The Plague Of Measles.

In the North Island we find that the first plague occurred somewhere about 1795. The second one, called by the Taranaki people Te Ariki, occurred about the end of 1820. This was introduced from page 42 the ship “Coromandel,” which visited the Hauraki Gulf in August, 1820. It swept from Auckland to Taranaki, taking village after village in its course. So severe was it that often there were not enough left alive to bury the dead. The tohungas made a representation of a ship in the sand, with masts and rigging, and made their incantations over these naval altars, but even that did not stop the spreading of the plague.

But what record have we of these plagues in the south? There seems to have been both influenza and measles.

In the “Reminiscences of the Settlement of South Otago” we read that Measly Beach, over the hills from Kaitangata, was named because a war party of Maoris pulled their canoes ashore in 1838 and all died of measles. In McNab's “Old Whaling Days” we find on page 236 that in March, 1838, great preparations were being made for war, and that fighting men were being gathered together in great numbers to take the field. Of these movements we have already had mention made at Cloudy Bay and Piraki. Disease had again broken out and was playing sad havoc among the Maoris. That to some extent confirms the references to the deaths of this war party at Measly Beach in 1838.

But if Te Puoho was killed in 1836, we have to look for an epidemic in that year. And on page 175 of “Old Whaling Days” we find a passage that reads:—

“The crew of the “Sydney Packets” had been badly affected by influenza before reaching New Zealand, and the natives had threatened to kill the steward for introducing this new disease among them. It had for some time been prevalent at Sydney. So disastrous had the malady proved among the New Zealanders that it was said to have arrested the warlike preparations made in connection with an invasion of the southern natives by Te Rauparaha. Great numbers of those affected by the ailment were said to be lying about half dead…”

The date of this epidemic was evidently November, 1836.

In a letter of Mr. Beattie to me he says, “The potatoes (at Tuturau) were just about ready to eat, and the raiders ate them.” This certainly sounds like new potatoes for Christmas, and does not clash with the month of December, 1836.