THE LATE RENATA KAWEPO.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1823, 24 April 1888, Page 3

THE LATE RENATA KAWEPO.

* _ , Lleutenant-Oolonel MoDonnell, N.Z."0., writes to ub as follows m regard to the late chief Benata Kawepo, whoee deoease we recorded on Saturday : — I regret to notice m your Issue of the 14th Instant the death of the Hawke'a Bay chief Benata Kawepo. Aa the telegram contains nothing bat the newa of hia death, except that he led a contingent agalnat Te Kooti, the following may be of interest : — When Renata was ayouug man 1 he wan capture i by a war party of Ngapuhi during one of the old Maori wars, and taken to thej^y of Islands where he Heed for some yoara a prisoner at large. This oocarred some time m the thirties, but be was eventually allowed to return to his own people, and m course of time became one of the leading chiefs among the Ngati Kahungunu. The grqat influence he had over his people prevailed upon them to refrain from joining the King party when war broke out m 1860 and subsequently. A.s an Inatanoo of the benevolence of hia nature and kindliness of heart, the late Sir Donald M'Lean tned to relate the following : — A. milkman, who used to supply the town of Napier with milk, grazed his oowa on land belonging to Henata, but without that chief's permission, and though grass rent was 'repeatedly asked for none was ever forthcoming. So after several months of arguing Renata either impounded the cows or stopped their grazing. In oonseqnenoe of thts the milkman was put to his wits' end to know how to provide pasture for them. The noble minded ohlcf, however, on Its being pointed out that score? of little ohildren would now be deprived of their morning and evening's milk, withdrew his objeotlon, and let the cowa grnza on, for the sake of the European families, who otherwise would have gone without milk, and abandoned his olaim for back rent, as he was informed that the milkman oould not afford to pay it. No staunoher friend and ally bad the European thin Renato Kiwepo. He took. a prominent part m suppressing the Hauhau disturbances In Hawke's Bay, when To Hapuku and Rangihlroa wero defeated by air Gao/ge Whltmore, and by his nervloes at Taupo In September and 4th October, 1865, when we defeated Te Kooti at Tokano, and stormed his pa, after |a severe fight, at Te Porere, on the Iwltuaroa rangea, on the oonfinea of Tuhua and Walkato, which orushlng defeat made the Waikatos, under Bewi, give up the intention they had formed of joining Te Kooti and letting him plan out a raid on the settlers m Waikato similar to the one ha had led on Poverty Bay, the reaulto of which are still i fresh ia New Zealand settlers' mlndp. Renata'a personal aervioos on these two occasions again proved what a loyal and brave man ha was, and as I had the honor of commanding the forces at Taupo on the ocoailonß referred to, I am m a position to bear testimony to the services of this gallant old ohief. During the action at Te Poure pa, Renata lost au eye, and was otherwiae severely wounded. lam glad to a«y he was pensioned for his wounds, and received be sides a yearly sum of money for his faithful services, which he oontinued to draw until he died, and right well he had earned the same. ItPwould be a graceful act [dow to ereot a monument to the memory of this brave old chief, If only to Bhow the rising generation that faithful and long servloe is appreciated. — "Post." ■■—an—^— — — — iy»