THE SEIZURE OF MESSRS. FIRTH AND BUCKLAND'S CATTLE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3394, 2 June 1868, Page 8

THE SEIZURE OF MESSRS. FIRTH AND BUCKLAND'S CATTLE.

To th« Editor of th» Daht£.Soothkrn Cioss. •Bnt,— The statements arding native affairs, made" from time to time in the columns of th« Auckland pewspapen, would be curious *nd interesting, and indeed alarming enough, were tbey only true. Whether they do harm or not I leave others to judge. They at least afford a good deal of amusement to the Maori*, who, when they read the various reports, say, " The pakehas are a brave and wonderful people. They are not afraid of fighting, to they invent stories of what we are doing, and then get very frightened at what th«y have said to themselves ; whilst all the time we are doing nothing but planting potatoes and squatting in the sunshine." The notices regarding the oattle belonging to Mr. Buokland and myself, which have recently appeared in the columns of the Herald and those of the Cboss, are a fair specimen of the manner in which silly rumours are circulated in this province. We have been told that the oattle have been again seized, and that they have now diminished to about fifty, — " that the natives propose an attaolt on the Waikato, — that the way in which certain parties are teasing the natives to permit the oattle to pass the aukatis was highly improper, and was indeed a very selfish and wrong thing to do." To-day the Maoris are denounced — to-morrow is the turn of their pakeha friends. The publio have doubtless been rather mystified about the cattle seizure, and, with your permission, I will endeavour to put the matter in its true light Mr. Buokland started across tke Fatetere Range? some time ago with about two hundred head of oattle. Just before be emerged from the forest a mob of about 50 broke and scattered to the Tauranga side of the range. Shortly after, the 150 remaining were seised by Hakaraia, a few miles from my station, and driven across the island to Tokangamutu. The Ngatibaua were asked by Mr. Buokland to reoover the 50 head, whioh they consented to do, and to hold tbem until the King's pleasure should be known, . The cattle having been seiied, Mr. Buokland re- ' turned to town. It was then suggested that policemen should be tent to arrest Hakaraia and some others who were concerned in the seizure. I was requested to meet Mr. Stafford on the matter. I pointed out to him that the best policy was to wait— that probably , the outrage had been instigated by a few violent men, and that, if they were let albne, the good sense and good feeling of the majority might be expeoted to prevail. Moreover, I pointed out to Mr. Stafford that so far as I was concerned I declined all Go- | verntnent interference or help of any kind ; that I was fully prepared to stand the consequences; and, rather than my enterprise at Matamata should become, in the present critical state of affairs, a oanse of war, that I would cheerfully sacrifice evsry shilling I had invested there. Mr. Stafford entirely concurred in my view, and as far as the Government were concerned the matter ended. No effort of any kind was made to obtain possession of the cattle, nor were any attempts to break the aukati made by Mr. Buokland and myself further than that I wrote two letters— one to Tana te Waharoa, Wi Tamihana's successor, and one to Tamati Ngapora (Tawhiao's Prime Minister). As these letters will throw some light on the subsequent proceedings I subjoin copies : — " Auckland, March SO, 1868. "Sir, — Salutations.-— Tbi* is a word from me to you. Buckland's cattle have been taken by you. I desired my cattle to come round by the sea, That was the word I said to Tamati and the rest at Kotuku. Whilst I was at Waihou, Buokland had gone to Tauranga, and, meeting Bori Tupaea there, he brought some of my cattle over the range without any word or consent from me. " This is the word that I hear. These oattle have been seised by your friends. The Hauhaus fired oil guns, aud have stolen the oattle. They are now eating them. " Hearken, this work ii done tinder your shadow. Is it right * What evil thing have I done that my cattle should be stolen ? What wrong have the oattle done that they should be eaten by Hauhaus ? Oh, son, take heed to your steps. You are approaching the edge of the precipice. Hearken I Do you not hear the roar of the ocean below I " Why does my friend continue to live in a dark house \ Hobgoblins and evil counsellors dwell therein. Your father dwelt in the sunshine, 'As 1 am told, Tawhiao does not approve of this bad work. He knows that it will lead to fighting if it be not stopped. Bo you stop it, and restore the oattle. ' ' Hearken, there are many pakehas here who wisl to live at peace with the Maoris. Why do you permit bad men to put that peace in danger of being broken ? Friend, this is another word : the new Go vernor, Sir George Bowen, his arrived. He has had no hand in the troubles of this island. He is clear. He is a wise man, and desires strongly to do good to all the Maoris and the pakehai, He has heard of the rivers being shut up, and of the cattle being stolen. I have seen him, and have said to him, ' O Governor, this bad work has been done by ignorant men, whe do not know the right way.' I have said to him, < Do not be angry with them; wait; let us hear all; let there be no fighting.' The Governor said, 'Good, 1 will wait and hear for myself, for I do not love war.' "These words are good words; I approve of them. Do you, O Tana, ponder well all the words of this letter. From your friend, "J, 0. Fibth. " Tana te Waharoa." " Auckland, April 15, 1868. "Friend,— Salutations. This is a word from me Hohaia, the|friend of Wi Tamibana, to you, Tamati, who in old times had the reputation of being a good man, and who in these days, I am told, still remains a good man. " The word has come to me that you desire no wrong to be done to me or to my oattle. I have heard that you desired my oattle not to cross the mountain ranges at Fatetere, lest evil should befal them. T have also heard that you and Tawhiao desire that the oattle whioh have been taken to Wharepapa should be restored to me. That is a good work. Enough of that. "This is another word regarding my work with the oattle. At the time when these cattle were at Taupo I desired to drive them by way of Waotu to my land at Matamata. I saw Hitiri at Oruanui. He told me that the aukati was established at Tahatabaroa. Hitiri is a good man, and desired that no evil should grow out of the cattle. He is my friend, and he said to m«, 'Do not break the aukati, for evil will arise, and the wound which is healing will break out afresh.' Bitiri said, 'Do not tread upon our words Let the cattle go to Matamata by way of Maketu and Tauranga.' I consented. Then the Ara was said to me, ' Hohaia, drive them the short road at Waotu. We will drive them with one hundred armed men.' I said to the Ara was, ' No, I have given my word to Hitiri— and my word, the word of Hohaia, shall not be broken. Let the oattle be driven the long road in peace. Even as I opposed (would not consent to) the placing of pakeha soldiers at Lake Taupo, so I will not consent to the Arawa soldiers driving my cattle across the aukatis.' Baihi and the chiefs of Ngatihaua also desired me to drive the oattle the long road. Great has been my patience ; four months have passed away : then an aukati was made at Kiri ate Kawhia, and at Wairere. Pokoroa and the rest said, ' Send the oattle by sea.' I consented, for my patience was long and strong like a ship's cable. Then the steamer went (was to go) for the cattle, but Hori Tupaea told Buokland that the aukati at Patetere had been set up by him, and that he would break it, and drive the oattle over the range. Without my knowledge or consent they drove the cattle. Then the cattle were seized not far from the Waihou ; guns were fired by the Hauhaus, and seme cattle were killed. " Now hearken : when this word came to Auckland to me and the pakehas, some pakehas said, ' Let the policemen go and arrest the men who have taken the cattle. 1 As for me, I said, 'No, be patient. I will not be angry; I will wait. Foolish Maoris have done this evil.' I went to the new Governor, Sir George Bowen, who is dear of all the evil which has been seen in this island. I said, ' O Governor, wait, do not be angry with my friends.' He said, ' I will uot be angry; I will wait, for I love peace and hate war.' I have waited. Your word has now come to me that we two are of one mind. This is another word: you and I are not warriors, we are men of peaoe. You cultivate the ground. My sword is the ploughshare, with that L make long furrows at Wharetangata, so that there may be much food. Let you and I continue good friends. Wi Tamihana said, ' Hohaia, remain on this land.' 1 remember his words. I hold fast to them, for they are full of good to us two, and to all the people. Do you inquire into my works, and if you find 1 have done any evil or unjust thing, tell me, so that I may make reparation. Do you in like manner inquire' into the works of the Maoris towards me, and, if their works to me have been evil, let reparation be mad* to me, so that our friendship may flourish like the trees of the forest. "From your friend, "«J. 0. Fibth. "Do you let me know your thoughts. • "T6 Tamati Ngapora, Tokangamutu." ' gfr^rwlyvltarthis Jletter tp Tamati .Ngapora, .93 hs»d «f oattle were delivered , over to me at >„A lexandra. This mob have, been on Mr. Bjiokland's run near my land, at Matamata, for a forjixuigh^, , I have' since Motived a, letyer from

Tamati, informing me that all the stragglers are being collected, and will be delivered over to me , that instructions had been forwarded to Tana to deiver the mob of 50 bead in his possession to me; and further informing me that all cattle which have been killed by the Maoris will be paid for, 1 here will be but one opinion of the very hand* some manner in which King Tawhiao and his Prime Minister, Taraati Ngapora, have acted in the matter. Further comment is unnecessary. — I am, &c, Auckland, May 22, 1868. J. 0. Fihth.