Rewi Manga Maniopoto,

Manawatu Herald, 26 June 1894, Page 3

Rewi Manga Maniopoto,

Rewi died on Thursday close to where in 1864 he made fchafc historical sfcand against the English forces at Orakau On the 30th Maroh, 1864, Brigadier-General Carey, of the 18th Royal Irish, reconnoitred the position Rewi had taken up at Orakau, three miles from Kihikihi, and determined on attacking it. He collected a force of about 1000 men with three guns and completely surrounded the enemy. The pah wai constructed wifch the usual ditches and parapets, with an outer oircumvallation of posts and rails, profc.eofced by outlying rifle pits. It was defended by 300 men, women and children, but was badly pro* i visioned for a seige. General Carey unwisely resolved to commence operations by storming the pah. i After three unsuccessful assaults these tactics were relinquished, and the construction of a flying sap was begun, while a continuous fire of shot and shell was kept up as well as a perfect hail of musketry, no less than 40,000 rounds of cartridges being served to the troops. During the afternoon* a relief force of from 150 to 200 Brftfves appeared in sight, bn^cwld. get go nearer than the adg? ofa Buah some .900 yards to the re&4i*£ tha British outposts. General Cam.* ron arrived with reinforcements which, brought the strength of the investing force to upwards ot 2000 men. By April 2nd the flying sap whioh had been commenced had broken into the enemy's outworks, and while canister was fired from the Armstrong guns into the pah at a distance of a few yard., the fire of the doomed garrison was silenced by hand grenades thrown into the entrenchments. Impressed by their indomitable courage, and desirous of saving the women and children, General Carey now sent forward an interpreter to the head of the sap with the message, " Friends, hear the word of the General ; cease your firing, you will be taken care of and your lives spared. We have seen your courage, let the fighting stop." Instantly an old tattooed chief mounted the breastworks, and in a clear, ringing voice, shouted tho intrepid reply : " Friends, this is the reply of the Maori— We shall fight ,_sß, ake, ake, a'ie (for ever, for ever, ror ever) " "If you are determined to die," replied the General, " give up your women and children, and we will take care of them." The defiant answer was : " Who is it

that is to die ? Wait a little ; our women also fight." " Let your word be repeated," persisted the General " Enough," was the chief's response, " this ake. ake, ake is our last word ; we shall fight on for ever !" When they thus elected to die rather than surrender, they had been three days without a drop of water, and had nothing lo eafc but a scanty supply of dried tawa berries aud raw maize ! Immediately after the firing was resumed and the pah stormed, and the enemy having exhausted their ammunition, left the pah on the side which was invested by a double line of the 40fch under Colonel Leslie, and jumping over the trench concealing the first line, were actually through the second line before they were discovered. The column of natives, with the women, the children, and the leading chiefs in the centre, marched as steadily towards their place of refuge as if no danger threatened them ; but a3 soon as the yells of the troops proclaimed that the retreat had been discovered, they quickened their pace and made all speed towards a neighbouring swamp. A body of colonial cavalry, however, headed them as they emerged from the swamp, and under a deadly fire the little band was almost decimated. The Maoris lost about 200. Upwards of 100 bodies were picked up on the field and 20 were said to have been buried in the entrenchments. Twenty-six wounded and seven unwounded were taken prisoners, and of the wounded 12 were women and children. Rewi, with a small party of seven or eight, escaped. The British loss was 16 killed and 52 wounded. This practically ended the Waikato war.