The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-23 00:00:00

NARRATIVE OF MR. GUARD.

Sir,—ln conformity with the commands I had yesterday
the honour to receive personally from your Excellency, I
now respectfully submit a concise statement of my dreadful
case in regard to my sufferings at New Zealand, and the
murder of twelve of the seamen of the barque Harriet,
wrecked on that coast, and the ,treatment I experienced,
and that of my wife and children, seized and detained by
the savages ; to rescue whom I now pray the assistance of
the colonial Government. _ _ _

In command. of a whaling gang, on board the barque
Harriet (240 tons), bound for Clouy Bay, New Zealand,
where I had-been several years employed in the whaling
trade, having sailed from Sydney on the 13th day of April
last, under the command of I\lr. Richard Hall, a navigating
Captain, having on board my wife and two infants, Captain
Hall, two mates, and twenty-tree ordinary seamen ; the
barque was driven ashore at Cape Egmont, on the 29th of
April, at four hours thirty minutes A.M., in a strollg gale
from the west-south-west, where by the violence of the sea
the barque was dashed to pieces towards evening. We
succeeded in effecting a landing with my wife and children,
and got ashore in one of the boats, with some muskets,
powder, sails, and a few other necessaries, and the next day
saved two more boats, provisions, &c., but the vessel be-
came waterlogged and a perfect wreck.
On the Ist of May we were visited by about thirty
natives, who appeared aware that we were completely in
their power. On the 4th, Thomas Mossman and James
Johnson deserted us and joined the natives, taking with
them gunpowder and other articles. On the 7th, a whole
tribe of about 200 natives came to us and treated us very
roughly, and plundered us of all we had saved from the
wreck, saying they meant to kill us. On the 10th, at day-
break, we mustered to meet our fates as Providence might
decree, resolved to sell oar lives as dearly as possible, the
natives having made their ovens hot to bake us, and told
us they would cat our hearts. At eight A.M. the natives
rushed on us and killed two of our men ; one they struck
down with a tomahawk, and then cut up into joints. We
now saw their fall intention, and immediately commenced
firing on them ; they then began to look for shelter ;
several we shot, but our only having so small a quantity of
fire-arms, we could not do a great al ; however we fought
them for one hour, and had at times great hopes of heating
them, having obliged them to retreat twice, but our little
number fast decreasing, and o r stock of cartridges getting
short, and they so very numeross, we were completeb sur-
rounded, they laying behind the hills and trees, &c., and
firing on us all the time. We then thought it prudent to
effect a retreat, there only then being 14 of us ; we fought our
way through them and gained the beach, leaving some behind
who were unable to follow us, who all afterwards fell victims
to the inhuman savages, with the exception of Mrs. Guard,
whom they stripped stark' naked, twice cut down with a
tomahawk, and would have split open her head with the
blows but for a large comb in her hair, which in some de-
gree averted its force, and a little boy, two-and-a-half years
old, and one girl, six months old, whom they made prisoners
of. The whole of us who escaped made the best of our
way towards Mataroa, leaving the inhuman natives plun-
dering our prOperty, and feasting on our unfortunate fellow
creatures. On our journey we fell in with about 100 na-
tives, to whom we gave ourselves up ; some of them wanted
to eat us, others to protect us, which providentially they
did, and sent a guide with us to 11lataroa. May 20th, the
boat arrived, and we commenced putting her in repair, our
only tools being one hammer, one pocket knife, and a few
nails from the boats they burnt.
June 20th, Air. Guard and six other Europeans, in com-
pany with natives, started for Cloudy Bay in their small
whale boat, which kept one hand constantly baling the whole
way. After being two days and two nights at sea, we
reached Blind Bay, and hauled up our boat for the day,
being unable to proceed, the wind blowing very strong from
the northward, with heavy rain.
June 22d, started from Blind Bay on our journey ; the
night coming on, and .a hettvy sea from the northward, caused
us to put up in a small river, where we again fell in with a
party of natives, who robbed us of what we had in the boat,
viz, a few potatoes and some of our oars, and had we not
known some of them, most likely they would have kept our
boat ; but as it was they detained us one day.
June 26th, about 4 we arrived safe at the European
settlement of Queen Charlotte's Sound, and got intelligence
of the schooner Joseph Weller, John Morris commander,
going to Port Nicholson.
June 30th, arrived at Port Nicholson, and found the Jo-
seph Weller there, bound for Sydney.
These, may it please your Excellency, are the dreadful
circumstances under which I humbly claim your protection,
and that of the colonial government, for the protection of
myself and my fellow subjects at Now Zealand, and in par-
ticular to effect the rescue of my wife and children from the
savages, if they be still living.
Captain Auglun, of the barque Lucy Ann, and myself,
are willing to assist any party your Excellency magike
pleased to send down to punish the savages, and teach them
to respect the British ; and we should be able to conduct
any vessel to the best ports, and give much valuable assist-
, ance to a military or naval force. I have, ike.
. (signed) JOHN GUARD.

