Sleeps Standing: A Story of the Battle of Orakau

by Ihimaera, Witi

  Description of the Battle of Ōrākau

  REWI MANGA MANIAPOTO

  of the

  NGĀTI MANIAPOTO TRIBE

  At the battle site of Orakau, 3rd February, 1885 to the then Hon. Native Minister, Mr J. Ballance. Translated by Mr G. T. Wilkinson, Government Native Agent, Waikato. Published in the Otago Daily Times, Issue 8284, 10 September 1888.

  On the 3rd February 1885 the then Hon. Native Minister, Mr Ballance, accompanied by Rewi Maniapoto, visited Orakau, and while standing on the site of the fortifications the following account of what took place within the Maori position was given by the old chief and taken down verbatim as translated by Mr G. T. Wilkinson, Government Native Agent, Waikato. It was referred to in a lecture by Sir Robert Stout on Friday evening, and that gentleman has kindly placed the manuscript at our disposal:

  During the latter end of March 1864 I was living at a settlement called Waikeria, on the southern side of the Puniu river, not far from where Mr Tole’s place is at Otautahanga. I and my people were discussing the proposal to go and see Wiremu Tamehana (William Thompson) at a settlement he was then living at, called Te Tiki-o-te-Ihingarangi, near Pukekura, and only a short distance from where now stands the township of Cambridge. The reason I wanted to go there was that I might see Thompson and discuss with him as to how the fighting (campaign) was to be carried on. If he decided that we were to fight (build a pah) at Te Tiki-o-te-Hingarangi, it would be done. If he decided that it should be at Rangiaowhia, it would be agreed to. It rested entirely with him to say where it should be. Ten of us started for Thompson’s place. We called at Aratitaha. When we got there we found that 100 of the Urewera tribe were there. Their chiefs were Hapurona, Te Whenuanui, Te Heuheu, and others. Those chiefs proposed that we should build a pah at Orakau. I stood up and said that it would be better for us first to go and see Wiremu Tamehana (William Thompson). They said ‘No.’ Te Whenuanui then stated that their tohunga, or prophet, had prophesied that the Europeans would be destroyed (beaten), and he repeated a song that had been sung to them by their prophet, the substance of which was that the Europeans would be beaten, and the land go back again to the Maoris. I replied and said, ‘I have no faith in what that prophet says; I know that what he says is wrong. If we persist in fighting in this locality (Orakau) my old relatives will be killed, and so will you all.’ Te Whenuanui proposed that a collection should be made and given to the prophet as a sacrifice, or in order that his prophecy might come true. I subscribed 10s, as I did not wish them to feel annoyed at my having made light of their prophet; and as they were visitors I did not want to hurt their feelings. Before I gave the 10s I stood up and sang a song, as a reply to the song of their prophet, and when I had finished I threw my 10s subscription down on the ground.

  I then returned to my place at Waikeria. I did not go to see William Thompson. That evening I told the people at my place what had been said by the Urewera people and myself at Aratitaha, and said that they were wrong, but had our views been first laid before William Thompson, and had he agreed to them, then it would have been correct. I then told them of a dream I had, I was standing outside the church at Orakau, and was flying a kite. It went upwards strongly and was hidden beyond the clouds. It then sailed downwards as if nothing were guiding it, and when it reached the ground it was all in pieces. Therefore I knew that we should be defeated at Orakau. As soon as I had told my dream, my brother Raureti got angry, and said to me, ‘Do you not feel ashamed? If I was in your place—’ (By which he meant that I had not taken any part in the fighting at Rangiriri, at Rangiaowhia, or at Hairini.) I replied, saying, ‘I am not ashamed, because anger does not come back. (Meaning there is plenty of time: when fighting is once started there is no end to it.) The fighting of the Europeans will not cease quickly.’ Thereupon Raureti seized a stick and was rushing forward under the pretence of striking me with it, but a chief named Te Katea seized hold of him. Whereupon I called out, ‘It is enough, my brother, I shall now be one who will let the people be killed.’ At this time the Urewera and some of the Ngatiraukawa had arrived at Otautahanga, and some of them had got as far as our place.

