PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1922, Page 9

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

TAKING OF TE AREI. MURDERS BY NATIVES. (By “Juvenis.”) On Tuesday morning, the 11th, at daybreak, another expedition started from Alahoetahi, where it had enehmped the night before, for the purpose of taking Te Arei, Hapurona‘s stronghold. It consisted of 350 men of the 70th, under Majors Rutherford and Saltmarsh, and Captains Backhouse and Ralston, a detachment of Artillery under Captain Alartin, Captain Alace’s mounted men, and about 100 friendly natives, the whole under the command ‘of Colonel AVarre. The force crossed the AA T aiungona and passed No. 6 Redoubt, where a picket was left, and soon afterwards divided, one party going to the right over the burnt hill and the long hill next to it, and the other keeping straight on till some of the leading files were little more than a hundred yards from the palisading. As the troops advanced the natives were heard going through their karakias, and as soon as they had done these they opened fire, and after firing about twenty shots retired to safer quarters. In the meantime the force on the right, led ’by native guides, crossed the gully between the long hill and Te Arei, and coming up through a piece of bush entered the pa at the back without firing a shot. The pa was strong against an attack, in front, having two lines of palisading, with a considerable space between them in which were two lines of deep trenches, and a high bank which at one time formed part of the old Pukerangiora pa. But at the back the pa was so constructed that an assailant would have been under cover while the inmates of the pa would have had no shelter at all. This is the position which General Pratt endeavoured to take by means of advancing redoubts, and one of the longest saps on record, and after losing a number of officers and men did not succeed in capturing it. In a flat open space at the back of the pa a pole was standing with two circles round it, made by the feet of the Hauhaus in the practice of their Pai Alarire rites.

After resting awhile the friendlv natives, Captain Mace’s men on foot, and Captain Backhouse’s company of the 70th. under Major Saltmarsh, went over the hill to the village of Pekatu. While yet a long way from this place it was observed, by the help of glasses, that there were four or five natives there performing their religious exercises round another pole. When the British got near to the village the rebels fired off their guns and retired to the little village of Pukemahoe, about 400 yards farther off across a small valley, after a short skirmish retreated again, taking with them one of their number wounded, as was shown by the blood along the road. They were followed by a few men for half a mile farther, but without effect. The people of this village. before their perversion to the Pai marire fanatacism. were probably of (he Roman Catholic faith, for a portrait of St. Clotilde, a Roman Catholic Catechism, in manuscript, and oth'er similar matters were found there. It. was situated in the Waitara. Valley, not. far from the junction of the Alanganui. After burning the whares and picking tip a few trifles, the force returned to Te Arei. where a large rexloubt was in course of construction, and was shortly afterwards garri oned by 150 mon of the 70th. under Alajor Rutherford. No. 6 Redoubt being occupied by Captain Page’s company of Alilitary Settlers. On September the 17th. Maxwell Lepper. (Esq, late ATajor in the 14th Regiment. was appointed Colonel of the Taranaki Alilitary Settlers. Air. Lepper entered the S6th 'Regiment on 13th August. 1847. as enisign. and became lieu- ■ tenant, by purchase, on “23rd February, 11849, and purchased his captaincy on ! 25th September, 1855. In 1858 he went I with his Regiment to India. He was present at the soige. storming, and cap- ! t.ure of Chandarpe. and of the town and fortress of Jhansi, also at the battles of Botwa and Golowlee, the action of Koonch, and the capture of the town and fort of Cal pee. Between the 15 th and 21st of Alay, 1858, he was present during the operations before Calpee, and commanded the European infantry in the pursuing column from Calpee. He was engaged in the battle of Alorar, and in the battle before and capture of the town and fortress of Gwalior. He was thrice mentioned in despatches, and was promoted to the brevet of Alajor. Up possessed also a medal and clasp. On the second battalion of TJ.AI. 14th Regiment coming to New Zealand Major Lepper exchanged into it. In October, the old Taranaki Militia was disbanded. On the 25th of October, the Governor issued a proclamation offering a pardon to all such persons implicated in the rebellion, other than the persons charged with murdering the settlers, who should of allegiance before, the tenth of the surrender themselves and take the oath succeeding December, and cede such territory as might, in each ease be fixed l.y the Governor and the LieutenantGeneral commanding the forces in New Zealand. On the 19th of November, General Cameron arrived in NeW Plymouth with a reinforcement of the 43rd and 70th Regiments, and ordered the re-occupa-tion of Tataraimaka. The General’s stay was short. On the 28th, Private Hartley, of the 70th. who had gone out unarmed from the Alataitawa Redoubt was met in the bud) by the rebels and decapitated. On the 19th of December, His Honor the Sunerintendent returned from Auckland, whither he had been attending the session of the General Assembly, bringing with him Air. Doyne, a civil engineer, who had served in the Army Service Corps in the Crimea, for the purpose of obtaining his opinion respecting the formation of a harbour in the Taranaki roadstead. Air. Doyne was subsequently joined by Mr. Balfour, a marine engineer, in the service of the Provincial Government of Otago, and the two prepared a preliminary report on the subject. On the 31st of December. Henare Ngatoke, a Urenui native, left Waitara, where he had some cultivations, to go to Kaipikari, a place on a forest covered ridge to the eastward of Waitara. His chief object in going was to see some of i the people there, and to let them know , of the arrival of To Rakat.au and others i from the Chatham Islands, 110 haa M«ne ! misgivings before starting, for he said to his frieiufs on leaving that if he were ■ not back on the following day they ' might conclude that he was dead. He i went, and on arriving near to Kaipi- ■ kari he met some of the men of the place unarmed, among whom were his relatives Pitiroi and Te Retiu. Mlien these men saw him they immediately ■ , ran for their guns, and fired at him, j

■bounding him in the arm. lie fell from his horse and attempted to run. bat was fifed on again ami was killed. After waiting a week for his return, his wife Rina, and an adopted child, in desperamomori# went after him to ascertain what had become of him. On arriving at Kaipikari they were treated with far greater barbarity, being wounded. t.hown into a bole and killed. The murderers were relatives of their vicand belonged to the Afaunkorilii, Wt Kiugi’s own hap;