NATIVE NEWS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 100, 20 August 1867, Page 3

NATIVE NEWS.

! ME. FIETH'S VISIT TO WAIKATO. INAUGURATION OF A MONUMENT TO WILLIAM THOMPSON. [From the Southern Cross, August 12.] Mr. Firth and Mr. C. O. Davis returned to town, on Saturday morning, from Waikato. On this day week we gavo the result of the meeting at Peria, namely, that Mr. Firth had determined to remain at Miitamata, and that, from the attitude of the Ngatihaua, thero was every prospect that he would bo enabled to do so without molestation from the extreme King parly. On Mr. Firthand Mr. Davis reaching Matamata, they found a letter stating that the Ngatihaua were waiting for them at Peria. They went on to that, place, and found about a hundred Queen natives assembled. The King portion of the Ngatihaua were sent for, and came up from their settlement, on tho banks of the Waihou. Tana was not present, but Thompson's eldest son, Hoterene, was. The chiefs of the King party were the well-known Riki and Reweli te Aho. Mr. Firth told the tribe "that he had come up in consequence of the letter sent warning him to remove his stock from the run. He then spoke of his having leased the land from Thompson fairly, concluding by expressing his determination to remain, and calling upon the Ngatihaua to protect him. Mr. Firth's address was rendered into Maori by Mr. Davis, who also addressed the tribe. Riki and Reweti, of tho King party, then replied, saying that the warning had been given, not from any feeling of unfriendliness on their part, but because they were afraid that some mischief might take place from roving bands of natives. They were under the command of Tawhiao, and his desires they must obey. Te Raihi then spoke on behalf of the Queen natives, saying that they had not interfered in the matter at all, but had left Mr. Firth to take his own way. Since, however, he had declared his determination to stay, they would maintain him there. We may mention that the report of the murder of the four Europeans in tho interior, which was sent up from Auckland by telegraph, was used by the King party as a powerful argument to show Mr. Firth's insecurity. However, Riki, who is a well-informed man, afterwards said that he did not believe the story. A letter was sent to Hakaraia, at Waotu, asking him to come down to the meeting ; but up to the time of Mr. Firth leaving, he had not arrived. The inauguration of Thompson's monument took place on last Tuesday. Besides Mr. Firth and Mr. Davis, there were present — Major Drummond Hay, Captain Clare, Captain Wilson, Mr. J. Hamlin, Louis De Hars, and Mr. and Mrs. Williams. The Queen party and the Europeans mustered on one side of the monument, and the King party on tho other. Native custom in such matters is very liko our own. The memorial remains covered till tho people are assembled, and then the widow, or some one near of kin, lifts the covering. Thompson's widow, Victoria, was ill, and unable to be present ; so the covering was removed by Hone Piahana and Mr. Firth. Immediately on this, one of the Hauhau party stepped forward, and offered up a prayer, ending with the words, " Rire ! rire ! hau," but appropriate to the occasion, and elevated in thought and expression. Riki, of the King party, a cousin of Thompson's and a man of great force of character, then called out, "We salute this, as the memorial of the man who accomplished the great work of uniting the tribes of this island. He is dead, but his work remains and will remain. His grave yefc Bpeaketh." Mr. Firth then spoke, referring to the dying words of Thompson, and telling the natives that he was 6ure he spoke the sentiments of his countrymen when he told them that peace waß desired between the races. He referred to the approaching visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, and suggested that the Prince might be invited to see the monument. The king party were not slow in taking up Mr. Firth's remarks, and retorting his arguments : " You have a prince to whom you give allegiance ; we also have a prince, and him only we care for, or givo allegiance to." In reference to what Mr. Firth had said about the last words of Thompson, one of the king party replied, " You have appealed to the words of Thompson ; we will also appeal to them. What were his last words to the Governor at Wellington? Were they not, 'Let Waikato be restored ?' You say there is peace here, and it is ho. But why should there not be peace over all the island ? Give us back Waikato, end all the island will enjoy peace. Why do you refuse to give peace to the land ?" Captain Clare and Mr. Davis also addressed the meeting. The king party were perfectly courteous, and invited the Europeans to partake of food with them, which was done. They again gave Mr. Firth their advice to take away his cattle. It will be seen that difficulty and danger, as respects the lessees of land outside the boundary, are not entirely cleared away. In our issue of the sth we gave the following description of the monument to the late chief William Thompson : — We learn by telegram that a monument to William Thompson was to be inaugurated on Monday, August 5, on the spot whero he died. This monument, which is to be erected at the expense of Mr. Firth, was designed by Mr. Wrigley architect. It is composed of an obelisk, in hard wood sanded over, and in this is let in a brase case, containing a portrait of Thompson, which is protected by a glide. Below this, cut in brass, is the following inscription : — " Haere atu ra, c te hoa. " ' I te oranga o te tama a Kiripuai, he tura te tangata.' " Ko Wiremu Tamehana Te Waharoa i hemo ki tenei wahi, i te 27 o nga ra o Tihema, 1866. Ko tana kupu poroporoaki tenei : — " • Xi atu ki a Hohaia, mehemea la pai a ia H to noho tonu i konei, c pai ana ahau.' " [tbanblatioh.] " Go hence, O friend. " When the son of Kiripuai lived, men were venerated.' " William Thompson To Waharoa died here on the 27th day of December, 1866. This was his last sentence: — " ' Tell Mr. Firth, if he is willing to reside hero continually, I am agreeable.' " The whakatauki, or proverb, at the top is well known to all the Ngatihaua, and is frequently in tho mouths of the " laudatores temporis acti " of that tribe, when insisting on the dignity of their fathers, and the respect that ought to be paid to their memories and words. Kiripuai is one of tho ancestors of Ngatihaua ; by his son, in this case, Thompson is meant, and the idea apparently is, that while he lived he gave dignity to the race. The inscription, we may mention, has been neatly cut in block letters, filled in with wax, by Messrs. Featon and Robinson, of Auckland.

Rich Coppee Mine in Newfoundland. — Among other geological facts worth notice, is the demonstration that gold exists in the gravel of the river- valleys of Central New Brunswick, as reported by Mr. Shea ; and the surprising yield from a copper-mino in Newfoundland. When, last year, a few specimens of copper ore from that locality were exhibited at the conversazione of the President of the Royal Society at Burlington House, no one anticipated the discovery that has since taken place. At a depth of seventy feet, while sinking the shaft, the miners came upon a lode of rich ore four feet thick ; a level was then run at right angles to the direction of the lode, and, at a distance of eighty feet, another and richer lode was struck ; ten feet further, there was another, twenty feet thick j and ten feet still further, another of four feet. This is a most extraordinary instance of the occurrence of copper : the yield will be enormous, for the distances to which the several lodes extend are unknown, and many years may be spent before they are worked out. Specimens of the ore are to be seen in the Great Exhibition at Paris, along with specimens of lead ore also from Newfoundland, described as rich iv silver. — Chambers'* Journal, May, 1867.