PARIHAKA EXPEDITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 June 1940, Page 9

PARIHAKA EXPEDITION

CONTINGENT FROM THE WAIRARAPA

Bloodless Victory Against the Maoris

GREAT SEND-OFF BY MASTERTON PEOPLE

(Specially Written for the “Wairarapa Times-Age” by Charles Bannister.)

One day a short time ago. as I was sitting on the steps of the Public Library, a contingent of brave recruits passed. That event brought back to my memory that it was 59 years since our company travelled the same route, accompanied by Masterton’s Volunteer Brass Band. Mr E. Braggins, Senr.. was the conductor.

In the late 79’s the settlers of Taranaki were alarmed by the doings of an old Maori chief called Te Whiti, and his satellite Tohu. They were religious humbugs, of the passive resistance sort. They instructed their followers to pull up the survey pegs and impede the surveys in every form. They went as far as ploughing the settlers’ land. Te Whiti told them that if they were struck on the cheek they were not to retaliate but turn the other cheek, and (that they had not to use violence in any form. Te Whiti claimed that all the land belonged to the Maoris and not the pakehas, that it had been stolen from them after the last war and should not have been, and that he had a vision that it would be returned to them. At Manaia (Taranaki) in 1880 his followers were going a bit too far with their ploughing tactics. In one instance, nearly one hundred horsemen, with two teams of single furrow plough horses, started to plough a settlers’ paddock. They turned their riding horses into another paddock. Each of these horses had a long tether rope trailing to it to enable the owner to catch it easily, but that day the horses were not caught easily. The settlers thereabouts had decided to teach the Maoris a lesson. As soon as the Maoris had started to plough a troop of horsemen, armed with the bottom half of a green blade of giant flax leaf as a sword, swung round the corner at a gallop and proceeded to the gate which was flung wide»open. Through this the horses were chased up the road. They stampeded at full gallop for home. These self-made troopers returned to deal with the offenders. They belted them with the flat of their “swords.” The Maoris did not wait to turn the other cheek, but took to the scrub. Martin Baird, an old Wairarapaite, was one of the leaders of that flax leaf brigade. It was called the battle of Hineha.

APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT.

The late Mr William McKenzie, who was living at Manaia at that time told me that he came along that road the same evening, and he was amazed to see the road strewn with short pieces of rope about two feet long. These had been broken off the trailing tether ropes by the hoofs of stampeding horses. In 1881 the settlers of that part of Taranaki appealed to the Government to do something to protect them from the marauders. At Parihaka lived a Maori who was wanted. He had shot a surveyor’s cook and also his assistant when he had gone for a bucket of water from the creek at their camp. There was a large troop of Armed Constabulary in the district but not enough to cope with 1000 Maoris encamped at Parihaka. The authorities thought it would not be wise to try to raid the Pa. John Brice, an old Maori lighter, was put in’ charge of the affair. Volunteers were called from all volunteer rifle corps and the Wairarapa responded with 56 enrolments. The following names are those of some who went to Parihaka, as far as I can remember: Captain Ruck. Lieutenant Wylie, SubLieut, D. Donald, Sergt.-Major Bezar; Colour-Sergeant B. Houndslow, Sgt. G. Ward, Sgt. Wood, Fortmaster Sgt. J. M. Girdleton, Corp. R. Osie, Corp. G. Wemyss Dalrymple (called “Le Petit Corporal”), Corp. Groves, W. Adams, ,W. Andrew, C. Bannister, J. Blinkhorn, Greenland, Watson, T. Roydhouse, J. Stevenson. Prior Gilbert. R. McKenzie. At Carterton we picked up C. Reid, Waters, Jack Bambry, Bugler Blomquist and others. Some more joined us at Greytown.

OFF TO PARIHAKA.

GREAT SEND OFF.

The citizens of Masterton gave us a great send off. We had a dinner at the Empire Hotel. Mr A. W. Renall was Mayor at the time. He gave us some good advice in a jovial way, which we did not follow. We were played to the station by the Volunteer Band. This was the first contingent of soldiers to leave Masterton. Without mishap we reached Wellington, and were taken on to the Barracks, where we stayed for the night. That evening the South Island contingent arrived by boat. As they came up the harbour the full moon was just showing over the hilltops, and the skirl of the bagpipes of the Otago Scottish across the water was something worth listening to. They also camped at the Barracks. In the morning, after breakfast, we were served with uniforms. These were a blue serge coat and trousers and a Glen Garry cap with two tails hanging down behind. Our smart uniforms with red facings and a red stripe down the legs of the trousers were packed in lockers with our numbers attached. After this we were drilled till dinner time and after having a good meal of Irish stew we were allowed the afternoon off, with strict orders to fall in at five o'clock for tea. as we were going to embark at 7 o'clock lor our destination. Most of the chaps did the wrong thing before going a sea trip, that was to fill up with all sorts of rubbish. After tea we fell in with our blankets rolled into horse collars to put our heads through and hang over our shoulders. Our accoutrements were a Schneider rifle and a two-foot sword bayonet, which had a toothed back like a rip saw. At .the wharf we were joined with the Wellington Rifles and the Wellington Navals. • The Navals were hardies all right. At nine o’clock the Hinemoa, in charge of Captain Fairchild, cleared the wharf. It was a pretty sight in bright moonlight, going out past the heads.

