PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1922, Page 9

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

HAPURONA’S CHALLENGE. ATTACK GN KAITAKE PA. MR. GEORGE PATTERSON MURDERED.

(By

“Juvenis.”)

On June the 26th, Hapurona sent a challenge addressed to the Governor, the General, Mr. Bell, and Mr. Parris. It was written on half a sheet of account paper, and signed by “Hapurona, the General of the Maoris.” He said that he and all hi« people were ready to fight by the light of the sun. He also desired that the troops would go and fight him, -stating that if they did not he should have to make them by occupying land at Bell Block. Hapurona had not been in town since the 25th of January. 1-862, when he was arrested by the police for riotous conduct in the streets. He was at that time in the receipt of £lOO per annum as commandant of the Matarikoriko Blockhouse, which he threw up in consequence of hie having been apprehended, or, as he termed it, made a slave of by the police.

On the 27th, it.M.S. Eclipse arrived with the intelligence that the Waikato tribe had risen in rebellion, and that troops were needed for the defence of Auckland. On the -same evening she returned to Manakau with detachments of the 40th, 65th, and 70th Regiments. The Governor and General were at this time in Auckland.

The iiisdirection in Waikato revealed, the cause of the renewal of hostilities in Taranaki. The Maoris -who ciepfc through the forest at the back of the settlement, as the Governor supposed “with the most laucsvble intentions,” were emissaries from Waikato sent to stir up the rebels to active measures in order to divert the attention of the Government from what was taking place in the Waikato, and it was a fortunate thing for Taranaki that the rebels received a check at the Katikara before the troops were withdrawn to the North. THE MAORI POLICY. The policy of the Maoris was revealed by the following letter found by the Bushrangers at Parakamahoe, when that place was destroyed in April, !»&£■:— “Huiterangiora, February, Ist, 1863. “To Parenga Kingi, Minarapa, Hoani, Inaraira, Aperahama Ngat-awa, Totaea, to all the runang-a of King Potatau. Friends, greeting to you all, the tribes and the people of the canoe of my ancestors. Do you listen, lam living here with the object of your respect —the King. Listen; Te la has been occupied by the soldiers. If the road crosses the Maungatawhiri there will be war; if the war does- not begin here it will begin where you are, at Taranaki. Take care what you do. My word to you is—go carefully. This is what your King i says, “Leave it to the men of the canoe (Waikato) to say how it is to be steered whether to go with the waves or to turn ite head towards them. If they say ‘put its head to face them,’ then do it; if they say ‘give way* then give way.’

“Enough of that. Friends, do not be troubled at what I said to you about the road for the mail—let it be open—and Pakeha travellers let them go to and fro. Be careful in what you do, so as to leave the Governor to bruise the no«e of the King’s runanga—that the other tribes- may see clearly that we are in the right. Enough of that. This is another thing concerning Taranaki: leave it as it is. Tataraimaka and Waitara, let them both be as they are. If what the Governor says about Waitara. is satisfactory, there will be no difficulty about Tataraimaka. The satiisfactariness of what the Governor says must cons>i<st of this—the giving back of Waitara into our hands, and then it will be right about Tataraimaka. Leave the Pakehas to begin the war that the Governor’s fine words may be laughed at. Enough; it is finished. “W-iremu Kingi Whiti.”

The -southern rebels now established themselves on the north-western spur of the Kaitake Ranges, and on the 27th Colonel Warre, who, in the absence of the General, had been appointed Commandant of the garrison, commenced to shell them with the Armstrong -batteries.

On the 30th, Tataraimaka was evacuated for the second time. Bush parties of Volunteers were at this time organised under the command of Captains Atk-inson and Webster, for the purpose of attacking the rebels in the forest, and intercepting their communications with the northern and southern parts of the Province.

Gn the 11th of July, the Governor, by proclamation, threatened the confiscation of rebel native lands.

On Sunday, September the 13th, T. Langman, J. Sole, and W. TT. Rowe were attacked by a party of natives on the Frankley Road, and Langman’s arm was badly fractured by a ball. This event was followed by skirmishes on either side of the settlement.

AN AMBUSCADE.

On the 15th, at 3 a.m., Captain Russell, with Lieutenant Manners and Ensign Powys, .and 75 mon of the 57th Regiment, left the Poutoko redoubt, and leaving 25 of h ; s party in the empty redoubt at Oakura. crossed the river, and turned inland a little way up the road from Wairan to Kaitake. planted an ambush >in three parties. The men lay in the scrub beside the road till a hunt eight o’clock, when a body of native approached from Kaitake. They wore headed by an old chief, square shouldered. and with grizzled hair, carrying a handsome taiaha, who, when he cam.? opposite to Lieutenant Manne’s party, seeing tracts -on the road shouted “he pakeha!” The old man was immediately shot with such others as were within reach, but the main body of ‘he natives had not come up to the ambush. Seeing what had happened, the rebels at Ka.itn.ke and Ahnahu rushed down from the hills in force for the purpose of taking possession of the redoubt m : retreat. Their dismay, when they discovered that it was occupied by soldiers, 1 may be easily imagined. Sergeant Hackett hit one rebel at a d-stanee of 306 ryards; he fell and rolled down the steep bank. After this the return to Poutoko was effected without molestation. The ; loss of the enemy was not exactly 'known, but Captain Russell stated that he saw seven bodies on the ground, and two men wounded, who were led away. i On January the 13th, 1864, at a akir.

mi&h at Sently 11111, Hone te Horo, an active rdbel of the Puketapu hapu, waa killed, and several other rebels wounded. DEATH GF MR. PATTERSON. On Sunday the 28th of February, several settlers, tempted by the 'beauty of the day, roamed abroad on a visit to their once happy, but now desolate homes. The first that proceeded on the Frankley Road was one of Mr. Dingle’s sons, who was in the habit of daily visiting his fathers farm. Thia morning he found one of the hordes entangled in the supplejacks. Having set the animal free, he returned unharmed. A party of .four soon followed, accompanied by Mr. Geotge Patterson, on horseback, who passed on some 300 yards in advance. When the four on foot reached the hill near where Mr. Dingle’s house formerly stood, they saw Mr. Pat. terson wave hia hand, a signal for them to return, and at the same time several natives, armed with guns and tomahawks, appeared on the scene and shot Mt. Patterson. The four on foot seeing this; and having but one gun and five rounds of ammunition, retreated toward® town, W. Bishop turning and firing occasionally on the pursuers. When the news reached town Colonel Warre collected a force and went out and recovered the body, which was found lying on s-onie logs by the side of the road with three outlet wounds in it, one through the heart, and frightfully mutilated with tomai&wke. Mr. Pattersons boots and hat were gone, and his horse lay shot and tomahawked. Mr. Patterson a native of Northumberland, and by profession a stetfm and civil engineer. He had performed some professional service in Spain, and in Taranaki erected and worked a saw mill. He wem a most energetic settler, and Was much respected. He left a widow and several children, among those still living to-day are Mr. J. J. Patterson, of Manaia, and Miss Patterson, of New Plymouth.