Upon this statement the Council resolved to apply
to Captain Lambert, commanding his Majesty's ship
Alligator, to obtain the restoration of the nine men,
women, and children detained by the savages.

To this course C. D. Riddell, Esq., the Colonial
Treasurer, was opposed. His grounds of dissent are
thus stated in a protest addressed to the Governor.
Ist. Presuming that the narrative of Captain Guard is
correct, and supposing, for the sake ofargument, that terror
has a greater effect upon the minds of savages than the
love of gain, this expedition appears. to him to be prema-
ture. If the Government of 'England think proper to
station one or more ships of war at New Zealand, with a
sufficient number of troops to act in cases of emergency for
the protection of British subjects and interests, in that case
it might be proper to use force and show resistance to any
aggressions offered by the natives ; but by resorting to
force in a solitary instance, and Alien withdrawing that force,
the savages will be so exasperated that they may, and pro-
bably will, be induced to retaliate upon all British subjects
settled in New Zealand, who are completely at their mercy,
and must be so previous to the arrival of a permanent and
efficient force for their protection.
2d. The system of ransoming prisoners taken by savages,
although it may appear at first sight degrading, is neverthe-
le:,s that which seems the best adapted to secure personal
safety to shipwrecked mariners or others who may fall into
their hands. Mr. Guard expressed no dread for the safety
of his wife and family, nor of the men left behind in bond-
age to the Mataroa tribe, and was quite confident that a

the character of Mr. Guard. The Colonial Treasurer has
casually been informed that be was formerly neony,ie:, end
that his dealings with the New Zealanders have, in some
instances, been marked with. cruelty.. -He has also been
given to understand that _some merchants-in §ydnpy, who
;lave establishments in New Zealand, arc expressing their
rears of thc.result of this expedition.
C. D. RIDIALL.
Colonial Treasurer.

Sydney, 25 August 1834.

In •a
despatch sent by the Captain of the Alligator
;0 Sir R. Bourke, the Governor of New South Wales,
;he. Gallant Officer says :

I have great pleasure in informing your Excellency, and
the Executive Council, that the service upon which his
Majesty's ship, under my command, with the colonial-
schooner Isabella, and a detachment of his Majesty's 50th
regiment, went to New Zealand, has been completed.
Having regained the whole of the Harriet's crew, with tho
exception o two who had escaped from Mataroa, prior to
our arrival, one of whom I am informed was drowned in
crossing a river, the other had arrived in safety at the mis-
sionary establishment at Corfea.

The letter of Captain Johnstone, of the 50th Re-
giment, to the Military Secretary at Sydney, supplies
the particulars of the recovery of the persons detained,
and an account of the engagement, which will be
generally read with interest :
_ _

Having received orders and instructions to proceed with
my company to the Terranaka coast of New Zealand, for
the purpose of recovering nine seamen, one woman, and
two children, belonging to the barque Harriet, wrecked on
that coast in April last, and kept in captivity by 'different
tribes of natives, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the
information of his Excellency the Major-General command-
ing the forces, that I embarked on board his Majesty's
schooner Isabella, on the morning of the .10th of ,August,
with one subaltern, one assistant-surgeon, three serjeants,
and 4Q rank and file.

Lieutenant Gunton, one serjeant, one drummer, and 20
rank and file embarked at the same time on board his Ma-
jesty's ship Alligator.
On the 21st of September, when off Mataroa, Captaitt
Lambert sent off two boats, in one of which the chiefs were
sent on shore. Seven of the seamen were immediately
given up, two having left Mataroa for Corfea, a missionary
settlement, of whom I understand one arrived safe, the
other being drowned in attempting to cross a river.
On the morning, of the 28th September, agreeably to
orders received from Captain Lambert, I landed about
half a mile to the eastward of a pah called the Mummo;
where it was supposed the women and children were de-
tained, with theikundermentioned force, it being impossible
in consequence of the surf to land the whole of the troops
without much delay ; viz., Lieutenant Thomas, six officers,
and about 30 seamen, consisting of the boat's crews of his
Majesty's ship Alligator; Lieutenant Clarke, one serjeant,
and 12 rank and file Royal Marines ; Lieutenant Guntor,
one serjeant, and 16 rank and file 50th regiment.
As soon as the above force was landed, and the boats
hauled up on the beach, and given in charge of an officer
and six seamen, I formed up my party, and was about to
move on for the purpose of attacking the pah, if the woman
and children were not given up. At this moment a native
came down to us, supposing we were come to ransom the
woman and youngest child who were in this pah, the eldest
child, a boy, whom they had made a chief, being at Wya-
mati, about 25 miles to the eastward of this place. Mr.
Guard, who came up immediately, recognized this man as
being the chief who had possession of Mrs. Guard and his
youngest child, on which I immediately secured him, and
sent him on board the ship, telling him at the same time,
that as soon as the woman and children were given up, he
should be set at liberty. At this time the natives, many
of whom were armed, were lying upon the top of the cliff,
which overhung the beach, but made no resistance.
When the boat in which I sent the chief was nearly
through the surf, he made an attempt to escape, but was
told by Mr. Guard, in whose charge he was placed, that if
he did he would be shot ; however, notwithstanding this
threat, he jumped out of the boat and dived ; on coming
up he was fired at, and shot through the calf of the leg,
after which he was again secured and taken on board his
Majesty's ship Alligator, where his wounds were dressed.
1 lost no time in proceeding to the pah for the purpose
of securing the woman and youngest child, but on my ar-

