HOW THEY DIED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2012, 20 March 1914, Page 10

HOW THEY DIED.

FIRST WHITES, AT WANGANUI

The story of the landing of the- first Knropeansr at Wangamii was told by Mr. T. W. Downes in an interesting lecture on "Early'Battlefields..;'Hound Wanganuil" He said tho, landing was, mado in 1831, and ended tragically. Joo Rowe; a dealer in the, preserved, and tattooed heads of Natives, which were greatly in demand fry museums and collectors, had a station at-Kapiti, .whore some Natives belftnging to the TaUpo tribe saw the head's of sonic of their relatives/ in Eovpc's 'possession. They asked him. to give. tfaem the; heads, but the dealer, laughed' at them.

The Natives were not satisfied, and detenniiied to make How© pay dearly for his. scoffing. .They''learned that Hows had planned a trading, excursion up the Wanagnui River, and the Natives thereupon journeyed to 'Wanganui, and camped at the spot known as Landguard Bluff. After two weeks' waiting, Rowe and his party came up the river. The. Natives ltmlcd the visitors in, a friendly ■ manner,. aucl Rowe, not. recognising them, went on shore. He had four white men with him and a negro. While they. were ashore a Native got into the- visitors' boat.

Rowe then told a Norwegian named Powers to-order the Native oiit. Powers refused, and told Rowe to order him out himself. Rowc wont to da so, and a scuffle ensued botwecii them. In the row. Hows was tomahawked." Tho visiting party Was. attacked, and all were killed except Powers, who was made prts'prier. Powers was taken up the river, and was afterwards ransomed for 281b.- of tobacco by a countryman of his, named Tapsell. Powers went north, but afterwards returned to Wancamii, and was employed by Captain Watt, of Watt and Taylor, two well-known identities of years gone by.