A VETERAN'S REMINISCENCES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 13

A VETERAN'S REMINISCENCES

MAJOR .OrASCOYNE AND TE KOOTL

.;A Haivko's'Bay/Veterkn whb has borne his full share of'the/battle _and : " the breeze is Major. \Fi J. '..Ay.'-GascoYiic, - who; made his .first ■■ appearance.iin,: the ;province in the 'fifties, after tramping-by himself'up the coast from Wellington. This journey, Major Gascoyno states, took- about' thrco weeks to > When the traveller arrived he found two settlements in the district, Clive. and Napier, one just about •tile-same; size as thotofchor. '-.There wero then two public-houses, in Napier. One' was at tho Spit, and tlie other, Munu's, was close under, the hillside, near where tho Taradalo road now-strikes out across the 'mudflats.: 'A track-led: over Hie hill to the Spit, and hero, in a toi-toi whare, I lived Mr, Alfred Domett. Young Gasrayao, soon after his arrival, went up. to

Sir Donald HleanVstation at'Maraokai kaho. ' On' another '-page : tho reader I will find - a "description- of" Jlaraekakabo -liomestead as it is to-day. As Major Gascoyne first -knew -.it,,.it -.consisted?:.-of -.a.••■grass, whare,;'.'divided .into., thiee rooms.Here all hands turned in. • ■; : r i

Tho' major/can. tell:-'many :a 'good;story of the old days,; /In' h'is.."journey's ibout ,tho country ho saw much o£ the..' tribal fighting! among the Hiiori&'. Most 'of it, Ho says; was- carried oil'.' in' : hnlf-hiarted fashion.-' .Tho-Maons''would get ■ ivithin' half a'lnile of each other/ 1 and'thenvSvopld blaae .away.-.with■•■their /firearms on and off all 1 intervals for cooking.. At the: end; of.-.tho sijrcailed battle, ithere would ,te. possibly two killed and' .ithreu; wounded.,' On.one.occasion he was/going' from :Clive .up. to'{Maraekakaho, when he found'.'a." battle, iii'yrogfts's. across, the ibul* lock tta'ck. ■ /The-chiefs;'.who ha'd/a.fine sense of the fitiifess; of - tilings, -cheeriuiij; suspended''hostilities 7 to -let the' paKelia through/ vc-vi'-f;, //'Hs:/- -/ ■ 1 'When-.the./NatiVe troubles broko ioiu,; Major .Gascoyne/joined ythe' firstnioitJ' raised Jn 1863.He ,went with the first de : tachment,.sent-,.up ,to.-' Poverty isay; iand saw tlie East ,Coast ,campaign •through; to the finish.. ■• "K , lieutenant' Gascojriei.as; he ..tlieiiijwas, took a;/prominent; part I in/the pursuit ..or Te Kooti in', l868;V In; Ndyember 'of that' year, when''l'e Kooti' was; believed' to'be contemplating'; d'< raid ■' on' '' Poverty*' Bay," Lieutenant. . Gascbyho Vtfas. out scouting. •with a.nparty: of nine' men all told Hinder' him. His;.orders wore to 'stick-{to [the old' Wairoa- ;track, /by which it was:'b'e-' lieved.<the enemy/, would, come.'. Op: Iff?'; ,quiry/ambng,:,tho .Natives,• however,-, ; ljieu-. J . that .tlier.o;. jwas. an;oldi\3 : isUse'd .'trai:k .eight 'or ninj/infles away, HWiiclv'it was' quite riossible.iiight be reopfiided; /After E exariiining thb'.track he asfied fjfe'ave" to -siation two or : three men off lite Majors Biggs',, tile.' Poverty Bay magistrate!' -Wis-' Bfr assured that; iany/. 'attack '-madei, /by way;' of 1 the Wairoa tracl? that lie brtrered the scouting party to /remain tiiere. i - ■;£.; .' K-'./. I Talking of, the. massacre ~-which', followed, .SSltkjor'; Gascpyne said thutUon going : . bact' 1 his post, he;. felt very,. her-, yous' aiid; a^JirehenSive'' of ? danger. ;•]>'. He ordered .ill 1 his- men ;tb' sleep: in the? dpen air with' .their Rifles -by '.theirsides/ iand to', be'; '-'their: horses t instantly." All' nighfc 'lie lay,"awake in a listeriibg', tor. . every/ souufoviAt i length" 'he' heard J the, , beat of, ; .a; rhorSe'shoofs, galloping;!; He called -tp.-tto to -stand up land- get;to,. their .'hprses,yand.Vchallengea the. 'galloping . hbrseih:'m ; /a's' , '.sbon-I as lie '.came within -_hailiu^'J'(listance;;'/. 'In ■ replyiicaine the voice: of v i£;"'Natiye'/ scont,, w-tb,.; -;liad been left at M;pa : bii- the 'flats. 1 . Ibl-came. floundering -intb^.'ca'nip,''arid. '.raStiiMbtff tliat all".tho.whiter.people[had bee'ri'Killed/ and: urged".lieutenant'. Gascoyne -'.'and rhis men .to ilee.;, forxtheirvdiyes... Lieutenant Gascoyiie .had/ thoughts /of other,', tilings, than . flight,/ !*/He/considered'that''bis. fi^ s -diii7.'%bsflo:. tain what had happened'! .-/Accordingly/hi? mounted, and withuiis : men galloped- back; along.'.tfie,;/ridges,;/../When/ ;thp'X piirty Teached/Patutahiatbey.fPundrtKeC, enemy, .-pretty" thick'. /0n,;,-, the',; plains . Somei'jofs the' Native, s-cbuts felj, .out/ but tKe-.foiir saouts' who ' remained . continued with' Lieutenant GaScoyiie"' 'along -' the.. Kille'. tb; ,Te. Arai'."-'. Eer9 ; Hie, : .big' ; riter .was/firosjsed,'; ; but the. eneniy Wa's?found r tb'; bo. too strong oil the. other ■:side -for th'b.'.party,;to|-gitt ■along'.; the beach; ; seta-edb; was made':'to , the/pver.' ja:, whale/fboat: seized,"', ; ttio'; saddles' /in,-' and jthei open. :&a : ':.ma'de . ;forl;'j/Quce outsidp'jjthe - 'bar thb-'-party- pulle'd "afirag the coast 'to'i ';the^,Mttl6lli^t ? •of;•T^u^aM,•':'jrlleffi ! ;Gi^j . borne now, staads. ' U-'" , • : . ,, -V'''!ra ß - r p''r :Uer9i:-togßffi«r,V'aM£a3';eitv'.wasV'iiSfted' that; he v',shtiuld, ; take,j;.p6mmand, /diefi (jopjj \ such steij^'as'-were/jo^iblei'to-defeadlthec settlement.;, against/, ' A ;._sehbcjner • tain's ; f attoniibi; yhad. itieen; attracted. • bnd,, :.'*ch*odren : 'shbtildf; ba : sent dowii'.'.tp /Na^ier^ia'nd'by. tJi^'-'fessel; 'the. cbm'mander:/bf .theMittl© gnrrisoH Sfs,patched..:ari; .urgsnt.-prayer 'Jo. thb'.^ii fhpr.ir; ties for ;L; i -nw- r:

