NATIVE FEAST AT COROMANDEL.

New Zealander, Volume XVII, Issue 1564, 13 April 1861, Page 3

NATIVE FEAST AT COROMANDEL.

A most important meeting of the Natives has lately taken place at Coromandel in consequence of several near relatives of Wetenc, who was killed at Mahoetahi having expressed a determination to go to Taranaki to revenge his death ; according to Native custom, they, as the representatives on the father’s side were obliged, to take up the case except otherwise decided by the Natives as a body ; to prevent them from doing so this meeting was called, and all the Natives and Europeans were invited to attend. A least was prepared by the Natives on the most scale, about 500 Natives were present, a most substantial dinner of roast beef and pork, plum‘'pudding, &c., was prepared and got up in good style for live days successively—for the first two days about 100 Europeans sat down to dinner in a canvass house 84 yards in length, the Natives at one end and the Europeans at the other, —no spirits were allowed on the ground—tea was substituted in its place, the greatest harmony and good feeling existed throughout the whole period. The meeting will no doubt be a lasting blessing to both races. The following is a condensed report of the speeches of the various speakers. The first speaker was Te Tuniwha , Ngatiwhanaunga —Welcome my friends, come and judge me and my people and see who amongst us are inclined for evil, also who amongst us are for good, it is for you to decide, that is all I have to say. Haora Tipa, Ngatipaoa—This is the right path for us hut let us have but few words and let them he to the purpose, this evil is what wo have to talk about, other things we do not know ns yet, there arc many different roads that lead to sin, frequently the parents take one way and the children take another, this is what wc have to set right for Hauraki. I will speak whether they will hear me or not.

Tuterai Karoro, Ngatiwhanaunga—Come here ray friends, there’s plenty of work, for if you are determined to save us, do so, I shall rejoice at it. (A song.) Maihc Moknngohi, Ngatiwhanaunga Como my friends and welcome, if you wish to investigate the people’s thoughts that is right, but should be deaf to our call for peace, what can be done ? We had better investigate our own thoughts also, but let it be a general thing, let us see how all stand. Rehata, Ngatiwhanaunga—Do not say that To Taniwha is to judge I will also talk. Let me say what I think, I will give my opinion. Tu, Ngatipoa—Hearken to me my elder brethren, this is what I have to say, let me not talk of past things but let us talk of present doings. Pokaia, Ngatiwhanaunga—What you say is quite right, we do not want to talk of old things, nor do wc want to judge, it is for you to do that. Hearken ! hearken to me. (A song.) Ngakapa, Ngatiwhanaunga —This is what I have to say, (pointing to a flag which had just been planted opposite the Queen’s representing the King movement) this is Wctcnc, I will join that, and dancing the following kaka he and a small party crosse .1 over and remained under that flag.

Nuitirani E whakatangatanga ki runga whakatanga-

tanga ki runga Kci pehia koe te ban raa kohuru E noho mai rongo Takaowe u kaorc kaorc ho ha ho ha! Ka whana tuau kaorc i te tnatoru Ida marama tc oke ho ha ho ha !

Matenga Nganpara, Ngatiwhanaunga Hauraki, come why arc you divided. (A song.) If evil comes to our door, wc must work and not be idle.

Karihau , Ngatiwhanaunga—Come my friends and judge, come and talk, 1 have nothing to say, hut do you speak out, we arc on firm land, speak out your minds.

Tu, Ngatipaoa—lf you want to go to Waikato wc must talk, hut our talk will not be ended in one day. Ngakapa, Ngatiwhanaunga—This is what I have to say, I have returned from Waikato, wc are sitting in New Zealand.

Te Hura, Ngatipaoa—Who arc those that sit in that place (alluding to those of the King party) ? What is that to me ? What is the good of that thing? Who will join that side ? All must join the Queen, all. Hauraki, lot us see which party is the greatest. Hauraki will not join that (pointing to the King’s flag). Paengahuka, Ngatiwhanaunga —Let us hold fast to the Queen and the laws, you that run away go, lint we will remain firm and be neutral, not joining either side and hold fast to the law. (A song.)

Kahukote, Ngutipaoa—Look to us, we will hold fast let who will go ; do not think that you who go that road will do well, those who go that way will come to the same end as those who went before them. All that have gone that road were blind. Let us and all Hauraki look to the Queen, even should multitudes of others go the opposite road, let us be firm. Te Patara Poruto, Ngatipaoa—Let us hold fast. Why did you mention Lot ? Who let him go ? Let us take carts of our own canoe, do not let her drift on the locks of another coast; should she bo broken, let it be on the rocks of the Hauraki coast, but nowhere else; if she is wrecked on other rocks we shall not he able to collect any of the fragments; but should she bo broken on our own coast, we can collect the fragments and preserve them. I have no more to say about Hauraki. If I commit a fault give me up, although a Chief.

