FROM AUCKLAND TO GISBORNE. COASTWISE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 337, 13 August 1889, Page 3

FROM AUCKLAND TO GISBORNE. COASTWISE.

[BY “ NARRATOR.”] PART V. The wind gradually dying away, we drift rather than sail into Tokomaru Bay, which confessedly affords the fairest prospect from the sea, of the many picturesque bights and inlets which indent at intervals this portion of the Coast. Tokomaru boasts its post office, comfortable hotel, and native school, a large native population, and a delightfully situated homestead and sheep station owned by Mr A. O. Arthur, of your town, It is well managed by Mr G. G. Boyd, whose good taste, energy, and capacity for his at one time very, and at present sufficiently onerous poet, is wall illustrated by the surroundings of his residence, which combine both the useful and ornamental in just and picturesque proportions. There is an orchard of carefully selected and valuable fruit bearing trees, a lawn tennis ground, flower garden, and grand home paddocks, while the interior of the dwelling house does not belie its exterior environments, and the kindly hospitality ot the resident embellishes all. Tokomaru Bay affords a tolerable anchorage from S, to B.E. winds, and has apparently ample ‘‘ verge and scope enough ” for our clipper to heat out, should the wind come more from the eastward or round to N.E , the bad wind of the Coast, south of the East. Cape. But, says Captain Skinner (addressing the Narrator), with his significant forefinger at work again, as we stand on the ” neat little poop ” before mentioned, the schooner meanwhile rising and falling on the long slow undulations rolling in from seaward, 11 Watch that spot there away,” indicating the very centre of the bay, where one would think there was water “ deep as the rolling Zuyder Zea, And, watching latently, the tide being well out, first one black tooth appears above the placid surface. .Then as we rise to the sum ■ mit of an incoming undulation, two or three more show themselves, ragged, pointed, menacing. Canines, dog teeth these of the insatiate maw of the submerged reef beneath, where are the horrible grinders, which make short work of good ships, good sailors, aye, and passengers, too, at times, though Jem doubts if passengers count for much “ anpiiow." “ Right in the fair way,” says the skipper; End the night settling down, muggy, and drizzly, with a falling “ Aneroid, no wind, and long swell setting shoreward, together with other uncomfortable indications. Mr Gregory takes three of the “ boys ” in the boat, and they tow our craft to a better position, ” Then,” says the skipper, ‘I It’s all right now,” and knowing that he knows exactly what his smart schooner can do, Narrator turns in, and sleeps the sleep of the liqucrless and unapprehensive, till long, long, after 11 daylight doss appear." “ Halloa I" says Jem, utter a preliminary rattle of crockery ware, and much tinkling of tea spoons,—" Narrator, are you going to gat up to-day ? We have been under weigh this two hours, and here’s the ‘Mawhia’ you were inquiring about broad off our port bow.” Surely enough ; a lofty rooky peninsula, the site of an old time Maori fortification, and later on, whale fishery, looms up in clear, but rugged outline, as described. It is connested to the mainland by a narrow rooky ridge, approachable on one side at low water only, and with great difficulty, over slippery rocks, and huge waterworn boulder stones. On the other, it is more easily accessible, but here, in the old time warfare, the cliff itself has been scraped, and the narrow pathway leading to the ancient pah, has been so narrowed, that it will only admit of people ascending in single file, At this Gibraltar of the Coast during the ” troublous times” in 1861-65, when the loyal Ngatiporous, hard pressed by the more numerous Hauhaus, who from Pukemaire* (before mentioned) sent out foraging parties, who killed and plundered in all directions. Henare Potae, Te Hats Houkainau ahi-other -frier*” voWs. placed their women and non-combatants, relying upon the ancient traditions of the virgin fortress for their safety, while they themselves took the field against the Hauhaus. They left but three warriors at Te Mawhai, together with one European (whose name is unfortunately lost) and a multitude of women aud children. By some means or other the enemy (Hauhaus) became aware of the weakness of the garrison, and planned a coup de main. Some 30 or more picked men were told off from Pukemaire for the work of anticipated massacre, and eluding the vigilance of the friendly scouts, succeeded in gaining the vicinity of the Mawhai during the night, scaling the heights, and reaching the gate, or entrance to the pah at grey dawn. The screaming sea birds had however given due warning to the few defender!, and they received their murderous assailants with a volley of four pieces, killing two outright and wounding another, who toppled over the precipice and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Others tried to ascend, but the four men continued to fire with great rapidity, their guns being re-charged for them by the worm, who encouraged them with shouts of triumph, as their assailants quailed before their effective musketry. Finally the repulsed Hauhaus retired from the narrow causeway, and kept up a wholly ineffective fire, from the adjacent rocks, and from behind the large boulders, losing some 15 men out of their original 32 strong, killed and wounded in all. Up to the time, the European and two Maoris had kept up their very terrible fusillade, with perfect impunity to themselves, but now the former, actuated by a fatal curiosity, exposed himself by looking over the stoney parapet, and instantly received a gun shot wound in the throat, from the effects of which he afterwards died, and was buried at Te Kaha, in the Bay of Plenty, while on his way to Auckland, for surgical treatment on board the “ Tawera," one of Captain Bead’s schooners. Meanwhile Te Hate Houkamau, the loyal chief (before mentioned), and his followers, attrac|ed|by the sound of the firing, appeared upon the scene, charged, and dispersed the miserable remnant of the besiegers, and it is said killed them all. So ended the spirited little episode of Te Mawhai, which we quickly leave behind, as we coast along, and after a brief call at Anr.ura, Mr Ormond’s station, stand out to sea again ; once more haul our wind, and an hour ot so afterwards drop anchor off the north head of Tolago Bay. "Afterwards besieged and taken by Frazer and Biggs’s Expeditionary Force. (To be continued).