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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 40, 18 February 1869, Page 2

To the Editor or the Nelson Evening Mail Sir — I was much pleased with the very correct and truthful description given by your correspondent oi yesterday, of the JNgatiruanui country. I can fully endorse his statements with regard to the great difficulties with which Colonel Whitmore and his forces Will have to contend, but he makes one statement, with regard to the Patoka massacre to which I feel bound to demur. At that period the whole of the district belonged to the Church of England Missionaries, from Wellington to New Plymouth, nor had the Wesleyans, between these two points, one single missionary stationed, nor one bona fide Native member of their Society* Now, Sir, I want to know where all these Wesleyan Natives were found, so numerous, as to be able to destroy some 800 Taupo Warriors. There must be some mistake here, it was not until about 1840, tbat the first Wesleyan Missionary was stationed in that district, at Waimate or Heretoa, a young man, who had fco learn their language before he could become useful to them, and this was after the Patoka Massacre. Towards the end of 1843, I was appointed to the Patea district, and Patea was my home for some years. At this period, the Wanganui Natives belonged to the Church of England Missionaries, Waitotara, Tihoi, Taumaha, Manawapou, Waokena, Pukeoha, the tribes about the Waingongoro the same, Heretoa numbered i the same ; nor was it until about the year 1844, that the Wesleyans had any bona fide members of the Society in that district, and yet about this time the Taupo Natives, with Te Hewheu, the great Taupo Chief, at tbeir head, came down to revenge their former defeat. The Ngatiruanui and the Taranaki Natives assembled in great numbers, so much so, that they could have deciminated the whole of the Taupo tribes, but happily for them the Wesleyan Missionaries had a strong hold upon the affections of the Natives, and had full control over them, and as the Taupo Natives had apparently just cause of complaint, they agreed, tbat is, the Ngatiruanuis, and their allies, to feign submission to the Taupo tribes, and to allow them to come up to Waitotara, and to bid them defiance, and to fire off all their guns, &c, over the Pa, and then to separate as friends, for ever. Thus a dreadful carnage was prevented, principally by the Wesleyans, and the Taupo tribes saved from destruction. After this, two of our Chiefs, wishing more fully to cement the friendship between the tribes, went to Taupo for that purpose, but the Taupoo murdered them hoth in cold blood. Yoars, etc, W. Houcb. j ■