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Nation Making, a story of New Zealand

Chapter XI. — Maori Raids

page 92

Chapter XI.
Maori Raids.

Cattle seised in the Forest.—Maories as Butchers.—Cattle stolen.—Driven to the King.—Proposal to rescue.—The Talhoa (waiting) policy.Letter of warnitig to Maori Chief.Cattle restored.Dangers of early Colonists. The Half-Caste:—Fine physique of Men.Beauty of halfcaste Women.Half-Castes as Footballers in England.As Stockmen and Boatmen:Bob Barlow the half-caste Stockman.—Dangerous fanatics.A Hauhau dance.Bob carries off the Sacred pole.No more trouble.Winiata the murderer.Escapes to the King.Bob attempts his Capture.—Bob as a pig merchant.A Carousal.The sleeping murderer.—Bob binds him on horseback.Carries him off.—Perilous Night Ride.Delivers Winiata to the Police.

Some time after the incidents narrated in the previous chapter, Mr. Buckland started across the Ranges with about 200 head of cattle. Just before he emerged from the forest, a mob of fifty broke and returned to the east side of the range. Shortly after the 150 cattle remaining were seized by Hakaria, a noted rebel, a few miles from my station, fifty of which were killed on the spot, and the remainder driven across the island to the King at Tokangamutu. The Ngatihaua tribe were asked by Mr. Buckland to recover the fifty head, which they consented to do, and page 93to hold them until the King's pleasure should be known. The cattle having been seized, Mr. Buckland returned to town.

It was then suggested that policemen should be sent to arrest Hakaria and some others who were concerned in the seizure.

I was requested to meet the Premier of the Colony on the matter. I pointed out to him that the best policy was to wait—that probably the outrage had been instigated by a few violent men, and that, if they were let alone, the good sense and good feeling of the majority might be expected to prevail. Moreover, I pointed out to him, that so far as I was concerned, I declined all Government interference or help of any kind; that I was fully prepared to stand the consequence; and, rather than my enterprise at Matamata should become, in the present critical state of affairs, a cause of war, that I would cheerfully sacrifice every shilling I had invested there. The Premier entirely concurred in my view, and as far as the Government were concerned the matter ended.

No effort of any kind was made to obtain possession of the cattle, nor were any more attempts to break the Aukati made by Mr. Buckland or myself, further than that I wrote two letters—one to Tana te Waharoa, (Wi Tamehana's successor) and one of similar purport to Tamati Ngapora (the Maori King's Prime Minister). As these letters throw some light on the subsequent proceedings, I subjoin a copy of the letter to the Chief Tanna, son of my old friend Wi Tamehana. page 94'Auckland, March 18—.

Auckland, March 18—.

'To Tanna.

'Sir,—Salutations—This is a word from me to you. Buckland's cattle and mine have been taken by you. I desired my cattle to come round by sea. That was the word I said to Tamati and the rest at Kotuku. Whilst I was at Waihou, Buckland had gone to Tauranga, and, meeting Hori Tupaea there, he brought my cattle over the range. This is the word that I hear. These cattle have been seized by your friends the Hauhaus, who fired off guns and stole the cattle, and have killed some. They are now eating them.

'Hearken, this work is done under your shadow. Is it right? What evil thing have I done that my cattle should be stolen? What wrong have the cattle done that they should be eaten by Hauhaus? O, son, take heed to your steps. You are approaching the edge of the precipice. Hearken! Do you not hear the roar of the ocean below? Why does my friend continue to live in a dark house? Evil counsellors dwell therein. Your father dwelt in the sunshine.

'Tawhiao (the King) does not approve of this bad work. He knows that it will lead to fighting if it be not stopped. Do you stop it, and restore the cattle. Hearken, there are many Pakehas here who wish to live at peace with the Maories. Why do you permit bad men to put that peace in danger of being broken? Friend, this is another word: the new Governor has arrived. He has had no hand in the troubles of this island. He is clear. He is a wise man, and desires strongly to do good to all the Maories and the page 95pakehas. He has heard of the rivers being shut up, and of the cattle being stolen. I have seen him, and have said to him, "O Governor, this bad work has been done by ignorant men, who do not know the right way." I have said to him, "Do not be angry with them, wait, let us hear all; let there be no fighting." The Governor said, "Good, I will wait, and hear for myself, for I do not love war."

'These words are good words; I approve of them. Do you, O Tanna, ponder well all the words of this letter.

