Captive Wife, The (25 page)

I tried to explain. The chief you gave back is not the one who has taken John for his son, I said.

What more do they want, Jacky shouted.

I said again, they have given up Oaoiti in exchange for me, not John.

Then perhaps I should send you back, and they will send John.

I held my tongue. I could see there was no point in arguing with him, or trying to tell him that if it was an eye for an eye, they had got the wrong one. Barrett Marshall was looking embarrassed and eager to make his escape, but the captain joined us.

It looks as if it has been a fruitless expedition, Guard, he said. As far as the boy is concerned. I'm sorry it's come to this.

It was for the boy that we came, said Jacky.

Lambert looked sideways at me. He was certainly an important part of our mission, he said.

Are you going to let them get away with this? Jacky yelled, his eyes bulging. You came to protect British citizens, and one is still held. You cannot pick and choose one over the other. You can't say that having rescued my wife and daughter — for which I am properly grateful — you've finished the job. What did your instructions say? I've seen them too, you know. He paused in his tirade, and when Lambert did not answer him, he said, You were to stop the natives from making trouble with the white man. You were to teach them a lesson.

Without loss of life, said Lambert. If possible.

You haven't even frightened them, Jacky said, his voice thick with contempt.

You have, I said. You burnt their pa at Te Namu. They are full of grief for that.

Lambert brightened at this. Well, he said, I am pleased of that. We can certainly frighten them more. You should go below now, Mrs Guard, for there will be some action soon.

But of course, I didn't go below. For now a drum beat to quarters, and both vessels edged towards the shore until they touched bottom. The first cannons had only been an opening salvo. Now hundreds began to be unleashed above me, directed at the two pa.

For nearly three hours, and with more than three hundred cannon balls fired, the furious assault took place. The canoes that floated in the river between Waimate and Orangituapeka were the first to go, then the roofs of the two pa. When a few shots had been landed, a white flag was run up above Waimate. I wondered if it was some remnant of Louisa's clothing. Then it was taken down, and raised again, as if, within the pa, someone had told them the signal for a truce. I guessed this was something Oaoiti had learned on the ship.

I ran looking for Lambert, but he was out of bounds from me now, as the siege continued. I found Jacky, and grabbed his arm, which he seemed to raise like a shield against me. Please stop them, I implored him. Do something.

Do something? What should I tell them? What did you do, make a present of our son to your friends?

That is not fair, I cried. Our son may well be killed at this rate.

Well, it's too late for tears now, Jacky said. You don't seem to know how to get him back. To hell with them, I say.

As I walked away, I saw Mr Barrett Marshall being sick over the side of the ship.

I heard men's crazy laughter as they loaded more cannon. I remembered convict men run amok, and knew that when work like this began, it was a sport that can't be stopped until it's run its course. Long before it was over, I went below, crouching on the floor of the cabin with pillows over my ears. But nothing kept the sound at bay, the shudder of each blast.

Eventually, they left off, and we ran for anchor further south, where we would stay for several days, until the weather allowed for a new attempt.

At sea, 4 October 1834
    

I do not like the way my wife and Barrett Marshall have their heads together as if they are friends. Whenever I go to talk to her she is speaking to him. There is something strange in her manner that makes me think the worst. And it is more than that for when I speak about the rescue of our son she seems almost indifferent. As if she no longer thinks of herself as his mother. Tonight I went to the cabin where she sleeps with our daughter. I am very tired Jacky she said.

I caught her by the wrist and backed her against the cabin drawers and pushed her a bit. Do not do that to me Jacky she said in a voice I did not know.

He is our son I said. You are not helping.

He belongs to Ngati Ruanui she said.

He does not belong to anybody but me.

They will not give him up.

You could have fought for him.

At that she laughed in a mad way and spat at my face. I dropped her wrist and smacked her hard about the arm. Fight
she said. You think I did not fight.

I do not know what you have done Betty I said. Our son does not belong to a Maori tribe is all I know.

Don't be so certain she said. He is going to be their white chief. You might have to fight him 1 day.

I walked out without another word. As if I wd give up on John whatever crazy things she says to me. Thanks be neither wd the Captain. He can see he has the Maoris on the run.

6 October
    

At daylight we set forth again to Waimate. At 11 the gig was made ready and officers of the regiment headed ashore to demand John's release. The Maoris said they would not let him go.

They came back to the ship. Another 2 hours off they went again. The Maoris came down to the beach with my son. He was held up by an old man. So at least I could see he was alive. The old man put him on his shoulders. You see that I said to nobody in particular, they act like they own him. John waved to the soldiers. But when they asked for him again they were refused.

