Habsburgs and Maoris

[Borys]

Maddox     
Posted: Oct 1 2006, 05:19 PM


Hegemon
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A copy of the Austrian Hungarian travel report to new Zealand


QUOTE
Off the coast of Maoria, near strait diving the two big islands, 12th of April 1903

Fregatten-Kapitan Karl-Heinz Baumundziegel watched the launch coming back from the beach. They had chosen this spot as being just beyond visibility of the coastal fortifications guarding a sizeable harbor, just around the promotory. They had backtracked from the harbor mouth, without even entering artillery range - just in case. And their modus operandi was to be different.
He had low hopes for the success of this mission, but the professor of linguistics - Johann Eisenschnit, had insisted on unchaging nature of the Human Character. And lectured at lenght, since sailing from Pola.
Following his plan, they had set up an open-sided tent above the high water mark, with neatly stacked rifles of various marks. Each mark was provided with printed icongraphic instructions as to manner of use, and ammunition. At the last moment Baumundziege had put his foot down and did not allow the landing of the 65mm landing gun. And the weapons' lot included some papers in a language the professor had insisted was Rohirrim.
Now they were to wait out of sight, and come back to check any reaction from the natives tommorrow.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 1 2006, 05:28 PM


Hegemon
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QUOTE
April 12th 1903, Dusk at the Austrian landing spot nearby the North islands natural harbor (Wellington and Kingston).

The lush, moist foliage trembling and shaking. A loud noise like the singing of 100's of men comes closer. Faintly, but brightning faster, a serpent of fire snakes down to the beach, more flames springing up as if torchbearers fire their torches at a common firepot.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 1 2006, 05:29 PM


Hegemon
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SMS Kronstadt, off North Island, 12th Arpil 1903

QUOTE
SMS Kronstadt, off North Island, 12th Arpil 1903

- "They have come! They have come!" - Eisenschnit yelled and jumped up and down exciteldy! - "This worked in 850 BC and is working now!"
Baumundziege was not that optimistic - and even with the best intentions of the locals, he was worried about the torches and ammunition. He'd have preferred a daytime examination, thus his distance from the shore - they could see the torch waving procession only through their binoculars.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 1 2006, 05:37 PM


Hegemon
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Under the singing, a vitual torrent of superb muscled male natives pouring out of the edge of the jungle
Only wearing a kilt like skirt and sturdy leather boots, equipped with a muzzle loading musket , several large knifes , an axe and seemingly as an aftertought, a small backpack.

Quickly they seize the unloaded modern rifles, and after a short inspection, they run off, leaving the beach pristine, as if nothing ever was there.

Only the footprints are a testemony of the efficiency of the Maori Warriors.


Then, a deep booming sound, a Huge drum sending a message over many miles...
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 1 2006, 06:58 PM


Hegemon
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to get the idea of the singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83U_Vg1GRvA...related&search=


After the landing of the Glorious French explorer Bougainville at the south island, and the subsequent attack- luckely without casulties- of the warlike maories France just recognized the islands as independent, and never mounted an official colonisation expedition.
Later visits did show that the natives got European manufactered firearms, and that colonisation would become an expensive conquest.

The Rohirrim, always the defenders of the smaller tribes all over North America, could excert their willpower, and after several attempts of different great powers, the Maories got accepted independence.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 06:36 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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SMS Kronstadt, off south coast of North island, Easter Monday, 13th of April 1903

Morning
Baumundziege looked at the bloodshot, baggy eyes of the scientist turned diplomat - it was apparent that he hadn't slept much, if at all.
- "No, professor, I refuse. In my capacity as Kommandant* I refuse to put you ashore just yet. Not only are you in no form for negotiations, nor might the natives be sufficiently appeased, it is also extremally unlucky to endeavor anything of importance on the 13th of a month, AND on a Monday. Easter Monday or not, we will only put the next tranche ashore, with the landing gun this time. As the Maoris have stol ... treated the tent top as a gift too, we have to keep the spare for you, for tommorrow."


* title used for "captain of the ship" regardless of rank
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 08:14 AM


Hegemon
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New Zealand ,North Island .

Signal tower, drum n°2

Boom Boooooom BomBom.

