This drawing of Rewi Maniapoto (here called Rewi Manga) illustrated 'Orakau', a poem by Thomas Bracken in his 1890 book, Musings in Maoriland. The poem described the famous reply attributed to Rewi at the battle of Ōrākau in 1864: 'Ka whawhai tonu mātou, ake, ake, ake!’ (We shall fight on forever!). The poem begins, 'Three hundred swarthy braves at Orakau', which, in the use of the word 'brave', suggests Bracken's dependence on American models. Bracken's volume was intended to commemorate New Zealand's golden jubilee (50th anniversary) in 1890, and included a number of poems with Māori subject matter, including 'The march of Te Rauparaha'. The illustration was by E. K. Mair, better known by her birth name of Kate Sperrey, who had married Gilbert Mair, the commander of Te Arawa forces during the New Zealand wars.
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference:
Thomas Bracken, Musings in Maori-land. Dunedin: Arthur T. Keirle, 1890, facing p.160
Artwork by E.K. Mair
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