Who is that man I said to Betty. She was standing near the rails.

That is Mapiki she said.

7 October
    

The boats went back this morning. This time a message was delivered to say Mapiki was willing to bring John on board the ship if first some officers went ashore and waited while he was delivered.

It is because he wants presents Battersby said. The scoundrels are still humbugging us.

I have said no rewards, no ransom money, said Lambert.

You gave Oaoiti presents Betty said. I did not like the note in her voice. Nor do I like the way she has so much to say for herself to everyone but me. And I did not like the way the men hung upon her every word.

He was injured Lambert says rather quick. That is different. I felt some rebuke in what he said for there have been grumbles — Barrett Marshall, of course — as to how my men had stuck the bayonet in. At any rate he said I am not risking men's lives. They will be out for revenge said Battersby, you mark my words.

And so we sailed away again and I was more low in spirits than at any time on this expedition for it seemed to me that after all Lambert had made the decision to give up. So I went to him and said sir listen to me. We have been going to these people where they can see us and flaunt themselves before us not to mention my boy. But what we need is stealth.

I saw interest dawning in his face. What exactly do you mean Guard?

I reckon we should land men further south where they cannot be seen as we did with the interpreters. Only this time I mean the regiment. All the soldiers. Then, while the ships are standing off in their usual position they will think the soldiers are aboard but all the time they will be stealing up from behind. Not for nothing had I watched Te Rauparaha at his tricks.

That is a clever idea he said. Tomorrow we will put that plan into action.

6 officers, 112 men and my men from the
Harriet
were landed. Charley was pleased to see me again. He and the men were cooped up aboard the
Isabella
where they had not been treated well, short of rations and worked hard as deckhands to earn their keep. The master had taken against the crew. Now we were out for action I was pleased enough to see him too. We landed a 6-pounder carronade 2 boxes of ammunition and a quantity of round shot as well as 3 days' provisions and 2 days' spirits.

I was in the last boat to come ashore. Some soldiers were already part way up the cliff before the Ngati Ruanui knew we were coming. The face of the cliff is almost perpendicular but 2 plaited ropes hung from stakes driven in the crevices. When
Ngati Ruanui saw the soldiers almost upon them a cry of terror went up.

Charley and me and the crew were still upon the beach as well as some sailors. Word came that John wd be brought to us. There wd be no more trouble. The troops above were ordered to withdraw to the edge of the cliff.

Mapiki walked towards us. He wore a white feather on his head and a mat across his back. Astride his shoulders sat my son also dressed in a mat with feathers in his hair. Behind them followed the scoundrel Oaoiti. And all along the beach, the warriors followed on.

Before I could reach them a sailor by the name of Ruff who was captain of the fo'c's'le on the
Alligator
had seized John. He was held to Mapiki's back by a string.

Ruff's knife flashed in the sun as he cut the cord. John fell on the ground. Ruff took John and thrust him at me as I ran towards them. Then he turned his musket on Mapiki with his free hand. He took aim at close range and shot him in the back.

From up above the soldiers had heard the shot. They thought the Maoris had begun to shoot and so they began to fire their weapons at the line of them who had followed Mapiki. Panic and confusion broke out as they hurried this way and that. But they had nowhere to run and hide. I heard officers above call for the soldiers to hold their fire but blood was raining all about and running on the sand and bodies falling.

I made my way towards the pinnace. All about me I heard the whimpering of the dying and hands reached out and fell. A voice called help me Haari but I do not know whose. My son screamed out in my arms Mapiki come and save me but the old man was but a scraggy bundle of feathers and straw mat face downwards in the seaweed. I pressed John's face against my shoulder so he wd not see. The sky seemed to turn green in colour. Dark cloud chased shadows over the beach. My nostrils were full of the stinging smell of gunpowder. I looked above. The soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder made a red ribbon
band across the top of the cliff. Still voices were shouting do not shoot, you must not shoot. It was the officers but nobody paid them any heed. Soldiers be soldiers and they had spent many a long week on that coastline and were spoiling for a fight.

The pinnace was bobbing on its mooring, pulling away from the beach. I had to wade towards it all the time the boy wriggling to get free from my arms. The crewmen who had come with me started clubbing Maoris like seals upon the rocks. Their blood seeped over the beach. The breakers caught it and spread it out to sea. The stain floated around the boat. Come I cried out be done with it. For now my only wish was to take my boy to safety and the line of fire had turned our way.

