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Chapter XVII. The end: The Seige Raised and Directly Proceeding a Connubial Engagement Raised.

The veritable position of events at Moturoa, which the intrepid maiden Rawhinia had so opportunely unfolded, viewed from any point whatever, most assuredly was one in the highest degree perplexing to the chiefs of the tribe. They generally, however, agreed to this line of management that, not on any account should they suffer themselves to be so miserably ensnared as they, to their poignant sorrow, had been lately at Pukerangioro, by too many of them at a time rushing indiscriminately out from the works. Fortunately, by means of their good neighbours, the whalers, they were sure of getting provisions supplied, so as to relieve them, as far as that went from any very grave apprehensions of being starved into abject submission. True it was, however, that the Waikato, unfortunately, had now the full run of the country all to themselves, and thereby so having, they, the Waikato, would not be pressed to raise the seige in any great hurry. Still, after all, who knew? something wholly now unforeseen to their advantage might, incidentally, crop up! The gods, surely, were not going totally to forsake them, or be against them for ever! No, no! not likely that! When the gods are altogether relentless, they at once totally annihilate!

Meanwhile, Dickey Barrett had deliberated upon an altogether opposite line of action to that of the foregoing, entertained by the bulk of the chiefs. He, Barrett, persistently and most strenuously urged upon them, with all the force of his persuasion, to essay a feint with a large body at Moturoa, the place, as now understood, but temporary abandoned. Speedily retreat on the near approach of the Ngatimania-poto's return thereto around by the foot of the hill, towards the covered-way leading from Moutoro, on the west of the pah. Such effected, he, Barrett, would answer for it, by all that he held sacred or that he was worth, that not a single man of the enemy would set feet inside Nga-motu pah. “Supposing,” vehemently continued Dickey, “they, whilst close-passing the tunnels, come to overpower the whalers at the cannon, then, as a final resort, the supports of the roofs shall be withdrawn, burying alike both friend and foe under the heaps of falling earth. page 103 Still, I feel positive,” Barrett concluded, “that it will never come to that”

This much there was no gainsaying, no repudiating whatever: that, ever since their most appaling reversal at Pukerangioro, the Ngatiawas were timorous, disconsolate, and crest-fallen to a most pitiful degree, and therefore ready at any moment to be swayed by anyone whomsoever, outside of themselves. Consequently, Barrett really experienced but very little difficulty in getting carried out, in its integrity, the plan of his proposition.

A little before noon, on that very day, about two-thirds of all that were in the pah, amounting, all told, to three hundred and thirty men, under the intrepid Pori, sallied out to the Waikato's recently vacated position, away at Moturoa. down by the foreshore. There, as shrewdly had been anticipated, they were not permitted to loiter any very long time undisturbed, as but barely an hour had went past ere that, iu full force, formidable and compact together, the Waikato exultantly were descried bearing rapidly down upon them. Whara Pori, on the first alarm being given of this eagerly looked-for upshot, had quite as much as he could well do to prevent the force which he led for this ruse from, at once, rushing helter-skelter, in a scramble, back again to their pah. However, by dint of threats of the severest drastic punishment, he enforced them, after much trouble, to keep their ground until such time as he felt disposed to order a retreat; but not till then, he added, not till then, if he knew it, should they move an inch!