OFFENDERS SENTENCED.

A SOUTHERLY “BUSTER.”

Before we had gone an hour on our way a fierce southerly “buster" struck

I us, and down below we all went into I the hold or anywhere we could find shelter. It was a very rough night. In the morning at daylight Dick McKenzie and I clambered up on deck to see how things were. Captain Fairchild was there. He asked me where the others were. 1 said dead to this world with sickness. He said: “When are you going to be sick?” I saluted and said: “After you, Captain.” He smiled. He then ordered a gadget called a windsail to be erected over the hatch. This forced fresh air into the hold which revived the stricken men. The southerly “buster” had passed, but had left a terrific sea running. Captain Fairchild asked me to breakfast with him. He told me it would not be safe to try to land the troops before noon, if he could do it then. The soldiers came up on deck in twos and threes. Some of the poor fellows could not come at all. They had to be brought up in slings. At ten o’clock the first boat from shore came alongside. It was manipulated by five stalwart Maoris of the Arawa tribe from Rotorua. They spoke in Maori, asking the Captain if he could come a bit closer in. He answered them in Maori. “Wait till the sea goes down a bit.” At noon he went in closer and signalled to the boatmen to come, and then the fun began, not for us landlubbers, but for the men of the naval brigade who were used to that sort .of landing. The landlubber had to go down a gangway, hang on to a rope and watch for his chance to let go, with a raging sea below. The letting go was very often done at the wrong time —when the boat started to descend into a trough—and didn’t the Maoris swear when some unfortunate fellow had hung on to the rope too long and fell on top of the others. When the boat was full those Maoris had to pull to a buoy on to which a wire cable was fixed and the other end was fixed to a rock on the beach. When the cable was picked up it was passed through two blocks, one fore and one aft. Then it was “pull for the shore sailors.” The Maori who did the steering was Captain. We had to go with the sea for six breakers, but with the seventh or big one we had to reverse and meet it so as not to let it break on our boat and swamp us. We then pulled for our lives for six more. We did this four or five times. This got us into quieter water and up to a four-wheel-ed bullock wagon. This took us to the shore. We wended our way up the cutting to Opunake. Tents had been erected there for us. Some of our men had to be brought up in the wagon. All were landed before dark. After tea of a kind we all turned in and we did not take any rocking to sleep. We stayed a couple of day at Opunake and then shifted to Rahotu where there was more room for drilling. While staying at Rahotu we were shown the place where Tui, the Maori, murdered Mrs Doby, an artist.

After staying there a few days practising skirmishing and route marching, one evening after tea orders were issued for breakfast at daylight and haversacks to contain one day's provisions and sixty cartridges were given to each soldier. We left Rahotu at half past four bound for Parihaka. the pipers in front, and it was nice marching to their tunes. It seemed to pull one along. They would stop playing for a time and then start up again, and sure enough there would be a mountain creek to wade through. Those creeks from Egmont were cold. By seven o’clock we had Parihaka surrounded and the naval men had their gun on a small hill which was named Fort Ballance. We heard another lot of bagpipes in the distance. When they came round a corner of the road they started playing lhe "Campbells Are Coming.” It was the Auckland Scottish in the lead of the Auckland Rifles, Taranaki Rifles and the Waikato Rifles. They all took up their allotted positions. When all was ready, John Brice, who was in command, rode into Parihaka on his snow-white charger at the head of thirty Armed Constabulary. He went to Te Whiti’s whare,. called him out and arrested him. The same was done to Tohu. But as for Hiroki, the murderer, he took some finding. At last he was located under a heap of rubbish. They were all taken to the New Plymouth police cells, and kept there till they were wanted.

