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Historical Records of New Zealand South

Tuturau Pa, Capture And Re-Capture

Tuturau Pa, Capture And Re-Capture.

The capture of Tuturau pa is another memorable event of the island. The record narrative reads:—Three days journey up the Mataura River in a whale boat is a native settlement of Tuturau; a land, according to the accounts of the natives, possessing a most fertile soil, and waters containing an inexhaustible supply of eels. It possesses also a certain celebrity as being the most southerly point, gained by a body of northern natives, belonging to Rauparaha's tribe, who made their way by land to that place, with the intention of attacking the southern natives, of whom Tuawake (Tuhawaiki) is chief. I could not learn where they commenced walking, whether it was from the shores of Cook Strait or from Port Cooper (Lyttelton). However, according to the native who told me the story with great enthusiasm and much pantomimics, they were two years upon the journey, and many of them perished from cold and hunger. To support life, on some occasions, they were obliged to kill several children and ear them. At length they reached Tuturau, a dwindled and enfeebled band, but strong enough to commence an indiscriminate massacre of the few inhabitants of that village. Having accomplished this, they stepped into their place, and, fatigued with all the hardships and dangers they had encountered, they •seem for a time at least to have forgotten the original object of their expedition, and to desire repose. But, one native whom they were not aware of had made his escape, and travelling, as it may be supposed, with the utmost speed to Robucki (Ruapuke), communicated the intelligence of what had happened, and spread the alarm that Rauparaha was coming down upon them by the most unlooked-for route, Robucki (Ruapuke) was in a ferment. An immediate gathering of warriors and burnishing of arms took place, and red ochre was at a premium. They crossed to the mainland in their canoes, and made the best of their way to Tuturau. At dawn of day one fine summer's morning, after a great deal of creeping, skulking, and circumspection, they had completely surrounded the village—themselves quite invisible. The principal amongst their enemies was discovered asleep on the verandah outside his hut. Some slight noise fell on his quick ear, and he started up. He was immediately shot. The others rushed confusedly about, and were either killed or taken prisoners.—Acheron (survey ship) report, 1840.

What is here referred to is the invasion by Te Pauhi, a nephew of Te Rauparaha. Leaving Cook Strait' with a taua, or fighting force, of 70 men, accompanied by four or five women, he proceeded by way of the West Coast. There a tribe named Ngati-wai-rangi lived, with whom Te Rauparaha's tribe, the Ngatitoa, was on friendly terms. Te Pauhi expected to be largely reinforced from them, but found Ngati-wai-rangi did not approve of the expedition. Thereupon a number of Te Pauhi's men deserted, and returned to Cook Strait. A few of the Ngati-wai-rangi joined the expedition, and, on leaving, Te Pauhi's taua, numbered 100. Arriving at Awarua (Haast) River, they beached their canoes, and proceeded inland, by way of Haast Pass. At Lake Hawea they met a Ngati-mamoe eeling party. They ascertained their chief-man, with his two wives, had gone to work at Lake Wanaka. On the pretence of leading two of Te Pauhi's men thither, the chief's son succeeded in getting them entangled in deep bush, where he left them to their own resources. Making all haste, he proceeded on to where his father was camped, and advised him of what had occurred. Arming themselves, they returned to meet the two men sent in pursuit. Finding them floundering in the bush, they succeeded in killing them. Finding he had been duped, Te Pauhi exacted utu from amongst the party in his hands, and afterwards proceeded upon page 111his journey to Tuturau. They navigated the Upper Molyneux or Clutha on mokos, making down the valleys of the Mataura, by way of the poenamu (Wakatipu) country. At the mouth of the Waikaia they spent some time, recuperating and scouting. Although anxiously looked for along the coast, no one dreamt of the Te Rauparaha invasion coming from inland. Tuturau pa was therefore wholly off its guard. They were busy eeling on the river, and fell an easy prey to the invaders. Te Pauhi thought he had killed the whole pa party. In that he was mistaken. One of the number—a young man at work on the river bank—hid behind a rock, remaining concealed until dark. He then made his way to a bird-snaring party of his people at Tapanui, and informed them what had occurred. The latter struck camp and made away to Awarua (Bluff) whaling station. From thence news was despatched to the island, where Tuhawaiki and his men were. Memory of the event is still well preserved in the traditions of the island. It was the last occasiop on which oblation was offered to the god of battle, in accordance with ancient Maori custom. An immense cavern opens to the sea beach, beneath the island fortress. It may still be seen—a dark abyss, and although geological periods have elapsed since it was instinct, with the life of mighty waters, the echoswish sounds and resounds as if acting and reacting the story of its nativity. Shut up amidst these ghostly sights and sounds, the tribal tohunga or spirit medium spent the night in severe exorcisms. Outside in the open was heard the clash of arms, plaintive wails and lamentations of the Maori cronach or tangi for the dead. Departing at dawn of day, Koangaumu, or spell for weakening the enemy, was cast, and the Kitao, or invocation of the spear, on the eve of battle, spoken. Arriving at the mainland, the taua effected a landing at Owi (Fortrose). Concealing themselves during daylight, they marched under cover of night, reaching Tuturau early the morning of the third day. Being unapprehensive of danger, the inmates of the pa were caught napping, and its recapture was brought about as smartly as had been its capture. Te Pauhi and his chief men were killed; 30 in all. The others were taken prisoners, the last of whom died at Port Nicholson, 30 years ago. The date of these stirring events is set down as 1835-36. Under an arrangement with the Ngatitoa, a pakeha-Maori boatman named Macdonald succeeded in smuggling them away from the island and subsequently landed them amongst their own people at Gook Strait.—Traditions of the Tribe given in Native Land Court evidence.

