Sleeps Standing: A Story of the Battle of Orakau
Page 16
I then started on again, as my head was light. I had not, however, got clear of the circle that was being made by the soldiers round us. I was then going along open fern ground. Some of my people were ahead of me. I saw some soldiers near. There were three parties of them. I had no guns then — only a short handled tomahawk. I had dropped the guns when I fell down. My younger brother had taken my guns. I turned one side, and they appeared in front of me. I called out to some of my people who were a little ahead of me and who had guns, ‘Come here: one of you fire there,’ to another,’ Fire over there;’ to one who was standing close to me I said, ‘You fire right in here. ‘The soldiers were closing in and surrounding us, but they did not see us. When we were getting over a bank that had been a fence round a potato cultivation, then they saw us. But although they were close they did not hit us, as we were over them, and they had to fire upwards. I was not hit. I said to the man near me, ‘Fire down there.’ He fired at and shot the European who had fired at me. The Europeans opened out and got down into the gully. My companions kept firing as we went on. They told me that some of the Europeans were shot by the guns of their comrades as they were then on both sides of the rising ground, and were firing across at us as we went along the gully. I then prayed again as follows: ‘Matiti, Matata.’ That was all my prayer.
(When a Native is in such a strait that he has to cry out, ‘Matiti, matata,’ I should consider, and he would too, I think, that his case was a desperate one, and that it would require a miracle to save him. Rewi must have been in what is called in sporting phraseology ‘a hot corner’ just at that time. The expression is said to have been made use of many generations ago by an old ancestor named Hatupatu (see Sir George Grey’s ‘Mythology and Traditions of the New Zealanders,’ Māori edition), who was being pursued by a female goddess named Kurangaituku for a wrong that he had done her. He was about [to be] caught, when, seeing a large rock ahead of him, he called out in despair to his atua, ‘Matiti, matata’ (split up, open up), demanding that the rock should open out and receive him. He was evidently in favour with the gods just then, for his prayer was immediately answered, and the rock opened out, took him in, and closed again (that is, the legend says it did). When his pursuer came up she was just too late, as Hatupatu had got safely inside the rock, and the opening by which he went inside was closed up. Rewi must have thought, so far as danger was concerned, his case at that time was a parallel one with that of Hatupatu, and fortunately for him the cry that was efficacious in Hatupatu’s case was equally so in his. — G. T. W.)
We went along through the titree, the soldiers firing at us all the time. We came across an elderly relative of mine named Maupakanga. He had two guns. I took one of them. We proceeded along, and a short distance off Maupakanga was shot by some of the soldiers who were firing at us from the high ground. We continued on, and came across Hone Teri. I said to him, ‘Don’t run; go easily.’ A short distance further on a soldier took aim at Hone Teri, and shot him dead. I went up to him to get his gun (he was shot in the head, and his gun was lying under him). I called out to him saying, ‘Farewell to you and your parents. It is well, as it was we who challenged the Europeans to fight, and brought the tribes here.’
I then proceeded on. Some of the pursuing party of Europeans had got as far as Otautahanga (Tole’s place), but they could not cross the swamp; but some had come on the other side by way of Ngamoko, and had got on the same side of the swamp as we were. One soldier took aim at me, but his gun missed fire. I looked round to some Europeans who were on the other side of the swamp, and called to Raureti to fire at them. Raureti and some of the others fired at them, and two were seen to fall from their horses. I turned round in the direction of Ngamoko (swamp) and saw some troopers coming after us. I shouted out to Te Whakatapu and others to shoot at them. They fired, but the horse only of one was hit. The general (? officer) here appeared. He was in pursuit of a Native named Ngata. Te Whakatapu was running along and loading his gun as he went. I called out to him, ‘Stand, stand.’ He stood and took aim with his gun at the officer. At this the officer got behind his horse to avoid being shot by Te Whakatapu; but Ngata, who he (the officer) had been pursuing, had by this time got into the swamp, and having a good view of the officer, shot him behind his horse. We continued on and had now got clear of (or ahead of) our pursuers. We went on to the Puniu river. In all probability the Europeans might have been delayed shooting those who were behind us. When we got across the Puniu river, we rested ourselves, and collected together the survivors; there were 60 altogether. Some of the soldiers fired at us from long range on this side of the Puniu river (about 800 yds); one of us was hit and killed. It was a chance shot. That is all. We were clear away then.
Veteran of Ōrākau
TE HUIA RAURETI
of the
NGĀTI MANIAPOTO, NGĀTI
PARETEKAWA
Raureti Te Huia sat down with his father in 1920 to talk to him about his life. He later typed up what his father told him and sent the notes to James Cowan. A part English translation appears in the Auckland Star, 2 April, 1928. James Cowan papers, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, Refer MS-Papers-0039-11.
