in search of the castaways-第97章

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　yoke。　　The　national　party　among　the　natives　carried　on　an　active　propaganda　for　the　election　of　a　Maori　ruler。　The　object　was　to　make　old　Potatau　king；　and　to　fix　as　the　capital　of　the　new　kingdom　his　village；　which　lay　between　the　Waikato　and　Waipa　Rivers。　　Potatau　was　an　old　man；　remarkable　rather　for　cunning　than　bravery；　but　he　had　a　Prime　Minister　who　was　both　intelligent　and　energetic；　a　descendant　of　the　Ngatihahuas；　who　occupied　the　isthmus　before　the　arrival　of　the　strangers。　This　minister；　William　Thompson；　became　the　soul　of　the　War　of　Independence；　and　organized　the　Maori　troops；　with　great　skill。　Under　this　guidance　a　Taranaki　chief　gathered　the　scattered　tribes　around　the　same　flag；　a　Waikato　chief　formed　a　'Land　League；'　intended　to　prevent　the　natives　from　selling　their　land　to　the　English　Government；　and　warlike　feasts　were　held　just　as　in　civilized　countries　on　the　verge　of　revolution。　The　English　newspapers　began　to　notice　these　alarming　symptoms；　and　the　government　became　seriously　disturbed　at　these　'Land　League'　proceedings。　　In　short；　the　train　was　laid；　and　the　mine　was　ready　to　explode。　　Nothing　was　wanted　but　the　spark；　or　rather　the　shock　of　rival　interests　to　produce　the　spark。　〃This　shock　took　place　in　1860；　in　the　Taranaki　province　on　the　southwest　coast　of　Ika…na…Mani。　A　native　had　six　hundred　acres　of　land　in　the　neighborhood　of　New　Plymouth。　　He　sold　them　to　the　English　Government；　but　when　the　surveyor　came　to　measure　the　purchased　land；　the　chief　Kingi　protested；　and　by　the　month　of　March　he　had　made　the　six　hundred　acres　in　question　into　a　fortified　camp；　surrounded　with　high　palisades。　Some　days　after　Colonel　Gold　carried　this　fortress　at　the　head　of　his　troops；　and　that　day　heard　the　first　shot　fired　of　the　native　war。〃　〃Have　the　rebels　been　successful　up　to　this　time？〃　〃Yes；　Madam；　and　the　English　themselves　have　often　been　compelled　to　admire　the　courage　and　bravery　of　the　New　Zealanders。　　Their　mode　of　warfare　is　of　the　guerilla　type；　they　form　skirmishing　parties；　come　down　in　small　detachments；　and　pillage　the　colonists'　homes。　　General　Cameron　had　no　easy　time　in　the　campaigns；　during　which　every　bush　had　to　be　searched。　　In　1863；　after　a　long　and　sanguinary　struggle；　the　Maories　were　entrenched　in　strong　and　fortified　position　on　the　Upper　Waikato；　at　the　end　of　a　chain　of　steep　hills；　and　covered　by　three　miles　of　forts。　　The　native　prophets　called　on　all　the　Maori　population　to　defend　the　soil；　and　promised　the　extermination　of　the　pakekas；　or　white　men。　General　Cameron　had　three　thousand　volunteers　at　his　disposal；　and　they　gave　no　quarter　to　the　Maories　after　the　barbarous　murder　of　Captain　Sprent。　　Several　bloody　engagements　took　place；　in　some　instances　the　fighting　lasted　twelve　hours　before　the　Maories　yielded　to　the　English　cannonade。　The　heart　of　the　army　was　the　fierce　Waikato　tribe　under　William　Thompson。　　This　native　general　commanded　at　the　outset　2；500　warriors；　afterward　increased　to　8；000。　The　men　of　Shongi　and　Heki；　two　powerful　chiefs；　came　to　his　assistance。　The　women　took　their　part　in　the　most　trying　labors　of　this　patriotic　war。　　But　right　has　not　always　might。　After　severe　struggles　General　Cameron　succeeded　in　subduing　the　Waikato　district；　but　empty　and　depopulated；　for　the　Maories　escaped　in　all　directions。　　Some　wonderful　exploits　were　related。　Four　hundred　Maories　who　were　shut　up　in　the　fortress　of　Orakau；　besieged　by　1；000　English；　under　Brigadier…General　Carey；　without　water　or　provisions；　refused　to　surrender；　but　one　day　at　noon　cut　their　way　through　the　then　decimated　40th　Regiment；　and　escaped　to　the　marshes。〃　〃But；〃　asked　John　Mangles；　〃did　the　submission　of　the　Waikato　district　put　an　end　to　this　sanguinary　war？〃　〃No；　my　friend；〃　replied　Paganel。　　〃The　English　resolved　to　march　on　Taranaki　province　and　besiege　Mataitawa；　William　Thompson's　fortress。　But　they　did　not　carry　it　without　great　loss。　Just　as　I　was　leaving　Paris；　I　heard　that　the　Governor　and　the　General　had　accepted　the　submission　of　the　Tauranga　tribes；　and　left　them　in　possession　of　three…fourths　of　their　lands。　It　was　also　rumored　that　the　principal　chief　of　the　rebellion；　William　Thompson；　was　inclined　to　surrender；　but　the　Australian　papers　have　not　confirmed　this；　but　rather　the　contrary；　and　I　should　not　be　surprised　to　find　that　at　this　moment　the　war　is　going　on　with　renewed　vigor。〃　〃Then；　according　to　you；　Paganel；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃this　struggle　is　still　going　on　in　the　provinces　of　Auckland　and　Taranaki？〃　〃I　think　so。〃　〃This　very　province　where　the　MACQUARIE'S　wreck　has　deposited　us。〃　〃Exactly。　　We　have　landed　a　few　miles　above　Kawhia　harbor；　where　the　Maori　flag　is　probably　still　floating。〃　〃Then　our　most　prudent　course　would　be　to　keep　toward　the　north；〃　remarked　Glenarvan。　〃By　far　the　most　prudent；〃　said　Paganel。　　〃The　New　Zealanders　are　incensed　against　Europeans；　and　especially　against　the　English。　　Therefore　let　us　avoid　falling　into　their　hands。〃　〃We　might　have　the　good　fortune　to　fall　in　with　a　detachment　of　European　troops；〃　said　Lady　Helena。　〃We　may；　Madam；〃　replied　the　geographer；　〃but　I　do　not　expect　it。　Detached　parties　do　not　like　to　go　far　into　the　country；　where　the　smallest　tussock；　the　thinnest　brushwood；　may　conceal　an　accomplished　marksman。　　I　don't　fancy　we　shall　pick　up　an　escort　of　the　40th　Regiment。　　But　there　are　mission…stations　on　this　west　coast；　and　we　shall　be　able　to　make　them　our　halting…places　till　we　get　to　Auckland。〃