[Haast River raid, as the above adventure is named, introduces us to a complexity in Southern New Zealand history. The story of a wild, untamable race of savages, said to have been living and roaming amidst the south-west coast sounds (Fiords country), has been identified with it. The eeling party met with iby Te Pauhi at Lake Wanaka disappeared, and, so far as known, no traces of them were ever found. They seem to have become alarmed at the proximity of their enemies, and sought shelter amongst these impenetrable wilds. Out of that incident efforts have been made to explain the story of the lost tribe. The fact, however, that Captain Cook met with natives in Dusky Bay proves these sounds were to some extent peopled 60 or perhaps 70 years before the raid occurred; consequently it could not have originated in that event. So completely was the story believed that in 1863-64 the then Provincial Government of Otago issued a manifesto cautioning Wakatipu diggers and others from attempting to penetrate south-west coast territories, unless well armed and in numbers sufficient to repel native" aggression. We now know these precautions were unnecessary, and that the locality was wholly innocent of the peril rumour attributed to it. The question arises, How, then, are we to account for the natives met with by Cook? Others besides him are said to have found traces of them, so that their actual existence is established beyond reasonable doubt. The following, extracted from an MS. narrative of these sounds, "their traits and traditions," written for the information of the Tourist Department by myself, is the only light I can throw on the question:—

page 112

There is something peculiar about this native question, in relation to these fiords. The idea at one time was that they were infested by gangs of untamable savages, and, as already mentioned, precautions were taken to prevent them colliding with the diggers. That there were natives in the Sounds, or, at all events, in Dusky cannot be doubted. Cook's statement on the point is explicit. A party of Sydney Cove sealers camping there a few years later report having seen them. Their numbers must have been few; besides, they seem to have been exceptionally shy. Cook did manage to establish intercourse, but his were the only efforts that succeeded. The others failed, and, with the exception of the seal gang, their presence was simply surmised—nothing more definite being got than "traces of them." My opinion is they were the last fragment of a tribe inhabiting the land prior to the Maori advent. When the Ngati-mamoe reached Qtakou (Otago), they were met by a people whom they had no difficulty in killing off or enslaving. They seem to have been a mild, inert race; and it is just as likely as not Cook's fiorders were their sole survivors.]

[There died within the last few years, at Port Molyneux settlement, an octogenarian native of Rangatira birth named Hermoni Rakitapu. He was the last survivor of the Tuturau pa escapade. He was then a young man, bordering on 20 years of age. When Te Pauhi and his taua reached the pa, he was engaged with the eeling party. It was him who concealed himself on the banks of the river, thereby escaping the general massacre, and subsequently conveying tidings of what had occurred to the bird-snaring party at Tapanui. He has been confounded with the Maori lad who was instrumental in leading the Ngatitoa into ambuscade at the Wanaka, but, as it happened, the two are perfectly distinct.]