OHINEMURI. A TRIP TO THE UPPER THAMES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3515, 21 October 1868, Page 5

OHINEMURI. A TRIP TO THE UPPER THAMES.

ar.lfi . , MR. SCHAFEP, THE TRAVELLER, MARRIES A MAORI— THE SEPARATION— AMUSING INCIDENTS — SCHAFER LEAVES THE SETTLEMENT.

DIGGERS TURNED OFF THE GROUND.

THE PROBABLE OPENING. (VKOH THXSPXOIAL CORBK3PONDENT OP THE "THAMES JjyrXRTIStR.")

Thy p.«. ' Clyde* left Shortland at 8 o'clock on Sunday morning, for the purpose of oonveying excursionists on a visit to JOhinemuri. There were oa board in all about fifteen passengers. The banks alongside the river Thames are flat and swampy, bnt are backed up by the ranges, which relieve to a grtat extent the otherwise monotonous scenery. The navigation it very easy, there being plenty of water the whole distance. About twelve miles up the river, Puriri is passed on the left hand, and halfway between Shortland and Ohinemuri you come to a large creek on the left hand, called the Hikutaia. A little beyond this creek Mr. Anderton's house appears, a very comfortable oottage surrounded by abont a couple of acres of cultivated land. Mr. Thorpe's station, located on the left-hand side of the river, is situated ' about thirty miles up the river, and there the steamer anchored. Captain Ellis went on shore in order to obtain information at to how Jmuch further the steamer would be allowed to proceed, and was advieed not to go any further, because some diggers had on the previous day been warned off the supposed auriferous land, and brought back by an escort of natives to this station. The passengers there landed, and proceeded to Mr. Thorpe's, where evory attention was afforded them. I may mention that every reasonable accommodation can be obtained here. After remaining at Mr. Thorpe's a short time, most of the passeDgers proceeded on foot to a native settlement about a mile and a half distant. The chief of this settlement is named Karaitiana, or Christian, and he was present at the time of our visit, and received us most hospitably. Here we were regaled with potatoes and rum ad libitum. The village is a very small* one, consisting of only a few-wbares, there being-very little cultivated ground about it. From here we proceeded onward to another settlement about a mile distant, of which Wikiriki is the chief. This is a settlement of far greater pretensions, the chief feature of which is a Jarge raupo whare, recently •rected for the purpose of a meeting-house. The workmanship of the interior is remarkably tasty, and outside the entrance there is a very grotesque wooden figure elevated on a pole. There is also a similar figure inside the building. The interior presents quite a warlike appearance, there beiDg no less than fifteen guns, consisting principally of double-bar-relled fowling-pieces, neatly slung in rowß along the walL The natives of' this whare, of which there were abont a dozen squatted about, were particularly taciturn, and appeared disinclined to afford any information. There is, a 'large amount of cultivation about 'the'fsettlement, and also numerous whares; potatoes appearing in abundance. ' At another whare" in the same settlement which we visited we met with < a remarkably intelligent half-caste girl, of prepossessing appearance, • who spoke Eagliah quite as fluently as any European. She informed us that the friendly natives were fast losing confidence in* Mr. Mackay, beoause they saw that he was attempting to secure Maori land for his own private purposes, and" that the King natives would have nothing at alf -to say to him. She also told us that Mr. C. O. Davis, on a recent visit, had told the natives not to allow any digger to settle upon the land dn any account, and but for that she believed that the Upper Thames might now be opened, although under present circumstances she saw very little prospect of it. From this Village we proceeded across the river, in a canoe propelled by a Maori boy, ,to the chief settlement of the district, where the great chief Bopata, or Pahika, holds sway. W e were most cordially received by him and his wife. — 4 his chief is a most prepossess-ing-looking man, of engaging manner, and quite realises one's idea of the trne Maori warriors. He regaled us most hospitably, and intimated the plealure ,it afforded him to be visited by the pakehas. Clean Maori mats were given us to sit upon , and in the course of conversation he expressed his anxiety that the Upper Thames should at once be opened, stating at the same time that the great obstacle to this was the native chief Te Hira. In the course of a fewminutes, who shonld make his appearance but that" 'celebrated individual, Mr. Schafer, the great