The formidable van of the Waikato advancing force could not have been above a couple of chains, perhaps, from their confidently relied-upon prey, when Pori gave the significant command “Whakamuri eahua,” [backwards hasten]. Then such a tumultuous havoc in a brief while ensued, which must, doubtlesly, for sanguinary desperation, have exceeded anything of the kind that had ever before taken place on the shores of these southern seas. It was in this way: the Ngatiawas, as nimbly as ever they could get over the ground in a body together, made direct to the foot of the hill which their fighting pah stood upon: then made a sharp turn to the right across to the covered-way at Moutoro on the west, thus leaving their pursuers, who ran after them in hot haste, at barely a chain behind, suddenly exposed to the point-blank range of! the three old guns. In a sudden-clap! these three pieces of ordnance! went “slap-bang” off in a lively salvo! The assailants' progress, there-upon, was then as instantaneously arrested as if each and all had been simultaneously paralysed, confounding them into fits with the noise of the concussion. Aye, and much worse still appaling was their deadly; execution! Apace they turned their stark, copper-hued backs upon their now ascendant foes, and fled like wild steeds startled to maddened fury towards the neighbouring shore. On retiring, however, right into their very midst, they receive another discharge-another strong dose of trajecting, pieces of old scrap iron, from the antiquated, heterogenious cannon placed in the tunnels, scattering them here and there and everywhere page 104 about in confusion, in vulnerable disorder! Whara Pori ecstatically surveys their momentary disorganisation, and speedily with his force turns about to take all the advantage which this disconcertedness of his adversaries offers. The Waikato, by and by, glancing around and beholding such an insignificant and contemptuous-looking force compared to their own in pursuit, take heart of grace again, and rally. … According to pre-arranged programme, the Ngatiawas go through precisely the same [gap — reason: unclear] by retreating whilst closely pursued, thus satisfactorily again drawing their still far outnumbering assailants within the scope of these most terrible old guns! And, once more too, the antiquated ordnance bravely balch forth their Promethieus flames, mowing, oh! pitilessly mowing down those which they were directed upon. Insooth, apparently, one might think as effectively as if it were grape, spherical, or cannister they were vomiting forth from their old, rusty, and sadly honey-combed throats, instead of nuts, bolts, chains, etcetera. Maddened to sheer desperation, a formidable force of the Waikato frantically rush up like wild, wounded quadrupeds, in the direction from whence came their dreadful punishment; but, while close to the muzzles, independently, each gun is fired off ahmost in their very faces, raking them down by tens, twenties and fifties. The few still unscathed stagger about epileptic-like: the tars, in fervent ardour, spring upon them with their cutlasses, and hew them down almost at will. It is all soon over. There is no more rallying at this time, for the dumb-foundered Waikato. Jadedly they fly like hounded-down red-handed malefactors—yea, in every direction that will bear them northward. Not one half of them though get very far that way. Whara Pori, with every man he can muster, swiftly comes up on them, and group upon, group are stretched lifelessly mangled on the black sand. Ere the sun goes down that day the beach, for a distance of more than thirty miles is littered with the carcases of the cruel perpetrators of the massacre of Pukerangioro. Ah! now the blood of the massacred is most territically avenged. Yea; the warlike Pori's famous knee-cap blow, of a truth, has done most wonderful execution! It has been averred, with what ever truth there may be in the statement, that, out of a force of about four thousand strong, Waitanui did not recross the Mokau River with; quite as many hundreds, while the Ngatiawas, at this set-to, only lost: twenty-seven, amongst those, the father of the famous Te Whiti, of Parihaka. Yes, indeed! Pukerangioro, with a terrible vengeance, was repaid! The wailing and the groaning now Nemesis, at length, had made to change sides. Nevertheless, still, numerically considered. the Waikato away north, were infinitely stronger than the Taranaki here in the south.… On the evening of this memorable day, as the golden sun was dipping behind the lofty western ridges, and throwing back his all but level beams athwart the broad Pacific. Away towards the impact of the horizon on the north, from off the summit of ikotahi, was descried a white sail, apparently making for Cook's Straits.

“Signal for her to call,” Commanded Dickey Barrett. “If they page 105 should not happen to see it, there'll be no harm done, and if they do: then so much the better, as I've lots to communicate. Hy! be i ‘slippy’ now, there, and up with the bunting at once!”

The sex of Pyrrha upon Moturoa Island, seeing that the head of the Medusa, long before them, was removed, all excepting a few of the aged among them, joyfully breasted the lapping waves, and ceremoniousless, at once took occupation of the emptied war-pah, which had been vacated a few hours before by the sex of Deuealion in the pursuit of their deeply mortified foe. Strange, beyond, all expression are changes occasionally effected. Here, the occupants of this stronghold-well, on the night previously, were strong, strong muscular men, yet utterly acowed and broken down in spirit by Fate's sustainedly unkin hand. Now, the whirlygig of a few hours had most surprisingly commuted their position, by converting them, the Ngatiawas, absolutely into swaggering conquerors! Then, the place which these freshly installed conquerors had lodged but the night preceding, when in sore tribulation, was loudly now resounding with the unrestrained revelry of their delightedly emancipated dames, accompanied by several of the whalers. At the first interval betwixt the din, the voice of Hena could be easily distinguished, singing—

Happy I't pe, as Pos'n's Pal on pay-tay,
Wir I te Kween! wir I King Shorge's Layty!

Old Joe Grundy is next heard, with a voice as if coming through a funnel. ‘Tis something new for Joe to sing! Joe's selected lyre, one would imagine, is not at all in keeping with the occasion. It is one of those odd comical snatches heard from seamen at work, of which the boisterous chorus suits their particular kind of labour. The words of Joe's song, being unique, may possiblyfexcuse herewith there being reproduced.

