Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z.

Chapter XXXII — Poverty Bay Under Martial Law

Chapter XXXII
Poverty Bay Under Martial Law

We Are Paralysed”—Native Suspect Slain in Cold Blood—Mohaka Massacre Intensifies Alarm—Reward of £1,000 Offered for Te Kooti, Dead or Alive.

Early in January, 1869, when he was about to leave Poverty Bay to resume the campaign against Titokowaru in Taranaki, Colonel Whitmore believed that Te Kooti had been so badly defeated at Ngatapa that it was most unlikely that he would ever again prove a menace. In a dispatch to the Government he went so far as to suggest that the arch-rebel might have been among the rebels whom the Ngati-Porou overtook and slew after the pa was found to have been abandoned. “At all events,” he added, “ Te Kooti—defeated, twice wounded, a fugitive and failing in his prophecies—is not likely again to trouble the district, or even again to assemble a band of assassins, should he survive the hardships before him, or escape the vengeance of the Urewera, who will look upon him as an impostor.”

Nothing was heard of Te Kooti and his followers for over two months. They were believed to be in hiding in the very depths of the Urewera Country. In strict fact they had moved only a short distance from Ngatapa. At a secluded spot—called by the rebels “Koraha” and now known as “ Te Kooti's Clearing” — Te Kooti established a base, and built up his attenuated force to 140. Raids were made upon several settlements on the Bay of Plenty coast in March, 1869. Then, partly with the object of putting the authorities off the scent, but mainly in order to gain additional recruits, Te Kooti moved over to Ruatahuna, where he was hospitably received by the Urewera. Some of them joined him then, and others subsequently.

With Te Kooti still a grave menace on the eastern side of the North Island, and Titokowaru in charge of a large slice of Taranaki, the Government greatly feared that the embers of disloyalty in other districts would burst into flame. All the Imperial regiments (except the 18th Royal Irish, which was stationed at Auckland) had already left the colony in pursuance of a request by the Weld Government in 1864. Governor Bowen had told the Duke of Buckingham (7/12/1868) “that many competent judges believe that the entire withdrawal of the Queen's troops may lead to a general rising throughout the North Island, and, possibly, to tragedies as dreadful as those of Poverty Bay and Cawnpore.” A reply came to hand to the effect that the Home authorities considered that the colonists should now be required to rely upon their own exertions for the internal defence of the colony. However, negotiations for the retention of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment were continued.

The risk that Te Kooti might make other raids was considered so great in Poverty Bay and at Wairoa that all the settlers and friendly natives were required to hold themselves in readiness to assist in repelling an attack. Some natives in each district continued to be held suspect; from time to time marauders were reported in various localities; and numerous “scares” proved very unsettling. Life in Poverty Bay in 1869 is vividly pictured in Colonel T. W. Porter's diary, which is now in the Alexander Turnbull Library (Wellington). Among the earliest items are the following:

January 16: Natives to furnish guard at courthouse alternately with Militia.

February 12: Temporary barracks at Makaraka finished.

March 8: Working party out in bush getting posts for palisading of stockade.

March 13: Reported fires seen in the ranges and scouting party sent out.

March 22: Militia parade at courthouse at 2 p.m.; Militia Act read.

March 27: Public meeting at Bradley's [Albion Hotel] to ask the R.M. re removal of Hauhau prisoners to a place of safety; to petition the Governor on the subject; and to take into consideration the present unprotected state of

Poverty Bay

.

March 29: Non-com. officer in charge of prisoners notified that he is to be held responsible that they hold no communication with other natives.

April 7: Reported that seven mounted armed men were seen [at Opou] driving sheep from

Captain Harris

's run—supposed to be Hauhaus.

April 8: It was ascertained that the men seen driving sheep were friendly natives out pig hunting.

Writing to Mr. McLean under date 17 February, 1869, Captain Harris said:

“We are paralysed. We cannot reinstate our homesteads. We dare not live inland. Shearing, owing to the inclemency of the weather, is still unfinished. We are obliged to keep together, and always to be armed.”

Early in 1869, the Home authorities learned from newspaper reports that the Government had offered a reward of £1,000 for the capture—it was inferred dead or alive—of Titokowaru (the Taranaki arch-rebel) and £5 for the person of every Taranaki rebel brought in alive. Earl Granville, in a dispatch (25/2/1869) said that he would not pronounce any opinion, on that occasion, as to the propriety of these steps, but he must observe “that they are so much at variance with the usual laws of war and appear, at first sight, so much calculated to exasperate and extend hostilities that they ought to have been reported to me officially with the requisite information, which I should now be glad to receive.”