  Next morning we went to Orakau and commenced to build the pah. There were some Europeans garrisoning the redoubt at Kihikihi, some three miles away, at that time, but we did not care about that, as we were building the pah for the purpose of provoking an attack from them. While the building operations were going on, I managed everything and gave all orders. Some of the people were sent to fetch some otaota (fern or leaves) from the spot where the people had been killed at Rangiaowhia. It was a female prophet who suggested that they should be sent for that purpose. It is a Maori custom, and is supposed to propitiate the gods in our favour. They did not get so far as Rangiaowhia. They came across some soldiers in the bush in the vicinity of the Manga-o-hoi stream, and one of them named Te Paehua, belonging to Ngatituwharetoa, was shot; the others returned to Orakau.

  I advised that the pah should not be built in the open, but nearer to the bush, as I knew we were going to be defeated. But Hone Teri, of Ngatiraukawa, persisted in having it built on the open ground away from the bush. We worked two days and two nights at it, and on the morning of the third day the Europeans attacked it. We had not quite finished it when the assault took place. We had a post-and-rail fence put up round part of it, but on the side towards Otautahanga neither the parapet nor the fence was finished. When the assault took place some were at work completing the unfinished part. The Europeans were seen some time before they got up. Tupotahi was the first person who saw them coming. He had occasion to go a short distance away from the pah, and he saw them when they were coming from Kihikihi, but he did not mention it then, because when he got back into the pah we were at prayers and he waited until the prayers were finished; then he told us, and said, ‘By this time the soldiers have got nearly as far as the church at Orakau.’ When we heard what Tupotahi said we all retired behind the parapets. I said, ‘Don’t fire so long as the Europeans are any distance off, but wait until they get right up to the fence: then fire.’ The soldiers came up in four divisions. Three divisions stormed the pah on the western (Kihikihi) side. One division stormed the southern side. There was also a body of soldiers on the eastern (back) side, but they did not storm the pah. They were lying in wait. Their officer was riding a white horse.

  It was just about here (where he was standing) where the parapet of the pah was. This (indicating the place) was all full of rifle pits. After the ditches were dug I gave orders for 200 men to lie down outside the parapet, but inside the fence (the fence was about 10 yds outside the parapet), and 40 were to man the ditches behind the parapet. These 40 represented the old people, including myself. There was no person who took upon himself to say a word except myself. When we saw the Europeans advancing on us I gave word for none of my men to move out of their positions, but for all to lie down. I instructed the men that as soon as the Europeans got close up to the fence they were to let drive at them. The instructions to them were that as soon as the Europeans get up to the fence they were to fire one barrel. They were to reserve the other barrel, and then jump up and fire the second barrel standing.

  The big gun of the Europeans was in that direction (pointing to the knoll where the block house now stands), and I shouted out to my people, ‘I will expose myself to the shot of the big gun.’ I then stood up on the parapet and showed defiance to the big gun. I shouted out to the Europeans, ‘Direct your shot at me because here I am,’ and they let fly the big gun but did not hit me; they fired four times but the result was still the same. I then shouted to my people, ‘We are safe, it is a good omen.’

  The Europeans now made a second rush up to the redoubt. One European was shot in getting over the fence. One of my people proposed that we should rush out over the fence and cut open that man’s body which was lying there and take out his heart in order to strike fear into the heart of the enemy, but I would not agree to it. Then this man said, ‘If we don’t do it we will be deserted by
our Maori gods.’ I said, ‘I don’t care anything about Maori gods. This fighting is being carried on during the time that Christianity is said to be in existence, here.’ This old tohunga who was arguing with me said, ‘We will come to grief if we don’t do this.’ I said, ‘You yourself will come to grief; but do not lead me into a place where I will get into trouble.’ At that time I was a Christian. I was not a minister, but I was a believer. That is why I would not agree to going out and mutilating the body.

