NATIVE ALLIES — MAKERETU — COLONEL LAMBERT AND
GOVERNMENT — VICTORY — PURSUIT.
A detailed account of subsequent measures taken to punish the assassins
lies not within the compass of this little work. The future historian
will find ample materials for the interesting task whenever it becomes
desirable to use them. At present it may suffice to summarise those
operations which resulted in the capture of the mountain fortress
Ngatapa, and led to other massacres by Te Kooti.
Intelligence of the raid and massacre at Poverty Bay reached Napier on
the 11th November, one day after the outbreak. On receipt of the news,
his Honor D. M‘Lean, Esq., Superintendent of Hawke’s Bay province, and
General Government Agent for the East Coast, immediately took steps
for the relief of the survivors of the massacre and the capture of the
murderers. So vigorous were his measures, that by the 13th the garrison
in Wilson’s redoubt at Turanganui had been largely reinforced, and
other active operations commenced, which caused Te Kooti to retire at
once to Patutahi by the way he came. Taking with him the plunder of
Poverty Bay, and strengthened by nearly the whole native population, Te
Kooti retreated to a position named Makeretu. This position consists of
three low hills forming a triangle, bounded on two sides by a river,
and on the third by scrubby hills. Here Te Kooti entrenched himself
with rifle pits and other defensive works. He was overtaken on the 23rd
by a force of 250 loyal natives despatched by Mr. M‘Lean. Te Kooti
was taken completely by surprise, and driven from his camp, which was
somewhat in advance of the position. It was thought Te Kooti lost about
thirty men, but as the country around Makeretu for miles is covered
with impenetrable manuka scrub, his loss was not accurately determined.
On our side the fighting was done by Ngatikahungunu, Hawke’s Bay
natives, under Tareha and other chiefs. A dozen European and half-caste
scouts led by Lieut. Gascoigne assisted.
It had been arranged by Mr. M‘Lean that 300 natives were to advance
from Wairoa, and attack Te Kooti in the rear simultaneously with
Tareha’s charge in the front, and orders had been accordingly sent to
Major Lambert at Wairoa; but Major Lambert, acting under instructions
from ministers at Wellington, refused to obey. The result was, Te
Kooti escaped what might have been certain capture if Mr. M‘Lean’s
skilfully-conceived plan had not been frustrated by Colonel Haultain
and his coadjutors. Afterwards, when too late, Lambert was ordered to
carry out Mr. M‘Lean’s directions. In the interim, Te Kooti somewhat
altered his arrangements, but still retained Makeretu as the key of his
new position.
Finding himself getting short of ammunition, Te Kooti planned a bold
scheme to obtain some at our expense. On the 27th November, about
8 a.m., he contrived, at the head of 60 men, to get in the rear
of Tareha’s force unperceived, and intercepted a convoy of stores
proceeding to Tareha’s camp. The escort being overmatched by three
to one, and badly armed, were forced to retreat, and the depot at
Patutahi fell into Te Kooti’s hands. 16,100 rounds of ammunition and a
large supply of food stores were captured by Te Kooti on this occasion,
and communication was cut off for several days between Turanganui and
the force at the front.
On the 3rd December, the men composing the Wairoa expedition arrived.
They were of the brave Ngatiporou tribe, and were commanded by Rapata,
the chief who, it will be remembered, assisted Biggs to capture 500
Hauhaus at Hungahungatoroa, in Mr. M‘Lean’s East Coast campaign of
1865. Upon his arrival at Makeretu, Rapata announced that he would rest
his men for two days, after their fatiguing march. The announcement
was a _ruse_ to disguise his real intentions from native traitors who
might be in his camp. An hour afterwards, Rapata stormed the enemy’s
position, and Te Kooti was forced to abandon Makeretu with heavy loss
in men. It was not until some time after that the true nature of this
gallant affair became manifest. It was thought 40, or at the most
50, men of the enemy had fallen; ultimately 97 bodies of the enemy
were recovered, amongst them 14 chiefs, one of whom, named Nama, had
been a turbulent and dangerous man. Most of the bodies were found in
dense scrub, and there can be no doubt many more were killed besides
those recovered. On the night of the day that the fight took place
at Makeretu, the enemy retreated to an almost inaccessible mountain
stronghold, named Ngatapa, whilst the force commanded by Rapata pressed
forward in pursuit.