TE PUOHO’S MARCH

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1928, Page 4

TE PUOHO’S MARCH

STORY OF DARING EXPEDITION

A KAWHIA CHIEF M'H,O. LOST HIS IsE'As (By J.C. in “Auckland Star.”) Thomas Bracken celebrated, in his longest poem the march of Te Ruaparaha southward from Kawhia, and verse writers since his day have elaborated on the theme. But. there was a less famous man. who carried out a far more venturesome military expedition, the most arduous fighting march ever undertaken in New Zealand, an enormously diffidult and perilous journey through the most formidable wilderness. A writer on war tactics once said that geography is two-thirds of military science. The truth of that soldiering anxiom must have been appreciated to the full by Te Puoho .of Kawliia. 90 odd years a.go.

The glimmering sheltered waters, the food-teeming shores and forests of Kawhia .must have been hard to leave, when Ngati-Tba and their kindred elans set out on their great southward ‘heke” the Maori equivalent of the South Afrit an Dutchman's “trek.” There is a song which tells us of the people's love and longing for their homes on the b-oautilul anti fruitful inner const of Kawhia. But powerful enemies pressed them hard, and there were new homes and loot unlimited in the far south of the island, anil there were also the numerous trading ships about Cook Strait. So Rauparnha went, and most of his tribe, and tbe.ii about 1825 J'e Puoho, a sub-chief, led his own small party southward to Otaki. and thence took canoes to join his leader on Tvaniti Island. The tonquest of the local tribes was neoomplished, and by IS3O or so- we find Te Puoho and many others, of various elan!' of Ngati-Trm, settled on the northern toast of the. South Island, in the country now known n.s Nelson and Marlborough. Here begins the second and greatest migration, the full story of which I have gathered quite lately; there are tlescendniifs f survivors of this expedition living near AVellingt n. There was a young chief-woman of Kawhia named Kaulioe (“The Swimmer”). She married Taku. and had several children, and when Taku died site married his brother, who wan Te Puoho. The pair, with the children and other relatives, wore settled in the early thiritics of last century at Motuweka. a very desirable part of Nelson coast, tin tlio west side of Tasman Bajv. And tber began the troubles of Te Puoho. The various parts of the Cook Strait coast and the adjacent Sounds and bays bad been apportioned among the victors, and Motuweka (now spelled Motueka) was occupied by Xgati-Rarua a subtri.be of Ngti-Toa, whose remnants now live on the TVairau River, Marlborough. To Puoho was a masterful felleiw whepe autocratic methods wore right enough in war time, but in peace tliov wore resented bv bis poo-ole. He appears to liavo been an inilividioilist of a pronounced type not popular in tbe Maori commune.

A ROUGH BAPTISM. The story as told by Xgati-Toa today is that when he was shown the extent of the land claimed by NgatiRania by virtue of conquest from tbe original tribes of the soil he proceeded to subdivide ii. Me wished to have boundaries nllnlted for each family or gi nun ol families, and presiiiiinblv be wanted the rhiel share for his own family. At any rate, his ciiving an of big estates was resented bv tbe conservatives in tbe tribe. I lie quarrel grew, and at last, one day tbe opposition laid violent bands on the auioernt of Mniuweka. and after hustling him about ducked him in the