Old Jud's sayin's unbelied!
Old Jud this he prophesîed:
That the Star of old England ever would smile,
‘Long's took her youth kindly to ardent toil;
That old England's glory, away it would glide,
‘Soon's went in her youth for list-slipper'd pride!
Old Jud's sayin's unbelied!
Then haul away: maul away: all away boys!
Then haul away: maul away: all away-ho!

Those in the ship, which the white sails had been wafting south, had observed the signal, as, at the early dawn, she was laying-to. It proved to be the “Gipsey Lass,” from Kororaiki, and bound direct to Queen Charlotte's Sound.

Close upon noon, desultory parties of the pursuers returned from the human chase, and amongst them Te Puki, Rawhinia's sire, Te Puki, on first meeting Dickey Barrett since the victory, was inordinately profuse with eulogiums for what the sturdy Englishman had done, keeping on repeating page 106 “To you, and you alone, Pakeha chief, we owe our success to, for, had had we Maori chiefs our own way, most likely, by this time, the most of us would have been food for any mouth ready to sink teeth in our pulp. Anything at all,” the conscientious chieftain said, “which I have to supply, you have nothing more to do than to ask: only to give it a name: that's all.”

“Well! so far, so good, friend,” quoth Dickey, with a humourons twinkle in his grey eyes. “If what you now say of me has the least grain of truth in it, and you mean to keep the promise you mind making at the feast, I think I may venture to lay claim to the very article which I am sure you set greatest store on, old man.”

“He aha to hiahia ra tenei? [What is it you wish by that?]

“Rawhinia, to be sure!”

“Great chief of the Pakeha-have her now, at once, together with all my lands from Ratapipi, right down straight to the sea.”

“Te Puki: generous you are, even to a marvel,” Dickey replied, “still, that's not everything. You know well, old friend of mine, that you can never look for a dog to have you merely by saying to it, ‘Doggy, have me you must! It is necessary first to make much of the creature, or, otherwise, for a while to force it by fear into submission!

“He aha to hiahia ra tenei?”

“To get Rawhinia's own consent. That's required !”

“Rawhinia's own consent. To korero [the saying]—how droll; oh, how droll! of you, pakeha, as if that a girl meant anything against what her parent choses to dispose of! Here, at this juncture, Te Puki found it as much as ever he could do to restrain the force of his inward titillations from bursting into unrestrained laughter at what, obviously appeared to him, his pakeha friend's ridiculous absurdity. He stified alone his risibility by reiterating. “Oh! How droll of you, pakeha!”

Still, for all that, the headstrong pakeha would, in this particular matter, have his own sweet way, and insisted on an instant interview with the object of their deliberations, privately, for a brief period. The compass which he meant to steer by, he put it thus figuratively, in its own binnacle, which, of course, was at once frankly acceded to.

“Well, my pearl of Peru!” preluded the bantering master mariner, as in her retirement, he accosted his blythe inamorato. “Three guesses for what now brings me here!”

“Oh ! I can't guess.”

“Try.”

“O, you've come to chide for the noisy way those people went on in the whare-nui last night!”

“No; that's not it!”

“Perhaps to ask me how the parrot you made me a present of got loose?”

“No; that's not it, either !”

page 107

“Oh! I've got it now. You want to know if I know the skipper of the ‘Gipsey Lass’!”

“Out you are again, my Pink; and now, since you're so bad at guessing-you really don't deserve to be told. I really wish though, my Star, that you were a better thought-reader: it would simplify my case.”

“You tell me, do: do, oh, Mr. Barrett, do-I am distressed to know!”

“My precious seventh-heaven Houri, I can't, if I would, keep it from you any longer. Now or never, I mean, I must have a ‘Yea’ or a ‘Nay’ to this most woefully racking sort o question-Will you have me?-now say: boots, brogs, brass-buttons and all, for-for-for-your-long-time mess-mate. Ugh! hang it all!-for your husband, I Mean!!”

At this supreme instant, Rawhinia was, in reality, either incapable of speech, or admirably feigned tongue-tiedness. But really, what after all did it matter if, at this crisis, the noisy member refused office! Why ! did not every informing inflexion of her face arrogate, as it were, the chattering organ's function! The sweep of her beautifully arched forehead unmistakably said “ay:” the curve of her lip said “Ay:” the glow on her cheeks said “Ay:” and, more foreibly still, her eyes proclaimed “Ay:” and, lastly, oh, lastly! the close embrace of her flexible, shaperly arms, ratified beyond the ghost of a doubt, the decision!

“Now busy yourself, my limed dove,” urged the accepted one, “to go with me this afternoon in the ‘Gipsey Lass’!”

