Rua-pekapeka Pa, Bay of Islands District, 1846

Colonel Despard wrote the following account of this pa, attacked by British troops in the 'forties' of last century:—"The pa itself was an oblong square, with projecting works on each face, and at two of the angles, so as to form a flanking fire in every direction. See Fig. 111, p. 396. The first range of stockade was about 10 ft. high, composed of either whole trees of the puriri wood, the hardest and toughest wood known in New Zealand, or of split timbers of the same wood, sunk in the ground from 2 ft. to 3 ft. deep, and placed close to each other. Many of the former were from 12 in. to 15 in. in diamater, and loopholed close to the ground. Within this stockade on two faces, at 3 ft. distance, was another stockade, equally strong, also loopholed close to the ground, corresponding with those in front; and within that again there was a ditch 5 ft. deep, and the same breadth, with an embankment of earth on the inner side, behind which a man could lie and fire through the loopholes of both fences. On the other faces the ditch was between the two stockade fences. The ditch was divided, at every 5 ft. or 6 ft. by traverses, leaving a small opening passage, not opposite each other, but alternate on either side. The ground in the interior was excavated in many places to afford shelter to the garrison from cannon shot. Some of these excavations were entered from the ditch, and others were thatched over to keep out the wet." See Fig. 111, p. 396.

Dr. Thomson's description of the same pa is as follows—"Rua-pekapeka pa measured 170 yds. by 70 yds. and was much broken into flanks. It had two rows of palisades 3 ft. apart, composed of timbers 12 in. to 20 in. in diameter, and 15 ft. out of the ground; there was a ditch between the palisades, and the earth was thrown behind to form an inner parapet. In principle it resembled Ohaeawai but was much stronger. Within the pa the enemy numbered 500. … English engineers said a breach should have been made in the palisades of Rua-pekapeka by exploding gunpowder close to them, as was done in bursting the gate at Ghuznee, but Ghuznee gate was one piece of workmanship, the Rua-pekapeka were three independent works. From an inspection of Rua-pekapeka, the troops saw that an assault would have been attended with severe loss, and it was universally admitted that the natives were becoming masters in the science of fortification…. In an English fort the ditch is deep, and outside the defences; in a [modern] New Zealand pa the ditch is page 396 shallow, and inside the palisade. In an English fort the ditch is made to obstruct the enemy; in a [modern] New Zealand pa the ditch is made to cover the defenders, who stand in it and fire at the besiegers."

These latter remarks apply to the modern pa only, not to the old type of native pa, or fort.

The Britsh troops opened on the above pa with three 32-pounders, one 18-pounder, two 12-pounders, and seven brass guns and rocket tubes. At the end of ten days the troops took this pa by assault—after the enemy had obligingly vacated it.

Report on the pa of New Zealand [Extracts from] by Lieut. G. Bennett, R.E., dated February 10th, 1843:—

"The strength of the New Zealand pa consists principally in the choice of position. They are generally situated on peninsular points, with three sides inaccessible; being steeply scarped towards the sea, usually from 50 ft. to 60 ft. high, and palisaded at top…. I consider the attack on these sides, except by surprise, impracticable; the fourth side is always cut off by a deep ditch having steep scarps from 20 ft. to 30 ft. in height, and counterscarps from 6 ft. to 16 ft.; the nature page 397of the soil being generally a stiff clay, or soft sandstone, retains the slope of sixty degrees. The terreplein, from 20 ft. to 30 ft. broad, has a strong palisade in front, or the palisade is placed above the scarp with a low parapet and banquette, and the whole of the interior of the pa is intersected in every direction by fences, each hut being fenced around. These interior defences, though low, if not destroyed before the entrance of the troops, must entangle and confuse then, and totally prevent the use of the bayonet. The ditches are also flanked by a strong palisade.

"In addition to the principal pa, there is also frequently an outer work with a low ditch palisaded in front, and commanded by the main work; and should one part of the pa be considered weaker than another, it is strengthened by a double palisade, 3 ft. apart, with embrasures left in the outer one at the level of the ground, and a trench cut inside to afford cover.

"In short, these pa assume every description of defence of this nature of which they are capable, and are sometimes strengthened by even three successive rows of palisades.

"The palisades themselves consist of large trees about 1 ft. in diameter, roughly hewn, and placed 6 ft. or 8 ft. apart, and afford safe cover for a man. They are from 12 ft. to 20 ft. in height, rudely page 398ornamented at top. Between these posts are long stakes, from 8 ft. to 10 ft. high, and \\ in. in diameter, and nearly tangent to each other, and strongly bound together; or, if greater strength is required, rough three sided stakes about 9 in. perimeter are used.