~ The /,enemyf : ; -were,'.- lncsvthe. 'meaiititae,.' miles 1 an-ay.oicro^j; :jr ; iVer. iJJ^.p.f doubts were'- llaijtily ..fciu'sljruoted,:"'oncij though ;i Tar'£bpti J s-;;mpii attempted- \V6 I: bnru tempt* w'a¥*-mad'3' ; ■In''three 'avsuilieieiit' BrSi wa3 .together vi':to, i;adTanceSand;j/o'scs"rtam' wha'tihaj The;:iflela'ncTioly.:'de.4 tails of the,-;aa'siacfov.d6v.Tiot;;jie3dJi.o: be: :■■ yf&s'', foijiiU;'that thirty -th'fee! , ;TChite.V''Vmen^.!j;.Tfpm(^-:fi : .'an'i' childre^o>v£;aM.l.thirJs>seveh":i:frien3lyJ ; N% five's ; : ha,d been: murderedijf6*;' ■"'jJo(;(r>T.'\;.> '}' Te'■;Kp^ti;i:VaSv.pV'i)ie4 ; K'hy ''Ligutenant, i Gascoypej ■•' an^.' drjv.en '$ntft. Ngatajiflu The, force i,v;as."t'o'd', tp'j'tftke; fchVplace)' however',; and'lthis by; roifaforcepn^litsr,VVridar ; /Ihe.-le'afSti ship'' of Sir^G^rg^^VhitftpjJ^A'j.'i:'. y : i''PiZi, v ', ; Afte'r ; Major ;: : GaSoyne' i femairied(:'in\i;.the>!;:P9r-. . wards; VStipendiiry* l vaM 6 N'tho' \ Chatharas, ;i and ; js,; naw^.yiTihg ; iii, r;B!ast- ; 'l