A short signal, repeated 3 times to avoid misunderstandings.

The chiefs in hearing range grin broadly.
After the the regulated time passes, local drums start repeating the signal, spreading the good news further.

Men starting to gather, donning the Warriors Clothing and on a trot, they start towards the big harbor
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 09:13 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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SMS Kronstadt, off south coast of North Island, 13th of April 1903, afternoon

Listening to the THUD-THUD of drums the professor had the face of a man who had just partaken in the orgy of his life. Blissful and badly in need of sleep ...

Baumundziegel decided to move away from the shore, out of drumbeat, and slightly to the northeast, as to keep the professor from peeking at the beach. He wanted the emissary well rested when he put him ashore tommorrow.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 10:43 AM


Hegemon
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Titokowaru was watching the strange vessel departing trough the Pâkehâ delivered farlookers.

Strange people who travel under a 2 headed bird flag.

Why not wait untill the tribes have gathered their payments for the new guns?

Oh well, the new rifles are better than the previous ones delivered by the obnoxious ship traveling under a flag with a white hand.

Very strange payment these asked. All the flags with an horse ....
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 01:58 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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SMS Kronstadt, off south coast of North Island, 14th of April 1903, morning

Just after dawn the chaplain held unscheduled Mass, in large part for the Professor's benefit, who took Communion, and was given In Periculo Mortis absolution.
Then the cruiser returned to its "point of exchange" and began loading readying the third tranche into boats. But the first boat, with the tent and Eisenschint, set for the shore immediatelly.

ADDED FRAGMENT WHICH I FORGOT

This post has been edited by Borys on Oct 2 2006, 03:01 PM
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 02:12 PM


Hegemon
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Now they return Mahakapea muttered.

The world has many creatures, but non so strange as the white men.
Oh well, maybe they are back to gather the honnest and fair payment for the guns they left. Lets signal the chief.

Thud Boom Boom


Titokowaru rises to the noise and immediatly issue's orders, and the Warriors still at his camp gather themselfs and the packages of tradegoods.

Again, under loud singing they trot to the beach, during the day.

A lonely tent, more guns, even a cannon are waiting . With an excited white man attending.

This will prove a good day....
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 2 2006, 02:58 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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On beach of North Island, Maoria, 14th April 1903

The Professor was all long faces on seeing the untouched second tranche. But he managed to browbeat the sailors into unloading what they had brought, and to signal to the cruiser that he will stay until the evening.
He set himself up in a chair under the new tent top and tried to read a book about Rohan. Then he leafed through a Rohirrim-French dictionary. Then he finally stopped pretending to himself and tensely waited for whatever might happen. He jumped when the drums began to beat again.
THEY WILL COME!
He paced excitedely around the dump.
And then he heard the singing.
THE ARE COMING! THEY ARE COMING!
And they were brininging goods! It worked! It worked! It worked! The other academics in Vienna will eat their hats!
Oh, what warriors! Was there some similarity with the Ashanti? Or is it just a similar warrior culture?
How to begin? How was friend in Rohirrim?
He raised his empty hands and said -
MELLON
   
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Ithekro    
Posted: Oct 3 2006, 07:00 PM


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April 14, 1903
On beach of North Island, Maoria

"MELLON" said the strange looking white man with a raised open hand.

"'Melon?' He wants fruit for firesticks?" asked one warrior. "Is he daft?"

"He's a European, not a Rohirrim." said one of the older warriors. "He probably doesn't know what he said."

"Should we give him fruit?"

"Will you get off the fruit, Ka Hoki."

"I think he expects something."

The warriors looked at the Europeans a moment more before thinking of something, "Bonjour" said the lead warrior with his hand held high like the strange European.

"Do you know what that means?" asked one of the others quietly.

The warrior paused, then quietly said, "Hello...I think."
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 4 2006, 12:31 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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April 14, 1903
On beach of North Island, Maoria

The Professor was so absorbed by the sight of the warriors - kilts, boots, muskets, axes, that he missed their cargo. The warriors closest to him exchanged some quick remarks in a language alien to him. Then one of them said something which he understood, and thus almost missed - "Bon Jour". With some delay he answered mechanically, in paralel to that Maori making a comment to his companion.
- "Mein Gott! They know French!" - it finally reached him.
- "Bon Jour!" - he repeated for good measure, looking with eager anticipation at the author of those words addressed at him.
   
