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Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War
Excerpt from Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War
My Dear Lads: In the following story I have made no attempt to give anything like a general history of the long struggle between the brave tribes of New Zealand and the forces of England and the colony. That struggle lasted over a period of some years, and to do justice to its numerous incidents in the course of a single volume would have left no space whatever available for the telling of a story. It was divided into two distinct epochs. In the first the natives of the north of the islands fought for their independence and their right to have a king, and be governed by their own laws. Nothing could exceed the courage with which they struggled for these ends, and it needed a very strong force of British troops to storm their pahs or fortified camps, and overcome their resistance. The second epoch embraces the struggle brought about by the conversion of a portion of the tribes to the fanatical belief called the Pai Marire (literally "good and peaceful"), whose votaries were generally known as the Hau-Haus. During the earlier war the natives behaved with great moderation, and there were but few cases of the murder of outlying settlers. The slaying of all whites was, however, the leading feature of the Hau-Hau religion, and many cold-blooded massacres occurred during the struggle.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
My Dear Lads: In the following story I have made no attempt to give anything like a general history of the long struggle between the brave tribes of New Zealand and the forces of England and the colony. That struggle lasted over a period of some years, and to do justice to its numerous incidents in the course of a single volume would have left no space whatever available for the telling of a story. It was divided into two distinct epochs. In the first the natives of the north of the islands fought for their independence and their right to have a king, and be governed by their own laws. Nothing could exceed the courage with which they struggled for these ends, and it needed a very strong force of British troops to storm their pahs or fortified camps, and overcome their resistance. The second epoch embraces the struggle brought about by the conversion of a portion of the tribes to the fanatical belief called the Pai Marire (literally "good and peaceful"), whose votaries were generally known as the Hau-Haus. During the earlier war the natives behaved with great moderation, and there were but few cases of the murder of outlying settlers. The slaying of all whites was, however, the leading feature of the Hau-Hau religion, and many cold-blooded massacres occurred during the struggle.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
355 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
35 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
G.A. Henty
795 books370 followersGeorge Alfred Henty, better known as G.A. Henty, began his storytelling career with his own children. After dinner, he would spend and hour or two in telling them a story that would continue the next day. Some stories took weeks! A friend was present one day and watched the spell-bound reaction of his children suggesting Henty write down his stories so others could enjoy them. He did. Henty wrote approximately 144 books in addition to stories for magazines and was known as "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian." One of Mr. Henty's secretaries reported that he would quickly pace back and forth in his study dictating stories as fast as the secretary could record them.
Henty's stories revolve around fictional boy heroes during fascinating periods of history. His heroes are diligent, intelligent, and dedicated to their country and cause in the face, at times, of great peril... Henty's heroes fight wars, sail the seas, discover land, conquer evil empires, prospect for gold, and a host of other exciting adventures. Along the way, they meet famous personages... In short, Henty's heroes live through tumultuous historic eras meeting leaders of that time. Understanding the culture of the time period becomes second nature as well as comparing/contrasting the society of various cultures.
Henty's stories revolve around fictional boy heroes during fascinating periods of history. His heroes are diligent, intelligent, and dedicated to their country and cause in the face, at times, of great peril... Henty's heroes fight wars, sail the seas, discover land, conquer evil empires, prospect for gold, and a host of other exciting adventures. Along the way, they meet famous personages... In short, Henty's heroes live through tumultuous historic eras meeting leaders of that time. Understanding the culture of the time period becomes second nature as well as comparing/contrasting the society of various cultures.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 8, 2010
This was a good story by Henty. The characters were a little more personal than the typical Henty book and the historical aspect was just as wonderful as his other books. The plot is about the Renshaw family, after losing their fortune due to bank failure, emigrating to New Zealand. They face many adventures and battles with the savage Maori as well as having an apathetic father who isn't very manly. Mr. Renshaw does reform at the near end and that's a great part of the book. I would have given this five stars only the romance between Miss Renshaw (I forget her name at this moment) and Mr. Atherton was absolutely cheesy and unrealistic.
March 7, 2021
Great insight into early settlers of NZ
Really enjoyed this insight into early settler life and interactions with friendly maori and the troubles with Te Kooti. A great read
Really enjoyed this insight into early settler life and interactions with friendly maori and the troubles with Te Kooti. A great read
September 30, 2020
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This might be my top favourite Henty book. Fully 2/3 of it is simply a novel, and only the last 1/3 contains history. Mr. Atherton is one of my favourite Henty characters—so very humorous, while being noble and brave. Marion and Wilfrid are delightful, and I enjoyed every moment of the scenes containing Mr. Ryan. There were a few mentions of alcohol, in almost all cases it being used as medicine. The storyline was exciting and contained some of Henty’s most humorous dialogues. I enjoyed every moment. And did I mention how humurous it was? ;)
A Favourite Quote: “‘It is a comfort,’ he remarked, ‘to sail under liberal owners. Now, my people insist on having their ships as well found as possible, and if I condemn spars, sails, ropes, or stays, they are replaced without a question. And it is the cheapest policy in the long run. There is nothing so costly as stinginess on board a ship. The giving way of a stay may mean the loss of the mast and all its gear, and that may mean the loss of a ship. The blowing away of a sail at a critical moment may mean certain disaster; and yet there are many owners who grudge a fathom of new rope or a bolt of canvas, and who will risk the safety of their vessels for the petty economy of a few pounds.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘...although of course there may be many advantages in being stout, there are advantages in being thin too.’