  The Europeans had fallen back. Some Europeans this time had got round by the peach trees. All that side had been taken up by Europeans, They had surrounded the pah. Things went on that way till evening. When the sun was nearly down one of the Urewera people came up and stood in front of me. I said, ‘You go back to your own position; do not come up here.’ I took no heed for myself, I exposed myself as much as I liked, I wanted to challenge the big gun. The Europeans then made another rush and at that rush they shot this Urewera man. That was the first man shot in the pah during that day. Then night came on. I got very angry with my people and took them to task because a bag of bullets had been left at Kihikihi and had not been brought over. When they sent a man over to Kihikihi to fetch this bag of bullets he found a sentry walking up and down over the place where it was buried. So I told the people not to fire away the bullets in the night, as they would want them all. They then cut off some branches from the peach trees for bullets to fire away in the night time. I called a boy who had a single-barrel gun and tried these wooden bullets, but they were not heavy enough so we discarded them. Then we tried tea tree chopped up into small pieces, but that was not heavy enough either. We then tried some apple branches and they were solid, and when they were fired went a long distance, and we knew that they would do for night firing; and when it was daylight we loaded with ordinary bullets; as soon as the night came on then we fired nothing but wooden bullets. There was nobody in the pah to say a word but myself, though there were lots of elderly people in the pah. As soon as anybody opened his mouth to say anything I silenced him directly. I said, ‘You have nothing to say.’ I was afraid that some might want to carry on the fighting by the rules of their ancestors (mutilating the wounded), but I did not want that. I said, ‘We are fighting in the time of religion.’ On the second evening another man was hit. He stood up on the parapet of the pah to shout out to some Natives who had assembled in the bush, and was shot.

  On the third morning the Europeans had got a large ditch (the sap) dug right up to the pah. One of the chiefs of the Urewera, named Hapurona, came to me and said, ‘They have got the sap close up.’ I said to this man, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘I think we had better tell off somebody to have a look.’ I said, ‘Tell off 25 men — 15 to go into the sap, and 10 to go act as sharpshooters.’ These men then rushed into the sap. I do not know how many were killed, but the sap was full of Europeans. There were no Maoris killed in the rush. Two Europeans were killed behind the gabions and two in the sap. When they came back I said, ‘Don’t be afraid to tell how many of you were killed.’ They said, ‘None at all.’

  It got late on in the day, and the sap had got close up to the parapet. This man of the Urewera came up again and said, ‘Now it is a case,’ and I said, ‘Well, what do you want to do?’ ‘Well,’ this man said, ‘they have got so close now that I think we had better rush them again.’ I said, ‘You pick the men that are suitable for the work; do not take anybody that would be afraid’; and he then went and inquired and called for volunteers. Thirty volunteered. This man came back and said, ‘I have got 30 volunteers; they are all ready.’ I said, ‘Take them, and let 10 fire into the sap and 20 reserve their fire.’ All these 30 were armed with double barrel guns, and I ordered them to see the result of the first 10 shots before firing the other 20. The 10 fired, and the report was that a lot of men were wounded in the sap. I do not know, that was what they told me. Then the 10 jumped into the sap, the 20 firing into it to clear the way for them. When they got back I said to Hapurona, ‘Do not talk of your bravery, but tell me how many of you got killed.’

  He said, ‘None at all.’ Now it was nearly evening, and I went round the pah to inspect and to make inquiries, and was told that all their bullets were gone. When it was quite dark I said that we had better assemble and talk it over. We had this meeting. I said, ‘I think we had better clear out tonight.’ Then the elder brother of Hitiri said, ‘No, it won’t do for us to go.’ I said, ‘If we don’t we will all be killed, we won’t get out at all.’ Hapurona and the others were there. I said, ‘If we go out now we will get clear, if we do not we won’t get away at all.’ Hone Teri said, ‘No, we will destroy the Europeans,’ for he had an idea that we would be victorious after all. But I thought it over and said, ‘No, we will be killed.’ Then Hone Teri made some reply, and I said, ‘The whole of you will be killed. If we go tonight a few only will be killed, but if we wait till tomorrow you will all be killed. If we attempt to get away don’t let us wait till daylight, so that the Europeans may be confused, and won’t know which way we are going out;’ and I indicated the direction in which they were to go. All the other side of the bush was full of Maoris. But Hone Teri would not have it. He said, ‘How are you going to escape?’ I said, ‘I shall go in the ordinary way,’ meaning that I would take my chance. He said, ‘How will you escape from being killed?’ I said, ‘I shall not be killed.’ I then said, ‘I will give in to you, if you wish to remain longer we will remain; in the morning let nobody’s voice be heard. I will stand on the parapet of the pah for the Europeans to shoot at me. I will take one man with me (I pointed out the man named Ereta), and he can shout out, for he has a loud voice. If I am hit at the first volley of the Europeans it is a case with us all, but you must take revenge for my death. If I am not shot the first time then it is all right; we can clear out. That can be taken as a signal for us to clear out of the pah. All you have to do is to listen to my voice when I get on the parapet.’ They all agreed to this. Before daylight in the morning I gave orders for them to prepare food. They made holes in the parapet and cooked some food. They cooked the food, but no man was able to eat more than two mouthfuls; it stuck in his throat. One reason was that they had no water to drink; their throats were parched and they had nothing to wash the food down with. I went round to each man separately, and would say to one, ‘How did you get on with your meal?’ and he would say, ‘The potatoes won’t go down my throat.’ I said after this, ‘All right, we will have to clear out, but we won’t clear out in the same way the Waikatos did at Rangiriri (that is as prisoners), but we will make a clear bolt of it.’

