EARLY DAYS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 671, 4 October 1921, Page 5

EARLY DAYS.

(Written Specially for the Times).) X. THE WAIKATO WAR. The war that commenced in 1863 with the Kingiti natives was by far the most serious and extensive of all the Maori insurrections. King Potatau’s subjects embraced not only the whole of the Waikato tribes except a small section near the mouth of the river, but the inhabitants of the centre of the island, and in close 'Sympathy with them were most of the Taranaki and East Coast natives. The Maoi’is of the north and the Arawas remained loyal throughout, and in the later stages of the struggle the latter gave us much assistance.

The real cause of the war was the determination of the Kingites to reign paramount in New Zealand, and to drive the white people out. Sir George Grey, who became Governor for the second time in 1861 for two years pursued a foolish policy of conciliation expressed in terms of free blankets, free sugar and free tobacco. The natives naturally believed he was afaraid of them, andl as they found out by experience that the more turbulent and violent they became the more they were given they soon learned to play the game for all it was worth. The life of the out-lying settlers became almost unbearable. They were robbed and maltreated with impunity. The actual occasion for the commencement of hostilities was given by the refusal of the Maoris to allow the lands they had sold to the Government to be loaded. This brought matters to a, head, and all Maoris were ordered to get to the south of the Mangatawhiri stream by a certain day, or they would be treated as enemies. The Maoris in the vicinity of Auckland, declared for the rebels, and were ordered off. Against the advice of General Cameron, who was in command of the troops, the Governor allowed them to. go with all their arms, and the result was they mov*ed as far as Papakura and commenced murdering settlers. A detachment of the 78th, under Captain Ring, encountered and defeated them there, and so began the Waikato War. For months the fighting was confined to Franklin County, as the unroaded state of the country prevented our troops attacking their strongholds. The writer would like to have space to give details of the local fighting, but that is. impossible, so a mere list of names must suffice for the present. However, the Times proposes to get out a Christmas Number in which the early history cf this part of the woidd will be a feature and there may be more room there. Brushes with the enemy of greater or less severity took place at Kerikeri, Hill, Koheroa, Pokeno Hill, Pukekohe East, Mauku and Cameron Town, besides a number of small encounters. In most of these places regulars and irregulars fought side by side. At Mauku the volunteers had! it all to themselves; at Pukekohe East they bore the heat and burden of the day, and were only relieved in their dire extremity by the Flying Column and a detachment of the Waikato Militia. The Flying Column was composed of picked men from the various English regiments engaged, and the Waikato Militia was a force specially enlisted for the campaign, of which, the majority consisted of young Australians, who had responded to New Zealand’s appeal for aid. There were four battalions of them, amounting in all to about 1600 men.

Otheri specially enlisted corps were the late Major Jacksor’s Forest Rangers, and the late Major Lusk’s Forest Rifles, both of ; which did yeoman service in the difficult bushfighting that the tactics made inevitable. Another corps of volunteers deserving mention was Colonel Nixon’s cavalry, consisting of the young farmers of the Aucklnad district. They were really mounted infantry, depending on their horses for more mobility than for fighting. The regular soldier was little utted either by training or in equipment, for bush-work, but he, was to come into his own when the open Waikato conutry was reached, as our readers shall learn next week.