COMPENSATION COURT AT WHAKATANE—NATIVE HOSPITALITY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3192, 9 October 1867, Page 3

COMPENSATION COURT AT WHAKATANE—NATIVE HOSPITALITY.

The Compensation Court has been sitting for some time at Whakatane, for the purpose of settling claims to land in that part of the Bay of Plenty. The Ngatipukekos of Whakatane— the relatives of the murderers of Fulloon— have been generous in their hospitality to the natives assembled at the Court. We have received the following letter from Marsh te Rangikaheke, who is anxious that all the Maoris should know how wejl the Ngatipukekos have behaved :— " Send this to be printed, that it may be proclaimed, that our Maori friends may see it. The Ngatipukekos have assented that the food they gave to the tribes of the distant places who assembled here at the Courb, in reference to the lands taken by the Government for the Bins of the Maori people, should be published. There were assembled here 660 persons— 2oo women, 160 children, and 300 men. The food that was given consisted of 400 kits of potatoes and kumaras, and nine head of cattle as a relish. It is supposed that if the potatoes had been sold they would have realised £176, and the cattle £169 16s. 6d. Eight of the cattle each weighed 4owt. j and the other l^cwt. (The writer probably means the above figures to be doubled, aa this is the common way of counting amongst the natives.) This food was given by the Ngatipukekos for the above people. They spoke to Mr. John Wilson, the Commissioner, who had the taking away of the land, suggesting that he ihould bear half the expense for the food consumed by the people who attended the Court, but that lawyer (roia) did not consent. So that the food was' given gratuitously, in love by the Ngatipukekos. This was one great rule observed by them, namely, their obedience to the command of their magistrate, Hohaia Matatehokia, that the people who assembled at the Court should be fed. The second word that this magistrate demanded should bo observed by his tribe was to supply food and seed potatoes to threa tribes who had fledforsafetytoWhakatane,beingafraid of the Urewera flauhaus. The persons who fled from Ruatoki were forty in number, the chiefs being Te Makarini and Hiretauaki ; those who fled from Otipa amounted to perhaps fifty. There were between 70 and 120 baskets of seed potatoes, and food given to these fugitives -by the Mgatipukekoa. I, William Marsh, have been living at Whakatane forthese months, and have seen constantly these exhibitions of kindness, and the readiness manifested by the Ngatipukekos in obeying the command of their magistrate Hohaia. My wonder and admiration have been great in relation to supplying those who were in want."