THE ATTACK ON NGAMOTU.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1921, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE ATTACK ON NGAMOTU.

DICKY BARRETT AND HIS PAKEHAS. SAVE THE SITUATION. (Jeanne Delton New Plymouth, aged 15 years.) Tamatea’s brown eyes flashed, while his crew leaned on their paddles for an instant. “Ao-tea-roa!” (“The Long White Cloud,” or “The Long, Bright World”) Tamatea exclaimed, and directly he set foot on land. The dusky discoverer of New Zealand was tall, brown and muscular. This Hawaiikian chief and his crew found food in abundance. In the summer of 1642, Abel Tasman made the shores of New Zealand, arriving at Cape Foulwind, in the South Island. He named it “Staten-Land,” but it was soon known as “Novae Zealandia,” or New Zealand. One hundred and twenty-seven years later on October 6, 1769, Captain James Cook landed in New Zealand. Two years later he came in sight of Mount Egmont. giving it that name in honor of Earl Egmont. In 1814 the Rev. Marsden was sent to New Zealand as a missionary, and preached his first sermon on Christmas Day of that year.

Whales were very abundant about the shores of New Zealand, and whaling vessels were sent from Sydney to trade in New Zealand. Consequently there were many villages built upon the coast of New Zealand, and towns began gradually to spring, up. The oil from the whales brought people a great deal of money, and more and more people came to the shvres of New Zealand.

The .Maoris were very pleased to see this change, as it brought them a great deal of luxuries and conveniences. Old Maori chiefs freely gave their daughters in marriage to pakehas for tobacco, clothing or any necessary articles that they desired. Mr. Busby was sent to Npw Zealand as British resident in 1832, and in 1834 he and some missionaries attempted to establish a local Government. Attempts were also made to colonise the country , and were successful. All this time one Maori chief rose against another, and many were the wars fought. A great place of refuge for the Maori women and children was Ngamotu, those' wtonderful peaked rocks, lying alongside the harbor of New Plymouth. To Europeans, these rocks / are known as the Sugar-loaves, but to the Maoris they are known as “Ngamotu,” the islands. They are probably the lips of a crater which existed long ago, the mountain sinking below the surface of the sea. The peaks are full of pits, in which the Maoris used to hide themselves and their food. Occasionally, in former days, a Maori greenstone axe or other weapon of warfare, was picked up there.

In 1831, a Waikato canoe came down to Ngamotu to obtain some dried shark. They excused themselves by saying that the shark was not very plentiful around their shores, and, as they knew the Maoris at Ngamotu had plenty, they had journeyed down for it. It was given them, and friendly greetings were exchanged. Little did the Ngamotu Maoris guess that they were spies, but so they were. A few months later a party of Wai—katos, consisting of 4000, came to Wlaitara, scattering themselves about in disorderly companies about some of the districts. Soon a few of their enemies fell into their hands, whom they sacrificed to Tu, the god of war . and to Wiro, the evil spirit. A panic seized the Ngatiawas, who rushed to Pukerangiora in a. great state. Next day the enemy burned adl their sacred places, and crossed the river to the pa. They were repulsed for ■a time, but at length their chance came. The local Maoris made the great mistake of trying to escape from the pa in the day-time, instead of stealing away by night. The enemy, seeing these poor, half-starved creatures, pursued them, and captured many of them. Duriaftg that day the Waikatos had feasts, the captured prisoners serving as food. Indeed., some of them died next day from their gluttony. After finishing their deadly warfare at Pukerangiora they proceeded to the Sugar-loaves to attack the Ngamotus. The garrison at Ngamotu consisted of a few white men, and nearly two hundred Maoris. The Waikatos were somewhat afraid of a few cannon which the white men possessed, but were determined to fight, for they were strong in number.

A few mornings later the Ngamotu Maoris perceived the Waikatos coming down the beach. Every preparation was made for their reception, and the Waikatos halted for a time. Thrn the- two enemy chiefs approached each other, rubbed noses, and began the ta'ngi.

The Ngamotu chief asked the Waikato chief what the "had done to anger the Waikatos. but this, the Waikato chief said, tot. true, as they

✓wished to be at peace. A very short time afterwards the Waikatos danced the war-dance in front of the pa, but retired with losses. This state of affairs went on daily for over a week, and the people in the pa began quarrelling amongst themselves. Two sisters began the trouble, one saying that she believed in the enemy, and rushed from the pa to prove it. Immediately she was seized, •cut to pieces, and her flesh washed in the stream from which the members .of the pa obtained their water. This was done so that the Ngamotus could not drink the water, as it was thereby rendered “tapu.” In the middle of the siege a schooner /came in with supplies for the .Europeans. • ine enemy tried to take it, but were prevented. They also built mounds from'which they fired aown upon the pa. The enemy sent a message to the pa, saying they would storm the pa at daybreak next morning. They did so, and were well within the pa before some of the Ngamotus were awake. The cannons were brought into practice, and , the sustained some dreadful

. ♦ execution as the result. At last a panid| seized the Waikatos, and they The scene was dreadful,, dead andil wounded lying everywhere, while dog« fed on the bodies. Most of the remain--ing bodies were afterwards roasted and! eaten by the Ngamotus, and many tor* tures were practised on the wounded. J The Waikatos never repeated their tack, as they had threatened, rfnd the* Ngatiawas rejoined their relatives at places. ' This is only one of the many fought in Taranaki against Maori ■ tribes. When we remember the cannibal times, and then see Ithe busy townr i of to-day, we cannot help but be sur- 1 prised at the many changes that taken place since then. It would «. very strange to imagine Maoris of long£ ago travelling in trains and motor-cars*] But alas! almost every one of the oldtime Maoris has died out. and the pre-4 sent ones "are not Maori at all. They? have inter married , and many of the pre-; sent-day Maoris are dressed, in the most?.; stylish of clothes, and do not always, know their mother tongue.