rival found it deserted, the natives having retreated into the

bush, carrying with them the captives: In the meantime
some of the natives came down and plundered the boats•
of the seamen's provisions which had been left in them.
On seeing the party return, they fled without doing further
mischief.

I immediately communicated with Captain Lambert, ex-
pressing my wish to remain in the pah for the night, under

the impression that the woman and child would be given
up. Some of the natives having been seen in the bush, I
sent the interpreters to them to say that if the woman and
child were given up directly, their chief should be restored
to them, but if they were not, we intended to detain him
and burn down the pah. The boats were then secured for
the night and left in,charge of picket.
Early next morning, having seen some of the natives,
_

I went with the interpreter and four seamen to communi-
cate with them, and to impress upon their minds the ne-
cessity of giving up the woman and children, telling diem
we did not intend giving any ransom, and that none would
be given, repeating to them our resolution to destroy their
pah should they not accede to our demands. Their answer
was, that the different tribes were going to unite and
fight us.

-Finding it useless to wait any longer I returned to
the pah, which I immediately caused to be destroyed, the
stockade and huts being burned to the ground. This
being completed, the detachment re-embarked without ae•
cident.
This pah or stockade was situated on the edge of the
cliff, about 100 feet above the level of the sea, strong by
nature on the land side, being separated from the main by
a small valley, having a gentle slope to the foot of the
pah, the side of which rose almost perpendicularly from
it, 40 or 50 feet in height. At the top of this a rude
parapet of earth was raised, behind which was planted a
strong tow of palisades, and if defepdecl could not be carried
without considerable loss to the assailants. Th'p only en-
trance is by means of a notched tree with ropes. attached,
by which only one person can enter at a time, and this tree
would be drawn up if an attack was apprehended.
We understood from the wounded.chief that he belonged
to Hatteranni pah, and that the woman and will would
be carried there ; and on the Ist of October, when off that
place, Captain Lambert sent off two boats, in one of which

I went ulth Lieutenant Thomas, and in the other the

chief we had taken prisoner at the Nummo pah. After
some conversation they agreed to give up • the women and
child for the chief, Which was accordingly done; They also
said the boy would be given up during the' day, but that
he was in the Wyamati- pall, over which they had no
control.
In the afternoon the boats were again sent off for the •
purpose of getting the boy ; the natives at first said he was
coming, but soon after left the beach, and fired on the boat
in which was the first lieutenant, who immediately' returned
to the ship and reported the circumstance to Captain Lam-
bert, who ordered the master of the schooner to stand in as
near as possible and open a fire upOn • the palls from the
schooner's guns, which was done, as also by his Majesty's
ship Alligator. This, however, did not make them_ give up
the boy.
On the 7th of October Captain Lambert proposed. to
me, as a last ~effort towards the recovery of the child, to
'land the whole of the troops, with about 20 seamen, and
one of the schooner's guns, which I considered a sufficient
force. Lieutenant Thomas was sent in a boat to recon-
noitre and see where he considered a landing could best be
effected. On his return he reported having discovered a
place where the surf was not so considerable as elsewhere,
about three miles to the eastward of the palls.
In the evening I ordered four days' provisions and 70
rounds of ammunition per man to be issued.
Early in the morning of the Sth the ships stood in shore,
and the wind being off the land, the schooner ran in as
close as possible to the landing place and anchored.
The Royal Marines under Lieutenant Clarke, and
Lieutenant Gunton's detachment .50th regiment, Were the
first landed. They immediately ascended the cliff, a short
distance from the landing place, by a rude pathway, assisted
uy ropes which the natives had left.. At the top they took
by a position to cover the landing of tho troops and gun
from the schooner. By I 1 o'clock A. as. the troops were
all landed, and the gun hauled up the cliff by means of
ropes landed from his Majesty's ship Alligator ;for that
purpos-.
Having thus gained the top of the cliff without opposi-
tion, I formed my men, and ordered Lieutenant Clarke
with the. marines, and Lieutenant Gunton's. detachment;