MAORI MEMORIES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 May 1938, Page 5

MAORI MEMORIES.

WHO WERE THE AGGRESSORS? (Recorded by J.H.S. for "Times-Age”) The resentment of both races over the Boyd massacre did not end with the murder of Te Pahi’s people. It caused the. natives to be regarded as dangerous foes and justified in the minds of certain people the murders committed by some trading vessel crews . Some of these reports were so atrocious that we can only hope that they may have been grossly exaggerated or untrue.

A detailed statement published by Captain Nicholas asserts that corrosive sublimate was supplied to the Chief by a trader for the purpose of poisoning his enemies at a peace conference, and that another trader enticed the Maoris on board, then delivered them to their enemies. He also stated that men and girls were frequently kidnapped by whalers. The evidence of this was given to the House of Lords in 1838.

From 1814 to 1817 all vessels nearing the coast used boarding nets. Over 100 Maoris were killed in the Bay of Islands during those years. The “Agnes,” a brig armed with six guns, having 14 men on board, was stranded at Poverty Bay in 1816. All were killed and eaten except John Rutherford, whose face and body had been made Tapu by being tattooed in the South Sea Islands.

A whale ship was wrecked off Wanganui in 1820. The crew were killed and eaten, one European and a Negro being saved. The Maoris acted under the sacred law of Utu which demanded reprisals. The Europeans were tempted to shoot in order to extirpate "the race of cannibals.”

The tribal wars among the Maoris were terminated by the acquirements of firearms, victory going to the first tribe who obtained n supply from us.