The adventures of Kimble Bent: A story of wild life in the New Zealand bushCowan, James
History
The adventures of Kimble Bent: A story of wild life in the New Zealand bush
Cowan, James
Bent, Kimble, 1837-1916; New Zealand -- Description and travel
By the side of this I will put Whakawhiria's account. Whakawhiria
lives at the big native village of Parihaka, the old-time town of the
prophets Te Whiti and Tohu. His narrative was given in May, 1909, to
the Rev. T. G. Hammond, of Opunake, Wesleyan missionary to the Taranaki
Maoris, who has sent it on to me to supplement the other versions of
the fight. Whakawhiria's story is generally accepted as authentic by
the Taranaki Maoris; most of the survivors of the fight agree that it
was his father Te Rangi-hina-kau, as he says, who shot von Tempsky.
Whakawhiria was a young man of eighteen or so at the time of this
engagement, but though so young he was already a veteran on the
war-path. He had seen the smoke of battle in 1860, at Waireka, when
the Taranaki settlers, for the first time met the Maori on the field of
war.
His estimate of the strength of the garrison in Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu
is even lower than Tutangé's, for he says there were not more than
forty-five fighting men in the _pa_ when it was attacked.
Te Rangi-hina-kau, Whakawhiria, and a party of others sallied out
from the stockade and met their enemy skirmishing in the bush. In the
rear of the _pa_ ran a little stream, the Mangotahi. On the banks of
the creek the eight Hauhaus took cover, Whakawhiria and his nearest
companions crouching under a _karaka_-tree, and it was from that point
that they shot von Tempsky and his men. The eight warriors were Te
Rangi-hina-kau, Whakawhiria, Ika-wharau, Tutangé Waionui, Te Whau,
Heheu, Umu-umu and Wairau. They fired at von Tempsky at very close
range, not more than twenty paces, just across the little creek.
"It was Te Rangi-hina-kau who shot von Tempsky," said Whakawhiria.
"He dropped on one knee, and, taking careful aim, fired and shot von
Tempsky. He shot him through the head, and afterwards cut out his heart
as an offering to the Maori war-gods." (Kimble Bent's and Tutangé's
versions given me contradict this.) "Young Tutangé," continued
Whakawhiria, "acted a very brave part, but it was not he who actually
shot the major. Tutangé obtained von Tempsky's watch as his share of
the loot, and Whakawhiria got his gun and pistol."
During the engagement Titokowaru remained in the _pa_, shouting to his
men, urging them to continue firing, and yelling such battle-cries
as "_Whakawhiria_! _Whakawhiria_!" ("Twist them round and round!"
or "Encircle them!") It was from this circumstance that the warrior
Whakawhiria assumed his present name.[8]
On von Tempsky's fall, Captain J. M. Roberts, a cool and gallant young
Constabulary officer, ordered his bugler to sound the "Halt" and the
"Officers' Call," and tried to form the rear-guard into some order.
Collecting as many of the wounded as he could, he began his retreat
through that terrible death-haunted forest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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