A Dark Chapter from New Zealand History

Capper Press, 1974. Facsimile reprint. Hardback with DW. Minor foxing and stain to the bottom of some pages.

James Hawthorne, a survivor of the Poverty Bay massacre, tells a plain unvarnished tale of the events and personalities in this dark chapter from New Zealand history. He carefully chronicles the sequence of events to give a clear account of the tragedy from successful conclusion to the 1865 Hau Hau campaign and the subsequent exiling of Te Kootim to the bungled attempts by Stafford's Government to effect a land settlement on the East Coast. The dark chapter begins with Stafford's envious ministry dismissing the able McLean, whom the Maoris trusted, to fairly settle the land question in the area. Thorughout the whole campaign Hawthorne has nothing but scorn for this ministry which he feels was responsible for the extent of this massacre. Even local defence schemes which would have saved many lives were inexplicably stopped by the Government. Personal tales of bravery and hardship faithfully recorded include an acocunt by an 8-year-old boy who escaped captivity and sustained himself on food found in deserted houses-I did not think it would be exactly stealing as everybody had run away. In contrast to Whitmore's utter unfitness to command, Rapata the Maori leader fighting with the English soldiers emerges as a brilliant strategist constantly foiled in his attempts to capture Te Kooti by Whitmore's non-co-operation. A valuable addition to any library of early New Zealand history.