Many years ago, on the 4th of September, 1863, Huria Matenga woke up from the wind and the rain batting against the roof. Then she woke Hemi her husband and they went down to the beach. They saw that a boat was in trouble. People on the boat were trying to throw a rope to them but they never reached them so Hemi. Huria and Hohapata ran to the water, waded and swam out to the boat. Huria tied a rope the boat and she swam back and tied the rope to the rock. Meanwhile Henry Squirrel was swimming out to try and tie a rope to a rock but he was knocked unconscious so they pulled him back in and put him down on a bunk.
The first sailor started to go hand over hand and when the boat tipped towards the shore it plunged the sailor under the water, nearly drowning him. Huria, risking her life, went out and helped him. She helped all of them. The last to leave the boat was the captain. Once there was about five metres to go Huria had to drag the captain.
About fifteen minutes later Henry Squirrel was back on the deck but they couldn’t rescue him because the rope had snapped so Henry drowned. The ship sank with all its cargo plus Henry Squirrel.
The rescuers got a silver or gold watch. Now in Nelson they are famous. After Huria died they painted her portrait and it is still hanging in the Suter Art Gallery. That was a story of one of New Zealand’s early heroes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like how big the story is.from sophie
ReplyDeletei do to.from hannah
ReplyDeletethats such a good retell of the story i got told a miny version of it when i was a quater of the way up Pepin Island which was right next to delaware bay on class camp this year. Pepin island is about the size of the sky tower or mabey even taller!! and i climbed with my class!!!!!!!!! iits soo big!! love Kelle
ReplyDelete