Tattooed Hauhau Warrior Killed
Body repeatedly exhumed so Maori could examine his colourful Marquesian-style tattooing.
After his murderous attacks on Gisborne, Whakatane and Mohaka Te Kooti was very much a wanted man - by now he had a price of a thousand pounds on his head.
After his disasterous defeat at Ngatapa at the end of 1868 Te Kooti had retreated into the wilderness of the Urewera to be sheltered and supported by Tuhoe.
From mid-April 1869 the Government launched a three-pronged search-and-destroy mission into Tuhoe territory: with the aim of searching for Te Kooti, while relentlessly destroying Tuhoe crops, stock and villages in order to turn them against the Ringatu leader.
On 8 May the force, under Colonel Whitmore, attacked the strongly fortified pa of Tatahoata at Ruatahuna in the heart of the Urewera. While the firing raged, Captain Travers strode up and down directing the troops. On being advised by experienced bush-fighters to make himself less conspicuous he famously remarked: “A British officer never takes cover.” (Shades of Von Tempsky and Admirial Lord Nelson here).
Moments later he was shot dead by a heavily tattooed Maori - who in turn was immediately shot dead himself.
The tattooed Maori (Hemi Paorone Te Waiewe) was from a Whakatane tribe and, as was often the case at this time, his brother (Pauro Te Waiewe) was fighting on the opposite side - with the British.
Captain later remembered that: “Hemi had previously been living in the Marquesas Islands for many years and was splendidly tattooed. Not a portion of his body the size of a lead pencil but what had been brilliantly ornamented with birds, reptiles, flowers and fish, done in the most brilliant colours of the rainbow.”
After battles a common practice at the time was to leave the enemy where they fell, however in this instance Pauro obtained permission to bury his bother - who was rapidly interred in a shallow grave. Unfortunately Hemi did not rest long in peace. His exotic tattoos were of great interest to the other Queenite Maori, who repeatedly dug up his corpse, then threw water over it to remove the soil - in order to study the fascinatingly elaborate ornamentation.
This activity continued for several days, until a frustrated Pauro approached Mair and wearily asked how many times it was necessary for a man to bury his brother, saying he had had to rebury him seven times already.
Mair reminded him of the Scriptural injunction of “forgiving even seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). To which Pauro replied “Oh that’s all very well, but it surely does not apply to a man who has born arms against the Queen.”
Pauro therefore drew the line at the mystic seven for exhumations and actively discouraged any further disturbance of his brother’s remains until the troops departed - finally leaving Hemi to his eternal rest.
Matthew 18
21: Then came Peter up to him, and said, Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
After his disasterous defeat at Ngatapa at the end of 1868 Te Kooti had retreated into the wilderness of the Urewera to be sheltered and supported by Tuhoe.
From mid-April 1869 the Government launched a three-pronged search-and-destroy mission into Tuhoe territory: with the aim of searching for Te Kooti, while relentlessly destroying Tuhoe crops, stock and villages in order to turn them against the Ringatu leader.
On 8 May the force, under Colonel Whitmore, attacked the strongly fortified pa of Tatahoata at Ruatahuna in the heart of the Urewera. While the firing raged, Captain Travers strode up and down directing the troops. On being advised by experienced bush-fighters to make himself less conspicuous he famously remarked: “A British officer never takes cover.” (Shades of Von Tempsky and Admirial Lord Nelson here).
Moments later he was shot dead by a heavily tattooed Maori - who in turn was immediately shot dead himself.
The tattooed Maori (Hemi Paorone Te Waiewe) was from a Whakatane tribe and, as was often the case at this time, his brother (Pauro Te Waiewe) was fighting on the opposite side - with the British.
Captain later remembered that: “Hemi had previously been living in the Marquesas Islands for many years and was splendidly tattooed. Not a portion of his body the size of a lead pencil but what had been brilliantly ornamented with birds, reptiles, flowers and fish, done in the most brilliant colours of the rainbow.”
After battles a common practice at the time was to leave the enemy where they fell, however in this instance Pauro obtained permission to bury his bother - who was rapidly interred in a shallow grave. Unfortunately Hemi did not rest long in peace. His exotic tattoos were of great interest to the other Queenite Maori, who repeatedly dug up his corpse, then threw water over it to remove the soil - in order to study the fascinatingly elaborate ornamentation.
This activity continued for several days, until a frustrated Pauro approached Mair and wearily asked how many times it was necessary for a man to bury his brother, saying he had had to rebury him seven times already.
Mair reminded him of the Scriptural injunction of “forgiving even seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). To which Pauro replied “Oh that’s all very well, but it surely does not apply to a man who has born arms against the Queen.”
Pauro therefore drew the line at the mystic seven for exhumations and actively discouraged any further disturbance of his brother’s remains until the troops departed - finally leaving Hemi to his eternal rest.
Matthew 18
21: Then came Peter up to him, and said, Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
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