CAPTAIN JAMES LIVINGSTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 16

CAPTAIN JAMES LIVINGSTON.

Of course, it is possible that Von. iTempsky died of his wound, but Mr. 'Flyji-n says that the Native, Manaia, was positive in- his statement.- . The Maori, however, would not give any further particulars, and, in fact, implied 'that he had already said too much. Speaking.... with reference to Von Temp'sky, Mr. Flynn said that ho .was :a desperately brave man, who always i wanted to be cli'argiihg and in the thick lof it. He was brave to rashness.Mr. Flynn relates a peculiar incident tin connection with Captain Pvowan. Ho | was shot through both clieeks, and Hhrough the root : of the tongue. In the . i retreat through the bush, with tho Naitives in pursuit, the captain was carTied on three rifles. ' Ho' could riot•speak, and, later, when a man was told off to attend him in camp, lie wrote his wishes on a slate. He was invalided, to England, had some pieces of silver plate placed in . his cheek. \ and then, although 1 still unable to speak, decided to come back to..New Zealand. On the voyage out ho was afflicted-with sea-sickness, and after a paroxysm of mal-de-mer found to his surprise that he could at last articulate. In later years the captain went to Victoria, where he died. Mr. Flynn fought altogether, in three engagements, and lie describes the Natives as uncivilised and extremely savage in their methods of fighting. V'Heaven help anybody," he said, "who fell into their hands'."

Mr. Flynn was. born in Ireland, and he has been in New Zealand fifty years. He landed in Otago from Victoria in 1860. After he was wounded at To Ngutu o te Mann (by the way, with,a i'agged' bullet from an old Brown Bess) le was on crutches for seven months. The wound affected him also in after life. Fot- many years he was. driver of tho mail coach to New Plymouth and to other places. He is in fairly good .health,' and resides quietly in Hawera, near tho railway station. ■"

James Livingston, the other Hawera survivor of the fight, is one of the most magnificent specimens of manhood in Now. Zealand. He is a veritable son of Analc, standing between Gft. 3in. and 6ft. 4in. Ho is a splendidly proportioned man, and even now, in the evening of life, ho is an admirable piece of human architecture.