CHAPTER　VIII　ON　THE　ROAD　TO　AUCKLAND

ON　the　7th　of　February；　at　six　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　signal　for　departure　was　given　by　Glenarvan。　　During　the　night　the　rain　had　ceased。　The　sky　was　veiled　with　light　gray　clouds；　which　moderated　the　heat　of　the　sun；　and　allowed　the　travelers　to　venture　on　a　journey　by　day。　Paganel　had　measured　on　the　map　a　distance　of　eighty　miles　between　Point　Kawhia　and　Auckland；　it　was　an　eight　days'　journey　if　they　made　ten　miles　a　day。　　But　instead　of　following　the　windings　of　the　coast；　he　thought　it　better　to　make　for　a　point　thirty　miles　off；　at　the　confluence　of　the　Waikato　and　the　Waipa；　at　the　village　of　Ngarnavahia。　　The　〃overland　track〃　passes　that　point；　and　is　rather　a　path　than　a　road；　practicable　for　the　vehicles　which　go　almost　across　the　island；　from　Napier；　in　Hawke's　Bay；　to　Auckland。　　From　this　village　it　would　be　easy　to　reach　Drury；　and　there　they　could　rest　in　an　excellent　hotel；　highly　recommended　by　Dr。　Hochstetter。　The　travelers；　each　carrying　a　share　of　the　provisions；　commenced　to　follow　the　shore　of　Aotea　Bay。　　From　prudential　motives　they　did　not　allow　themselves　to　straggle；　and　by　instinct　they　kept　a　look…out　over　the　undulating　plains　to　the　eastward；　ready　with　their　loaded　carbines。　　Paganel；　map　in　hand；　took　a　professional　pleasure　in　verifying　the　minutest　details。　The　country　looked　like　an　immense　prairie　which　faded　into　distance；　and　promised　an　easy　walk。　　But　the　travelers　were　undeceived　when　they　came　to　the　edge　of　this　verdant　plain。　　The　grass　gave　way　to　a　low　scrub　of　small　bushes　bearing　little　white　flowers；　mixed　with　those　innumerable　tall　ferns　with　which　the　lands　of　New　Zealand　abound。　　They　had　to　cut　a　path　across　the　plain；　through　t