io;o AUSTRALASIA ILLUSTRATED. 



Kooti mooted the subject of escape. The plan was feasible, for the garrison had 

 been reduced to fifteen men. On the 3rd of July, 1868, the arrival of the schooner 

 Rifleman with stores presented the desired opportunity. The captain was on shore the 

 following day, and a party of the prisoners was assisting to discharge cargo, when at a 

 preconcerted signal from Te Kooti, they rose, clove in the skull of the only guard who 

 offered resistance, overpowered and bound the rest, boarded the vessel, seized the crew, 

 and ordered the mate on pain of death to navigate them to New Zealand. He 

 consented to do so, and no further violence was exhibited. The women and children on 

 the Island were not interfered with. Te Kooti possessed himself of the contents of the 

 treasury, which amounted to within a few shillings of four hundred pounds, secured 

 about forty stand of arms and ammunition, shipped the one hundred and sixty-three 

 prisoners with their sixty-four women and seventy-one children, and, in order to prevent 

 pursuit, cut the cable of the ketch Florence, the only other vessel in port, and sent her 

 crew ashore. Sail was made from the Island the same evening, and on the loth of 

 July, the Rifleman arrived at Whareong'aonga, six miles south of Gisborne, then known 

 by its native name of Turanganui. Here, the fugitives landed with their plunder, and 

 the mate and crew were sent off to resume their voyage. With strange indifference to 

 the security of the settlers, they sailed away for Wellington, two hundred and fifty miles 

 distant, instead of promptly giving the alarm at the nearest settlement. At this time Poverty 

 Bay was occupied by about four hundred and fifty natives and two hundred Europeans. 

 On the nth of July, Major Biggs, the Resident Magistrate, was apprised of the 

 presence of armed natives in the district, and on the i2th, he set out in pursuit with 

 a force of eighty Maoris and forty Europeans. He came up with the escaped prisoners 

 at Whareongaonga, and summoned them to surrender. Te Kooti scornfully declined to 

 submit, but intimated that he would not molest anyone unless his freedom were 

 threatened. Major Biggs retired, and, while collecting re-inforcements, dispatched his avail- 

 able forces under Captain Westrupp to watch Te Kooti, who was now at Paparatu. 

 This officer engaged the enemy, and was forced to retreat with a loss of two killed 

 and ten wounded, leaving all his horses, saddles, baggage, swords and accoutrements, to 

 a value of one thousand two hundred pounds, in his adversary's hands. Although 

 encumbered by his women and children, as well as goods, Te Kooti cut his way through 

 the forest, and repulsed a small force under Captain Richardson, besides fighting an inde- 

 cisive engagement with Colonel Whitmore at Puketapu, forty-five miles inland, after which 

 the leader of the Colonial Forces fell back with loss. The enemy then remained 

 encamped where they were until the 28th of October, receiving continued accessions of 

 disaffected natives. Colonel Whitmore returned to Waitotara with his forces, and Poverty 

 Bay was left virtually defenceless. The settlers appealed to the Government for protec- 

 tion, but the Authorities seemed determined to court disaster, for they ordered the 

 discontinuance of a strong redoubt which the loyal natives had began to erect at Mata- 

 whero. This proved to be an act of suicidal folly. On the night of the gth of 

 November, Te Kooti marched from his retreat, surprised the village of Matawhero, and 

 with cold-blooded ferocity, butchered the settlers in detail, the work of blood being 

 continued during two days throughout the whole district. The particulars are revolting. 

 Suffice it to say that twenty-nine Europeans and thirty-two loyal natives were massacred, 



