THE MEMORY OF THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 157, 2 January 1912, Page 6

THE MEMORY OF THE PAST.

j (By W. T. Jennings).

| OLD TARAXAKI RECORDS.

During last session of Parliament, a discussion took place on the advisability of old records in: connection with New Zealand being collected and placed in the Parliamentary Library, which most members thought should be looked upon as a national library. As one of the members who took part in the discussion, I said I had a good number of .records which I would present to the Parlia- ' mentary Library. Records are being sent to that library, and they are very interesting from a Taranaki point of view. No. 1 is an alphabetical list of settlers driven in from their homes in the country at the time of the Maori war of !860v The number of families that came in to New Plymouth was 244, totalling 12*23 souls. The list also shows that 95 families received rations, and that the mortality amongst the 244 families was exceedingly high, no less than 71 dying in a short period of time. It further shows the names of those who left the province, and the computed amount of property destroyed by Maoris during the war, which reads: Buildings, £42,510; fences, £3764; cattle, etc., £35,732; crops, etc., £41,601. No. 2 is an interesting list, and shows the number of persons , (totalling 49) who were reported on by Mr. Halse as lining able-bodied men, and fit to defend the women and children in the dark and fearsome days of 1860, when murder and destruction of cattle and property was almost an every-day occurrence. One paragraph alone is worth quoting, as it shows the Taranaki Daily News in those far-off days, as it does now, standing up for the people, even to the extent of fighting. The paragraph reads: "These two cases are the most flagrant, when it is considered that the rival paper (the News) has no such exemption, both Mr. Pheney, the proprietor, and Mr. Yates, the printer, doing regular duty."

No. 3 is the Proclamation, signed by C. E. Gold, Colonel Commanding tho Forces, X.Z.. and is dated New Plymouth, 17th July, 181*0. This proclamation caused considerable distress amongst the women, and Colonel Gold became unpopular in this town. But the colonel had proclaimed martial 'law, and he had a trained force at his command who saw that hisi instructions were carried out; , and the women and children had to leave willy-nilly for Nelson or Auckland, while the husbands remained, behind to fight for their adopted land. The Proclamation reads: "It being indispensable for the proper conduct of miiltary operations in Taranaki that the town of New Plymouth should be further j relieved for a time from the presence of persons who not only add nothing to its strength as a military post, but might, in certain contingencies, materially cripple its means of defence, the Officer Commanding the Forces trusts that this intimation of what must be carried out will, in a great measure, lead to voluntary application to the Government to be removed from the province. Failing this, however, it will be the duty of the CoAmander of the Forces to act upon his own sources of information and remove the families to whom tlje objection stated applies, which he much desires to effect with the co-operation of the parties concerned."

No. 4 is the Circular Memo, for Outposts, issued from the Garrison Office, New Plymouth, and 'is signed by G. Brutton (Lieut.), Garrison Adjutant. There are eight paragraphs in the circular, the first one reading: "The officers commanding at all the outposts will warn their men to be very observant of any signs, such as smoke in the bush beyond the line of blockhouses, and the rapid movement of cattle and sheep in the bush, etc., indicating that rebel naItives are in the district." The seventh paragraph reads ominously: "If com--1 munication is cut off the flag, or a blanket, hoisted half-mast high, is to be considered the danger signal at all outposts." Paragraph five reads: "Private carts proceeding to Omata and Bell blockhouses sire recommended to take advantage of the convoys." No. 5 is the Garrison Standing Orders, and to those who remember the sounding of the "Assembly," followed by the blood-freezing "Alarm" (as the writer does), will read with interest paragraph two of the Orders: "Should the alarm be occasioned by any other cause (paragraph one dealt with alarm caused by fire in the town), the Assembly, followed by the Alarm, will sound, and the whole of the troops in the Garrison, Regulars and Militia, will get under arms and assemble as quickly as possible at their respective alarm posts,"

Paragraph 11 might with advantage, in some case, be adopted to-day, so far as children are concerned. It reads: "On the occasion of any alarm at night . . . . 110 persona should remain in the streets unless proceeding to join their several divisions; women and children will toe much safer within their own houses than in the streets, and it is earnestly requested under every circum--stance of "Night Alarm" that all women and children rerpain within their houses, securely fasten the windows and doors, and extinguish all lights." The Garrison Orders were issued by Colonel Warre, C.8., and signed by Chas. M. Clarke. No. 6 is Garrison Orders for the picquet at Frisk's house, on the main •road, and a double sentry there and on the sandhills to overlook the beach were placed, and relieved every hour. The duty of the picquet was to patrol the cross road to the new bridge across the Maungotuku; and also to make prisoners of all Maoris or any persons attempting to pass outside tiheir lines after dusk. No. 7 is signed by James Paul, Major of Brigade, and deals with Fort Niger and the High School. It is addressed to the officer commanding the Militia. Itreads: "With reference to your letter of this date (May 19, 1863), I have to ■inform you that in future the picqUet detailed for Fort Niger, whilst troops occupy that Fort, can occupy the High School, as recommended in yor / communication, and will be so detailed." No. 8, Garrison Orders, deals with the picquet at Brown's house, and reads: "The picquet at Brown's house will give a senitry on the Devon line to patrol the cross road from the Devon line to Courtney street, to make prisoners of all Maoris or suspicious persons. The sentries to be posted at the last post and relieved every hour." No. 9. Garrison Orders, show that Colonel Warre was gej/ting more apprehensive as time v on, and a distinct note of alarn. is expressed in this order. The picquetls ftt Prisk's and Brown's houses were) ordered to give two double sentries: "Should at any time this picquet be pressed by superior numbers, instead of shotting itself up in the house it should retire steadily and occupy the sandhills, wjhere the target used to be on the old practice ground. By doing this, the ground lean be held against a very superior number of the enemy. At Brown's homse there should be a double sentry on fluty at all hours during the night, and! patrols should constantly watch the galley of the Henui and the gully leading from it, in the rear of j the Rev. Archdeacon Govett's house." Nos. lfl, iland 12 were Garrison Orders officers and non-com-of inrebel be fliilii and sout^^^^^^^K^OdK^'

Tho Taranaki Militia and Volunteers were ordered, in the event of an attack on the town, to assemble as follows: "The Militia and Volunteers living in No. 1 division, or on the north and east of the gate on the Devon road, will assemble at Captain: Stapp's house (where Dr. Wylie now resides}, Devon line road. The same corps living in No. 2 division, or within the ordinary limits of the town, will assemble at the Militia Office, Mount Elliott. The same corps living south and west of the gate on Devon road will assemble at the south gate." There is also a letter from Rev. Father Rolland to the late Mr. W. H. J. Seffern, in which that clergyman describes the first attack on Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu (the Beak of the Bird), where his broad chapeau was pierced with two bullets when he was attending to the dying and wounded of every denomina* tion.

A further letter is written by tha man who was known as "the Bayard of the New Zealand Forces," Von Tempsky, the long-haired, dashing Prussian; poor "Von," as the men called him, daring, chivalrous, gallant soldier of fortune—the man who had carried his life in hi* hand in Mexico, had sought gold in California, 'had piloted the British up rivers in Central Africa, had fought and! starved in the Waikato and East Coast for New Zealand. Someono blundered on that fateful 7th September, 1808; and his life, as well as many other brave men, was sacrificed. The letter from Von Tempsky gives an account of the fight at Kakaramea and the operations a,t Weraroa Pa.