The Discoverer of the Lake.

At other times and on other journeys through the Urewera country with old campaigners, I came to know more of the often dramatic and thrilling past of these lakes high-set in the woody mountains.

It was Captain George Preece, N.Z.C., who told me of the first white man that set eyes on Little Waikare. This was Sergeant H. P. Bluett, who was one of the only three Europeans besides the two officers of the Arawa Armed Constabulary, in the last campaigns against Te Kooti. Preece's fellow-officer was Captain Gilbert Mair, N.Z.C. Bluett was their trusty senior non-com. in the joint contingent of a hundred Maoris. On August 6th, 1871, the contingent moved across Waikare-moana in canoes from One-poto, at the outlet, and leaving ten men to guard the canoes at the Whanganui-a-Parua, set off on a march into the wildest part of the interior. The long single file of warriors entered the great forest, making north-eastward.

On the afternoon of that day Sergeant Bluett climbed a tree to get the bearings, and he called down to Mair and Preece that he could see a lake with several islands. This, as it was found on exploration later, was Waikare-iti. The officers of the force had heard of it from the Urewera Maoris, but until that day no pakeha had seen it. It was a few days after that discovery that the expedition was successful in finding Te Kooti's well-hidden retreat on the Waipaoa River, a tributary of the Ruakituri. In the sharp fight that followed, several Hauhaus were killed and some captured, but Te Kooti escaped, with rifles cracking all round him.