THE FALL OF NGATAPA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 85, 4 January 1919, Page 2

THE FALL OF NGATAPA

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY

To-morrqw is the fiftieth nnniversory of the-siege and fall of Ngapata, the strongest 6t tho 'fortified positions held by To Kooti. In the "Life of Major Bopata Wahiuvaha, N.H-C., M.L.C.," written by Colonel Porter, C.H., in 18U7, the memorable uctiun 'is briefly described as follows :—

Tho liiil fort of Ngalapa was the most picturesque and formidable of any the forces in-New Zealand had to contend with during the Wars. It towered above all the high surrounding country, quite, impressing one with its -impregnable strength; commanding'every possible approach of an attack. The front of the position was defended by three lines of parapets and trenches, each connected by covered ways. Tho first, or outer, lino of defence was about 250 yards in length, its walls-being eight feet in height, each drinking, angle- terminating upon the scarped cliff at bach flank of the tot. The eecond' lirio of -parapet wae about ten: feet in height, "and the third, nro- ■ tectihg. the - houses .upon, the summit of ■the' hill,-'woe al'least fiix'ttfeii feet high, ■ surmounted with sandbass, or rather ■Maori kits, in approved European style, between which we're loopholes for-firing. These 'sandbags were no doubt adopted by Tu Kooti in the emergency-of a hasty defence, not'bavin? time*to erect the usual Maori palisades, found by experience to be so effective in repelling as-swilts-by storming;-The whole fort covered considerable "area'of-ground, and the Natives say.it was,, in generations gone by, the site of an old pa of their, ancestors.

. On December 27 the force under Colonel Whilmore had takcii up a position on ■ the ridge a mile and a half, in'front and below'Ngatapa, named Foi;t Richmond •after the then Defence Minister. Without attempting to-describe in detail the siege, which lasted from Defcembef 27 till January 5, 180!),' and -giving only u general .reviev.'of its pro'grees, it will, be necessary to creatly curtail accounts of various incidents. ■■' . ■'''.'