Karihau, Ngatiwhanaunga—What you say is all quite true, and would have done in days that arc past, but not now.

Ngakapa, Ngatiwhanaunga—Yes; what you say is both right and true, but we cannot help it, it will not do now.

Haora Tipa, Ngatipaoa—Drew close to the Queen’s flag and said: under this I get every thing that is good, both for food an’d raimant; but under that nothing but what is evil.

The rain now came down so heavy that the meeting had to break up. The wind blew so hard that the King party had to put two men to hold up their flag. Haora called a boy to steady the Queen’s, which stood well. The King party stood the rain for some time, and then drew off from their flag under the trees for shelter. Haora stood firm until the rain ended, without moving from his flag. Thursday, April 4. —When they met this morning the King’s flag had disappeared. Haora Tipa, Ngatipaoa, said, this is my last -word on the subject. Let us make a fence. Let the captain of the vessel guide the conduct of the crew. Let our walk be in accordance with the wishes of the captain. Let us make a plan for our proceedings in our own sea.

Te Taniwha, Ngatiwhanaunga—l quite agree with what you say. Rihara, Ngatiwhanaunga—What you say is all quite right, let it he so.

Wiremu Kingi Tearewahie , Ngatitcmatcra—From whence did Tc Puarerc fly, from Hauraki or from the hush ? If he went with our consent, let us hide our faces; but if he went from the bush, we cannot help it. Tu, Ngatipaoa—Our desire for Lot is that he may remain in the bush, we have nothing to do with him, he went without our consent.

Wiremu Kingi, Ngatitcmatcra, stood up and made a line as boundary, so that the Thames Natives should not leave their own territory, and said, let no one cross this line, we will be guided by the wish of To Taniwha.

Wiremu Uoeli, Ngatipaoa—Mind, no one is, on any account, to cross the line now laid down for our guide. Te Hotenui Taipari , Ngatimaru—l may cross it, hut I will agree to it; but if any one cross it on his own account, we have nothing to do with that. li iremu Kingi, Ngatitcmatcra, put up three sticks and asked what that meant.

Itawiri, Ngatikarawa—lt is for Te Taniwha’s party to illustrate what is meant.

Maihi, Ngatiwhananga—Where is the path for us to walk in ; in what are we to be considered as doing wrong. Kaora Tipa, Ngatipaoa—We shall not be able for a time to see what we are to rest upon. Patere, Ngatipaoa—Wc have a great work before us let ns do it in earnest. Two parties have hold of the rope, each contend for it; several conflicts have taken place, and Wctene is dead, and Europeans have been killed. The English have brought a great army, and one of the parties must in the end he victorious. Should the Maori King gain we shall lose all the white people, but 1 think that the struggle will be short and end well.

Hoterini Tapari —Let us look at the men who break these rules, but in my mind wc have nothing to do with them or Waikato.

Ngakapa, Ngatiwhananga—Hearken! this is my last word about Wetini. I will take my body to make earth to bury his, but if you decide for me to bury my dead at Waikato let it be so. He then took a stick and made a furrow from it to a mark representing Waikato, then filled it up again, thereby signifying that he should go to Waikato to tangi for Wetini, at the place where he resided the last few years of his lifetime, and then return and remain in peace, except the Government should attack Waikato, in that case he should join the King party. Karaitiana, Ngatitematera—We arc not the slaves of any man ; we arc children of free parents ; let us work what is right and good is all that I have to say. Haora Tipa —Who is to break through evil ; if it thrust me I must resent it ; if it thrusts any other person he must resent it himself; that is all I have to sav.

The business of the meeting- here ended, but there was a good deal of desultory conversation going on, some one threw down a stick on the ground which was meant to represent the body of Taraiwara, who was imprisoned some years ago, and died in prison. The Natives have always thought that he was convicted without evidence, and therefore have felt very sore on the subject, and arc very far from being satisfied about it vet.

Rev. T. Lanfcar stood up and told them that Taraiwaru had lived with him for two years, and had always behaved well. That he was not sentenced, or tried even, for the supposed murder, but was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for robbery, on his own confession, and that after one year’s imprisonment he died, not from any ill-treatment he received there, but from disease. This seemed to remove, in part, the wrong impression that was on their minds.

They then contended that when a white man killed a Maori, that he should be given up to them to trv and execute.

Mr. Prcece then addressed them and suggested that they should apply to the Government that in case of a Native being murdered by a white man, or a white man being murdered by a Native, that the jury should consist half of whites and half of Natives, thereby giving the Natives a share in the decision. The idea seemed to satisfy them well.

The meeting then divided into parties to adjust some local matters, and the white people gradually dispersed, being all satisfied with the result.