INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
[Image of page 7]
THE WAR IN TARANAKI.
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
Description of Taranaki--Iron Sand--Population--Character of the Natives--Parallels with other primitive races--Their civilization very limited--Origin of the present bad feeling between the two races--The present evils caused by the temporising policy with which the Natives have been treated.
THE beautiful district of Taranaki, which has been laid waste by the unfortunate Native insurrection of 1860 and 1861, is situated on the West coast of the Northern Island of New Zealand, in latitude 39 deg. 1' South, longitude 174 deg. 15' East; being by sea 180 miles from Wellington, 120 from Auckland, and about 1,300 miles from the leading harbours of Australia.
Taranaki, or New Plymouth, was founded as a small farm settlement by the Plymouth Company in the year 1841. The scenery around the settlement is picturesque and beautiful in the extreme.
Waitara is prettily situated about 10 miles northwards of the town, 1 whence, passing southwards to the Mangoraka river, the physical character of the country may be described as a series of large flats, covered with a luxuriant growth of fern and tutu bushes, intersected in almost every direction by gullies, rivulets, and swamps. Similar to most other countries that have been disturbed by volcanic action, the surface of the plains abound with hillocks or mounds of considerable height; whilst here and there are clumps of the beautiful green karaka bushes, arising amidst the fern
[Image of page 8]
like the Oases in the desert. The whole country inland between the two rivers, for about two miles beyond Huirangi, bears evidence of recent formation, consisting, as it does, of alluvial and diluvial soils, with much timber imbedded, to the depth of thirty or forty feet; the trees chiefly met with being pukatea, the timber of which quickly rots.
A short distance from the banks of the Waitara are perpendicular cliffs of magnesian limestone, between which and the water are large fertile flats, covered with forest, low manuka scrub, or tutu and common fern; the latter is often to be met with upwards of 15 feet in height, whilst in all directions the graceful fern trees with their gigantic leaves cast forth their shadows. On many of these flats, so tangled is the luxuriant vegetable growth, that it would be barely possible for a man to pass through it.
From the Mangoraka to the town of New Plymouth the country is less level, and far more broken with gullies and ravines; thence to Waireka there are several steep hills and deep valleys.
On a clear, bright New Zealand morning the view from the summit of the Waireka is truly sublime; inland, we have Mount Egmont, its cone-like shape standing out in relief with a bold and well defined outline; at its base, dense forests with their dark green foliage, forming a striking contrast with its snow-clad summit. The eye, after passing the Bell Block and over the luxuriant flats of the Waitara, rests upon the snowy mountains in the far North.
Immediately around the Waireka the country is much broken, and intersected with gullies as far as the steep cliffs or sand hills that take their rise on the sea coast.
Towards the South the Oakura and Tataraimaka districts, with their plateaus and white cliffs, are visible; beyond this, the country is occasionally broken by sand hills and ravines; but the greater portion as far as Warea consists of rich flax-covered flats, capable of yielding support and employment to an industrious community.
The whole country, from the Waitara to the Warea, is bounded by an inland belt of forest, averaging about three or four miles distance from the sea coast.
Taranaki, both from climate and soil, is peculiarly fitted for
[Image of page 9]
agricultural pursuits; the upper stratum consists of black, decomposed vegetable matter, beneath which is a red subsoil, formed from the decomposition of the trachytic rocks. Throughout the district the titaniferous iron sand is abundantly disseminated, and wherever any portion of earth is exposed to the action of running water the sand, from its superior gravity, is left behind.
The beach that forms the seaward boundary of the settlement contains an endless amount of rich iron sand, unsurpassed in quality, fitted without further preparation for the smelting furnace. This concentration has been effected by the action of the waves, which, in their constant movements, take away the lighter particles of earth, leaving the heavier ferruginous matter behind.
The white population, prior to the war, was 2,500, which, at the usual rate of increase, would have reached at the present time to upwards of 3000.
In 1860, when many of the aged males accompanied the women and children in their migration to a land of peace, the population was reduced to 1239; notwithstanding which, the active militia force was computed at upwards of 600 men capable of bearing arms for aggressive purposes.
The Native population of New Zealand has been estimated at 56,049; Auckland having 38,269, New Plymouth 3,015, Wellington 8,099, Hawke's Bay 3,673, leaving under 4,000 for the Middle and Stewart's Island.
