Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/152

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Billy Simpson.
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trading vessel, came on board with his daughter, and was instantly seized and bound. During the terrible time of the massacre ashore they were left in the hold of the vessel; but when these demons were once more clear of the land they loosed him and taunted him with the horrible and bestial tortures and indignities they were going to inflict on his daughter as well as himself. Determined if possible to save the poor girl from the indescribably horrible fate in store for her, the gallant prisoner managed to snatch a tomahawk from one of their fiendish persecutors, and killing the miserable girl with a single blow, threw her body into the sea, and tried to leap after it. In this, however, he failed, for before he could take the spring he was seized by his captors, who, baulked of their proposed atrocities on his daughter, promised him a death of intense agony. Well they kept their hideous promise! On their arrival at Kapiti, at the great feast at which they celebrated their successful raid, the wretched man was brought before them and tortured to death in a most hideous manner—by having red-hot bars of iron thrust through his body. Terrible indeed had been Rauparaha’s revenge!


Billy Simpson’s narrative had the effect of causing a gentleman residing in Akaroa to write to the Akaroa Mail the following letter, which will be found very interesting:—

The Onawe Massacre.

Sir,—I have read with great interest Mr. Simpson’s account of the massacre at Akaroa, but I think there are several statements therein that require correction. It is stated by him that Te Pahi was murdered at Kaiapoi by a chief named Tangatihira. This is altogether wrong, as he was murdered at Akaroa by