Post by Kiwi Frontline on Oct 13, 2019 5:13:07 GMT 12
Dear Editor, (Sent to the Wanganui Chronicle 5/10/19)
Some facts. On 8th October, 1769, Captain Cook, Joseph Banks and some others landed at the mouth of the Turanganui river (Gisborne). They saw some natives on the other side so they crossed over in the yawl to make their acquaintance.
While Cook and his men were walking inland, four natives armed with long sticks rushed out of the wood and tried to seize the yawl.
The sailors who were guarding it sailed a few yards out to sea but the natives chased it until the officer in charge of another of the Endeavour’s small boats fired a couple of muskets over their heads to frighten them off. They took no notice and became even more aggressive.
In Cook’s words, “One of them, lifting up his spear to dart it at the boat, another piece [ from the musket ] was fired which shot him dead.” The man’s companions stopped dead in their tracks in surprise as these Stone Age people had not seen gunfire before –only fighting with stones clubs and spears.
The next morning Cook made another attempt to establish relations with the natives as he wanted to obtain fresh water and to trade some of his goods for vegetables.
Cook gave them iron and beads but they wanted the guns that Cook’s men were carrying for protection and they made several attempts to snatch them out of the hands of the sailors. One of them grabbed a sword from the astronomer. Armed with spears and war clubs made of hard greenstone “the rest now began to be extremely insolent”, wrote Cook in his journal.
The man who stole the sword refused to return it and was shot dead. Cook and his men returned to the Endeavour, disappointed at their hostile reception.
The British then encountered two canoes in the bay. The native canoeists began to fight with the sailors in the Endeavour’s small boat and, in the ensuing chaos, four of the canoeists were killed by musket shots.
Everywhere else Cook went in the Pacific on 3 voyages lasting in total for 10 years he was welcome by the natives. It was only in Gisborne that he met with a hostile reception.
IAN BROUGHAM, Wanganui
Dear Editor, (Sent to the Northern Advocate 2/10/19)
Our Governor Generals over the years have a lot to answer for and must be held accountable for acknowledging the Treaty of Waitangi as our Founding Document over the Royal Charter/Letters Patent of 1839 and 1840. Queen Victoria’s royal charter of 1839 gave sovereignty of New Zealand to Britain and Her Royal Charter of 1840 made New Zealand into a British Colony with a Governor and Constitution to set up our political, Legal and justice systerns under one flag and one law, irrespective of race, colour or creed. This was acknowledged by all the chiefs who attended the Kohimarama Conference in 1860.
Both these Charters were issued by “Victoria by the Grace of God” under, “The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. The Treaty of Waitangi was not issued by “Victoria by the Grace of God under, “The Great seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”.
Our Governor Generals represent the Monarchy, the Head of State and therefore, must honour the instructions issued by Queen Victoria under the “The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. Not a vague, primitive document drafted by Lt. Governor Hobson, that only asked tangata Maori to give up their kawanatanga/government to Queen Victoria in return for protection and the same rights as the people of England/New Zealand.
ROSS BAKER, Researcher, one new Zealand Foundation Inc.
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers/unpublished-letters
Some facts. On 8th October, 1769, Captain Cook, Joseph Banks and some others landed at the mouth of the Turanganui river (Gisborne). They saw some natives on the other side so they crossed over in the yawl to make their acquaintance.
While Cook and his men were walking inland, four natives armed with long sticks rushed out of the wood and tried to seize the yawl.
The sailors who were guarding it sailed a few yards out to sea but the natives chased it until the officer in charge of another of the Endeavour’s small boats fired a couple of muskets over their heads to frighten them off. They took no notice and became even more aggressive.
In Cook’s words, “One of them, lifting up his spear to dart it at the boat, another piece [ from the musket ] was fired which shot him dead.” The man’s companions stopped dead in their tracks in surprise as these Stone Age people had not seen gunfire before –only fighting with stones clubs and spears.
The next morning Cook made another attempt to establish relations with the natives as he wanted to obtain fresh water and to trade some of his goods for vegetables.
Cook gave them iron and beads but they wanted the guns that Cook’s men were carrying for protection and they made several attempts to snatch them out of the hands of the sailors. One of them grabbed a sword from the astronomer. Armed with spears and war clubs made of hard greenstone “the rest now began to be extremely insolent”, wrote Cook in his journal.
The man who stole the sword refused to return it and was shot dead. Cook and his men returned to the Endeavour, disappointed at their hostile reception.
The British then encountered two canoes in the bay. The native canoeists began to fight with the sailors in the Endeavour’s small boat and, in the ensuing chaos, four of the canoeists were killed by musket shots.
Everywhere else Cook went in the Pacific on 3 voyages lasting in total for 10 years he was welcome by the natives. It was only in Gisborne that he met with a hostile reception.
IAN BROUGHAM, Wanganui
Dear Editor, (Sent to the Northern Advocate 2/10/19)
Our Governor Generals over the years have a lot to answer for and must be held accountable for acknowledging the Treaty of Waitangi as our Founding Document over the Royal Charter/Letters Patent of 1839 and 1840. Queen Victoria’s royal charter of 1839 gave sovereignty of New Zealand to Britain and Her Royal Charter of 1840 made New Zealand into a British Colony with a Governor and Constitution to set up our political, Legal and justice systerns under one flag and one law, irrespective of race, colour or creed. This was acknowledged by all the chiefs who attended the Kohimarama Conference in 1860.
Both these Charters were issued by “Victoria by the Grace of God” under, “The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. The Treaty of Waitangi was not issued by “Victoria by the Grace of God under, “The Great seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”.
Our Governor Generals represent the Monarchy, the Head of State and therefore, must honour the instructions issued by Queen Victoria under the “The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. Not a vague, primitive document drafted by Lt. Governor Hobson, that only asked tangata Maori to give up their kawanatanga/government to Queen Victoria in return for protection and the same rights as the people of England/New Zealand.
ROSS BAKER, Researcher, one new Zealand Foundation Inc.
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers/unpublished-letters