Premier Stafford (in his rejoinder) stated that the report was true, as also the inference that the reward would be given for the body of Titokowaru, dead or alive. “It is now right to add,” he continued, “that a similar reward on the same terms has been offered for the body of Te Kooti, the leader of the outrages on the East Coast [also Kereopa] … Their atrocities are, happily, as exceptionable as the course adopted with a view to their punishment. But the offers in question are not without precedent in the history of the mutiny in India, and even of the Fenian outrages within the heart of the United Kingdom. Every atrocity of the Sepoy Rebellion has been, paralleled and outdone in the raids, burnings, violences, tortures, murders and cannibalism of the last nine months in New Zealand with less provocation or excuse.”

Short Shrift for Native Suspect

Bitter complaints arose in Poverty Bay when natives who, it was believed, had participated in the Massacre began to filter back. If some of the settlers had had their way all suspects would have been tried by court-martial and, if found guilty, summarily punished. Official inquiries were held from time to time, but the settlers felt that, if a suspect was related to a friendly chief, he could depend upon being given the benefit of even the most flimsy doubt. Ere long, on that account, a rumour gained currency that some of the settlers intended to take the law into their own hands.

Lynch law sealed the fate of one native suspect in March, 1869. Some former followers of Te Kooti (mostly women and children) had been rounded up in the back country and left overnight at Patutahi. Among them were Hemi te Ihoariki and Nikora. That evening William Benson, Captain Hardy and William Brown went to the pa and called these two men outside. Benson shot Ihoariki dead. Nikora was only slightly wounded and quickly slipped into a patch of scrub. “Look what you have let me in for!” Hardy excitedly complained to Benson, adding, “I have a good mind to shoot you!” W. L. Williams ( East Coast, New Zealand, Historical Records, p. 67) says that nobody was called to account for the crime and that it would not have occasioned surprise if one or more Europeans had been slain in retaliation.

When this retributive murder took place Mr. Atkinson, R.M., was on a business visit to the Coast. Upon his return he ordered an inquest to be held. According to a story which went the rounds of the press, Benson was accosted by a policeman, who told him that he was required to serve on the jury.

“In vain (it was averred) did Benson try to persuade the constable that he could not honestly act as a juryman, seeing that it was he who had slain the ex-rebel. However, ‘the limb of the law’ would not allow himself to be thwarted by such a trifling excuse, and he hurried Benson off to the jury-room. Benson was perfectly frank with the coroner and his fellow-jurymen; but, in turn, they, too, would not listen to his plea that he should be excused from serving. The intelligent and impartial jury at once brought in their verdict: ‘Shot by some person unknown and served him right.’ And with this verdict not a single pakeha resident of

Poverty Bay

disagreed!”

Massacre at Mohaka

A thrill of horror spread through the East Coast districts when it was learned that Te Kooti and his band had crept down from Ruatahuna, slipped past a force of Ngati-Pahauwera stationed, under Ihaka Whaanga, close to Lake Waikaremoana, and on Saturday, 10 April, 1869, had swooped down upon Mohaka, a small settlement 20 miles south of Wairoa. On the north side of the river there were two pas—the main one, Hiruharama (Jerusalem) on a terrace, and Te Huiku, a small one, on the edge of a cliff. Captain John Sim's hotel and the homes of the Lavins, Coopers and Riddlers stood on the southern side. Most of the male natives were away with Ihaka Whaanga's force. The raiders slew some of the Europeans and natives at, or near, their homes. They then ransacked the hotel, store and houses. As the defences of the smaller pa were very weak they broke into it. A few of the inmates got away by scaling a wall at the rear. Those who were captured were butchered. The pa was set on fire. Steps were then taken to invest the main pa, but it was nobly defended by some old men, supported by the women.

News of the raid reached Wairoa a few hours after it had begun. Captain Spiller at once assembled a relief force, but Major Withers, who hurriedly returned from Frasertown, cancelled the order that it should march to Mohaka, because he feared that it might be required for the defence of Wairoa. Next day, Ihaka Whaanga's force arrived and proceeded cautiously towards the stricken settlement. It was followed by a small Wairoa contingent. The tragedy became known at Napier on the Sunday and, next day, a relief force, consisting of both foot and mounted troops, was despatched. During Tuesday's march the infantry were halted and the cavalry went on alone under Major Richardson. Meantime, Ihaka Whaanga's force had relieved the main pa. Trooper Rowley (George) Hill's bravery in entering the pa ahead of the friendlies and aiding in its defence earned for him the New Zealand Cross.

