Page image
Page image

9

G—3

Rewi —" I will send you an answer by that time, if we come to a conclusion. Do not be in a hurry, be easy (ngawari)." Mackay. —" You say be ' ngawari' (easy). Why should Ibe easy when you are so hard, that you (the King and others) will not even allow me to deliver a message properly ?" Rewi —" lam a child, and you are an old man." Mackay —" Yes; you are a child, as far as knowing how to make guns, powder, mills, and ships, but in matters relating to war, peace, and murder you are my equal, for you did those things before I came into the country. I must have the answer, and this has nothing to do with my not being allowed te see Manuwhiri and Tawhiao." Rewi. —" That is because your coming here and the attack on you has disturbed the business of the meeting, and we have not proceeded to discuss matters. We are inquiring into those very questions you have come about." Mackay. —" I have something else to say with reference to Purukutu. I hear he is out with armed men, and will commit more murders. Recollect, if he does, between now and the 20th, I will follow him, and take him. Do not then blame me for any evil that arises. I have warned you of his intentions, and you bad better prevent him." Rewi. —" That is your business. I would not say that was wrong (I think he meant this individually), but Tawhiao himself has gone there (to Wharepapa) yesterday." This concluded the talk; Eewi shook hands, mounted his horse, and gave me a hint he wanted to speak privately. I walked down beside his horse. I said —" Keep clear of Waikato; look out for your lands." He replied —" lam working at that business of yours every day—leave it to me to work out." Eewi then said to Wahanui, "provide Mackay with an escort to take him safe back to Alexandra." He returned to Te Kuiti, and I proceeded to Alexandra with Hone to One and Warana, escorted by Taiaroa Tumu, Tawhata, and seventeen men of the Ngatimaniapoto tribe. I travelled from Alexandra to Cambridge, on the evening of the 10th May, and after passing Walker's station, noticed a signal fire on the Pukekura range. About eleven o'clock p.m., reports of fire arms were heard behind Cambridge West, in the direction of Pukekura, and parties of Armed Constabulary and Volunteers, under Major Clare and Captain Eunciman, were sent out to bring in women and children of the outsettlers, and patrol until daylight; I accompanied one of these parties with Mr. J. Sheehan, M.H.R., and shortly after sunrise we saw a boy named Dillon running along the road, in breathless haste, and evident fear. He said he had been looking for milking cows belonging to his father, and a Maori rushed out of some thick manuka and chased him. A number of men were sent for and we commenced a very careful search for the Maori or Maoris. We did not succeed in finding them, but discovered where two had laid down in the fern, and on some newly sown grass land of Mr. AValker's, found tracks of three Natives who had been sitting down, and the imprints of the butts of their guns were clearly visible. The footmarks crossed the ploughed land and entered some Manuka scrub in the direction leading to the Pukekura range. I have since ascertained that they were three of Purukutu's men who came down to carry off some blankets and clothing, \\hich had been hidden in the manuka for them by some of the Maungatautari Natives. Colonel Lyon arrived early that morning, and made arrangements to remove the head-quarters of the Armed Constabulary from Hamilton, to Cambridge. lat once took steps, in concert with him, to put the frontier in the best state of defence, which the limited force at our disposal permitted, and to prevent any mistakes arising about friendly, or other Natives travelling after dark, a notice warning the Natives against travelling on roads, or over bridges or ferries on the Waikato and Waipa, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. As there were several points on the frontier between Cambridge, and Orakau, unguarded, and by which a hostile party could penetrate our lines unperceived, and the reports brought in by my spies being to the effect that " Purukutu intended to commit more murders, and was lying in wait for Mr. AValker's laborers 'and stockmen, on the west side of Maungatautari," I deemed it advisable to establish a post at Eotorangi, a conspicuous hill, surrounded by the Moanatuatua Swamp, and which commanded a road from Wharepapa to Cambridge, and the swamp road from Cambridge to Bangiaohia. I also suggested to the Government that a number of the men of the Ngatuiaho and Ngatitipa tribes, under the long and well tried loyal chiefs AViremu te AVheoro and Hori Kukutai should be enrolled as Armed Constabulary, and placed on the frontier. In reply I received instructions that all steps necessary for the defence of the district were to be at once taken, and the enrolment of the Natives in the Armed Constabulary was sanctioned. The Armed Constabulary furnished guards for the bridges at Alexandra and Cambridge, and the Cavalry Volunteers, two patrols for the frontier between Alexandra and Bangiaohia, and one for the west side of the Waikato, between Cambridge and Mangapiko. Te AVheoro's contingent (sixty in number), arrived on tho 24th May, and were placed in a position about midway between Alexandra and Kihikihi, and commenced the construction of a redoubt to command two fords on the Puniu river to which there were roads leading from the interior. A redoubt has been erected at Pukekura, so as to command a road from Maungatautari to Cambridge West. A redoubt is to be constructed at Te Tiki, on the main line of road from Maungatautari to Cambridge, so as to guard the approach to the frontier from that quarter. A block house is in course of erection in a commanding position at Paikuku, on the exposed side of Bangiowhia and Orakau. It is in contemplation to erect a block house on the east side of the river AVaikato, so as to protect the settlers living at Taotaoroa, and in that neighbourhood. The only question which has delayed the commencement of this work is, that some Natives, who are at present friendly, claim to have a right to have their names inserted in the Crown Grant of the Taotaoroa block, and that they were excluded from it in consequence of not knowing of the sitting of the Native Land Court. 3—Gh 3.

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert