NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3213, 2 November 1867, Page 5

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

[From Octobib. 2 to Novimbmv 2.] The Compensation Court has been sitting for gome time at Whakatane, for the purpose of iettling 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 M*rsh te Rangikaheke, who is anxious that all the Maorii should know how well the Ngatipukeko* 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 Court, in reference to the lands taken by the Government for the tins 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 a.% a relish. It is supposed that if the potatoes had been sold they would have realised £176, and the cattle £169 16s. 6d. Bight of the cattle each weighed 4owt. ; and the other l£cwt. (The writer probably meant the above figures to be doubled, as this is the oommon way of counting amongst the natives.) This food was qiven 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 should 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. Thifl waiooe great; rul« observed by them, namely,

their obedience to the command of their magistrate, Hobaia Matatehokia, that the people who assembled at the Court should be fed. The second word that this magistrate demanded should be observed by his tribe was to supply food and seed potatoes to three tribes whohad fledforsafety to Whakatane,beingafraid of the XJrewera Hauhaus. The persons who fled from Rnatoki 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 Ngatipukekos. I, William Marsh, have been living ajb Whakatane for these 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." It appears that the native landowners in the Upper Thames are about equally divided in opinion as to the advisability or otherwise of permitting miners to prospect the entire district j and several meetings have been held on the subject, but with no apparent result up to the date of 'our correspondent's letters. Already several influential chiefs have given their voice in favour of the opening of the district;, but are restrained from carrying their resolve into effect; from the threats held out by Te Hira and about a half-a-dozen old Maoris, who state that they would go over to the King at Tokangamutu if the pakehas are permitted to cross the boundary lines. A Ngatihaua chief named Graham had made the necessary arrangements for taking a prospecting party from Waikato over his own and his tribe's land above Te Aroha, but was dissuaded from doing so by his people. Our Upper Thames correspondent writes that the surveyors engaged on the Katikati have no cause to feel apprehensive of an attack from that side of the block. Upon the news being communicated to Te Bira that the survey was about to be commenced, he expressed himself satisfied that all would be well so leng as the proper boundary was recognised, and that Te Kepa, who was to lead the survey party, was quite able to attend to that matter.