MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 June 1940, Page 3

MAORI MEMORIES

OHAEAWAI. (Recorded by J.H.S., or Palmerston North for the “Times-Age.”) Judging by his success at Okaihau Heke learned that whilst his men and arms were no match in the open against British soldiers, intervening forest and the fortified walls of the pa were his best allies. In the excitement of victory Heke wrote warlike and insulting letters to the Governor. In a letter quoted from Parliament records, he said: “If you make peace, do not bear malice against your enemy] Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Nicodemus, Agrippa, and Herod were Kings and Governors; did they confer any benefit, or did they not kill Jesus Christ.” After Okaihau the enemy were more boastful and bold, and made several attacks on our Maori allies. At last Heke got a bullet in the thigh which compelled him to direetjihe next campaign from his bed. On June 25, Col. Despard with 630 men including 250 Maori allies with 4 ships guns, attacked the enemies’ pa at Ohaeawai which was said to be twice as strongly fortified as Okaihau, and so it proved. It was surrounded by three walls each separated by trenches five feet deep. The inner wall was of tree trunks 15 feet high and up to 20 inches diameter.

In defiance of engineer’s advice Col. Despard ordered a storming party of 160 to enter the outer breaches made by our cannon, and to pull down the inner wall —thd result was disastrous.