1 | 2 | 3
A Howick tragedy
Alan La Roche
‘A Howick Tragedy’ describes a tragic incident that occurred in November 1853, when a Maori trading canoe bound for Auckland capsized off Paparoa Point, near Howick, and all but three of the thirteen members of the crew were drowned.
Contemporary witnesses
On 16 November 1853 ten Maori were drowned when a canoe capsized off Paparoa Point (the point between the Howick and Mellons Bay beaches). It is said that after the bodies were brought ashore, canoes carrying at least 100 Maori arrived and saluted the dead by firing their muskets. The British military have a long tradition of firing guns over the dead, particularly at burial, and the Maori were copying this tradition.
The tragedy was described in the Southern Cross newspaper as follows: “Melancholy Occurrence. – It is our painful duty to inform our readers of the death, by drowning, of ten natives of the Ngatimara [Ngati Maru] tribe including their chief Whaiapu, a man of much influence, and deservedly respected by all who knew him. It appears that the canoe was heavily laden with kauri gum, potatoes, and other produce, and the weather being boisterous, much difficulty was experienced crossing the Thames, and when within a few miles of the Waiheke reach, the poor fellows encountered a cross sea; they immediately lightened the canoe by throwing over the gum &tc. but this proved unavailing, the vessel filled and turned bottom upwards.
“They succeeded in righting her by incessant baleing [sic] managed to get near the Paparoa point. By this time their strength was exhausted, so that they became an easy prey to the tempestuous waves; one by one disappearing as the canoe drifted towards the shore. One of the chiefs named Ngapu, was exceedingly anxious to save his wife; he bore her in his arms through the foaming surge to a rock, but on discovering that life was extant, he threw himself into the tide, and speedily found a watery grave. The melancholy accident took place on Wednesday last. There are only three survivors, the party having been thirteen in all.”[1]
On 25 November 1853, Howick’s Anglican vicar, the Reverend Vicesimus Lush, recorded in his diary: “A canoe upset off our beach and ten natives drowned. One poor fellow tried to save his wife and succeeded in placing her on a rock, but then perceived she was dead, he plunged again into the deep and rose no more.”
Three days later he recorded: “Three bodies of Maories [sic], being some of the unfortunate 10 who were drowned a few days ago, were washed ashore on Saturday & a large body of natives in two canoes – one being a war canoe holding a hundred men – landed on our beach and claimed the bodies, & kept up a long firing over the dead with their muskets – why I could not exactly make out. All the bodies but one are now recovered.”[2]
1 | 2 | 3