NOTED MAORI FAMILY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 103, 17 September 1912, Page 3

NOTED MAORI FAMILY.

FAMOUS FKU-IT.S RECALLKI). oeorgc laiarca, \>lio was drowned i:i Otago reeujitly. bore a name. Not only were his forbears among the first Christians m the south, and the first to ; meet the first ship at the Heads but lie . bad a pedigree longer perhaps than the most ancient house' in England. So let not grandeur bear with a disdainful smile the short and simple annals of the Maori '. . AI)0 " t the year 1830 Taiaroa \ias visiting his friends at Kaiapaliia, a famous pa on a tongue of land jutting into a lagoon six miles north of Kaiapoi. lie and bis following, including a son, then a child, had but crone a day's journey homeward when he was overtaken by a breathless messenger, who said that the terrible Te llauparaha from Otaki had arrived with a great force and laid siege to the pa, killing and roasting all who were coming unsuspiciously home from fishing. Taiaroa at once led his party back, and arrived late at night at the danger zone. Several wanted to kill the child lest he should be the means of betraying their presence, but Taiaroa would not consent. They crawled unseen through waving tussocks to the lagoon. Taiaroa took the boy on his back, and stealthily and slowly they waded and swam 'through the" black water to the pa, where they were received with tears of joy. Taiaroa took a brave part in the defence. One of his bold adventures was to lead out a sortie at ilig-lit to destroy the invaders' canoes that lay on the beach two or three miles i Jto the north. The night was so wot and » stormy that they could not burn the i canoes as they wished, but with such J tools as they had, they hacked and.ehop- ' ped all they could, and returned before dawn. The besiegers' plan was to cut a zizzag trench up to the gate of the pa, throw bundles of manuka against it. and set it on fire. The besieged hindered the cutting of the trench all they could by night sorties, but they had very few imiskets compared with' the enemy. Tart Rfmparaha's-foTce was kept busy getting innumerable bundles of manuka, and 'when the trench was finished they carried 1 the 'bundles along the trench and threw them at the gate. The defenders found opportunity to slip out and throw the bundles away, but not far enough, and they never thought of burning them by instalments. Every night a fresh lot were brought; and though they were thrown back, the space began to fill, and the stack to grow high. Things were now desperate and food was running short, so it was agreed that Taiaroa's party should 'leave, which they did taking the boy with them. The southern chief came home, and began to prepare the forces of Otago to seejc revenge. Meanwhile the defenders, during a nor'wester. which would carry the flames riwfiy from the pa, £et fire to the pile of manuka. It, ,vas a good scheme, but unhappily the wind .chopped round to the south just as the fire got hold, and the palisade was burnt. The rest need hardly be told. Some escaped through the I lagoon, but it was carefully guarded. Many hundreds perished. •Thews'.- was ! great feasting, and the. first settler buried cartloads of human 'bones. Taiaroa organised a great expedition to go and beard the lion in bis den. It was a gallant enterprise. They nearly caught tjhe wily old warrior somewhere in the Blenheim neighborhood, "but there wag no battle. A treaty of peace was concluded and some captives were returned, and the Southern fleet brought home peace with honor. I think the" boy lived to be a member of Parliament. A later member of the family won nore fame among us as a footballer than we give to his Strand old relative for his gallant deeds. —Dunedin Star.