Upoko V: Ko ngā pā i muri o Rangiriri
… Ka hinga mātou i konei, kātahi ka horo marara noa atu … ko mātou i heke ki Kihikihi, ahu atu ki Piraunui, ka whiti i Pūniu awa, ka huri i Pukekawakawa, ka tae ki Tokanui. Nō reira ka kite mātou kua eke te Pākehā ki Kihikihi, kāore i roa kua pawa te ahi, ko Huiterangiora tēnei kua tahuna e te Pākehā ki te ahi.
Heoi, ahu atu mātou ki Otewa. Nō reira ka karangatia ngā iwi katoa kia hui ki Wharepapa, nō reira kātahi ka tūria te runga, ko ngā take tēnei: Me hoki anō ki te pakanga, kāore rānei? Me hanga he pā ki tērā taha o Pūniu, ki tēnei rānei? Heoi, oti ake te whiriwhiri a te rūnanga, arā a ngā iwi katoa, ā, me hoki anō ki te pakanga.
Ko te whakatau mō te wāhi hei tūranga pā, me kati atu i tērā taha o Pūniu awa i te rohe o te pakanga, arā i Waikato. Ka oti tēnei, ko Rangataua tēnei, ka hui ana tēnā pā, ko Orākau. He tika te kino o tēnā wāhi, otirā, heoi anō te take i noho ai te pā nei ki konei nō te mea kua tata te Pākehā, kāore he wā hei hanganga pā ki te wāhi tōtika o te whenua. Tuarua, i reira te wāhi i ngā kai, ā, he papaku ki raro kāore e tere te kitea e te Pākehā. Ko te wai i te taha rāwhiti o te pā, he mātāpuna nei ki reira.
Kāti, nō te ata ka tīmata mātou ki te hanga i tēnā pā, ā ahiahi noa. Mahi tonu i te pō, ā awatea noa. Ko ngā whakanohonga tēnei i ngā iwi ki roto i tēnei pā:
• Tīmata i te hauāuru-mā-tonga, i a Ngāti Te Urewera me Waikato
• Tīmata i te hauāuru-mā-raki, i a Ngāti Maniapoto me Paretekawa
• Tīmata i te tuarā-ki-marangai, i a Ngāti Tūwharetoa me ērā atu hapū maha.
Ko ngā rangatira whakahaere i roto i tēnei pā mō ia iwi, mō ia iwi, mō Te Urewera, mō Waikato, mō Tūwharetoa, mō Paretekawa, mō Maniapoto. Ko ēnei rangatira katoa e mahi ana i raro i te mana o te rangatira kotahi, arā o Rewi Maniapoto.
Upoko VI: Ko te kitenga o te pā e te Pākehā
I te ata o te rā tuarua, ka kitea tō mātou pā e te Pākehā, ā, ka kite hoki tō mātou tangata whakaaraara i te pā, e ahu mai ana te Pākehā, me te mahi tonu ngā tāngata keri i te pā, ā, tēnei hoki te tangata whakaaraara o te pā te mahi nei, ko Āporo te ingoa, ana karanga ēnei:
He pūkeko kei te kawakawa
Kei te tumutumu te mea e tata ana.
Nō te mea ka whakaeke tonu mai te Pākehā, kātahi ka pūhia e mātou ka huri ki te takiwā ki Karapōnia. Nō reira, kātahi te Pākehā ka pupuhi mai ki a mātou kāore rawa i roa kua pakū mai te pū i tēnā wāhi, i tēnā wāhi o waho, kātahi hoki mātou te pā katoa ka pupuhi katoa, kātahi te Pākehā ka whakaeke i te taha ki te kēti o te pā, ka hinga ko Āporo. Kāti, kāore te pā i taea. I te tuawhā o ngā whakaeke a te Pākehā ka hinga ko te tamaiti a Raharuhi. Kāti, kāore tō mātou pā i taea e te Pākehā. Ka pō tēnei rangi i te pō nei, ka kite mātou i te ahi e kā ana
mai i tērā taha o Mangaohoi, i uta tata atu o Wahaoneone (he pā tuna tēnei).
Ko taua ahi nā Ngāti Hauā, me te nuinga atu o ngā iwi i pakaru ki Maungatautari, ki Pātetere, ki Arohena, ki Wharepūhunga. Kāti, kāore i taea e rātou te whakauru mai i te mea kua karapotia te pā e te Pākehā. Ao ake i te rā tuarua o te whawhaitanga he kohu, kapi tonu te pā i te kohu. Ā, i te mea kua kite a Te Winitana Tūpōtahi kua kore he paura, kua kore he matā, kua kore hoki he wai, kua kai mata ngā iwi i te kamokamo, i te kūmara, kātahi a ia ka inoi ki te rūnanga kaumātua kia wāhia te pā, kia ora ai ngā iwi. Kāti, i whiriwhiri te rūnanga i taua take, kāti kāore i taea te kī me wāhi te pā. Anei hoki te kupu a Manga:
‘Whakarongo mai te rūnanga me ngā iwi. Ko te whawhai tēnei i whāia mai ai e tātou, ā, i oma hoki hei aha? Ki tōku mahara hoki, me matemate tātou ki te pakanga.’