pedestrian traveller, who at once commenced a complaint of -the treatment he had received at the hands of Kop'a'taand his tribe, Mr. Richard Matthews, who was present amongst the visitors, at once brought his knowledge of Maori into use, and explained to Bopata the expressed dissatisfaction of Mr. Sobafer. The chief at once requested us to adjourn to a more commodious building in order that the difference between himself and Mr. Sohafer might be discussed. We adjourned accordingly- to [a neighbouring whare, where we foundT a, table and spme bunks erected, the latter furnishing seats for.the occasion. Mr. Schafer then staffed his grievance as follows : — That he had been living ; -amongst the tribe for a period of two months, and that shortly alter his arrival „ in rr the settlement he had had allotted 'to him, a young Maori lady in marriage. That they had lived very happily together until recently* when his fair lady, Without assigning any reason for so doing, expressed a wish to leave him. In consequence of this she had been taken away by her' parents. The lady in question was then sent for by the chief, and immediately made her appearance. She is a young lady, of very modest appearance, and remarkably good-looking. She informed us, in excellent' English', that her name was Lizzy, that she was fifteen years of age, and that she had only left Mrs. Kiisling'a school nine .months, and that she was a sear relative to the' chief Ropata. After some disenssion, it was decided, with the concurrence of all present-fof which the natives formed by far the larger portion— that a jury should be empanelled, consisting of four natives and four Europeans, to be ■elected by Mr. Scbafer and his wife respectively. The names of the' Europeans who took part in perhaps thi nost remarkable trial on record, were Messrs. C. F.' Quint, Captain Ellis, B. M. Perston, and Richard Vatthews. Some delay was caused in selecting four Maori jurors, as Sohafer objected to some of those 1 present. The question was ultimately decided by senditog for four -who were not present. Mr. Quint was'eleoted foreuan of the jury, Mr. Matthews acting in the capacity' of juror and mediator between th&'partiei. ' Jack, a native, was appointed interpreter. > Lizey was first questioned) and, stated as follows :— " I don't wish to live with him (Schafer) now. <He has a/shawl of mine. I have a ring of SchafeVV ■ In answer to Schafer, she stated that he (Schafer) had given her father £2, and. thatshe had bought a pig with it, which Sehafer had helped to eat. She also stated! ithat Sohafer had brought with him when he came l£cwt. of flour, 31b. of tea, Kbfij^l coffee, , florae; candles, and some cooking ujensjls.; , jj "j. ,',, ' , admitted having given Lizzy the ring, but said <b,e had ,no y tjgiven her the shawl. He denied th#b t l(^e,pigj;had been purchased with, the £2, and ajleg^d tha^ they [Tjrere still ,o wing td him by the girl's fatb.srfj) ; .The! 'fatter, liad also in.. his "possession a bUjnk/sc^wjtiiotSch'ilfer claimed to. hay* returned, and expressed 1 liis willingness to leave' Hik wife in the' settlement, upon having the ring, the £2, the shawl; ■ a#^^J»?Sfffe*^rt . ... 7- u 0, i . . r £jhei father spated .that her had given the blanket to sj.bpa^nMn^M^Wging .ScnaferV ' trap* f Mia.' jShbrt Iland^'tH^settlement , ( - ' k| „ . o J^r«/ ItppatVsMd .thft, .aa | she bad cooked for Sohafer the whole time he had' been in the settlement, J she thought «h«Qwaif fairly entitled tO . retain tfie cookiua.nfcenfliljt which* yere'of a very trifling value. From further evidence obtained somewhat promisouously, it appears that some time back a cutter had gone up ttf'tHe id charge of two Europeans } th« Mrs JJScbafer~had been enticed on Wa*ai?ith"at Sdhafer ?felt. proportionately aggrieved, an<fc,w«nt on board to; induce J»er-,tp return, but was unable to persuader her.. A scuffle then ensued between Sohafer and the men, en board ,the cutter, in which Schafer received, as he alleged, spm» very^serious injuries. - A neighbouring chief, hearing of ttiis,'calle\f together his tribe, and Beia a u c6uhclT, when itwas decided that Schafer had really received very slight injury— in fact, nothing more'serious thania'smack in the face. The council decided that Schafer should leave the settlement,- for feeing a nuisance? and disturbing its otherwise peaceful rtpo»e, and. likewise that he should take his wife with him, 'the chief Considering that he (Scbafer) was -as- legally married according to the Maori Otystom as if he had been married by a priest. J3«hafertwttVs friends refused to allow her to go wiffihun.and^he^reffised to leave tbe settlement without the things being returned, - ' " 7