'At the"'tiiiie Hie forces .liaVrfaken up tlio position' at . Fort Richmond, Hajor Ropata. 'arrived at I'atutaM with a freeh contingent of Ngatiporou, numbering; 370 men. Ropata'at the time wasunwell, and : liad to advance rather elowly,'.arid Colonel Whitmorc, becoming impatient at the delay, Bent word to him. to hurry up, or he , would take tho pa without his aid. To this • Eonnin ■ replied, ''Very well, I friecl but failed." Next' day Colonel IVhitmqre himself interviewed Ropnta, tlio narrator' hinlself acting 'as interpreter. Kopata'e first question was: ■"Have you taken the pa?" After'a'long talk" it was arranged that the' forces ■should unite to attack the, next .day at "Whar'ekopae' Stream',' near',To Ivarelu. ■liopatiiV force stripped for the national war dance (perupeni), going through nil tlm forms'of attack, challenge,, charge, and repulse in Native style, unseen by Europeans except one, the narrator. Tlio Higiis (tqh'us) to be. marked , upon Such an occasion-were all favourable and victory was .predicted. 'On .uniting, the force made an advance upon the point called "The ' Crow's.. Nest,*"' Vithin 800 •yards of the pa. Here .a. party' of about 50' Ngatiporou and Araiva w'ero detached to surprise the'outer .defenses. Guidefl 'by efime of liopata's men, who: had taken part, in the .Nga tn P a ■ ■■& t * l attack, they made a detour to the ravine below, and then scaled .the., cliff '.under, heavy ■ ffro, gallantly driving the.. enemy-from that extrenii) outlying'defence which covered their'water supply;-'. Mere Kopnta join'.ert.and' established a. strong position by entrench'ment, and.iras shortly aftef reinforced by Colonel YVhitmore. From this" base' the attacking forces .gradually extended siege operations to I lie flanks 'and rear,' mid honyy ■ fighting, continued for days.. The elevation of.the upper pnrt of the- pa beine so great, the rifle tiring-lind -little effect therefore, small cohorn morlars were imported into'the siege, the shells dropping into the upper works and doiDg much damage by bursting, on,the houses, which tlio enemy endeavoured to protect 'by.covering with earth. On JiiniMiry 4 .fiopata consulted with Colonel AVhitmore.and. eaid,. "The signs are now favourable for an assault iipou the .pii." I'ifly picked,, man were told off to fovmnthe storming'parly,-the narrator, being the. only European offic&r among them. The advance was one. of great difficulty ' and danger^'the; party having to climb up a steep cliff by holding on to roots, etc., while the enemy kept a heavy fire from tlwji- short flanking angle upon the left of the pa, whtrt fortunalely not more than i,wen,ty to thirty . could lire at ono time. ■ While tho ■ator.miiiß movement was .proceeding the forces iti front and rear, kept up a "heavy fire- to protect tho storming party, and ais Boon as its front appeared close up :.to the flank of ti.e niemy's oulei :-.vell, Major BJopata stood-up;from: the the line of European trenches,, fully exposed, to a heavy .-fire,- and there, ir» volver in hand; stood a prominent Jg'lii'e, 'nloiie directing: the movements of "the. storming, party. ' He .requested Co - onel- Whitiuore to order-cease firing all round, ..lest. the. etorraurs should suffer. ■At the flanking angle tho storming party Tttid' 'hand-to-hand work; but-at'last succeeded in scaling the-cliff,'arid parapet and driving the enemy within' the upper 'defences of the pn, and securing to'them, selves the cover of the first line of parapet, along which they txtended and were soon reinforced from the supports in.' the iwr Those watching (he movement from the Tear sauT.it whs.a prcttj sight to ihark the'several phases ot the etorming.' The" casualties , upon both sides during the short and sharp affair were heavy, and .there w.ero many notable incidents. . , ' . .. , ■'.., It -was late in the evening when the duter'ilefeiicb was :takeh, and: it. was determined to wait for daylight-to carry bv storm the upper fort, This the enemy no doubt expected, and after information proved that. To Kooti, therefore, by a ouiet masterly movement, prepared to evacuate the pa by the only part deemeo by-tlie besiegers inaccessible. Blankets sheets, etc., were cut in jtrips. aim used as ropes to lower the defenders down the precipice-at the left of the pa..This was dono so successfully and quietly that the- attacking foreo was not aware ot it till about 2 o'clock in the morning. A woman, Mero Karaka Te Rerehorna, called out from the-upper parapet that the pa was evacuated she being the only one left except the deed and wounded. At first, this was deemed-to be a.-ruse,lc-hiro on the .force,, but as day .was ]uet breaking ft party ndvansed. nml found it as the woman ha 1' etdted, and as it is- ever customary in Jlaori warfare, the Ngatiporou were soon running through tho pa and dispatching the ■ wounded. It may not be out-of place to mention hero that in. all Maori warfare enemy wounded are never spared, ■and. there'is no instance during the wim where a European has been taken prisoner and -spared. ■ ■ -;- • • Eopata allowed no time to elapse before ho''serif out pursuing' parties upon the trail of the retreating enemy'through the dense forests in tho- direction of tlio Urewera Country. Many skirmishes and haud-to-hand-engagements took-place in the'bush, and many pnsonere. wwe brought in—to the number of about 1-1) Befo'ro this Colonel Whilmore was on his return march, leaving Kopata to await tho return'of the'pursuing parties. As each detachment came nr with its batch of prisoners KopM:V rather unspnringly ordeicd them for . execution, particularly those known to be.i'scapnes from tho-Chatham.9 arid', also .those who had participated in'the massacre. Iho place of execution was on tho verge of a cliff, where tho prisoners .were stripped, then ranged in lino and shot, down by the firing party, their bodies falling.over the cliff. Tho retribution lasted.for throe days,, and among ' the last, batch af prisoners dealt with w.is.Henata 'Juparn, a, wril-knowii Poverty Bay. chief, of rank in ihoso days, .who .wiis delated to ltopntn by marringe, and who at. Waoi'tngn-a-liika and other places )m<! l»<"i sporwl. Some of the chiefs urged Uopaln lo again exe,rH«e clemency townrds.this man, but to ail he turned, a deaf our, having already given secrpt instru.;iions for his execution, . and "the chirr* 'at' last eon"cliided' by saying, "Very well, wo leave il; to vpii," he replied, ".That is well, ni he "is already .doml." This rebel Jfr-nntn wns'a fine linnd=ome man, or lin'(lonbli'i! roiirasi',' displayfil -to thn.ln"t. ih when 'rtnged up- in front :\ Ihe finug piirty lie dashed forward,'. p-triliitifs one with his (i<t i'ml l)iw'l;i'i« Oirnnßli Hie line into''the bush, whom, however, ho wns shiit down.' Uiniiiia. ainniiß ninny ■of thn Xativrs at \\h disti'W-inul In't own Dnople, is rather , blflint'd f.'r tlii= act of stern justice, if it ran bo so enlled.