Nō te mea ka tūroa te rā, ka unuhia te kohu i runga i te pā, hoi ko te tīmatanga anō o te riri. Ka poutūmārō te rā, ka kōkiri te pā, he matara ki waho, kōkiri katoa ngā taha e whā o te pā. Kāti, ko mātou nei i kōkiri ki te taha rāwhiti e kikone kikoo pea te matara (about 200 YD). Nō te mea ka poutūmārō te rā o te rā tuarua e whawhai ana kua māriri te haere o te matā i te mea kua pau ngā paura me ngā matā. Ko te toenga ki ētehi he rua kariri, he kotahi ki ētehi, kāore kau ana ā ētehi. Heoi, ka tīmata i konei te āhua mate.
Kāti, i te mea ka tauhinga atu te rā ka tū mai te Pākehā (kua māriri hoki te pakū o te pū). Ana kupu ēnei, ‘Whauwhia ki te rongo kia ora ai ngā koroheke, ngā wāhine me ngā tamariki.’
Ka whakautua e Raureti taua kupu, ‘E pai ana, engari me hoki koutou, me hoki mātou.’
Ka tuaruatia anō te kupu a te Pākehā nei, ‘E hoa mā, puta mai ki a mātou kia ora ai koutou.’
Kātahi a Rewi Maniapoto ka peke ki waho o te pā ka mea a ia, ‘Kāore e mau te rongo, ake, ake, ake.’
Ko te rākau i a Manga i taua wā nei ko Pakapaka-taioreore, he taiaha, me te patu parāoa i tana hope e titi ana, nō tēnei wā kātahi ka utua e te Pākehā, ‘E tika ana tēnā mō koutou, mō ngā tāne engari ngā wāhine me ngā tamariki, tukuna mai ēnā ki waho o te pā.’
Ka whakautu e te pā katoa, ‘Kāore e mau te rongo, ake, ake, ake.’
Nō tēnei wā tonu ka pakū te pū a taku hoa, a Wereta, kukume rawa mai ahau i a ia, kua pakū te pū. Heoi, ko te tīmatatanga tēnei o te pakū o te pū, kāore i roa rawa ka tīmata te rere a te rākete ki roto i tō mātou pā. Nā te rākete kātahi mātou ka mate, arā i te rukenga tuatahi mai i ngā rākete he roroa ngā wiki ka tau mai ki a mātou, ka whakahokia atu anō ki te Pākehā. Nō te roanga kātahi ka popoto ngā wiki, tau kau mai kua pakū, pēnei tonu te mahi. Nō te mea ka pēnā, kātahi mātou ka mate, he tino nui mātou i mate.
Upoko VII: Ko te horonga o te pā
Nō te mea kua nuku atu i te 100 o mātou kua mate i te mahi a te rākete, nō reira ka takoto te mahara i ngā kaumātua kia wāhia te pā tuarua. Ka nui hoki te kaha mai o te pū repo e pakū mai ana i Karapōnia, engari ko ngā matā e tau atu ana ki Mangaohoi, kātahi anō te matā i pā ki te taha tonga o te pā. I runga i te otinga o te whakaaro o te iwi katoa kātahi ka wāhia te pā. I horo atu i te taha tonga-rāwhiti, ka heke ki te taha rāwhiti o Karapōnia. He taiepa titi nei i konā, i reira te kati a te Pākehā, ko Pūhipi tonu i mua. Nō konā ka mate a Pūhipi, ka horo mai a mua ki muri. Kātahi a Paiaka rāua ko Te Makaka, ka peke ki te wāhi i te kati a te Pākehā, ka pakaru, ka puta mātou ki roto i te repo wehe noa atu, wehe noa atu. Kāti ko mātou nei i wehe noa ake, ko taku tuakana, wehe noa atu a Te Kohika, ā, i tū a ia ki konā, kāore i mate i ora a ia.
