TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1265, 19 July 1864, Page 4

TARANAKI.

From this district we have papers to the 9th inst. We make a few extracts from the Herald and News :— Town Improvements.—On Saturday morning last a pile-driving machine was erected on the beach for the purpose of driving timber piles at each side, preparatory to cutting a direct channel for the river Huatoki into the sea. At present the river finds its way out by a winding and indirect course, and it is, we believe, considered by those who have paid attention to the subject, that when the new channel is cut, the river being higher than the sea, will, at low water, always scour its own bed, and thus boats will be able to come in and discharge. There is no doubt it will be a great advantage, and the very fact of anything being commenced in the shape of harbour improvements has met with general approval. Mr. Everett returned from his recruiting tour in the South on Sunday last by the Airedale. He brought with him 75 men, and had sent up previously 94, making in all 169. These men have been introduced by the Provincial Government, on assisted passages, and the choice given them of working at 6s a day, or going into the Militia. Fifty of them are now employed in levelling Mount Elliot and pile driving at the mouth of the Huatoki. The following is an account of some of their trades: labourers and miners, 42; sawyers, 5; carpenters, 9; bakers and pastry-cooks, 4; sailors, 18; clerks, 6; painter, 1; blacksmiths, 6; printer, 1; platelayer, 1; grocers, ,2; professional men, 2. Mr. Everett says he has no doubt he could have got 1,000 good men, if he could have offered them the terms of military settlers. William King.—The following letter of our village Hampden's was found among a number of other Maori state documents at Paiakamahoe when that place was destroyed by the Bushrangers in April last, and not having fallen into Archdeacon Hadfield's hands, it has been published while it may still be of some slight use. William King has been painted in such glowing and poetical colours by his various ' apologists, and Sir George Grey, Sir W. Martin, Dr. Selwyn, Mr. Fox, and their humbler followers have shown such an interest in his fortunes, that ,we are sare they will welcome any authentic utterance of his. To the general public the letter will be interesting on other grounds. It will be observed that it was written just after Sir G. Grey's visit to Waikato (where as the New Zealander told us he was so affectionately received) and just before his visit to this place to put us back upon our farms. It shows clearly enough two things—a rooted conviction in the mind of the writer that war was to begin shortly, either at Auckland or at Taranaki; and a strong desire among the Maori leaders that their party should not be the first to strike. There is one part of the letter which Ave sincerely recommend to the attention of the Press—that wherein it is said that if Waitara be given back there will be no difficulty about Tataraimaka. Does not this clearly show that the war might have been avoided ? The fact that King's people two or three months after the abandonment of Waitara bagan war against us on their own account may be left out of sight, together with the rest of the letter. Another thing is noticeable. We have long known what Sir George Grey thought of William King ; we now see a little of what William King thinks of Sir George Grey, and of the confidence His Excellency inspires in " the native mind " he so well understands. William King is not a literary man, but he has a gift which some literary men have not, of saying a good deal in a few words. Translation. —Huiterangiora, February 1, 1863. —To (Parenga) Kingi, Minarapa, Hoani, Iharaira, Aperahania (Reke), Erueti, Hone Te Upokomutu, Poharama, Aperahania Ngatawa, Totaea, to all the runanga of King Potatau. Friends, greeting to you all, the tribes and the (people who came in the) canoe of my fathers and ancestors. Do you listen. lam living here with the object of your respect (the King). Listen : Te la has been occupied (by the soldiers). If the road crosses the Mangatawhiri, there will be war : if the war does not begin here, ;it will begin where you are (at Taranaki). Take care what you do. My word to you is—go carefully. This is what your King says—leave it to the men at the bow of the canoe (Waikato) to say how it is to be steered—whether to go parallel with the waves (i.e. keep quiet), or to turn its head a little across them. If they say put its head to face them (i.e. assume a hostile attitude), then doit; if they say 'give way !' then give way (i.e. make the attack). Enough of that. Friends, do not be troubled at what I said to you about the road for the mail—let it be open —and pakeha travellers, let them go to and fro. Be careful in what you do, so as to leave the Governor to bruise the nose of the King's runangas—that the (other) tribes may see clearly (that we are in the right). Enough of that. This is another thing, concerning Tataraimaka: leave i t as it is. Tataraimaka and Waitara, let them both be as they are—they are right enough (so far). If what the Governor says about Waitara is satisfactory, there will be no difficulty about Tataraimaka. The ' satisfactoriness ' of what the Governor says must consist of this—the giving back of Waitara into our hands, and then it will be right about Tataraimaka. Leave the pakehas to begin (the war), that the Governor's fine words may be laughed at. Enough: it is finished. Wibkmu Kingi Whiti.