The chief pakeha victims were the members of the Lavin family. When the three children were attacked they were sailing a toy boat in a shallow backwash of the river close to their home. A few yards from the spot searchers came across the body of a four-year-old boy. Just a little nearer to the house lay the body of the six-year-old lad. The body of the eldest boy, who was about eight years old, was found still closer to the home. His hand still clutched the little boat. In a patch of scrub on the hillside lay the bodies of the parents. Lavin had his arm around his wife; he had emptied his revolver. How they had come by their deaths could be only a matter for conjecture. An elderly man in their employ was found slain near the cowbail. Even the cow and a chained-up dog had been killed. Mr. Cooper and between 40 and 50 natives were also slain.

Gisborne and its Garrison

When the shocking news reached Poverty Bay steps were at once taken to augment the measures for the protection of the settlers. Further extracts from Colonel Porter's diary follow:

A mixed force of about 800 men, including 350 Armed Constabulary, was stationed, under Lieutenant-Colonel Herrick, at Onepoto ( Lake Waikaremoana) in May, 1869. Two pontoons, each 40 ft. by 10 ft. and capable of carrying a six-pounder Armstrong gun, were constructed. The lines of communication with Wairoa were guarded by a native force under Lieutenant Witty. Some weeks later, Herrick's force was withdrawn, probably because Te Kooti was now giving that locality a wide berth. Not a shot had been fired. The pontoons and a whaleboat were sunk in case they might be needed for any future operations. This abortive expedition cost £42,000.

General Rising Feared

On 4 August, 1869, a further appeal was made to the Home Government by Governor Bowen to allow the 18th Royal Irish Regiment to remain at Auckland. In a dispatch to Lord Lyttelton he stated that the rebels were nearly as numerous as, but more experienced and ferocious than, they had been when an army of 10,000 Imperial troops had utterly failed to subdue them. If the Maoris realised that the colonists were being abandoned by the Mother Country, there would be massacres like those of Poverty Bay and Cawnpore all over the East and West Coasts of the North Island.

Mr. Whitaker had, he continued, advised him that there would be no chance of effectual resistance if from 1,000 to 2,000 Maoris were to march on Auckland from the Waikato—the houses would be burned, the women violated, and a general flight or massacre would ensue. It was with grief and sorrow he had learned that public opinion was fast setting in towards separation from England. [On 23 June, 1869, W. H. Harrison (Westland Boroughs) stated in Parliament that H. Driver (the member for Roslyn and Consul for the United States) was prepared to make overtures for the acquisition of the colony by the United States, one condition being that the rebellion should be subjugated with American aid. Premier Stafford said that he had no reason to suppose that it was at all probable that such an offer would be made.]

The rebels spent the remainder of 1869 in the Urewera Country and around Lake Taupo. They were encountered on over a dozen occasions by pursuing forces which had entered the arena in columns from various directions. Colonel Whitmore took the field with the northern columns. By October, 1869, the Taupo area was practically cleared.

Note.

Prior to the opening of the campaign in 1869 Colonel Whitmore told the Government that he favoured the employment of Australian black trackers in the pursuit of the rebels. Defence Minister Haultain held that scouts would be more valuable. Black trackers, he considered, would prove too timid as scouts. Colonel Cracroft Wilson, C.B., suggested that a force consisting of one British regiment and two regiments of Gurkhas should be procured and placed under an officer who had served in India. This proposal was also turned down.

Biographical.

William Benson (born at Leeds in 1840) joined Major Jackson's company of No. 1 Forest Rangers at Auckland and took part in the fighting in the Waikato in 1863–4. He then went as a volunteer under Major von Tempsky to Wanganui and assisted in the relief of Pipiriki. In 1865 he fought in the East Coast War, and, in 1868–9, served in the engagements which were brought about by the Te Kooti revolt. He was reputed to be a man who could not be trifted with. In June, 1873, he was accused by Captain Read of having threatened to shoot him, and was bound over to keep the peace. He died at Ormond on 26 April, 1911. Three of his brothers—Frederick, Henry and Edwin—also settled in Poverty Bay.