Before this noted trial took glace, Mrd. Ropati we may ob«erv*, accused the illuetrious (xerma stranger of being very partial to ladiea' society, am accounted for the disagreement that had been cause* between his wife and himself through jealousy o: her part. Returning to the trial, it was shown n the course of evidence thnt 1 Schafer hud been sup plied with a whare, and. that he had furnishec nothing towards his own arid 1 his wife's Buppor beyond the few things already mentioned. The 'jury then adjourned into the open air to con sider their Verdict, and, after a short deliberation unanimously ddcided— l. That Lizzy should retau the ring. 2. That the shawl should be returned 3. That the 1 cocking utensils should be retained bj Mrs. Rbpata. 'They also decided -that the £. should not be returned to' Schafer; and that Schafei was not entitled to the blankets ; : that Schafec shoulc leave the, settlement on the following day ; andthai he should bfe taken by the Maoris in a ca«oe on boare the steamer ' Clyde.' The verdict was delivered in both English and Maori, 'arid 'Appeared to give very general satisfaction. The party then adjourned to Ropata's house, in the presence of Schafer and Lizzy, and examined Schafer's boxes, in which the shawl was discovered, which was given to Lizzy: The boxes were then carried by two of the jury to SohaferV whare. We must riot omit to mention that the 'whole proceedings connected with this memorable trial were conducted with the most rigid decorum. An adjournment then took place to an adjoining paddock, wherejome foot-racing amongst the native boys was inaugurated, the prizes being sundry shillings subscribed by the visitors present. ' As It 'was now getting dark, we requested the chief to forward Us in a boat' to the steamer, which he very willingly did, when he' foiind that he could not prevail upon us to remain at the village during the night. We were rowed to the steamer, a distance of eight miles, by four natives, and reached the vessel juit as night was closing in, having completed certainly one of the most pleasant and remarkaiile dajs ever experienced. On the following morning we were informed that a man, named Bailley, married to a native woman, had been tried on the former day (Sunday) by a idauhau chief, on a charge of prospecting for gold, and acquitted. We mention this as showing that our Hauhau friends are by no means bo unjust as'they have been represented. Punctually at 5 o'clock, Ropata's oanoe made its appearance, with Mr. Schafer as a passenger, who was safely delivered on board the Clyde, with his baggage, Ropata himself having accompanied bim. Ropata came on. board, and intimated his desire that tne ' Clyde' should make frequent visits to his dominions, assuring us at the same time that he would ensure the protection of any visitors she might contain. { ~ , - Upon the steamer leaving the native's in Ropata s canoe, they gave us a very hearty cheer, and we returned on our way to Short! and, where we arrived about 10 o'clock, highly delighted with the result of our trip. On the way back the passengers presented an address to Captain Ellis, conveying the gratification felt at the enterprising spirit he had displayed in taking the' ;< Clyde' to Ohinemuri when so little inducement bad been offered. Shortland being reached, the passengers adjourned to the Thames Hotel, where the address was presented by Dr. Sam to "Captain Ellis, and was responded to in suitable terms. It was then decided that a public meeting should be convened, to be held , at the Lyceum Theatre, on Wednesday, at 4 p.m., foe the purpose of taking into consideration the best i'steps to be adopted with a view to at once secure the opening up of the Upper Thames. r ■ i