CHAPTER III. Manahi joins the Southerns, who rise in rebellion...
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CHAPTER III.
Manahi joins the Southerns, who rise in rebellion--Sympathy and assistance from the sister Provinces--Southern natives occupy positions at Ratapihipihi and Waireka, and commence pillaging--First murders--Battle of Waireka--Natives allowed quietly to return to their own country unpursued--Mr Brown and family reach town in safety--Expeditions sent out to bring in produce.
THE escape of the insurgents gave such confidence to the Southern and other tribes as at once to expedite their decision in co-operating with King. The next overland mail was defiantly interrupted on its way to Wanganui, whilst the Ngatiruanuis rapidly completed their preparations for an onslaught on the settlers.
The chief Manahi, who but a short time before had solemnly signed his allegiance to the Queen, with the greater part of his people, joined the rebels at Ratapihipihi, a native clearing near the belt of bush that forms the inland boundary of Taranaki, situated about a mile from the Omata Stockade and four from the town.
Not knowing what might be the next movement of the enemy, every precaution was taken to protect the white population. The country settlers at once sought the shelter of the stockades and town; whilst strict orders were issued to the Militia and Volunteers on no account to quit their respective stations.
On the fact of a general outbreak becoming known throughout our sister Provinces, the kindest sympathy and assistance followed. The Wellington people volunteered to raise a corps to aid in military operations; whilst Nelson offered shelter for the women, children, and aged, and sent for the use of the officer commanding her excellent
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little steamer, "Tasmanian Maid." At the same lime, nearly every town in New Zealand subscribed pecuniary assistance for those who so suddenly had been converted from agriculturists to soldiers.
Manahi had not long taken up his position ere he was joined by reinforcements from the disaffected Southerns. On the Saturday morning seventy arrived and were received in the usual way with the savage war-dance. This proved but the advanced guard of the large body then on their march to menace the country and town, so as to create a diversion in favour of King at the Waitara. Scarcely had they arrived ere they commenced ransacking the houses, killing and driving away the cattle and horses.
The next morning, notwithstanding that it was the Sabbath, a force, consisting of two companies of the 65th, who had been marched in from the Waitara on the previous evening, joined with the town division of the Militia and Volunteers, proceeded in two divisions to Manahi's naturally strong position, but returned to town without firing a shot.
Monday, the enemy's strength was gradually increasing by fresh arrivals, who spread themselves in small predatory bands to pillage and destroy throughout the country. On the Waireka hill a numerous party ensconced itself within rifle-pits and palisading, and hoisted the red flag of defiance; whence, through the bush to Manahi's position, a line of outlying picquets were stationed, and another to the sea shore; by which masterly arrangements any possibility of being suddenly outflanked or taken in the rear was effectually guarded against.
In the Omata district, closely adjoining the Waireka hill, the Rev. H. H. Brown and some few settlers, believing that the natives would not molest them, retained possession of their homesteads; and. three others--Ford, Shaw, and Passmore--wandered on private business to the bush, and were returning by the village of Omata, when Manahi with his party met and murdered them, cutting and defacing the bodies in a most ruthless manner with their tomahawks.
One of the settlers' sons, who was returning to his home adjoining Mr Brown's residence, came back to the Stockade with the intelligence that some dead men were lying on the ground, covered with blood,
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near the village inn. An armed party was immediately sent out, and the bodies of the unfortunate men, who had passed on their way in the morning, were found lying in the road. Passmore had taken with him his dray, the bullocks of which had been shot not far distant from the owner.
Two boys had also gone out in search of some milk cows, both of whom were cut and slashed in a fearful manner. These poor boys, in all probability, had often played and joked with their murderers.
The natives, after occupying Waireka hill, forbade Mr Brown or the other families to hold any communication with either the Stockade or town without special permission; at the same time assuring Mr Brown that his sacred character would protect both himself and dependents. To ensure his safety the leading chiefs tapu'd--that is, rendered sacred--his house and person, placing on the door a notice, a free translation of which is as follows:--
"Listen! Listen all the tribe. The road to our Minister must not be trodden upon, also the road to his friends, James, who is from the Kihi, to Emanuel, who is a Portuguese, to his children and wife, to Touet, with his wife and children, who are French; let the thought be light of these three tribes to their farms, to their property, let it be light; because the word has gone forth from Paratene, Hoani, and Kingi (Parenga), to those people, that we must strictly preserve them. Let there be no mistake; with us, the three tribes of Taranaki, Ngatiruanui, and Ngarauru, let it be light. That is all
From PARATENE,
" HOANI,
From KINGI,
" PORIKAPA.
"From this tribe of Ngamahanga, from us all as far as Mokotunu."