Kāti, i te mea ka tae mātou ki tētehi wāhi, he manga ngārara, he Pākehā ki reira, he kati anō tērā nā te pākehā. Nā Paiaka anō tēnā kati i wāhi, ka pākuru te Pākehā ka puta mātou. I tata a Ngātata te mate ki konā, e tapahi ana ki te hoari. Nā Raureti i whakaara atu i tana pū kāore kau he paura o roto, ka wehi te Pākehā, ko te huringa, kāore tō mātou hoa. Heoi, ko tō mātou hekenga ki roto o Pūniu awa ka whiti, ka haere i roto o Moerika repo, tae noa mātou ki Tokanui, ā, i Hokokura te nuinga e noho ana, tae tonu mātou ki reira, ao ake ka haere mātou ki Ohinekura. Ko ētehi o ngā rerenga o Orākau i heke ki Kōrakonui, ki Wharepapa, ki te whiti ki Kauaeroa, ki Hangatiki.
Heoi, ko te mutunga tēnei o te whawhai ki ēnei takiwā, ā, ko te whawhai mutunga hoki tēnei ki mua i tōku aroaro. Ka kite ahau koinei tētehi mahi kino mō te tangata, kāti kāore e taea te āta tataku ake ngā āhuatanga o tēnā mahi.
Description of the Battle of Ōrākau
HĪTIRI TE PAERATA
of the
NGĀTI RAUKAWA TRIBE
At the Parliamentary Buildings, 4th August, 1888. Interpreter — Capt. Gilbert Mair, Wellington By Authority: G. Didsbury, Government Printer, 1888
I feel somewhat confused and embarrassed having to meet all these members of Parliament and ladies, more especially as we were defeated at the fight you now ask me to give you an account of, but, if it please you, I will endeavour to do so.
I will first explain the causes which led to the King movement, and the subsequent fighting which culminated at Orakau. For some years previously the Maori people had been getting more and more dissatisfied at the manner in which their ancestral lands, their one great possession, had been passing away, partly on account of the Government land purchases — the purchasing of the land for fishhooks, tobacco, and hatchets, then the chiefs were angry because their mana was not sufficiently recognised, also, the selling by chiefs of the land belonging to the people. The Maoris were determined, on the advice of Tamihana Tarapipi, to set up a head whose mana was to overshadow the land and protect it. Te Wherowhero Potatau was accordingly made King, and many tribes gave the keeping of their bodies and their lands into his hands. As you all know, this led to fighting, first at Taranaki, then in Waikato, the East Coast and other places.
After many fights, in which the Europeans were generally successful — for they had numbers and other advantages on their side, whereas the Maoris are a foolish people — we assembled in the vicinity of Orakau. My own tribe was commanded by my father, Te Paerata, my brother, Hone Teri te Paerata, and my uncle, Rawiri te Hirawea. The Urewera contingent was headed by Te Whenuanui and Hapurona Kohi, the East Coast Natives were led by Te Waru, Tamatea and Raharuhi, and the Ngatimaniapoto by Rewi Manga Maniapoto.
The old men had selected a site for a pa in a very strong position — a tongue of land on Mr. Cowan’s farm, running into deep swamp. Our first intention was to remain concealed till our defences were completed, but some of the hot-headed young men stayed away against orders, and some were killed at Rangiaohia and at another place. Our hearts were very dark on account of those young men being killed, and the old men were angry. It was my old father, Te Paerata, who said, ‘Me mate au kikonei [Let us make the pa here, let me die here on the land].’
It was owing to the disobedience of others, and the dissensions amongst us, that this place was selected, for it was not a suitable place at all. However, we commenced to build our pa at Orakau, but some European troopers saw us, and gave the alarm. The General at once made preparations for attacking, and after marching all night, took up a position about a mile from where we were at work, to wait for the main body to come up. Just as morning broke the troops were all collected, and advanced to surround our position, which was a sort of oblong redoubt, built of sods. It was about a chain and a half long and a chain wide, and was built in a peach-grove. There was a sort of outwork or flanking angle at one end. We had worked all night, but the pa was not completed when the troops attacked us. They attempted to take the pa by a rush; but my father had placed the men, some in the ditch and others leaning over the earthworks, so when the attacking party got within a short distance we fired tremendous volleys, which made them fall back, leaving their dead and wounded. They then attacked on another side, and were again repulsed. My father and other brave men urged that we should take advantage of the confusion the Europeans were in and attack them.
For three days and three nights we were in this state, during which time a storm of shot was poured into our fort, but we returned the fire, and dug holes to shelter the women, and did all we could to strengthen our defences. By this time the sap had approached to within half a chain of our works, but we kept up such a hot fire that many of the men digging it were killed or wounded.
Up to this time our losses had been very small, and were sustained by the recital of the brave deeds of our ancestors, whose motto was, ‘Me mate te tangata, me mate mo te whenua [The warrior’s death is to die for the land].’ We felt no fear, for our hearts were filled with fury. Our ammunition now began to fail, we had no bullets, so we fired peach-stones and plugs of wood as a substitute. Our sufferings became very great from hunger and thirst.