A STRIKING CHARACTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 322, 11 July 1912, Page 6

A STRIKING CHARACTER.

THE LATE MAJOR MA®. The death occurred at Waiotapu oil Monday of Major William Gilbert Mair, ,7 a son of one of New Zealand's earliest settlers, and a member of a lamily distinguished for the part they have played as pioneers and good citizens in peace and war. The late Major Mair who was a Judge of the Native Land Court, was the son of Mr. Gilbert Mair, one of the first settlers in the Bay of Islands, where he traded as a merchant, and one of the first justices of the peace appointed by Governor Ilobson. Major Mair was born at Mahapa, Bay of Islands, iu November, 1832, and was educated at the Waimate Mission School under the Rev. R. Taylor, and at St. John's College, Auckland. After leaving school he turned his attention to farming pursuits, and on the discovery or gold in Australia left for Victoria, where lie spent several years. On returning to New Zealand, he entered the public service at the outbreak of the Waikato war in 18G3, and being an excellent Maori scholar, was appointed interpreter to Colonel Nixon, of the Colonial Defence Force (Cavalry). He served throughout the Waikato, Tauranga and West Coast campaigns, and in the expedition to the Urewera Country, and in 1866 was gazetted a major in the New Zealand Militia. Colonel Gudgeon, writing in his "Defenders of New Zealand," says: "Major Mair has been under fire upon more than thirty different occasions. In fact, it may be said that amongst the leading spirits of the war, he and his brother, Captain Gilbert Mair, are the only officers who did not get a portion of the lands thev fought so hard to obtain for the colony.'" At the celebrated capture of Te Teko, Major was in command. In 1864 he was appointed Resident Magistrate for the Taupo district, and was subsequently transferred to Opotiki. In 1871 he was appointed Government agent and Resident Magistrate for the Waikato under Sir Donald McLean, his difficult mission being to cultivate the friendship of the "king" natives, then living in sullen isolation. In his negotiations -with the Maori King, Major Mair was entirely successful. At Alexandra lie met Tawliiao, who laid down his gun and motioned to his followers (eighty in number) to do likewise, remarking: "There should be no more trouble—it means peace!" That meeting and interview led to the King coming out of his retirement to visit Auckland. Major Mair was appointed a Judge of the Natire Land Court in 1882, and held the first sitting of the Court in the King Country. He was appointed to the retired list of officers on August 3, 1003. The deceased gentleman was married in 1872 to Miss Janie Cathcart, daughter of Mr. Alexander Black, of Queensland, and leaves a family.

" wn A WIT AI TONU MATOU." The <loatli of Major Mair will rec.-iH an incident which has become historic (says the Manavvatu Times). It will inspire New Zealand poets for all time and is particularly appropriate when we are dealing with defence. Rewi Manga with his devoted little band of Ngatimaniapoto had been besieged and surrounded at Orakau by General Cameron's large Imperial forces. Artillery had battered the iletenco down nsrain and again, but each time the breach was assaulted the attackers wcra driven back. It was

decided to use the slower process of sap and mine and the trenches and parallels and galleries were dug closer and closer. At night the young toa were wont to slip out of the pa and capture the "sap rollers" {sections of trees which were advanced at the end of the sap) as trophies. The inmates of the pa, men, ■w'omen and children, had nothing left but a few potatoes and were cut off from water from the swamp. At this juncture, General Cameron, in admiration of the magnificent defence, sent Major Mair in with a message offering to accept their surrender "at discretion," as they had done all that brave men could do and further resistance would be suicide. The reply, which should 'he taken as the motto of our Territorials, was, "Ka whawhai tonu matou" ("We shall fight on only"). Again Major Mair was sent to ask that at least the'women and children should come out if the men would not, that the miners (as they knew) were already so advanced that'they must all be blown up. Again the young chief, Hitiri Paerata, who had been the inspiring spirit of the defence, cried out from the breastworks that the women, like the men. would fight on "Ake, Ake" ("for ever and ever."). A THRILLING INCIDENT. The siege was "resumed and then oc«urred the thrilling incident that should inspire every generation of New Zealanders, white and brown. Rewi and Hitiri, though so brave a front had been offered to the proposa l to surrender, knew only too we!, tnat the pa was no longer tenable. Their provisions were exhausted, so was their ammunition, and the galleries were so advanced that it was only a matter of hours till they would be blown up. Out from the pa the amazed besiegers saw coming the gallant defenders, the men surrounding the women and children. The whole body charged straight at the enveloping trenches, and, leaping over the heads of the soldiers as they lay in them, began a hand to hand and running fight to the swamp. The troops were so taken by surprise that the musketry slaughter was not as great as it would otherwise have been, but large numbers nevertheless fell to it and on the bayonet. Some escaped into the swamp, but many of these died of their wounds among the f.ax and the raupo, and many more died in the fierce man to man struggle in which they did what great armies had failed to do—broke an English line.