At this period no individual ground of quarrel existed between the settler and his Maori neighbour. A short time prior to the first outbreak a Warea chief, as was his custom, when on his way to town slept a night at a settler's house in Omata. The next day, whilst conversing on the probability of an outbreak, he candidly confessed that, if his people took up arms against the English, he would as much be bound to join them as we would to rally round the standard
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of our Queen. At the time several Maoris from the South had met with employment in the neighbourhood, all of whom appeared grieved at the prospect of an outbreak. One old man, in particular, on hearing the possibility of such a thing spoken of, sat down and wept bitterly, saying that he must go away and join his tribe. Thus proving that the conflict was a national one, for country and rights, and not one of revenge and hatred from personal ill-will towards the Taranaki people.
Wednesday morning, March 28th, large bodies of natives were visible from the stockade busily engaged in erecting palisading and in forming entrenchments; whilst several red flags, indicative of their desire to fight, were planted in the neighbourhood. About the middle of the day they advanced within 1,000 yards of the Stockade, firing their guns and dancing the war dance.
As might naturally be expected, these occurrences in the Omata district created painful excitement in town. So intense was the feeling of suspense as to the fate of the families still remaining in the bush, that towards noon the preconcerted signal guns were fired from Marsland Hill, the women and children sought shelter in the barracks, and No. 10 Company of the 65th, with some blue-jackets, and 120 Militia and Volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, marched out in order to rescue, or learn the fate of the absent.
The civil force, under the command of Captains Brown and Stapp, proceeded by the shore with the intention of ascending the sand-hills in rear of the enemy's position, and thus endeavour to reach Mr Brown's residence; whilst the military and small naval force marched up the inland road to act as a support.
The Militia and Volunteers had just commenced their ascent from the shore to the rising ground, 1 when the enemy in great force opened fire from the cover of the flax bushes and gullies that abound in the neighbourhood. Notwithstanding its being their first encounter, this untried force still advanced, and succeeded in fighting its way, driving the enemy before them, to the open ground.
In the meantime, the military force, with a rocket tube, after
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passing the Omata Stockade, and receiving a reinforcement of 18 volunteers, had been drawn up in a paddock; from whence rockets were thrown into the pa on the hill, and detachments sent to the edge of the gullies, so as to prevent the natives from surrounding the civil force, that was hotly engaged immediately under the rising ground upon which the pa had been constructed. After the conflict had lasted some time, and the sun was fast sinking, reports reached the civilians that the soldiers had withdrawn and returned to town, and that they were left, short of ammunition, to their fate. Nothing daunted, the little band collected their wounded and dead, taking possession of a small thatched house, which, by throwing up breastworks around and lining the interior with straw, they soon rendered sufficiently strong to withstand, at least for some time, the determined onslaught. Here the leaders deemed it best to stay until the setting of the moon, so as to have the advantage of darkness to cover their retreat.
Some time after the first force left the town, Captain Cracroft landed from the Niger, with sixty sailors and marines, and immediately marched towards Omata, arriving at the Stockade late in the afternoon, from whence three volunteers-- F. Mace and C. and E. Messenger -- joined him as guides. About dusk, having previously fired some few rockets from the Omata Village, he descended into the valley of the Waireka. Cautiously and silently ascending the opposite hill, he rushed upon the pa, taking the pa and killing many of the enemy, when, finding no one to support him, he marched back with his wounded to town.
The excitement and distress of the relatives and friends of those who had gone out with the expedition, on the military returning to town without them, it is far easier to conceive than to describe. About eleven at night another volunteer force, consisting of military, sailors, and civilians, was despatched in search of the absent. They had not proceeded far when the two forces met each other with reiterated cheers, and marched into town amidst the welcomes of sisters, mothers, and wives.
The Volunteers and Militia of Taranaki in this, their first essay, succeeded, cumbered as they were with their wounded, in effecting an
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orderly and safe retreat. The casualties were--three soldiers, three sailors, and nine civilians. The loss on the part of the enemy in this engagement must have been great. The correct number of killed and wounded in all probability will never transpire: the Maori appreciates a defeat in proportion to the amount of his loss, and, consequently, is always desirous of keeping secret his casualties.
Content with this decided thrashing, the Maoris, the next day, after collecting several cartsful of dead, besides burying many on the field, took their departure about two o'clock in the afternoon for their own country. On the road they met with another body of Ngatiruanuis, who had come up to join them; but, on hearing the tale, they returned with their thoroughly crest-fallen countrymen. The roads in the neighbourhood were strewed with all sorts of plunder taken from the forsaken settlers' houses.
The numbers engaged in this affair were--English 275, Maories 460.
Again the enemy, who had thus wantonly infringed upon our boundary, committing murder and depredation, had been allowed in broad day to retire with a large amount of plunder unmolested, no force having been sent out to harass them.
The natives having thus disappeared, Mr Brown, under the escort of a body of Volunteers, succeeded in reaching town with his family and goods in safety.
The next morning the Niger steamed down the coast and shelled the native settlement of Warea; the sea being too rough to allow of a party landing.
Daily after this an escort left the town for the country to bring in the produce, such as wheat and root crops, still remaining on the farms.
The natives in small bodies continued to hover within the shelter of the bush on both sides of the town, pillaging the outsettlers' dwellings.