"Should the pa not be situated on a peninsula, its front consists of one steep side towards the sea, with generally a deep and wide gully on each flank, and the gorge is protected by a deep ditch, as before described.

"The section of the pa of Te Mutu exemplifies the usual defences, but the natives evince considerable military knowledge, and I observed that several of their pa had their counterscarps excavated, having small openings like embrasures. These, I am told, are used for keeping pototoes, and I cannot learn that they have ever been used for defence.

"In illustration of their military knowledge, I may say that when I was ordered to prepare a plan of attack of the pa of Maketu, I consulted the chief Tupaea: he immediately sat down on the sand and erected a model of the pa and surrounding country, giving me the distances and command that each hill had over the pa and each other, and pointed out how it might be approached with safety. The plan I made from his model I was subsequently able to compare on the spot, and found his plan and ideas very correct….

"I have been informed that the pa in the interior of the country are constructed on the same system, detached hills, or hills on the extremity of a ridge, being the site usually chosen.

"What I have said relative to the choice of position of their pa relates only to that arm against which they have hitherto had to contend,-the musket. But I have seen no pa which was not commanded at distances varying from 200 to 600 yards; consequently the method of attack is simple and certain."

To this account, Captain Collinson added:—"The subsequent experience of the pa in the interior corresponds exactly with his description. Their strength consists in the site. … The pa afterwards attacked by the British troops were expressly constructed against them, and were much stronger in the palisading than those he describes."

Of a pa taken at Wai-tara, in 1860, a correspondent writes:— "The pa consisted of ten chambers excavated in the clay, communicating with each other, three at each side, and two at each flank, each calculated to contain from twenty to twenty-five men. These chambers were wider at top than at bottom, sloping from the centre to give strength and width of base to the work. The chambers were overlaid with rafters and a layer of fern and earth between page 399two and three feet deep, the whole surrounded with a double fence, filled up with fern and earth, communicated with the interior, and from whence the inmates could fire without in the least exposing themselves."

Of the famous Gate Pa incident Colonel Gudgeon writes:— "Four hundred men of the Ngai-Te-Rangi tribe, entrenched at the Gate Pa in covered rifle pits, surrounded by a mere cobweb of palisade, defeated General Cameron and his army with small loss to themselves, notwithstanding a preliminary bombardment of at least one hour's duration delivered by 100-pounder Armstrongs and field guns of approved patterns. This iron hail was supposed to rain death and destruction on the devoted garrison, and probably would have done all those things had the earthworks only been designed by aid of tape, plan and European precedent; but the wily Maori has an intelligent want of appreciation of European forms and text books, and a contempt almost sublime for the regular soldier as an enemy. He does not deny his manly qualities, or his courage, but he cannot understand his want of initiative or even intelligence; he cannot admire the manner in which the lives of these soldiers are frequently thrown away, and wonders why they should invariably attack the strongest face of a Maori entrench-page 400ment. On this occasion, whatever may have been the reason, the Maoris were neither hurt nor frightened, whereas the troops, who were led with much courage, and sacrificed by their general, not only lost many men, but suffered a stampede of unusual magnitude."

The illustration here given shows the form of trenches employed by the Maori against our troops at the Gate Pa and elsewhere. The light palisading mentioned above, and the orthodox traverses are essentially modern features. See Fig. 113, p. 399.

Regarding the repulse of the British troops at the Gate Pa, Major-General Mould wrote:—"The courage and endurance of a small body of Maoris exposed to an almost crushing artillery fire for a period of eight hours, and then at its termination meeting and repelling a gallantly conducted assault, are almost unequalled, and show that whether acting amongst the swamps and bush of their country, or in a scarcely tenable earthwork in open country, they are a foe not to be despised. They possess the highest military qualities; coolness, wariness, spirit, determination, judgment in taking up positions, sagacity in perceiving the moment when to vacate them."

In writing of the Gate Pa, Featon says:—"The rifle pits in the pa were mostly covered over with brush and earth, and formed a network of concealed passages, the roof being raised a few inches above the parapet, so as to enable the natives to fire out on their assailants."

The artillery employed in battering the Gate Pa comprised:—

• One 110-pounder Armstrong
• Two 40-pounder Armstrongs
• Two 6-pounder Armstrongs
• Two 24-pounder howitzers
• Two 8-inch mortars
• Six Cohorn mortars.

These guns opened fire on the pa shortly after daybreak on on April 29th, 1864, and continued, with short intermissions, until four p.m.