“This afternoon with you, really, in the ‘Gipsey Lass!’ Is it true? So nice: oh, what joy!—But what for?”

“To get spliced. To get tied to one another: regularly married, do you know? in the Sound, according to the time-honoured custom of my fathers, by the rites of an orthodox Church, and by none of your shilly-shally sham make-shift parsons!”

“Daughter of a Race whose gods are not the same, I should so like that too,” replied Rawhinia, with a pretty expression of approval.

Again it was drawing on towards evening. Grey shades began to intermingle with the erst clear ether, when a boat from Moturoa foreshore put off, bearing, along with a few select friends, the engaged couple, towards the “Gipsey Lass.” There were, likewise, several boats followed hard in this one's wake, chokeful of people, desirous of having the last moment with the favourite pair ere they started on their journey.

Weary and sore, the greater portion of the Ngatiawas had returned from the sanguine pursuit. However, jaded and oppressed as they were, such did not keep them from instantly repairing to the beach, as soon's they became aware of what was thereto going on. They even encroached upon the bed of the Pacific, so as better to evince their ardour. That is many, somewhat to abridge the hailing distance, went up to the shoulders in the sweeping billows, and baled out as loud as page 108 they could cry-“Nui, nui pai barrett: nui, nui pai rawhini!” [Good luck to both.] Hah ! words, indeed, are idle to delineate the interest taken. No prince or Princess of Empire, could have possibly received a heartier ovation!

“Welcome back soon again,” in the Maori tongue, kept sustainedly echoing over the crests of the liquid undulations! “Welcome back soon again.” preluded by “Ship-a-hoy!” was again and again given with the scamen's hoarse voices. The stars came out, and still the noisy hails of hearts brimming with jubilancy and praises of Dickey Barrett went on. It was pleasant to notify the comradeship which, during this episode, there was evinced by the dark and white races.

Apace, the sails of the ‘Gipsey Lass’ were unfurled: the anchor got weighed; and, straightway, the inflated sheets bore away the Hero and the Heroine of that particular hour; they, contemplating to return when welded by Hymen into-well, what by law in some cases is recognised as one!

To serve as an Epilogue to this story, the rough, old, rhythmical and popular tribute to Mr. Barrett, may be fittingly appended, together with the presage accredited to Te Puki, as being the sentiments he expounded.

Whooh! them er stirrin times, when Chief Dickey did reign
O'er Moturoa's reelm on't flat lung the shore,
To bir such a mind, be'nt us owd whelers fain,
And close by't firehob the yirns tow spin o'er.
The saucy Whykatos, gowd Lard! didn't um squelch!
As them Pukerangioro come tow repeat:
When oot fram't tunnels, didn't our owd guns let belch!
An in scyores tuk the beggars clin uff this feet!
Bravo, Dickey Barrett! ul roun shout Bravo!
Wae such Chief ne'er an airmy nid turn tail on foe.
Bravo, Dickey Barrett! nl roun shout Bravo!
Ner er may owd England of such stuff run low.

Presage of te Puki.
O, People all! O, Chiefs supreme!
Fast Maori control goes.
Why ever think to stem a stream,
Which all involv'd o'erthrows?
We fight for spoil; then what's achiev'd—
Lots slain! lots captive taken?
We fight for strength: what strength's receiv'd
When vict'ry aye doth weaken?

page 109

“Atua” grants Space, Light and Barth—
His Creatures to enjoy.
How then can He, urge such from birth,
Each other to destroy?
Do e'er clear springs pollute the rill?
Good can't an ill enjoin!
War's phrenz's blight, which seems e'er will
To ill-taught brains incline.

Brave as may be our Tangata—
Check, can they, ne'er time's pace.
The soil hold we, by Tribal law.
Hold alien shall apace.
Beyond the northern rim of Light,
Where evening stars ascend—
Seems heard the tread of coming might!
We're powerless to forefend.

Ho! strangers come as Rata fruit
On bole of Kohekohe,
Which downward shoot, till arms take root,
Then, these erst stays destroy!
Or like to seed brought from afar,
By swoop of wind or sea,
Which native plant is sure to mar
Should such be let run free.

We struggle on, in hopeless course,
Yea, wrest but to decay.
Waikato has much greater force
Than keep can we at bay.
May winds o'er ocean's path of heav'n,
From here our hapu blow,
And hitherward ne'er more get driv'n
Till Pakeha's mana show!

These fair Isles teem with all that man
For comfort should require;
But thirst of blood has caus'd to ban
The boon he might acquire.
My vision films, my temples whiz,
As through them ills keep chase.
Ye gods! How sore a thing it is
To own a Fated Race!

The End

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