FACTS ABOUT TE KOOTI.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1306, 7 April 1883, Page 2

FACTS ABOUT TE KOOTI.

A correspondent signing himself “Veteran ” writes to the Editor of the Nelson Colonist- in a issr.e of the 21st of March, concerning Te Kooti as follows :— Sir,- “I have read with much interest the extracts from your contemporaries, the Timaru Herald and Lyttelton Times, on the above-named Te Kooti. The articles are instructive, coining as they d<» from papers of such opposite ideas as the Herald anil Times. The article from the Herald struck me as being the most sensible, as it styles Te Kooti only as the author of the Poverty Bay masi»e, whi < the Ttrteff dubs him as the leader. T *s only shows how far a moat respectable Journal, that I otherwise much adm re, can be led astray by political ranoouh Now, I don’t wish to encroach too much On your valuable columns ; but, as one vho will you allow me to say, that Te Kooti was not the leader in that foul and shameful massacre in the Bay in November, 1868 ; in fact, Te Kooti rather discountenanced such a proceeding, but his mana was not yet strong enough to prevail up->n his subalterns to forego their vengeance, for it was a deed of vengeance of ulu for injuries inflicted on them. No, the actual leaders in this fiendish night’s work were—Te Rangi I'ahau, acuief of the Ngatitu hapu of the Ngatituwharetoa tribe ; atid Nikora Te Rangi, a chief of the Ngatiwhana hapu, a section of the Urewara tribe. The first named worthy, Tahau, is well known. He resides near the township of Taupo, on the lake of that name. He has many times recounted to me all about this and other deeds ■»f darkness he was engaged in. His confrere, Nikora Te Rangi, was shot while lying under a tree the afternoon Ngatapafell. His bead was carried into CF.mp (Ngatapa), f.nd the Native Minister, Mr Richmond, jave the lucky po&sejsor—a man of Ngatiporou—£so for it. There were some 120 of Te Kouli’s men shot as they were brought in, emaciated fid worn or.t with seven days seige—four >f which they fought with no wat< r, or food except dry iern root. We Europeans took ho notice—it was all w‘ iked at They were shot in groups of fours and sixes. And mind, there were only 35 of Te Kooti’a -toldiers actually engaged in this massacre. Te Kooti himself was at a village called the Aoahaua some 20 miles above the Te I'utuhi. Te Waka, Te Rangi Tahau, Te Rangirawhiwhi, Petarea, and others of the Chatham Island escapes, told me all about this massacre and others. Te Rangi Tahau was pardoned, and Takui, undei the wing of Sir Donald M’Lean, in 1870, at a vidage near Hikutaia, near Heo-ki. This was after we broke up Te Kooti finally at Kaitereria, in 1870. All Te Kooti’s raids at Mohaka and Opepe were carried out in strict usages of Maori warfare. Even the Bay settlers had three or four warnings of his coming. Europeans have always received warnings previous to raids. Tito Kowaru, who is so much held up as Ike modern Maori warrior, tortured and burnt my wounded comrades at Te Ngututuonoternana, Te Rurrua, and Okeituku : yet not a word is said about this, though according to Maori usages, both massacre of Te Kooti, and the torturing of Tito Kowaru, were perfectly en regie. And it ought to be well known that Te Kooti, after escaping from the Chathams (which I hold was a bold and daring act), begged to be let alone; that if let alone he would live in peace, as he wished to live and die in the land of his fathers ; but the Government of the day thought different. A hastily collected force with No. 1 Division A. C., was put in the field ; we followed him up to Kuakature Gorge to take him ;he beat ns back ; and the massacre in the Bay was the sequel. Now Ido not defend Te Kooti for many things he did—wr-s perhaps forced to do by his wild and undisciplined followers —yet, as a br ’ve man and capable leader, who set the whole resources of this Colony at defiance—“the first in attack and the last in retreat”—l think it i« unEnglish and ungenerous to ban him for all time, and to draw any comparisen between such a man—who ha 4, and has yet the will to do and • lare—and a pusillanimous fanf.tia like Te Whiti, who could and would not, is ridiculous. I followed Te Kooti through many a mile of New r Zealand ; wr,s beaten by him sometimes, but mere often beat him ; yet, ■ ieapite all this, knowing that he is a bold, had man, as an honorable and brave foeman I would shake Te Kooti’s hand to-morrow : and I know that if he said. “ Let there be peace, I will war no more," he will keep his word.” | We have extracted the foreg-nng in order to elicit either refutation or confirmation of “ Veteran’s ” letter, by those in Poverty Bay who have lived through the “troublous times ” of which he writes.—Ed, P. B. S.J