“‘I admit that,’ Mr. Atherton agreed; ‘but look at the disadvantages. A stout man escapes being sent trotted about on messages. Nobody would think of asking him to climb a ladder. He is not expected to dance. The thin man is squeezed into any odd corner; and is not treated with half the consideration that is given to a fat man. He worries about trifles, and has none of the quiet contentment that characterizes stout people. A stout man's food always agrees with him, or else he would not be stout; while the thin man suffers indigestion, dyspepsia, and perhaps jaundice. You see, my dear young lady, that almost all the advantages are on our side. Of course you will say I could not climb a ladder, but then I do not want to climb a ladder. I could not make the ascent of Matterhorn; but it is much more pleasant to sit at the bottom and see fools do it. I could not very well ride a horse unless it were a dray-horse; but then I have no partiality for horse exercise.’”
A Favourite Quote: “‘It is a comfort,’ he remarked, ‘to sail under liberal owners. Now, my people insist on having their ships as well found as possible, and if I condemn spars, sails, ropes, or stays, they are replaced without a question. And it is the cheapest policy in the long run. There is nothing so costly as stinginess on board a ship. The giving way of a stay may mean the loss of the mast and all its gear, and that may mean the loss of a ship. The blowing away of a sail at a critical moment may mean certain disaster; and yet there are many owners who grudge a fathom of new rope or a bolt of canvas, and who will risk the safety of their vessels for the petty economy of a few pounds.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘...although of course there may be many advantages in being stout, there are advantages in being thin too.’
“‘I admit that,’ Mr. Atherton agreed; ‘but look at the disadvantages. A stout man escapes being sent trotted about on messages. Nobody would think of asking him to climb a ladder. He is not expected to dance. The thin man is squeezed into any odd corner; and is not treated with half the consideration that is given to a fat man. He worries about trifles, and has none of the quiet contentment that characterizes stout people. A stout man's food always agrees with him, or else he would not be stout; while the thin man suffers indigestion, dyspepsia, and perhaps jaundice. You see, my dear young lady, that almost all the advantages are on our side. Of course you will say I could not climb a ladder, but then I do not want to climb a ladder. I could not make the ascent of Matterhorn; but it is much more pleasant to sit at the bottom and see fools do it. I could not very well ride a horse unless it were a dray-horse; but then I have no partiality for horse exercise.’”
November 28, 2021
A totally intriguing novel. The history of this error and the characters portrayed was an outstanding combination made for a most enjoyable experience !
G A Henry has a manner in his writing that brings together the historical vision in a unique powerful way. As I read each chapter I felt as though I was part of the epoche tale. I have not experienced this feeling very often.
G A Henry has a manner in his writing that brings together the historical vision in a unique powerful way. As I read each chapter I felt as though I was part of the epoche tale. I have not experienced this feeling very often.
June 5, 2022
I found the first third of the book, which details the family's journey to New Zealand, to be far more interesting than the later accounts of battles. There's a lot of language and ideas in the book that are pretty typical of a 19th century colonizing mindset, but for the most part I was able to write that off as a product of its time. I liked the characters and found the story of their settlement to be engaging.
February 26, 2015
Wilfrid, a young boy written in the traditional "Henty mold," lives in England. He has one sister a bit older than himself, a mother and a bookish father (who isn't involved in the lives of his children). When the family's bank "goes bust" Wilfrid takes it upon himself to help his mother manage the family finances; they find it expedient to move to New Zealand, a burgeoning nation.
With the intent on farming, Wilfrid and his family settle down among the Maoris to begin their new lifestyle. But attacks by the natives upon the homesteaders force Wilfrid's clan to band together with other settlers for protection.
Eventually, as the hostile situation comes under control, Wilfrid's sister marries his best friend and moves back to England. Wilfrid later marries a fellow settler's daughter and the story ends happily (as Henty's always do).
Not my favorite Henty book, but a good one nonetheless.
With the intent on farming, Wilfrid and his family settle down among the Maoris to begin their new lifestyle. But attacks by the natives upon the homesteaders force Wilfrid's clan to band together with other settlers for protection.
Eventually, as the hostile situation comes under control, Wilfrid's sister marries his best friend and moves back to England. Wilfrid later marries a fellow settler's daughter and the story ends happily (as Henty's always do).
Not my favorite Henty book, but a good one nonetheless.
Currently reading
February 27, 2012A very old-fashioned book (makes Enid Blyton look positively progressive!). I have read quite a bit, but they haven't even made it to New Zealand yet! But it is an interesting viewpoint, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the author treats New Zealand history (if they ever get there!).
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews