HERE'S LAST STAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 15

HERE'S LAST STAND.

i PALL OP RUAPEKAPEKA. J PA TO BE PKESERVBD. 1 The last battle in Hone Hekc's war of 1845, tho first war in tho north of ; New Zealand, was fought at liiianekaI pek'a, which is tin the Bay or Islands, 1G miles inland, Inquiries have recently \ been made on behalf of the Scenery .. Preservation Board, with a view to securing this historic spot, .and a suc- • gcstioirhss been made that a memorial s should be erected to commcmorato the engagement end the British, soldiers I who fell there. A report lias boon prepared by Mr" H. 1 Boscawcn, for the information of t : ho " board—the original intention was that r tlio land comprising and surrounding c the pa should be reserved, and ho ascertained that the Native owners wore will--1 ing to make a, free gift of about 2o '} acres.- Thirteen British soldiers fell in '•[ the engagement;' and were buried in oito grave, the position of wliich cannot now s bo identified, so that iho suggested fi obelisk cannot be crcctcd at the actual 8 spot. The old pa. is well preserved, tlio original earthworks being stili almost intact. Sir. Boseawon remarked roil cently that bis observations led him to n tlio conclusion that the -Maoris had some pakeha adviser in the construction I. of the pa, for the fortifications were certainly of European design. :t The Maori stronghold was tlio objecn tive against which Captain (later Sir) o George" Grey sent a powerful force, in, d pursuance- of a campaign to compel the :s observance of the Treaty of Waitangi, ?. the actual attack being determined upon owing to the unsatisfactory nature of d tlio replies made to him by tlio Maoris. <! The attack on Kuapekapeka commenced on J)cc;mber 31, ]545, by which time d tho British forces wore cncampcd before o, the pa: but their gums and ainmuuiss tion did not arrive till January 9, iS-Ki. io There were GOO Maoris, inside tlio pa, i- and attacking them were 1173 Euro- !) peans ami 45' i) Natives armed with three 1- 32-pouudors, one 13-pouudcr, two i'lpouiulers, and seven brass guns and lr rocket tubes. There was more or less ini3 termittent. fighting in the -interim, but s tho beginning of the. end came an Jann- ' ary 1(1, the guns having suecccdsd in , t making- some small breaches in the palisades. Hone Hcko arrived that day with 70 men. i'i, Next day was Sunday, and some of tho Maori allies and a detachment ot the sSth Kegiiiient crept up to the stockade and pnslicd into the .pa. During the night, Hone Hcko had withdrawn his forces into tho bush, but lvawiti and 11 men had remained behind, io They met tho allies with a couple ot r- volleys, and tlien ran away to join Hoke, er leaving tlio pa in tho hands of t.io British. There was wmo sharp lighting m outside tlio i>a, but the engawment was io soon brought to a close, tmi Lnush t- losses were 13 killed and 30 wounded, rs Tho fort was destroyed, ami it was S. found that the enemy's provisions had in been exhausted. A. <k' i y s Uio disaffected Maori lcadors lost their men, )V and penitent letters expressed ,t-he , "Maoris' intention to ho as faithful m peace as they had been constant in war, „ Tho battle was thus the end or Hone li. Hoke's "war of M-V which had lasted siiicc July of ISJ-l.