TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 197, 20 September 1854, Page 6

TARANAKI.

The Late Ai-fray amongst the Puketapu Natives.—Numerous have been thereports, and various as manifold, which during the last week have been in circulation as to the past, present, and probable future state of affairs in reference to this unfortunate occurrence.

The first step taken by the relatives of the deceased, after having interred the body of their chief, was to place a tapu on the Devon road and the beach, so as to cut off all intercourse between the natives living north of the Bell Block and the settlers. To enforce this tapu they have constructed a pa on Bawiri's section on the Bell Block, and another on the native reserve at Tairutu, thus effectually stopping the Northern road to all passers. The embargo, however, does not extend to the settlers, nor to natives carrying Her Majesty's mails. This temporary suspension of commercial intercourse between the town and so extensive a district, will doubtless be very inconvenient both to our merchants and to -the natives, and it was at first supposed that an attempt might be made on the part of the latter to force a passage. This, however, they now say they have no intention of doing, as the imposition of the tapu is in strict accordance with Maori custom, and although they might have supposed that such customs would not have been resorted to now-a-days, they hare nothing to say against it, and will patiently await its removal. We need scarcely point out to our own settlers the wisdom of the above determination, nor caution them, one and all—how great soever their influence with the aborigines may be—to abstain from any attempt either to pass through or evade the tapu, for the sake of obtaining produce from the Waitara, or elsewhere by land. There is nothing to prevent a communication with the natives northward, by water, either by means of boats or canoes. No step that could be taken by any one of our settlers would tend in so great a degree to embroil himself with the natives, or to involve the Government in the present quarrel, as any attempt at tampering with this tapu. And here we may say that we have observed with great pleasure the disposition so generally evinced by the settlers to comply with the wishes of the authorities by keeping aloof from this quarrel. It is only by a strict observance of this policy of non-interference that the safety of the settlement can, in the present excited state of fthe natives, be insured ; as, on the other hand, it is only by its non-observance that that safety can be imperilled. The natives are still much excited, ar.d continue to call loudly for vengeance upon the murderers. We learn that they intend cultivating a piece of ground near Katatore's pa, in the hopes of alluring him beyond the bounds of his fortress, within which he has hitherto discreetly confined himself. Should this have the desired effect, a sharp contest would ensue, which would probably end in the destruction of Katatore and his party, and there the matter would be likely to dro^.—Taranaki Herald.