INCIDENT OF '80's

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1930, Page 6

INCIDENT OF 'Bo's

KING COUNTRY BANDS. '• "surveyors CAPTURED. “THE WEDGE IN THE LOG.”, ,V dramatic incident that occurred in 'the early before; ''the roads and settlements of Europeans were established at Te Kuiti,-pyas recounted at Manukotihi pa, AVaitafa, on Saturday, by Hopeta Tamati, or .Toe Thomas, one of the many interesting personalii ies who attended , the tanci in connecf ii.-n with the funeral of the late Sir Maui Pomare. Hoipea Tamati was one of the 'I e Kuiti Maoris w'o. as a prefect, late in the day. against the settlement of Europeans id the King f'o'iiPvy. captured. hound and" imprisoned a party of four surveyors, inch: ’ing Messrs Hurst house amV Nowcn-'V in 1882. The ringleader of the rffcclers was Manuhiri Mahuki. chief of tliefi Te Kami liapn. G ' The Maori version of the in.-ideo 4was given hy Hopeta in rn interviewas follows: “Mahuki said, v” on the survey party was marking on* the land near Te Kuiti : ‘lf one of these pnkehr.sggets through it will he like the wedge in the log. and mil our land will he gone, Iso t us stop these limn.’ “One day, just after dinner, the surveyors were going up Hie Teuir.a Hill. About 100 Maoris of. the To. Kumi liapn. including women and children, tackled the surveyors. There was great excitement. AVe captured them without much resistance. ' AVe f ied the,m up with muka. took them to the Te Kumi pa, about a mile and a-half on the Auckland side of Te Kuiti. near tlie present road, and locked them up in a wliare, excepting on? Maori. : Vi - “We fed them with brib'd potatoes with the skins on. kiimi-kumiV. and eels. They were locked up one dr two nigh's. • . . , .. -' ... j --‘./'k“Word had been sent through .to the southern Maoris that Mahuki had,captured Huvsthouse and party, and lobk,ed them up. In about a day a. big iparty of Southern Maoris cable on -the spot under '.the, leadership ofy-Kahn. There .were 1 200. or nfore, .andy thhv were If lightened Mahuki- would kill Ilustliouse and Newcombe. “Kahn’s men argued with Mahuki and pushed his men away from the wliare. breaking off the lock with an luxe. Mahuki’s men made no "resistance', for they were outmumbered. VKahu took them pakehas to' Alexander, where there was a European Settlement. “Mahuki and others gave themselves up in two nr three days after, riding on horseback to a. pakehn settlement. I didn’t go: T stayed in tlie.na. The others were arrested, and Mahuki -got one year’s gaol, and the others smaller terms. ‘.‘Mahuki could hnv° killed tlie, men had lie wanted to, but he . could see .some of tlie people were against him,. “Hursthouse didn’t bear me any illwill. J used -to visit him in New mouth afterwards and we were great friends. He used to ask me to his house, and lie gave me wine and made me at home. No. 'Hursthouse didn’t get spiteful, but he was wild at the time. “Mahuki was about .~0 at that time. He is dead now. but bis wife is still living at To Kut. Her name is Kaama Totorewa. and she is over 80 years old. i “The siuvev was completed, and Mahuki’s wonls came true: ‘The pakehas came through; all our land has gone.’”