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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 9 (December 2, 1935)

A Gentleman's War

A Gentleman's War.

Heke's war was waged in a knightly fashion strange to remember in these unchivalrous days. When the troops marched inland against him in 1845, he regarded them in a semi-friendly way, not at all the manner of a professional soldier. He laid no ambuscades; he cut no communications; he waylaid no supply convoys. Some of his young men even took pity on the soldiers and gave them assistance in the bush. He did not interfere with non-combatants; in fact, he made the war something like a chivalrous tournament. The heavily-equipped soldiers were helpless in the bush; they could all have been cut off and destroyed had the Maoris been so inclined. There was no fighting at night. Civilised nations have changed all that!

Heke is the popular hero of the North even to-day. He was the hero of most of the Maori tribes when the news of the war went forth. Mention of Heke brings tears of affection to many Ngapuhi eyes to-day. And so with his lamented grand-nephew, the late Hone Heke, for many years M.P. for the Northern Maori district. He was adored by his people of Kaikohe and other centres of the old tradition.