WARLIKE MAORIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1440, 24 August 1915, Page 3

WARLIKE MAORIS.

EAGER FOR THE FRONT. DEPARTURE FROM MAETA. " KA MATH, KAMATF.” The experiences of the Maori contingent are related in an interesting letter from Eieulenanl Panraea Ferris, says the Gisborne correspondent of the Auckland Herald. “ These 500 Maoris,” writes Eientenant Ferris, ” are getting a great hearing for so insignificant a body of men. Small as our numbers are there is something about our lille band that commands 1 the attention and respect af everyone we meet. On arrival at Malta we were received by Eord Methuen. “Each day the haired for the enemy grows more 1 more within us, and each of mukilled and wounded is only a red rag to an infuriated hull. Now we have completed our training we have only one thing to wail for and that is our orders for tjie front. We are praying that, they will lie soon, for we must be with all New Zealanders in this desperate struggle.” After detailing the trip on the Runic to Malta, the writer describes the arrival at Valetta, the capital of Malta, where they saw warships of England, France and Italy. The sea was covered with them, being only two days’ steam from the Dardanelles. “Every day ship loads of wounded are being sent in from the front and sent to the different hospitals. We sometimes go round to the hospitals and hear news of the front, and some of them are very stirring tales. “We have just had good news,” writes the Lieutenant a little later. “Eord Methuen is going to wire to Kitchener that we are ready for the front, and from now on we have our instructions to be iu readiness to move at eight hours’ notice, When the men realised that, they at least had real hopes of going, ‘Ka male, ka mate,' rent the. air. They cheered and shouted for joy, and a holiday was granted to celebrate the occasion, “Tell everybody that we aie going to the front, aud that every soul to a man is happy to do so. They must see what a great event it is for the Maori race. No one must worry a bit. We are going, and we are coming back —but we are not going to retire until we’ve slaughtered enough ol the enemy to make amends for the friends we’ve lost. “Tom Broughton was killed outright at the Dardanelles. He fought like a real old Maori warrior. He was, by the way, in the Australian forces. We tried to get him to join us in Egypt, but his officers would not let him.” In a later message, dale June 25th, Eient. Ferris slates that they were just leaving for the Dardanelles and in less than a week would be in the firing-line. They felt confident that they would do New Zealand credit. The faith of the Maoris is shown by the concluding terms of the letter“Do not fear for us. God, I know, will help us and bring ns safely to you, and we are (till of confidence that we will succeed iu mu task. God bless you all.”