AN EARLY DAYS INCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1566, 9 October 1912, Page 5

AN EARLY DAYS INCIDENT.

Sir, —Several local allusions have recently. boen macio respecting the-escape of fifty-three Jlaori prisoners of war from their'floating prison in the waters of Wellington Harbour, on.the night of January 20, •1868/' and perhaps the following narrative will place on/record an event that until recently was unknown to the dwellers, of this city, They had been taken at tho time the Wereroa pa fell, in the vicinity of Waitotara, and were brought to Wellington and placed on board a timber ship called the Jlaiiukau. This vessel had large port bows, as is usual with timber ships, by which to pass in their freight. The ports had not been used for sours time, and were supposed to be securely fastened.. " By order of tho Governor, Sir George Grey, tho osoort, 50th-Regiment, placed the prisoners on board the Manukau, and remained to guard them,' but tho vessel did not seem-to'be in a very fit state for the reception of I ho. prisoners; tho deck was lumbered with miscellaneous articles, as pieces of iron, marling-spikes, etc., some of which wers. thrown into tho hold whero the prisoners were located. During the day they wero allowed on deck in 'small parties, and excursions were mads from the city to view at. close quarters tho tattooed visages of sonic of the people. who had struck terror into (lie hearts of tho white inhabitants of the North Island. At night'l hc.v were ulw.iy* kept .below, a sentry being on deck over tho hatch.-■There-was a report some months before the escape tli.-yt the- prisoners meditated an attempt by the bow ports, but the mate of the ship, who lived on board, und the officer in command at the time, did not'think thar could nossibly. effect.

it. However, it ivas carried out in n manner reflecting great tlariiiK nnil astuteness 011 behalf of iliis ilitollijznut nice. 0:i thu dale already nietil.iuiied, it was blowing a gale from the ton!li-rsis<. n heavy sea running, ami the ni<,'lil pitch dark; .(.lie .Maoris managed, witii tire assistance of a screw key, which they .not hold of anion;,' things in the hold, to opon 0110 of I lie lj:iw ports, and before daylight the following morning nil litiL llirte had gone. The "darkness of the night, and the -noise of I lie wind anA -ea, prevented the sentry on deel; or ,hcari|jj{ anything; and, so cunningly did they effect their object that while tlie whole arrangement was going on below a single Maori occasionally came, tip during (lie night .(as wore jiermitivd to do "to go to tho head") to divert the sentry's attention, By. the aid of tho ship's boat, moored astern,' and a hastily-constructed ra'ft, thay pulled and drifte.d ashore, landing in a sin,ill indentation at about halfway bctw'e.cn the. overhead Manawatu Kaihvav bridge and tlio mouth of tho Kaiwiirawara stream, t our were drowned in the surf, tuo .were shot, in the bush by pursuing parties, and throe, pressed by-hunger, siirfenclered. The majority, of them who got away distributed themselves amongst, the tribes on the west coast of this island, and Air. Jnmes Brown, of the "Upper .Ilutt, informs mo that, n fcwwejit.to the Maori, pa there, situated at.what is' now; known as Maori Bank. A court ;of. inquiry assembled to investigate the .case, and Major-General Chute was satisfied'that no blame rested oil the detachment, asthe'esenpo.-was made under circumstances beyond, their, control. The officer in charge was on shore at the.time, and proved that he tried to get off, but no boatman would take. him. He was censored,/however! for • not': raring off earlier,; \V}ieii-indications, of bad weather first "appeared. The .capture.<>f this pa- by Sir George Grey, a'ftef General Cameron's -demur 'at. attempting-to' attack' it,' is a long arid interesting^story, and'there was' nothing in tho romantic- life of tlio gre.at proconsul to'tfhish'h'e-looked.back with more satisfaction than t'o .this feat of arms.— I am, e)c., ' H.P.