AN INCIDENT RECALLED

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1920, Page 3

AN INCIDENT RECALLED

The celebration of Queen Alexandra’s birthday recalled to Major D. H. Lusk a strange incident connected with the celebration in Auckland of the marriage of the late King Edward VII and the Danish Princess (says the , New Zealand Herald.) When the news of the marriage .reached Auckland in May, 1863, the settlers of the district decided to celebrate the event by lighting bonfires on the prominent hills. Major Lusk was then living at Mauku, near Pukekohe, and was officer in command of the volnteer corps, formed at the outbreak of tho Waikato War just a short time before. He and his neighbours proceeded to Bald Hill and there lit a bonfire. Returning late in the evening to his farm with one or two companions he met a party of some 15 Maoris, some of them armed, who had evidently been to his house. He had a strong suspicion that there was trouble in the wind, and as was subsequently discovered, the Maoris had decided to kill tho pakelias that night. The bonfires blazing on the hills had puzzled them, however. They had thought that the bonfires indicated that the settlers had got wind of the attack, and were preparing a counter-blast. Not then knowing this, Major Lusk 'decided to put up “a bluff.” He demanded to know what they were doing about liis

place at that time of the night. They replied that they had thought by the fires that the pakelias were going to do soemthing against them. Major Lusk, carrying on the “bluff” said that if they behaved themselves nothing would he dono against them, hut that if they did not, something would be done. Tho Maoris then wont away, and, speedily organising the settlers drove them out of th e district. Thus through the celebration of the marriage of Queen Alexandra tho lives of the settlers in that district were undoubtedly saved.