'From your friend.'

I steadily pursued what the Maories term the Taihoa or 'waiting policy,' with the result, that one hundred of the stolen cattle were returned by the King's command, fifty valuable cows having been killed before he could interfere.

These incidents may serve to show some of the difficulties and dangers the early Colonists of New Zealand had to face, in their work of Nation Making.

The New Zealand Half-Caste.

The Half-Castes of New Zealand are in general a fine type of men and women. Usually the sons and daughters of the adventurous men who settled in New Zealand before the Islands became a British Colony, and of Maori women, generally of rank. They are of fine physique, the women being often very handsome.

page 96

The achievements of half-caste Maories in English football matches will have shown of what stuff they are made. The statement that 'the half-castes of New Zealand possess the bad qualities of both races and the good qualities of neither,' is one of those sayings more remarkable for epigrammatic point, than for truth. The statement is simply a libel. I have employed Maori half-castes as stockmen, boatmen, and one, as Captain of a river steamer, and I never had better servants. One of my stockmen, Bob Barlow, a half-caste, was remarkable as a horseman, and of wonderful strength, agility and courage. When I first employed Bob, he was a fine, handsome well-built fellow about eighteen years of age.

At that time, just after the Waikato campaign, the country swarmed with sullen rebels who mostly became 'Hauhaus,' a dangerous set of fanatics ready for any atrocity. They had abandoned Christianity, and fallen back on a grotesque medley of their old Heathenism, with scraps of a weird, mad mysticism. They practised strange rites, kept the tenth day sacred instead of the seventh, dancing round a pole, uttering the most extraordinary jargon, and becoming so excited in their orgies as to render it extremely dangerous for white men to fall into their hands, whilst under the influence of this strange and terrible madness.

Whilst under the excitement, they professed to have received revelations, declared themselves invulnerable against European rifle bullets, and often proved their belief to their cost. They declared their intention and power to drive the Colonists into the sea, and page 97frequently fixed times for doing it. These Hauhaus were a thoroughly dangerous set of malcontents, and cost the Colony a very large expenditure of money, and the loss of many valuable lives before they were extirpated, or had become once more under the dominion of reason.

Shortly after my location on the plains of Matamata the Hauhaus made converts of all the neighbouring tribes, with the result of giving my people a great deal of trouble. One day, about fifty Hauhaus were dancing round a sacred pole in the usual excited fashion when Bob Barlow my half-caste stockman, weary of the bother they caused by their rampant madness, rode full gallop into the ring of dancing savages, plucked up the pole, and bearing it off, dashed it into the river near. This exploit, by its very daring, had a remarkable effect, for they troubled me no more.

Some time afterwards Barlow left my service, married a Maori woman, and became a dealer in horses, cattle and pigs in the King Country. When I next saw him he had developed into one of the strongest, biggest, and best-built men I have ever seen. Some years later, a dreadful murder was committed by a Maori labourer on a farm five miles from the City of Auckland. Winiata, the murderer, evaded the police, and escaped across the frontier to the King country.

The King and his chiefs refused to surrender the criminal, though the murder had been committed for plunder. Though Maories despise a man who kills page 98another for his money, they are yet so influenced by a daring crime, that its perpetrator becomes a hero, after a fashion, in their eyes and acquires a Mana (influence), which, in those times, they did not care to meddle with. So Winiata, having retreated some twenty miles over the frontier, pursued his occupation of a pig trader unmolested.

After many fruitless efforts to obtain his surrender, the Police Inspector of the Waikato district induced Bob Barlow to attempt his capture. Provided with a spare saddle horse and some bottles of rum, Bob, accompanied by his wife, visited Winiata's settlement to buy pigs. After a day's bargaining the pigs were bought, and the purchase completed by a carouse with Winiata and his companions, most of them outlaws like himself. In no long time, the whole party were in a deep sleep. At a signal from Barlow, his wife brought round the horses. Taking up the sleeping Winiata as if he had been a child, Barlow carried him out of the Whare (house), bound him securely on the saddle, and leading Winiata's horse, rode off quietly into the darkness, followed by Mrs. Barlow. Once clear of the dangerous ground of the Maori villages, he quickened his pace. During the journey Winiata awoke and became restive. Barlow tightened his bandages, and unslinging his rifle, drove the prisoner before him. At grey dawn he arrived at the frontier town, and delivered the murderer to the police authorities.