TAUPO-NUI-A-TIA

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 63, 1 April 1953, Page 1

TAUPO-NUI-A-TIA

TALES OF THE TAUPO COUNTRY

(By

R.H.W.)

On January 22nd., 1865, Tauhara Mountain, near Taupo, was climbed foy white men for the first time, when Lieut. Herbert Meade, Major William Maiif, and their friend Brenchley, made the ascent with their friend Te Poihi'pi, chief of Tapuaeharuru, and a young Maori named Hori. The party left their horses "by a spring in the mountain side," probably at the foot of the north-west spur known as Te Hue, and reached the summit about two p.m. The lower part of the mountain, as well as the interior of the crater, is deseribed by Meade &si thickly wooded. In view of the de«tru.etion of the bush on the lower elopes in the eighty odd years since then, we can peihaps hardly Mame fjhese visitors for ha ving set fire to the fern and bush near the top of the mountain, "which burnt brilliantly for three days and nights." Meade had now spent three weeks at Taupo, and as it had become obvious that the hostility of the people 'to the south made it impossible for ten to carry out the Governor's plan of visiting Te Heuheu Horonuku, he was anxious to re-join his ship in Auckland. There were three possible routes to Auckland, namely, via Rotorua and Tauranga, thence by sea, or via Napier, and again by sea. Or direct through the Waikato. Te Fhoihipi had received word that hostile Kingite parties were traveldng across the Napier route, and that a large party under Wiremu Tamihana was moving toward Rotoroa. Meade therefore decided to try and get through northward to the oearest British posts in the Waikato, hoping to escape attention from the hoetii e Kingite forces by travelling at nigbt and hiding during daytime. Aoeordingly, he roae aione to Oruanui to find, if possible, a Maori to acconcipany him, and Di Hooper, the pioneer medical man of the Taupo Oountry, and a pakeha-Maori named FYank, who lived near him, accomipamed him to the pa. But such was the news of the spread of the Haufanaticism amohg the people to the north, that several hours of negotiation failed to procure him anyone willing to act as a guide through the feostile country. On the evening of January 25th. however, Frank's wife came in from Oruanui pa with word that she had suceeeded in procuring a guide, a good - looking yeimg feliow named Hemipo, possessing the best horses in the district, and a staunch Queenite although his father, Ngapari, was an influential Kingite c-hief. On the morning of January 27th. Meade and his guide left Oruanui, planning to pass through a village called Tataroa, and to cross the Waikato River at Waimahana, downstream from Orakei-korako. Tata- ■ roa was known to be hostile, but as the men were known to be away it wa# decided to pass through it openHemijjo carried their only provisions, a bag of unleavened biscuits, and. Meade had only a blanket, a brace of revolvers, a long bowie knife and a waterproof sheet. It was known that a large party of the Pairuarire fanatics were planning* to rpass that way, to spread their new faith arnong the tribes between Xaupo and the south-east coast, and bhe Ijoyai Maoris of Oruanui had sent ta message by a man named Ihaka to notify this party that tliey eould not he permitted to pass if ihey were journeying with hostile intentions. Ihaka, on his return jourrxey, was toi

inform Meade of conditions ahead of him. As they proceeded, Meade felt ihe non-appearance of Ihaka to be suspicious, when suddenly they saw a number of figures moving about the bush edge. They spurred on their horses, aparently unobserved, and soon after came in sight of Tataroa, on the crest of a smali hill. They met a Maori, who greeted them with the Pai-marire salutation, and with whom they shook hands. Two men could be seen standing on the rise, of whom Ihaka was one. To pass the village without stopping to exchange greetings would at once have invited trouble, so although a red flag, emblean of war, was flying from a staff, they decided their wiser course was to ride into the village. They found themselves in the presence of about a hundred and fifty armed men, many wearing Engdish arms and accoutrements which; had fallen into their hands during the war. Instead of the usual cries of welcome, a single voice bade them dismount,- and a glance round showed them that they were indeed in evii case. As Meade dismounted, a Maori came striding toward him, flourishing a naval sword-bayonet, followed by severai* others armed with guns. Meade was about to draw hs revolver, when a big* man, mueh tattooed; sprang forward and drove them back into the erowd. He then called out something in a very powerful voice, and fm'thwith commeneed the Paimarire worship, the whole assembly being already marshalled into two sides of a square, of which the flagstaff was the centre. This man was Te Ao-katoa, a tohunga of the old school, who had lived at Orakau prior j to the battle there, and he anounced I that there rnust be a ceremony of wmrship bel ore they decided what to do with the pakeha. Ihaka meantirne tpld Meade that he had been prevented from leaving to warn him, and that on meeting the Hau-hau party he had found that they 'had already received information that Meade was planning to come that way, and had upbraided him for "bringing a pakeha arnong them to spy out their doings." (To be Continued)