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Maddox    
Posted: Oct 4 2006, 12:56 AM


Hegemon
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Chief Titokowaru, watching the trading group with the lonely european, trough binoculars.


Comenting to himself
The warship at sea still a force to recon with. If a worst case scenario happens, it would take days befor the big gun could get in range, and even then, the warship doesn't have to stay put.

Luckely it isn't one of the large warships of the so called Glorious French. 25 years ago destroying one of these took 400 warriors and 6 canoes.

[Borys]

Ithekro     
Posted: Oct 5 2006, 09:37 PM


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For some reason the warriors didn't think this was going to go very far speaking European, since his knowledge of that language was rather limited. Maybe something more common in this part of the world? "Parlez-vous Westron?"

It was worth a shot. His speaking Westron was not all that good, but spoken Rohirrim seemed to be rare even with those from Rohan these days, so they had to learn a little to trade with the Mark's merchantmen.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 6 2006, 04:28 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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April 14, 1903
On beach of North Island, Maoria

The French speaking warrior switched to a new language. Maybe "Bon Jour" was all he knew? Never mind, good enough! The new language seemed to be the Low Rohirric used in contacts with outsiders, not the High Rohirric used among the pure Rohirrim*. Good! Materials for study of Low Rohirric were easier to find, and his vocabulary was bigger.
- "Hello!" - he repeated, this time in Westron. Continuing in halting Westron, he introduced himself and explained the purpose of his mission ...


SMS Kronstadt
Fregattenkapitan Baumundziegel, looking through the strongest binoculars on the boat, grunted to himself
- "at least he's not in the pot yet ... "

Ever since leavng Pola the professor had been trained by the ship's armorer on the use of rifles. He much would had preferred irregular Latin verbs, but that's life ...
He now commenced the demonstration he had been drilled to perform. He first explained to his audience that it is demonstration. He was getting a bit uneasy, with all those axes and knives around him ...
He first fired a couple of rounds from the Werndle, after each shot throwing the rifle at a crate of ammunition. That did not impede operation of the three moving parts of the mechanism. But it was visible that the rate of fire was quite slow, with every round chambred by hand, and the black powder gave off lots of smoke. Thankfully there was a breeze blowing it away.
After massaging his arm - the 11,4mm gun had a strong kick, he reached out for the 8mm straight pull M95. Firing as fast as he could (about half the rate of a skilled marksman), he demonstrated the rapid fire that was possible from this weapon. And much less smoke. He immediatelly pased to the turnbolt 6,5mm M03 and again fired for pure speed. It was visibly slower than the M95. He than took a handful of sand and sprinkled some over the works of both rifles. The M95 refused to work, while the M03 - with some squeeking and scratching noises - still managed to give off a few shots ...



* this is the current theory among Europe's academics
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 7 2006, 01:15 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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April 16th, off North Island

The SMS Kronstadt sailed away, with a large heap of fruit on the deck, mellons being particularly conspicuous. But for over half a thousand men, how much does it take to eat a couple of mellons? Other merchandise - stuffed exotic birds, wood carvings, etc. had been put away.
Te professor stayed on the Island, with hopes to see some higher up chieftain. Meanwhile Ka Hoki was pestering the Gunnery Officer to give a demonstration of all ordnance on board. Disapointed with the demonstration of artillery being put off for later, he leeched himself to the Armorer and was going for the world record in the disassembly of the Mannlicher. The other Maori was more reserved, aloof even, speaking little but all eyes and ears - without being obvious about it.
The cruiser sailed for south east Australia to recoal, then to the DKB capital, to pay fellow Germans a courtesy visit, then someplace called Catanduanes to catch up with any correspondence from Vienna (and pick up a fresh batch of "boomsticks"), and by way of New Caledonia back to North Island.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Oct 7 2006, 05:42 AM


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The DKB will gladly receive the Austrian vessel(s). Much schnapps and schintzel will be prepared.