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Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 205, 22 August 1874, Page 3

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LIFE AND DEATH OF RAWIKI TUAIA TUHIRAKE. We give our readers this morning a brief sketch of tlie li/o of Kawiri '1 lihimke, whoso remains, as we before slated, were exhumed at Te R inga on the I.Mh in»tanan t convey ed by Ids lolifives to Omama l uiijWherea largenumberofutttives had congregated to lamer,t over h maul otherwise honour tus memory. ihis chief, wi.hout exception, was ilie most iidluent ial in Jaunwga, In appearance ho was was of medium height, r&<her stoutly buili, fuily lat otvod, ami of a most preposset a ing countenance ; his age would bo about 50. Alt who knew him pronounce his manners to huvo been those of a perfect Maori gentleman. For a Maori he was Considered a good scholar, being able fo read and write his own language well. la disposition he was very taciturn, never speaking until he hud heard bo! trsides of a question, but " hen he did it. was always to the purpose, and hia good common sense enabled him to carry the point in vow; thus the natives tell the white man ** his word was law.” Kawiri was the lay teacher of Ida tribe, and to tho day of his death strictly adhered to the Christian religion ho professed, always refusing to join the llauhau fanatics, who did their utmost to persuade him to swell their ranks. All our old settlers, such as Mr Thomas Wrigley, Mr Wiirbrick, Captain Sellars, Mr Faulkner, and Mr Samuei Clarke, who were in the habit of dealing with him, will hear testimony to Ids character as being a straightforward, honest man, and it is not too much to say that “ho was respected by all who knew him.” During the Waikato war, after time William Thompson solicited Kawiri to join tho rebel cause, lie persistently refused making use of this memorable answer, “ i do not wish to see any bloodshed is Tauranga. If my people wish to join you they may go. Ido not wish them to return and bring back trouble with them.'’ When the Waikato natives threatened to invade Tauranga, and Thompson sent a letter of warning to his European friends, the Government thought it advisable to send Mr Henry T. Clarke on a mission of inquiry into a land question, it having been rumoured that certain disaffected natives bad been nominated by the Waikato rebels to assassinate Mr Clarke on the first favorable opportunity. The Government hearing the W uikato had threatened to invade Tauranga, sent a large body of Imperial troops to that place. Up to this time Kawiri maintained his neutral position, and, as his people justly contend, would have remained so had it not been for tho arrogant impudence of tho interpreter to the Imperial troops, who goaded him into rebellion, taunting him by calling him a spy, threatening to kick him out of the camp, and asking him the question why he did not go and join tho Waikato rebels? A proud spirit like Rawiri’s would not submit any longer to such gross insults, and ho was at last driven to join tho disaffected natives, Previous to that ho had always been tho honoured guest of the old settlers, and whenever he chose to visit them there was always a place found for him at their tables. After being driven to take up arms against us he entered heart and soul into the rebellion, considering that ho was fighting for his “ i‘ ear fh and homo.” Ho would not allow his party to build their pa on the mission property, not wishing it to be polluted with human blood. In consequence of this they chose their position outside the mission boundary, Before any shots had been exchanged Eawiri wrote to General Cameron telling him that when they fought ho wished to fight fairly and honorably, that he should act very differently to what the rebels did in Waikato. Any European going about unarmed should be unmolested, that ho would not allow any of his party to-commit murder, and that any of our wounded falling into their hands should be respected. Right, well did this noble Maori carry out his word at tho Gate Pa. Refora a shot was fired on that memorable day—the 29th April, 1&G1-—ho culled out to his followers, “ Take heed to my word. Respect tho wounded ; do not injure them when they fall,” The assault was V- -I Booth and Captain Hamilton, R.N. Ihe latter was shot dead; the Colonel fell mortally wounded within a few feet of tho parapet of the pi, Kawiri carried him, or had him carried, to a place of safety out of reach of tho budets, and, to tho best of his power, administered to his wants nitnsolf, going down Lo*the stream at tlie risk of his life to allay the thirst of the sulß-rer ! ! J hat night the pa was abandoned by the euernj. Before leaving it there was a wish expressed by some of Kawirt’s allies to despatch tho wounded. Kavviri’e reply was what you might have expected from such a man : “ Not a hair of their head shall you touch. You may take their firearms with you, but touch nothing else.” The following day Colonel Booth was brought to Ic I apa, and before his death he repeatedly spoke to Genera! Cameron and his brother officers about the noble and humane manner he and tho other wounded men had been treated by theenomy. This was attributed alone to Uuwiri’s influence over the different tribes of the district. After the desertion of trie Gate Pa the natives retired to tho woods until the month of June, when Kawiri again wrote to the officer commanding the district, telling him that in a few days he would try hia strength with our troops. The natives accordingly commenced entrenching themselves at To Kanga, but were dis« covered by the troops before they had completed their pa. They wore immediately attacked. The loss of the enemy was great-over a hundred were left dead on tho field ; amongst tbsir number was the chief hawiri. The following day be was buried on tho battle-field, several of tho neutral chiefs being present, also tho officers of the different regiments then in Tauranga, who expressed their appreciation of his noble character by saying “ Kapai Kawiri,” “Very good Kawiri.” The Government provided a coffin for the remains of this worthy chief, and, by tho kind permission of the Venerable Archdeacon Brown his (nearly literally) ashes were buried on Tuesday last close to the grave of Colonel Booth, whose Bufferings ho tried to alleviate. We are sure that the interest shown for this bravo and generous chief will go far to cement tho good feeling now existing between the Europeans and natives of this district. licquiescal in pace, —rCOsXMoNl> GATED.] u