river. This was by way of punishment for To Ptiolio’s “niahi puliation.” his interference with cnsioinary rights, in multi taking on his own responsibility the subdivision of the tribal estate. To great anger To Pooho shook tile mud cm Motnwoka off bis loot and with his 1 wife and fnmilv and immediate relatives he launched his war-canoe and paddled off to seek a new home. Flo joined the XgatiTama at To Para para, now called Coilingwood, in Golden Bnv. up in the north-west corner of ‘ Nelson. 110 c far south of Farewell Spit. There Te I’uoho dwelt awhile in ■ peace. Then his restless soul set hint again at cross-purposes with his people. He began in subdivision of the tribal lands there, and again the revolutionary policy was resented. The quarrel resulted in an order to quit, though Xgati-Tania wore his kinsfolk. They made it very plain to him that lie was not wanted in those parts again, and gave him to know that lie must seek a region entirely his own. where he would not interfere with his neighbours’ rights. DOWN THF. LONG WEST COAST. Indignant at his treatment, disgusted at the untieigliliourly ways of bis two tribes, To Puoho resolved on heroic measures to win a home for himself and bis family relatives. He would march far away and accomplish two tilings - conquer now land for himself and win fame, make a name that would strike against the skv. So bo set about beating up recruits for an expedition to the Far South to Murihiku. against the Ngai-Talnt tribe, the people of whom Taiaroa and Talmwaiki were the chiefs. So by fervent appeals and promises of land, plunder, women and slaves in the Xgai-Tahu Country, he presently had under bis command n company of about 70 men, consisting, of some of his relatives of Ngati-Hnrua. some Xgnti-Hinetulii. of Te Taitapu. and others eager for tiie great adventure. He sent also to Ngati-Toa and XgatiAwa at Kaniti Island, but those tribes were away at the time lighting the Wanganui people. The only men who came from the Xorth were a few from Paekakariki, under a young chief uamed Pare,until te Wahapiro. who was his nephew, the son of his dead brother Taku. At Te Parnparii. near the scene of his dm-kitur Te Puoho assembled bis 70 warriors, all armed with musket and tomahawk and ’roll supplied with gun powder and bullets, and he led them in a triumphant war dance, and | then turned his tattooed back for ever j on the glittering sands of the nortliJ ern coast. I "Down that wild coast they marched. those savage conquistadors. They i kept to the- west side of the island, for it was Te Puoho’s intentions to take his distant foes in the rear. For weeks they marched, living scantily on what little they carried and on the birds they caught in the hush. They marched most of the way along the rough gravels and on the .smooth sand.of the coast, the huge surf of the Tasman Sea ever close on their right hand. They climbed precipitous cliffs; at places they had to make rough ladders to descend the beetling coast crags They crossed innumerable rivers, some by swimming, some by rafts of driftwood or Ivorari flax stalks. As they advanced southward the rivers became more swift and (

icy cold. They came straight from the glaciers and snowfields. those fierce torrents, threatening death and destruction. They were drenched in the rains, they were soaked in the rivers and swamps. And still they inarched on, for were there not the open lands and the desirable possessions of Xgai-Tahu at the journey’s end, over the Alps that made an endless wall on their lerv?

OVER THE HAAST PASS. To march to the end of that vast chain of cold white peaks was impos-

sible, but there must be a cut-through somewhere, a pass that would give them access to Xgai-Tahu and Muriliiku. And far up the valley of the Awarua they found that pass. They crossed that mile-wide river, growling in many channels over its shingle bed, near its mouth; then they penetrated to its head. IVe call the river the Haast now, and at its head is the Haast Pass, the lowest in the whole chain of the Southern Alps. I can picture that march of the half-starved musketeers of 183(i, for 1 have been

along the Haast route and over the pass to Otago. It took us a week on horseback from near the Franz Josef

Glacier to the had of Lake Manuka

the roughest, wildest ride in New Zealand. INTO THE PROMISED LAND. To Puoho led'-liis men, gaunt with hunger and hard marching, through the dim, silent beech woods in ihc pass, and down to Lake IVanaka. they built rafts (mokilii) and paddled down that 35 miles long lake. They took a prisoner or two at isolated hamlets of Ngai-Talui ; they made their way slowly and painfully down into Southland by way of the Matau (Clutlm) and Mataura Rivers and tbe \\ ai-o-whakea Plain (now called IVaikaiai. At last there was some reward for To Puoho's march. On the banks of the Mataura River, about three miles from the present town of Mataura, there stood a village called lutaran. Cautiously reconnoitring the unsuspecting defenceless place one .night, ho l<■<! his warriors against it at dawn ot day. He and his men shot down or lomahawked most of the occupants an.l captured some survivor-. Bui -oin escaped, and the end wa- not long in coming for Te Puolm. THE LAST SHOT. All Murihiki wa.- in a bla/o ol alarm and preparation lor revenge, and otn morning Tuhawaiki tin- celebrated “ Bloody Jack ” of the whalers- descended on Tuturau with a small army of Ngai-Talui. Te Puolm was shot by tbe chief Topi Patukai who died on Rimpuke Island in 1909), hi- head uncut off and smoke-dried as a trophy ot war. Many of his band wore killed, and most of the survivors were raptured. Only one or two escaped to make their way north and home to tell Kaulioe of her roving husband’s fate. Paremata te Wahapiro, the leader’s nephew, was taken prisoner. Ilireo years afterwards 'about 1839) ho was ceremoniously taken back to tbe Nelson country and restored to his people, and he took his place among them as n chief again. His descendants are living at Porirua and thereabouts to-day. But Te Puoho’s direct line is now extinct. His great march story remains as an epic of endeavour. It was a pity he lost Ids bead, after all his toil and trouble.