PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1922, Page 8

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

MATA RI KO RI KO. IMPERIAL MILITARY AND NAVAL FORCES ENGAGED. SOME INTERESTING INCIDENTS. (By “Juvenis.”) After the severe defeat sustained by the Maoris at Mahoetahi on November 5, 1860, they erected on the strong and elevated ground of Matarikorika, near the Waitara River, and east of Puketakauere, two strong pas, thrown into one like a widespread letter V. By some it was believed to be a trap to lead the troops ,up to the stockade, whilst they would be shot by a flanking as well as a direct fire from the rifle trenches. On approaching Matarikoriko from the west, the tops of trees suddenly appearing at one’s feet showed a deep intervening ravine. It will be observed that trees seen in this way in New Zealand, with the sun shining on their burnished leaves, those of the karaka especially, have a most brilliant effect. On the outskirts of the woods in December the delicate white convolvulus shows its flowers and heart-shap-ed leaves among the grey rocks in a most attractive manner; the flax displays its clawlike orange flowers from their lofty stems; and along the roads red and white double roses cluster in the wildest profusion. From information received, accordingly an expedition started from New Plymouth to reduce Matarikoriko on December 28, at an early hour, under the command of General Pratt. It consisted of 20 rank and file Royal Artillery, and twb 24-pounder howitzers, under Captain Strover. Colonel Mould, Royal Engineers, had with him Captain Mould, Lieutenant Warburton, 2 sergeants, and 27 Royal Engineers; Captain Miller’s company of 86 of the 12th Regiment, Lieutenants Lowry and Richardson (the latter officer who, commanded the New South Wales Contingent to the Soudan) ; Colonel Wyatt had 10 officers and 322 of the 65th Regiment. Of the Naval Brigade, Lieutenant Wood had under him Midshipman Horne and 24 men from H.M.S. Niger. Lieutenant Talbot, tfsth Regiment, and 30 men joined from Bell Block; 11 mounted volunteers were under Captain Desvoeux; men of the 12th Regiment supplied the place of the militia and volunteers. A BRAVE PADRE. It may be stated that 80 militia and volunteers were detailed, but only 47 mustered next morning, through soms misunderstanding, the men having on previous occasions turned out with alacrity and done gpod service, as witnessed' at Mahoetahi. The 40th at Wai tara camp, and Commodore Seymour (afterwards Lord Alcester and Admiral) with some of the Naval Brigade H.M.S. Pelorus, co-operated from that quarter. The expedition reached the Waitara camp, and the Rev. Mr. Wilson, the bold and energetic Wesleyan clergyman, rode towards Matarikoriko to confer with the natives, and to get them to agree not to massacre prisoners. He used to ride fearlessly between New Plymouth and Waitara. displaying merely his white handkerchief on his staff.

On Friday evening, December 28, 1000 1 men were ordered to be in readiness to start from the Waitara camp at 3 a.m. on Saturday (29th). The troops having been formed in the order of march under General Pratt, with a long line of carts with ammunition and provisions, with two 24-pounder howitzers and two 12-poiinder guns, marched, and reached the site of Kairau Pa, destroyed in September previous. Passing the blockhouse constructed at Puketakauere —it was here where .31 men of the 40th were killed and 33 wounded on June 27 in the same year — the skirmishers of the 40th were the® sent out to the right and left of the road. Their progress through the fern and scrub was exceedingly difficult and tedious, as it was generally on a level with the men’s shoulders, and in places, seven and ten feet high, so that a man on horseback was covered by it, and he could only see daylight overhead. Beyond Kairau the enemy appeared moving in the fern, the black heads showed themselves, and then a drooping five commenced. General Pratt having determined, whilst attempting to reduce the strong Matarikoriko pa on its commanding position, to entrench /the trocps, the Royal Engineers traced out redoubt No. 1, at the site of the old Kairau pa. The interior perimeter of the redoubt was 260 yards, the area 2560 square yards, and it was capable of containing 450 men, with four guns. No. 1 redoubt was planned by Colonel Mould, and executed by Captain Mould (his son) with Royal Engineers ’and working parties, raising the parapSfs with earth and cut ferns in layers, which last binds the loose earth in a wonderful manner, as was afterwards observed, and allowing of perpendicular parapets difficult to scale, and not the usiufl sloping parapets. ) THE ENEMY ADVANCES.

The Naval Brigade, under Commodore Seymour already mentioned, and the 12th detachment, under Captain Mikar, a brave and meritorious officer, had charge of the right- flank, to keep that clear, whilst the 40th and 65th were thrown out on the left towards the strong position at Matarikoriko, with its long stockade and rifle trenches, overlooking the Waitara and the surrounding plain. ,The enemy advancing through the fern fired incessantly to interrupt the working parties at the redoubt. and were answered by the Troops. Rifle bullets, plug shot, and musket balls “pinged” and whistled through the air, whilst the artillery, under Captain •Strover and /Lieutenant Macnaughton (brother o-f Lord (liief Justice Macnaughton). sent round shot and shell In the direction of the pa by which the palisading was observed to be damaged. At one time the. enemy came so close that picks and spades were thrown ck.wh? and the working parties used their rifles. At noon the firing went on fast and furious; then the invisible foe fired from their rifle pits, and subsequently made a movement towards the right, which was repelled by the Nava! Brigade and. J2th Regiment, Mr. Scott, R.N.. throwing shells among the enemy with effect.

