MR, RUSDEN’S HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1337, 2 August 1883, Page 4

MR, RUSDEN’S HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Chables Williamson, formerly war correspondent to the “ Daily Southern Cross,” writes the following letter to the New Zealand “Herald” on matters referred to in Mr. Rusden’s new work, recently published : —“ You have inserted a lengthy communica* tion from my friend H. Willoughby, the special correspondent representing the Melbourne “ Argus ” in this colony during the native war, in refutation of charge of cruelty to Maori women and children made by Mr. Rueden in his new work. As I represented the “ Southern Daily Cross " as war correspondent during the Waikato and Tauranga campaign, and Willoughby having mentioned in his letter that we were close spectators of the fighting at Rangahoaia, it has been represented to me that it might appear somewhat strange did I not say a word on the subject. I have therefore carefully re-read Willoughby’s letter, and can corroborate all he says about the utter want of truthfulness of the assertions made by Mr. Rusden that women and children were ruthlessly shot down in the burning whare, General Cameron, in his despatch of Feb. 25, specifically mentions that he had ‘ detained 21 women and children who were found in the village,’ and I feel the utmost confidence in stating that Major Jackson and others still alive, and in our midst, who were present at the fight, will assert with me that no one person there ever had the slightest thought that women or children were in the whare with the Maoris, who were so vigorously firing upon the Forest Rangers. As evidencing the respect with the rebels entertained for us, owing to our humane treatment ef all Maoris who happened to fall into our hands, permit me to quote the following from my diary relative to the bathing affair at Mangipiko, where Major Heapy gained his Victoria Cross, and which happened immediately before our march on Rangihoaia:—‘ The Right Rev. Bishop Selwyn also went to the pa yesterday, but the Natives would not allow him to enter, although he offered to read the burial service over their dead, They declined the favor, but asked him to see that any bodies were buried which might be found near our position or died in our camp. They expressed their intention not to mutilate in future any of our wounded who might fall into their hands, in reciprocity for the kind behavior of our soldiers in taking care of the dead and wounded. In the future they would not strip our dead.’ ’’