TAKING OF THE "HAWEIS"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 44, 2 August 1939, Page 2

TAKING OF THE "HAWEIS"

A TREACHEROUS ATTACK MAORIS GAIN THE SHIP The first in-talnunt of the diary < of John E. Atkins, second officer :>f 1 th: brig Ilaweis, which was cap Lured bv the Whakatane natives in recorded that Atkins liad been sent from Tauranga with two companions : to buy pigs for .stores. They were well received by 'IV Ng:\rnra, the local thicl', and attempted to return to Tauranga by boat to bring the ship back to load the purchased pork, but bad weather drove them in to Whakatane again, Neither oi' Atkins' men would make the overland trip, so the mate engaged a Maori guide and set out himself. ''I found the country very mountainous, intersected with numerous rivers, which greatly increased the length of our journey as we were frequently compelled to traverse 'their banks for several miles before they were fordable. On the sides of these streams llax is growing in great abundance, and many small patches aie under cultivation, producing cabbages potatoes, parsnips, carrots and a small sort of turnip. They also grow water melons and peaches, and I met with a few orange trees, which have been introduced with success'* says Atkins. THE KAURI. "The principal troes arc ronkateri rn (?) and the cowry (kauri) which grow 'to an immense height without a branch and are of such magnitude as to be fit for the masts of larg.j ships. The is found in marshy grounds and on the banks of rivers; it appears to be an evergreen and bears a red berry. The cowry, which is much preferred, grows in a high and dry soil, has a beautiful foliage, and yields abundance of rosin "A great part of our road lay along 'tlie sound, which I found extremely heavy to walk on, and after travelling hard for two days and nights, cautiously avoiding the natives on our way, we at length reached 'the ship, when I gave my conductor a couple of tomahawks and a small portion of powder, with which he seemed much satisfied. ''On acquainting the captain that provisions were to be obtained at the place I had visited, he gave orders to w r eigh the anchor, which was readily and we bore away for Walkeetanna, where we arrived the next night, to the seeming joy of the natives, who came off in large canoes with a plentiful supply of hogs, which we purchased of them without bringing the ship to an anchor. TE NGARARA ON BOARD. "The chief Enarraro (Te Ngarara) came on board, and welcomed nx with much apparent cordiality, the same feeling seeming to actuate his people who, in obedience to the ord j ers of their 1 chief, kept at a distance from tlie ship, which he would not allow them to board,'' the mate con. tinned. "After stowing our decks with live stock as thickly as convenient. and the wind suddenly, changing to the S.E.we bore away again foj Towrcnga HarJxmr, where we killed and salted our pigs; but not finding the quantity complete, w r e sailed again for Walkeetanna, where we arrived on Sunday, March Ist, 1829. ''The weather being very fine, we anchored between the island of Matora (Mou-tohora or Whale Island) and the main, and we had not brought up ten minu'tes before the natives came off in great numbers a.* before, from, whom we obtained twenty more hogs, which were all we required. On Monday, March 2nd, about 6 a.m., the boat was sent on shore with the chief officer and eight hands including the interpreter, to a boiling spring in the beach but a short distance from the vessel. At 1 p.m. we hailed them to come u;nboard to dinner, but not hearing us, the captain left me in charge of the vessel with three hands, little imagining the treacherous intentions of the natives. ATKINS ALARMED. "At the time of his departure Enarraro was on board, with about ten natives alongside." says Atkins. "I noticed thrm several times in earn, est conversation about the kebookc (or ship) and, suspecting some treachery, I desired the steward, who was an Otaheitian, to hand up the cutlasses, keeping a strict watch on the chief, who I saw cock his piece, and put it under his kakahoo (o;- upper garment. His men at the signal' sprang in th" main chains, each having a musket, which they had secreted in theV rinoes. At this critical juncture w no pistols o n deck j and I was well aware if but one of

us went below for them th~y would immediately take advantage of his absence'by commencing their attack. '■As our muskets were placed in the tops, not only as a security but as a precautionary measure in th'.' event of an attack, I ordered oiv: of the crew t 0 go in the fore top and shoot the chief,'' Atkins adds. "They each positively refused, not being so con, vineed as I was of the designs of Mic savages and, seeing that not a moment was to be lost, I went up inyself, giving strict orders \o keep a sharp look out, to which thev unfortunately paid but little attention, telling me that I was meditalmg the life of an innocent man. THE ATTACK. "As 1 was ascending the fore rigging they were joking with each other with great indifference regardless of the motions of the natives s although I kept cautioning them; but as soon as the chief saw me in the fore top unlashing the muskets he fired at the oldest man, who had his [back turned to him, playing with his cutlass at about two paces from him, and shot him through the head, and with his marce (a short stone club, with a sharp edge) he split his skull. At this signal the whole number jumped on board, and in a moment another poor fellow met with the same fate. "The steward was shqft at several times before he left the deck, and then he made for the fore top with me,'' Atkins says. ''They then fired a volley at us, seeing me prime my piece, but in so doing the chief, Enarxaro, broke my arm with a b tiller, wi>.-x_h I afterwards learnt went through the upper part, above tho elbow and shivered the bone, which caused me to lay down in the foretop; when with the most hideous howlings they immediately commenced their war-dan but ere this three large w r ar canoes were alongside, • w r hich had been laying concealed be-? hind the rocks, so that I am confident that it was a premeditated piece of business, and I was extremely glad that the captain had left the ship, or he would have fallen the first victim to their barbarity. WILD SCENE. "They then began the plunder of the ship, and although I was lying in the fore top in extreme agony, I could plainly perceive that in the height of their depredations they Di-.id but little attention to the authof the chief retaining their acquisitions with such tenacity that several, refusing to relinquish them, were speared through the body and died on the spot," Atkins' story goes on. ''They speedily filled the canoes alongside, and the chief ordered one of the "natives to fetch me down, being unable to do it himself he called for assistance, when I was dragged down and placed in a canoe with the Otaheitian.

"The sun having set and the clay closing fast, they paddled towards the harbour with all possible expedition, which we gained without accident, although our way led us through a tremendous surf. Some of tho canoes more heavily laden, and containing the greater part of thd arms and ammunition were swamped the natives saving their lives with much difficulty, with the loss of their canoe. ATKINS PLEASED. "Considering the hor'rible situation In which I was placed, ignorant of the fa,te of my worthy captain ami the crew, who I suspected wore all cut off, believing myself the only survivor of our ill-fated number in the hands of who I doubted not wei*e reserving me for more cruel tortures, and at last to bet made the victim of their appalling gluttony for human llesh, it might be expected that I should regard with apathy the loss of the canoes; but such was not the case, for, withstanding my extreme paifr of body and mind s I beheld their? destruction with exultation, considering it an act of retributive Justice." So much for the actual capture of the brig. A further instalment of the diary will tell the tale of Atkins' captivity here, and his miraculous escape. His reference to the kauri is interesting, for it is not generally known that this tree once gofcw in the Bay of Plenty. Maketu was about the limit of its range. As Atkins says the attack on the ship was probably a premeditated aOair, but possibly the natives only made their plans a few hours before the seizure. They were watching for any carelessness on, the part of the crevr and the criminal negligence of the sailors played right into their hands.