They came then ducking and weaving between the musket fire blood on their hands. We rowed off out to sea towards the ships. Some scores of men and women lay dead behind us upon the beach. The Maoris who were in the pa took up their muskets and a gun battle broke out on the cliff. But it was too late. Soon the tribe left the pa climbing down their ladders and vanishing into the bush. Later it was told that Waiariari who ruled over the 2 pa was the last to leave. They wd tell how he left slowly taking one long last look over the ruins of what was once his village. The musket balls were flying all about and knocking the dirt around him. I think it was the surgeon who said this. But he is a great 1 for a good story.

As we pulled away I had trouble in my heart. But also in my arms I had the son I loved.

The boats had all returned to the ships. It began raining fast. A shroud of mist fell across the sea between us and Waimate and everything was blotted out.

So the
Alligator
and the
Isabella
headed away and left the soldiers and sailors on land. For an instant the fog parted. We saw the Royal Standard flying above one of the pa but it was as nothing to me. I am a whaler not a soldier and now it was over I wanted nothing more of war.

When I went on board the
Alligator
I saw Betty on the deck.
Here I said here is your son.

Did Mapiki give him to you?

I shrugged and turned away.

He is dead is he not she whispered.

He is a rascal I said.

For another 3 days we stood off until it was safe to land. Each night the sky was lit by fires as the pa were destroyed by the soldiers. The blazing ruins were so bright you wd think they could be seen as far as Sydney town. In the end it was safe to bring the men back on board. They spoke as if it had been a great adventure and a merry one at that. 1 had put a sign on the chief's house and called it Government House. Another they called the Pig and Praties for that is what they enjoyed for their tea each night. Some other wretch's hut they had made a barber's pole to place above and called it a shop for Fashionable Haircutting. They brought with them the head of a Maori. It was dented through being kicked from man to man on the beach.

Betty went white and shuddered. It is the head of Mapiki she said.

Betty
    

As we drew away from the Taranaki coastline, that last night, I watched the pyramids of fire rolling and boiling in the sky, the reflection of those ferocious flames cast upon the waters below. I smelled burning manuka wood, sweet and spicy like cooking fires.

Later, much later, someone came to fetch me, and I was taken to eat dinner at the captain's table. A midshipman had been sent to watch my sleeping children. In the days since he had come back to me, John was by turn angry and defiant, kicking his heels against the floor, at other times, lying still and hunched on his bunk.

The messroom looked very pretty with flags and lights. The cooks, now their work was done and dinner served, played a mazurka, as chirpy as birds at daybreak. My dear, Lambert said,
over the brace of roast pigeons they had cooked, and some fine claret, now it is over, you can tell us all about your adventures.

When I said nothing, he said, perhaps it is all too distressing?

I have witnessed terrible things, I said. I saw my brother killed before my eyes. For a moment I was overcome. I didn't want to tell of David but I felt I must.

We will do all we can to put right the wrongs against you, said the captain.

I took a deep breath. I wish to put the matter behind me as quickly as I can, sir. My husband and I, and here I looked at Jacky as winningly as I could, wish only to be a united family again.

I turned to the surgeon then and said, I would be obliged, Mr Barrett Marshall, if you could spare some time to examine my daughter, for our life among the savages has left her weak and unwell.

Upon hearing this, the men around the table, even Jacky, nodded in sympathy. Captain Lambert raised his glass. To Mrs Guard, he said, a brave and plucky little woman.

I would not have described myself as little but enough of that.

J
OURNAL
OF
J
OHN
G
UARD

At sea, 13 October 1834
    

We sailed for Kapiti and landed to take on water. Te Rauparaha saluted me when he heard what we had done. Why did you not bring me some of my enemy to eat, he said.

Lambert put out a proclamation then to be handed out round the settlement. He showed me a copy that I have in front of me. Written from HMS
Alligator
at Entree Island, the English name for Kapiti, it is dated 11 October 1834. It begins by telling of the arrival of the 2 ships of war belonging to His Majesty King William the 4th in consequence of the horrid murder of the crew of the
Harriet
. The rest were made slaves it says by the people of
Mataroa, Nummo, Taranachee and Wyamati. The proclamation tells then of the severe punishment inflicted on the tribes and says that the King of England however much he might want to be friends with the New Zealanders wd not countenance what they had done to my family. If it happened again it wd be treated with equal severity.

It is about this time I noticed that my wife no longer had any words at all for me.