THE STORY OF THE WAIRAU MASSACRE—NEW VERSION.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 102, 28 September 1874, Page 4

THE STORY OF THE WAIRAU MASSACRE—NEW VERSION.

(From the Marlborough Express),

It has often occurred to us that there was a different version of the story of the Wairau massacre to that commonly circulated, and that Te Rauparaha was not quite so guilty as he has been usually represented. We have had this opinion confirmed by remarks made by the natives still living in the Wairau, who assert that the great chief was not guilty in intention, but considered that he was defending his own lauds from invasion, The difficulty, however, of properly comprehending the Maories, for want of intimacy with the native tongue, has hitherto prevented us from attempting to get the tradition committed to paper, as it exists orally among them, and we should be glad if we could induce any of our friends who possess the ability, to carry out the idea.

Recently, while reading a paper read by Mr W, T. L. Travers before the Wellington Philosophical Society in 1872, entitled “ Some Chapters in the Life and Times of Te Rauparaha, Chief of the Ngatitoa,” we came across a passage which confirms the view expressed above, and we therefore place it on record as interesting to those now living in the Wairau. Mr Travers gives the following account, as he received it from the son of Te Rauparaha, and it is valuable as giving that warrior’s personal view of the disastrous affair, which occurred on June 17th, 1843, as well as its results

“ I will now,” he says “ leave my account of the battles of Te Rauparaha at this end of the island, and speak of the folly of the Europeans and Maoris at Wairau, where

Wakefield met his death. The fight, and death of Wakefield and the other European gentlemen in 1843, were caused by the deceit of Captain Piringatapn angliee Blenkinsopp.) He deceived Kauparaha, in giving him a big gun for the purchase of Wairau, He wrote some documents in English, which said that he bought that land. Kauparaha did not know what was in these documents, and signed his name in ignorance. Captain Piringatapn told Kauparaha that when he saw the captain of a man-of-war he was to show him the documents that he might know that they were chiefs. Kauparaha thought that it was all correct. When Kauparaha returned from Cloudy Bay, near Wairau, he gave the documents to Ilavvea to read ; when he had read them, he told Kauparaha that all his land at Wairau had passed away to Captain Piringatapn, and that he had received a big gun for it. Kauparaha was was angry, and tore up the documents and threw them in the fire, also the documents held by the chiefs of Ngatitoa at Kapiti, and Ngatitea of the other island. When Wakefield arrived, and the settlements of Nelson and Wellington were formed, he (Wakefield) went to Wairau for the purpose of surveying. Kauparaha did not consent, as he had not been paid for it, since he had been deceived by Captain Piringatapn, Kau paraha’s thought was that the land ought not to be taken by Wakefield, but that they should consider the matter bef re the land was handed over. Trouble and wrong was caused by the hurried attack of Wakefield and party upon Kauparaha. Kauparaha had told me a good deal about this matter. It was not his desire that the Europeans should be killed; his love to Wakefield and party was very great. Rangihacata, Kauparaha’s nephew, was misled by his own foolish thought and want of attention to what Rauparaha had said. When Wakefield and party were dead, Kauparaha rose and said, Hearken Te Rangihacata, I will now leave you as you have set aside my tikanga , let those of the Europeans that have been killed suffice ; let the others live, do not kill them.’ Kangihaetata replied, 1 What about your daughter that has been killed ?” Kauparaha replied, ‘ Why should not that daughter die.’ Kauparaha also said, ‘Now I will embrace Christianity and turn to God, who has preserved me from the hands of the Europeans.’ This was the time when he embraced Christianity. I was absent when the fight took place at Wairau, having gone to preach at Ngaitahu. I went as far as Kakaia. I was there one year, and was the first person that went there to preach. It was on this account that ray father did not go there to fight. When Rangihacata again occasioned trouble to the Europeans at the Hutt, Kauparaha was sad at the folly of Rangihaeata in withholding the land that had been purchased from him and Te Rangihaeata by the Europeans for £2OO. Rauparaha endeavoured to persuade Rangihaeata to cease causing trouble about that land, but he would not hearken.

“ Rauparaha was afterwards taken prisoner by Governor Grey at Porirua without sufficient pretext. The following is the reason why he was taken :—A letter was written by some one, to which the name of Te Rauparaha was signed. It was then sent to the chiefs of Patutokotoku at Wanganui. It is said that Mamaku and Rangihaeata wrote the letter and signed the name of Rauparaha to give it force. I was at school at this time with Bishop Selwyu at Auckland, together with my wife, Ruth, and did not see the capture of my father. When I returned and arrived in Wellington, 1 went on board the Calliope, the man ofvvar in which my father was a prisoner, to see him. When I saw him we cried together, and when we finished he said to me, ‘Son, go to your tribes, and tell them to remain in peace. Do not pay for ray arrest with evil, only with that which is good. You must love the Europeans. There was no just cause for my having been arrested by Governor Grey. I have not murdered any Europeans, but I was arrested through the lies of the people. If I had been taken prisoner in battle it would have been well, but I was unjustly taken, I returned on shore with Mateue, and went to Porirua, and there saw Ngatitoa and Rawhiri Puaha. We told them the words of Rauparaha respecting good and our living at peace. We then went on to Otaki and repeated the same words. At this time we (two) caused the town of Hadfield to be built at Otaki. From this time Ngatirauhawa and Ngatitoa commenced to do right. At this time a party of Ngatiraukawa came to Ngatiwakatere at Manawatu—this was the tribe that befriended Rangihaeata—2oo of the tribe came on to Otaki, and when they arrived we assembled. Rangihaeta invited these people that they might know the thoughts of Mateue and myself respecting Rauparaha, who was held as a captive on board the vessel. He wished to destroy Wellington and kill the Europeans as a satisfaction. I told them the words of Rauparaha when we (two) went to see them (i.e., the chiefs) and the young men. I told them they must put an end to this foolish desire, and not harken to the tikanga of Rangihaeata, but they must live in peace and cease that bad desire. They consented. The Ngatiraukawa consented to built that town, that they might obtain a name. When Rauparaha was liberated, in the year 184f5, he urged Ngatiraukawa to build a large church in Hadfield Town, at Otaki. Had he not returned, the church would not have been built. He had a great desire to worship the great God. He was continually worshipping until he died at Otaki on the 27th November, 1849.”