MAJOR ROPATA.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 127, 9 May 1884, Page 2

MAJOR ROPATA.

The following is a brief sketch of a few incidents connected with the services of Major Ropata, and witnessed by the narrator, which we were compelled to hold over for want of space : —

Captain Porter said he knew Major Ropata was a man that did not boast, but 1 e would inform the meeting of a f°w examples of Major Ropata’s bravery in action, by citing a few incidents. At the commencement of the fight at Waiapu, he knew Major Ropata resist 100 rebels, when he had but a few men, and only sever - runs. He never carried a weapon, only at imes, when he would carry either a pis*ol or walking stick. At Tikitik, when th contending parties were on each side ’fj ca’-. ravine one of the enemy came to the upposih bn.ik defying Ropata’s men. Ropata w him and went after him, and deliberately dashed his brains out, whilst both parties »tood looking on. This was one of his earliest exploits. Ropata came down to P ukenapa, where some 400 to 500 rebels we ■_ er nnched, and among whom were some fl" own tribe. He had 200 followers, an-, so overturned the pah. Those who had det- 1 ted him he deliberately shot, by walking behind them with a revolver. After this he followed down and took Takitahupo, where, el most in the midst of the enemy, 1 e dashed a man’s brains out. Ropata was a man wl o w. ’d not swerve from his purpose. He once rook a prisoner, and shot him because he would not give him information, though urged not to do so by Colonel Lambert and other European officers. At Ngatapa, he came with a small body of men, overturned the pah, and defeated the rebels. The men deserted him, but he charged the last trench with only 80 followers» carried it, and held it all night. For that he received the New Zealand Cross and a pension of £lO a year. After this he joined the forces under Col. Whitmore, who, it is known, has the credit of the entire defeat of the rebels, but it is a fact that Colonel Whitmore could not have defeated them without Ropata’s valuable assistance. He (the speaker) mentioned an occurrence, where the European forces and Ropata’s men were engaged against the rebels, where Ropata stood on a rock at a distance, and guided the movements of his men by waving to them. This proved how well deciplined they were, and what sort of a command he ha 1 over H ? n. At another time he and his men were ad vaneing in a river bed exposed to the harrying fire of the enemy. They became panicstricken, and showed a tendency to retreat, but Ropata was bent on his purpose, and would advance. When the men were retiring he would go behind them with a stick and thrash them on. Again at the Urewheia country, he himself, took pos ssion of that by driving the rebels out. V m he was in the middle of the country, he was surrounded by rebels on all sides, who asked him to retire, promising to let him get back unmolested. The odds were fearfully against him, but he world rot turn from his purpose. He said he had got so far and he would go right through. He went forward and the rebels pm med hin J after a day or so, and he got hrough eab ly He said he knew :f he] went , back he] would have been massacred. lhe.< ■ were only a few of his|' numerous exp f, he (the speaker) eould ’*ccount a great many more if time permitted. Major Ropata -had done an immem 3 amount o workjrfor the Government. Hejwas as great a general as many of those of the Brit sh A *my, and if newspaper correspondents! hadbeen present to give accounts of his f jhting, he would appear a most wondeiful man. And so he was When fighting he never took shelter, he always remained in the open, and yet he was never struck. He]never cringed to Government or to Ministers or even to any one, but went honestly forward. He was certainty a creature of Providence,