Te Whiti received several months' imprisonment. After this he was taken for a sea trip for the good of his health. Then he returned to Parihaka. Tohu served a shorter sentence and was banned from living in the district for a number of years. Hiroki, the murderer, was sentenced to be hanged and the execution duly took place. After the prisoners were lodged in gaol, another squad of Armed Constabulary raided the Pa and collected three brake loads of rifles, ammunition, swords and bayonets and some things that were never mentioned. This collection was taken to Cape Egmont and dumped into the sea. After a strenuous day of marching. waiting and watching with a cartridge in the rifle and the breechblock open so as to be sure that nobody would nervously pull the trigger and cause an accident, at four o'clock the bugles sounded the recall. We all fell in and marched to Pungarehu, where we erected our tents and remained for the rest of the campaign. As we were erecting the tents, the food transports began to arrive from New Plymouth with bread, beef, butter. vegetables, and cheese, but the transport brake with cooking utensils was missing. It was stuck up on the road. One of the horses had drank too much cold water, which had given it the gripes. The driver had managed to get another horse and he turned up after we had our tea of the best of bread, butter and cheese. All the lime we were in that camp we had plenty and the best of provisions.

INCIDENTS IN THE CAMP.

RETURN HOME.

Captain Ruck was a little too ancient and wide around the belt for active work, so he stayed at Opunake till we came back. Le Petit Corporal (G. Wemys Dalrymple) was troubled with corns. He was allowed to ride on the transport brake. Early the first morning after- the capture of Parihaka a party of the Wellington Naval Brigade saw some Maori geese walking along a track. They gave chase and caught a pair. The captain of the day saw them. He

gave orders to four of us to arrest them, which we did. They were sentenced to four hours’ cutting firewood. The bugle sounded fall in and everybody was cautioned about killing the Maoris’ stock.

One morning Lieut. Wylie asked me to sharpen his sword, which had been his father’s in India. He gave me a couple of shillings for refreshments. Seeing Prior Gilbert, I said: “Come along and turn the grindstone,” which was by the canteen. The canteen was a wet one. I said: “Come and have some lubrication.” To my astonishment the attendant put two quart mugs of beer on the counter. I remarked: “I don’t want a bath.” I drank about half of mine. Gilbert finished his and the rest of mine, remarking that there was no bad beer, only some was better than others. After grinding the sword, I gave Gilbert the other shilling and while I was oilstoning the sword he had two more quarts and seemed none the worse for it.

The day after that Lieut. Wylie asked me to get him a squad of four to fell a large tree across a creek to make a foot bridge for the sentries. I took four Wairarapa boys, Charlie Reid, Jack Bambry, Dick McKenzie and Anderson. Prior Gilbert was on sentry duty. As the captain of the day passed him, he asked Gilbert which way would the tree fall. Gilbert saluted and said: “To the ground, sir.” If looks killed people. Gilbert would have been a dead man. A few days later the captain saw Gilbert and said: "That was a beauty you got on to me, old chap. If you ever come to Christchurch call on Captain Hammersley, solicitor.” A few years after the Masterton Fire Brigade went to Christchurch for the competitions. Gilbert went with them. He called on Captain Hammersley, who received him cordial!}' and asked him to meet him at one of lhe best hotels in Christchurch, which Gilbert did. Captain Hammersley had four or five of his pals there and explained how Gilbert got a beauty on to him. He sent Gilbert home in a taxi full to the collar.

We put in three weeks at Parihaka in drill, drill, drill. When anything new was to be done the roll was called. Adams. Andrew, Andersen, Bannister. Blinkhorn. We four got more than our whack of things. The sunwas glaring hot there in November. Our Glen Garry caps had a patent leather band round the forehead. Where the strap came in contact with the sunburnt skin the latter swelled up and a good many men were laid up with a swollen head. The Armed Constabulary had cleaned up the Pa of all the Maoris which did not belong there and sent them to their respective homes. So we had to march back to Opunake. We did this without a mishap, taking plenty of cooked provisions to eat on the way. That night after tea Captain Ruck lined us up and asked us if we would like a small loan, as we were “stoney broke.” We were delighted. Corp. Dalrymple was paymaster. He handed us half a crown each (this was stopped out of our pay). One man would not take it. saying: “I have plenty of money. Would you like a loan?” The next morning tlie Hinemoa was there waiting for us. Several of our contingent who nearly died on board coming up were sent back by coach. What a difference. The sea was like a sheet of glass. Wc started to embark early and by ten o’clock all hands were aboard. It was a pleasant trip and not a ripple till we got past Kapiti. Then there were a couple of catspaws. As soon as we were near the wharf we all put our heads through our horsecollars. Then the gangway was lowered on to the wharf. There we formed up and marched to the barracks. where we were paid off. We were allowed to stay two days at the barracks to see the sights of Wellington. So ended the bloodless victory of Parihaka. Out of those volunteers who left Masterton two of us are still living here —Sgt. G. Ward, of Wrigley Street and myself. Corp. Bob Osie lives at Lower Hutt.