The fire slackened in the afternoon, but was resumed at dusk, and without interrupting the work. It was estimated that during the day the troops fired about 70,000 rounds of rifle ammunition and 120 shell and case shot. The redoubt being sufficiently high to afford protection, was occupied first by the 40th Regiment, the Naval Brigade, 12th and 65th were retired to the rear of the redoubt, and the general and staff, also the ambulance witlr the killed and wounded, went to the Waitara camp. Platforms were laid on the left face of i she redoubt, and two 8-inch guns mount-

ed there to breach. Matarikoriko, and the parapets were heightened in parts, so that the interior might be more thoroughly defiladed from the enemy’s fire. Till 4 ’o’clock on Sunday morning the enemy's fire continued, when it suddenly ceased, and by the time the general returned to the front, a white flag was\flying from the enemy’s pa. THE ENEMY AND THE SABBATH. The general now asked, the Rev. Mr. Wilson to communicate with the Maoris, and ascertain their intentions. Mr. W4l- - always ready to be of use, learned from the Maoris that it was their wish not to desecrate the Sabbath by blood.’ The skirmishers were accordingly not thrown out, but the troops were massed in rear of the redoubt which was being completed. The natives, in full confidence of our good faith, camo out of their pa in considerable numbers, also showed themselves on a breastwork to the right, and in advance of it, whilst our people, unmolested, gathered potatoes below. For some years past, among the Maoris, the Ra tapu, or sacred day, had been observed by them as one on which they could lay in supplies, but not fight. In the afternoon of Sunday a 65th man, In search of a forage cap he had lost in the affair of the previous day, the action of Kairau, came on an abandoned rifle pit, then on'e more, and in the bottom of one he found a tomahawk. He reported what he had seen to Colonel Wyatt, who now occupied the redoubt with a party of the 65th. On Monday morning Colonel Wyatt and Commodore Seymour, with parties of blue jackets, proceeded cautiously towards Matariko- ' riko, expecting momentarily volleys 1 from the flanking rifle trenches. None 1 was fired. The old colonel got to the flagstaff first, and had the .honor of hoisting a British Ensign, with which he had provided himself. The Commodore, not expecting this, had taken the matter more leisurely. y A STRONG PA. Matarikoriko was found to be exceedingly strong, full of rifle pits connected by passages, and affording escape into the dense bush in the rear. A dream, was said- to have been the occasion of its abandonment. A chief wishing to continue the defence, was told by the Maori prophet that he had dreamt he had seen the chief in the hands of the pakeha, and on board ship, and this \yas a bad omen . Some of the rifle trenches outside Matarikoriko were 32. 74, 104, 73, and 178 paces in length. That the enemy had sustained on Saturday a heavy loss was evident from the blood-stained trenches. During the fight of the 29th, the general moved) about, directing wherever required; his Adjutant-General Carey received a shot across his breast, tearing open his coat. Dr. Neill, of the 65th, received bullets through his cap and trousers. Several others had very narrow escapes. INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHTING. At midday I was issuing the rations of rum to the men (writes a chronicler from whose account much of this article is taken). A comrade was in the. act of raising the vessel to drink, when a Maori ball camg whistling by, glanced off the handle o'f the pannikin and grazed the thumb of a blue jacket 40 yards distant.

An amusing incident occurred during the action of the 29th. The gunner from the Pelorus left in charge of the Puketekauere block-house, imagining that the skirmishers were running short of ammunition, put a quantity in a wheelbarrow with a couple of spades, and set out for the block-house with four shipmates, with their rifles, having previously locked in the rest of his party, in order that they might defend themselves to the last extremity. He was met in the fern by an officer, who asked him what he was doing. He said, “Taking ammunition to the skirmishers”; if attacked on the way he meant to throw up cover with the spades, and he and his messmates to defend themselves with their rifles behind, it, till they could move on with their wheelbarrow. Our casualties amounted to 22 killed and wounded. The Rev. Mr. Wilson made several visits to the Maoris after Matarikoriko, and had several interviews with them relative tc their losses. When the Naval Brigade and military were fast filling in the rifle pits, Mr. Wilson came up, accompanied by Te Karu (the son of a chief bf Kawhia) and a near relative to Te Tapihana, who was killed at Matarikoriko. The Rev. Mr. Wilson led his companion through the midst of our men, to give him some idea of the nature of a “safe conduct.” As they passed the extreme right, which the natives had occupied during, the action, and where the troops were now at work, seeing the guids look anxiously about, Mr. Wilson asked whether “he feared anything?” “No,” he replied, “not from the pakeha. but from the Maoris who may be among them.” Mr. Wilson said, “You have nothing to fear from them; your life here is as safe as mine.” They camo at last to the spot .were his father and some others were buried. The bodies, through some mistake, had already been disturbed by the Naval Brigade, but the graves were again covered before they arrived. The native immediately defected it, and said, “The bodies have been disturbed.” and seemed " displeased. He added, “There are others in the valley below.” At this spot Commodore Seymour and a few officers who were amongst the mon inquired the object of the natives coming. It was explained that the general had given permission, in order to ascertain where the natives had been buried, that their graves might remain unmolested.

The following conversation then occurred Commodore (to Mr. Wilson): “What relation has he lost?” Mr. Wilson: "His father.” Commodore: “Does he'lie here?” Mr. Wilson: “Yes.” Commodore: "Poor fellow! Has he lost his father? Tell him I am sorry for him! Tell hiru we bear no malice. It is war!” Native: “I am not dark (unhappy) on his account. He fell in open field —in battle. It was fairly done: he was not murdered!” This he said . gravely and coldly. Commodore: “Say that toe graves shall not be injured; tell him my carpenter shall fence them!” In repeatin'’' this generous and manly assurance, so characteristic of a seaman, Mr. Wilson said to the Maori, “This person who speaks to you is the chief of the English sailors.” He looked satisfied, but made no reply. It was some disinterested act of this kind Mr. Wilson had so much wanted, and he felt its influence would not be lost upon the natives In arms. They then visited some other graves in a deep valley beneath the rifle pits, where the native was kindly treated by two military officers.