THE TRAGEDY AT THE WHITE CUFFS.
A TALE OF OLD TARANAKI.
HKV. JOHN Will TELLY’S SACRIFICE.
In the middle distance of Unit tine seascape of seventy miles, as Mien from the high land at the foot of Farilnlu, the great Sugarloaf at New Plymouth, (he eye is caught by two high cliffs of greyish white on the coast line. Under their Maori name of Para-ninihi (hey may he hardly recognised, hut as the While Cliffs they give their name to the adjacent district, and also to that
frightful tragedy which fifty years ago on Saturday last was the clos-
iii”' scene in (he war in North Taranaki. The ('lift’s are over nine hundred heel sheer. The beach at their base avas the only practicable road in (hose days to'north or south, and only then at low water. When I lie lido is making it soon reaches (he I'oot of the dill's, and should the unwary traveller be cut off, the Waipingao Gorge, which divides 1 hem, is his only refuge, and here lie must wail for hours until the tide amain recedes. They extend for about (wo miles, and towards Pukearuhe, 1 he southern cl ill’s drop suddenly to some four hundred feet. At this place, the scene of the massacre, access is possible by means oC a sleep ascent on the side of the Waikaramarama Gorge lo a more practicable road running' parallel with the coast line, and a hi lie inland. At the lop of ibis gorge, and; guarding the track, was the old Maori stronghold, Pukearuhe, i.c., Fern Hoot Hill, in LSti!) the site of a blockhouse, and the key lo Taranaki from the north. The beach I rack is (dosed just north of Cara-ninihi, and south of I’ukearuhe by the sea. The Maori War, though it still dragged on in (he south of the province, had lapsed into a condition of uncertain peace in the north —the soldiers were withdrawn in 1807; though two detachments were sent a little later to Xew Plymouth they did not remain long. The settlers gradually returned to their farms and look up the work again bringing (hem back into cultivation, (hough they'did so at a very great risk. In December of 1808 the Superintendent of Taranaki received a copy of a telegram to the effect that the Ngalimaniopoto (Waikato) tribe had threatened (hat they would go lo the While Cliffs on their own account. Some precautions were taken by the Superintendent, but (hey were soon abandoned, as yo danger was anticipated by the Provincial Government. On that Black Saturday a (ana (war party) of about sixty men from the Awakino came along (he beach in broad daylight, (he main body halting at the beach at the mouth of the gorge, a sumll parly going up to the redoubt. “There they found two Europeans, whom they enticed away by telling them (here were pigs for sale on (he beach. Milne went lirsf and was tomahawked on the path leading to (he beach. Seeing that h’ichards, the other man, did not follow, the parly returned and urged him to come and look at the pigs. The unfortunate man descended the hill, and was killed near where Milne fell. The tana then rushed up to the redoubt and found that Lieutenant Gascoigne and his family were absent in their held of corn and potatoes. Lieutenant Gascoigne, looking up, saw (lie Natives at the blockhouse, and at once proceeded towards them, carrying his youngest child. Mrs Gascoigne and the other children followed him. On arriving at a little stream at the base of the hill on which the block-
house stood, Lieutenant Gascoigne gave the child to his wife, and went forward to meet the .Maoris. Approaching, they shook hands with him, and accompanied him to the door. Upon his raising his hand to open the door he was struck from behind, and fell. Soon after Airs Gascoigne came with (lie three children, and she and (helittle ones were killed. The murderers then tomahawked the house dog and cat." THE MURDER'OF MR. WIIITE- . LEY. But there was yet one more victim to fall, and round him chiefesl interest centres. On Saturday morning, an old clergyman, the Rev. John Whdeley, left the Methodist Mission Station at New Plymouth. It was his custom to ride to some remote part of the district every Saturday, preaching at all the villages and settlements as he returned on Sunday. This day his destination was Pukcaruhe. He was not so very old, hut he was war worn with the stress of an aposlolale arduous and stern, which covered a space of .3/ years, at 1 lokianga, Kawhia, where the best of his days were spent amongst the Ngatimaniapoto tribes, and in the Taranaki district riding where possible, paddling his canoe along the rivers and creeks, or walking. There was a practical side of his preaching, for husbandrv with European implements, and handicraft, with the use of the hammer and saw, plane and sipmrc, formed part of his curriculum. Strong, active, abstemious, loving his people and beloved hy them, no outpost was too remote, no weather 100 severe.