By tradition, it appears that the Maori has been an occupier of New Zealand only 500 years. They describe themselves as a race that came to these islands at different periods in canoes from the North East, landing first in the neighbourhood of Auckland, whence they have gradually spread themselves throughout the length and breadth of the land. Both mentally and physically are they a fine and noble race.
The Maori, like most of the primitive races, possesses an ardent love for his fatherland. We find him at the present time, startled at the gradual increase of the white population, forming land leagues and taking other precautionary steps towards preventing more territory from passing under British rule.
[Image of page 10]
In years gone by the American Indians have done the same; and even in Australia the aboriginal inhabitants, who are described as amongst the lowest grades of the human species, have evinced this feeling. Stroleski, in his interesting work, relates the following incident:--On his way to explore the country now known as Gipps' Land, he met with a tribe of blacks, one of whom came towards him with an offering of food and water. After the weary traveller had refreshed himself, his native entertainer gave him to understand that all around belonged to his tribe, and that he was to proceed no farther, but at once return from whence he came.
However much interested writers may have brought conspicuously forward the noble character of the Maories, nothing can be said of them that is not equally applicable to other savage tribes. Some lay stress on their honorable and oftentimes courteous conduct on the battle-field. What can exceed the tales related of the North American Indians, who have exhibited individual traits of nobleness unequalled even in the days of chivalry. In fact, whilst it must be allowed that they are a fine race, neither bodily or mentally can they be considered as superior to the bold denizens of the primitive forests of America.
They have quickly adapted our forms of religion because, whilst they believed in some Omnipotent Guardian of the Universe, they had no definite Gods of their own to worship.
Again, they have rapidly imbibed a certain amount of civilization, from the circumscribed country limiting their wanderings, and necessity required that their occupation as tillers of the soil should closely approximate to those of their white neighbours.
No one can doubt the Maori's power of comprehension, and, had it been possible to have consistently educated him, he might by this time have altogether cast aside his savage habits and associations; but the incongruous medium through which he has imbibed ideas of civilization has left only on his mind the advantages of worldly gain, unassociated with a love of the sublime and beautiful. What man of judgment would expect to find savages taught to appreciate the grandeur of civilization by the associating with rough, and too often unscrupulous whalers. It is true that the missionaries have effected much good, but the unfortunate divisions caused by the various
[Image of page 11]
denominations have prevented the gradually awakening mind from receiving fixed and decided principles.
Expediency, the curse of British rule, has marked all our actions with the Maori. It has been from necessity that the early Governors were compelled to keep peace with the natives by a temporizing policy. The European settlements of New Zealand were gradually populated through the means of private companies. But little law in the early stages of the colony was required; the heavier machinery of English legislation being introduced amongst the white people alone, as the prosperity of the settlers increased. As a matter of course, from opportunities derived chiefly from a higher enlightenment, connected with national energy of character, the Anglo-Saxon has far outstripped his Maori neighbour. The natives, observing this marked success, without comprehending its cause, have, from feelings of jealousy, combined to check our progress. Their teachers should impress upon them the truths handed down by history, which show how utterly impossible it is to stay the progress of civilization, and that the only way left them, of living with enjoyment in the land of their fathers, is by joining heart and hand in advancing it.
There can be no doubt that, when conflicts have ensued, the undecided, and often pusillanimous manner with which the Government have met the difficulty has done much towards giving the Maori an exaggerated confidence in his own prowess. In the early parts of the present protracted struggle, our late Governor over and over again requested the officers commanding the troops, by a decided demonstration of our superiority in arms, to convince the Maori how utterly impossible it was for him to compete with us and hope for success. Had Governor Browne's wishes been carried into effect, there is every reason to believe that the late disturbances might have ended in a confirmed peace throughout the island. None can study the history of this conflict without having their attention forcibly drawn to the fact, that no advantage gained by our military force has ever been followed up. At the very commencement an inferior number were allowed to evince their superiority in strategy by escaping from their besieged pa in the face of a superior force. After the battle at Waireka the
[Image of page 12]
beaten Southerns retired to their own country unmolested, laden with plunder. The same at Kaihihi, --again at Mahoetahi. In no one single instance were the beaten Maoris, by judicious and rapid movements on our parts, prevented from occupying fresh, and, in many cases, more advantageous positions.
