for a few miles by small craft, and is diversified by clumps of forest in al

“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 ca

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 victorio

EXILES — THEIR LANDS — A COMPLIMENT — GRATITUDE — IMBROGLIO — A SUPERINTENDENCY 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 guar

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS — PROPHETIC — RIFLEMAN — REVOLT — FOOD FOR THE FISHES — WHAREONGAONGA — A GENEROUS SEAMAN — 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. Moreover, a promise had been given, contingent on their good be

POPULATION IN 1868 — RUMORS — BIGGS AT WHAREONGAONGA — GONE TO THE BUSH — TREACHERY — PAPARATU — THE GUIDE — WHITMORE — FURIOSO — A SOLDIER’S GRAVE — CONTRADICTORY ORDERS — TANGATA KAI AT PUKETAPU. At the beginning of 1868, the inhabitants of Poverty Bay numbered 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 es

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. By the withdrawal of all the forces, Poverty Bay was left in a precarious state. No one could tell when the victorious enemy would return to avenge the repeated attacks made by us upon the ex-prisoners. Whitmore’s conduct had exasperated the friendly natives, and incr

FIRST ALARMS — TAUREKA STATION — MASSACRE — EUROPEANS — NATIVES — SUBSEQUENT MURDERS — DESTRUCTION OF 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 accustomed 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

NATIVE ALLIES — MAKERETU — 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

NGATAPA — DESCRIPTION — GARRISON — AT THE CROW’S NEST — RAPATA’S ADVANCE — IN THE TRENCHES — AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE — “SEE THE CONQUERING HERO COMES.” Ngatapa, 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

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,

SETTLING THE LAND QUESTION — “THERE 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 s