Al length he had finished (he work it was given him to do. When he left New Plymouth for, Pukearuhe on February 13lh, ISO!), he was not unconscious of danger, lor he had written a letter of warning to the Government concerning (his very outpost. As the old missionary rode along, now .on the margin of the high sea cliffs, with the speclaeie id' L’uapehu in front and Kgniiiiil mi his right, both lifting their sunuv crests from the bosom of the dark forests to the bright blue sky, and the daneing wavelets Hashing the relieded sunljght on his left, now cantering along the sandy beach, amid the irridcseent bubbles of; the sea foam, little did lie think how black a crime was being perpetrated on the spot he was rapidly approaching. It was late in the evening whim he rode up the track to (he blockhouse. Presently a .Maori voice hailed him; “Hokoia !" (Go back!) and (be old man answered, “Why should Igo hack? My place is here.” A.gain came the order from the Chief AVeiere: “Go hack, Whiieley, your place is not here.' “My place is here, and here I remain, for my children are doing wrong.” Again the order to go hack was given without efied. Then an evil voice—was it a Pakeha voice?—cried mil in the gathering gloom: “Kahori a (angi uga tikaka male.” ' (Dead cocks do not crow.) Shots were tired, and the faithful old horse fell. Disengaging himself from the dying beast, he knelt down beside it in prayer. More shots were tired. Five bullets pierced him, and so he passed. What.that last prayer was is not known, hut it would be out of harmony with the mans whole life and character if, it wore for himself. May we not believe that it was for forgiveness for his murderers. The tana then burned the blockhouse and hut, and rclurn-
ed to Awakino. Strangely enough, neither Haines of the burning blockhouse or buildings were seen, nor the report of firearms heard by anyone, -although there were settlers living within .a mile of the place. This may be accounted for by the fact that the weather that night and the following day was very stormy. The bodies were discovered on the Monday morning by a tattler, who was looking for some stray cattle. He immediately rode into New Plymouth with the news, and the following day an armed party proceeded to the Clift's in the s.s. AVellington, and recovered the bodies, which were brought into New Plymouth and interred in the beautiful Te Henui Cemetery —a place without peer of its kind in New Zealand. REASONS FOR THE RAH).
The reasons given for the raid are as follow:—“In the beginning of February, 18(59, . the Ngatimaniapoto were gathered in truce near the Awakino Heads, and it had heen proposed to make a. raid on Taranaki. The time was considered opportune as the district was practically in a defenceless state through the departure of the military and the military settlers, and the general exodus of the men from (lie place to the Thames, attracted hy the wonderful optpiit of gold from the mines. Iloui \\ eiere to Rerenga was the principal advocate of this course, but Wahanui, the Maniapolo chief, opposed it. AA ahanui further taunted Welere by saying that AVetere’s family were ever noted for saying “Go into the light,” but never said “Follow mo. ’ I his taunt was the more galling because of its truth. Slung to fury by it, AVetere gathered the men of his hapu together and went to Pukcaruhe. On their return to Awakino after the massacre the assembled tribe* gathered round the party to hear of their exploits. At the mention of killing of the men nothing was said. AVhen they told of the murder of the mother and her little children Wahanui expressed his disgust,, saying war was not with women and children; that was murder and not war. Seeing the reception of this part of their news, they hesitated, and then told of I lie murder of AVhitcley. The old chief was silent with horror, and the Avonien broke into the wild wail for the dead. For a long time this continued. tiie men bowed with covered heads, (lie women Availing. Then AVnlmnni ordered the camp to be broken up, and bis people to go into the wilds of the King Country, saying: “Here let it end, for the death of AVhiteiey is more than the death of many men.”
THE VICTORY OF SACRIFICE. With this death the lighting ended betAveen the lavo races. Mr Whiteley lost his life because he, in that supremo moment, made his election, and played the man. The Maoris were reluctant lo kill him; they knew he was their friend, and being an Ariki of the tribe bis person was sacred. For that reason, perhaps, his boilv alone avus not mutilated. This may seem a trivial matter to ns, but to the Maori to cut a dead body is an act of cannibalism. It was his duty to ascertain the fate of the settlers at the. blockhouse—in doing his duty lie fell. Had he nut been true lo his high calling, the Humus ol war would have* iuu over Taranaki, hut ho avus true, and so once more the principle of vicarious sacrifice so frequently denieii by mere sciolists was again exemplified —lie gave his life, a ransom for many. He avus committed lo his last resting-place by his old friend and fellow-Asmrker, (he Ameliorable Archdeaeon Govott. On a high terrace overlooking a beautiful valley he sleeps his long sleep. In the slanting rays ot the selling snn the (lowers blow fair and memorial stones gleam bright in this lovely garden of God; the shadows deepen, and for a few (lecting moments Eden once more (mines to earth. In the vallev the little stream Avbicli half uicircles this holy place murmurs softly over the pebbles, softly chanting its eternal requiem for the souls of the thousands avlio sleep therein, but for no truer, braver soul than John Whitclcy.—“Ouiierou,” in the Taranaki News.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1945, 27 February 1919, Page 1
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1,873THE TRAGEDY AT THE WHITE CUFFS. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1945, 27 February 1919, Page 1
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