  As soon as it began to show daylight I took two guns and put on six cartouche boxes, three in front and three behind. I also took two tomahawks, one with a long handle and one with a short handle. Then I sent for Hapurona. I said, ‘You remain in this place and gaze carefully at me, and I will take this man and he is to do the shouting for me; but first go and tell the people about this.’ I then sat down to wait till Hapurona came back and told me that everything was done as I directed. Meanwhile Hitiri’s elder brother came up and sat down in front of me. Then Te Raureti, another man, came up; he was afterwards killed. I was waiting for Hapurona to come back again, so that I could get up on the parapet and shout out. Then Hitiri’s brother said to me, ‘The reason I come to you is because I think it best that we should collect together all the best men and let them start the rush out.’ I did not take any notice of what he was saying. I was waiting for Hapurona to come back. Then Raureti said that this man’s proposal was right. I said, ‘Did not I tell you all, that nobody was to say a word but myself? Now I will have nothing to do with it,’ and I threw down my tomahawks. At that time the firing of the Europeans commenced again, and a woman standing next to me was shot, then a shot from the big gun (? hand grenade) came and three were hit; then two others were shot with the ordinary gun. This man’s father (pointing to a man standing near, named Te Puke, who was standing by) rushed out in that direction, and when he got a s
hort distance he was shot by a bullet; another was hit on the parapet as he was getting out. Just then Major Mair came up and he said that we should give in. I said, ‘No, I won’t; we will all die, but we won’t give in.’ Then some commenced to go out from this side (pointing it out), and a lot of heavy firing came from the Europeans. Then some hand grenades were thrown in amongst us, and the Europeans rushed us. I then came out at the angle of the pah (Rewi here pointed out the angle of the pah where he went out and the direction in which he ran; he also pointed out the ground that was occupied by the troops). The Europeans had surrounded the whole place. As soon as our people got out by the peach tree one of them was hit. The Europeans then commenced to close in on both sides, but it was the saving of the Maoris, because they could not fire, as there were Europeans on both sides. I called out to my people, ‘Haere, haere’ (let everyone take care of himself). Raureti was the first to get clear out. He got clear away and dashed in amongst the tea tree.

  When I got outside the pah I prayed to God. The words of my prayer were — ‘E Ihowa tohungia ahau, kaua e whakaekea tenei hara ki runga i a au’ (Oh Lord, save me, and visit not this sin upon me, or blame me not for this sin). Just then I stumbled and fell down, which made me very dark in my heart, as that was an evil omen. I got up and started on again, but had only got a short distance when I stumbled and fell again. When I got up the second time I commenced a Maori incantation as follows: —

  Wetea mai te whiwhi

  Wetea mai te hara

  Wetea mai te tawhito

  Wetea kia mataratara

  Tawhito te rangi, ta taea

  (Praying to his Maori gods to remove from him and forgive all sins or transgressions that he or his male relatives might have been guilty of as against the divinities).

  Hereupon I slapped my thighs, and called out, ‘Tupe runga, Tupe raro, Tupe haha, kei kona koe tu mai ai, ki konei au rere ake ai, rere huru huru, rere a-newa a-te rangi.’ (The expression, ‘Tupe runga, tupe raro,’ &c. is used when after a battle the defeated are being pursued by their conquerors. A chief will single out one of the enemy for pursuit, and should he not be able to overtake him will call out, ‘Tupe runga,’ &c, which, if acknowledged by the god of the pursuer, will have the effect of causing the pursued to fall down or stop to be captured. Rewi seems to have used it here with the intention of stopping the pursuit by the Europeans. The translations of the expression, ‘Kei kona koe tu mai ai,’ &c, is — ‘Remain there where you are. I will flee on from here. Flee like a bird, fleeing and rising high up towards the sky.’ — G. T. W.)