THE WAIKATO NATIVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 899, 1 October 1866, Page 4

THE WAIKATO NATIVES.

It was reported in town on Saturday last thaij the friendly natives in the "Waitato dutriets had 1 ) suddenly and secretly left tlieir cultivations to join the rebels. On hearing this nport, we made enquiries, and were favored with Ule Allowing particulars by a gentleman jus arrived m Auckland from the disaffected distrits .— From information recently received torn Tanranga, Hawke's Bay, and the Waikato d^™/f is reason to believe the natiTea are conanplatmg mischief. This conclueion baa reluctantlj'fea coma £ rom the fact that a portion of the * at Tauranga, wlio are under the swaj nio ° of WiTamaW Te \YaCo^«'. at ' taken feloniously the surveying inftrttS °i e wT those parties who are engaged in sun ' e^ fiscated block of land ceded o«r to April last, and who the day ato coUect* all their 80rd potatoes „ n d other i deliberately fcade adieu to thoJ ° Id hom fthfi Sk "1 civilization, and than leftthe district** j

iffectcd portions of the great Kingmaker's tribe, the Vaikatos. Thompson having boen unsuccessful in obtaining the lands which had been guaranteed to him by a certain member of tho Legislature at tho time ho consented, to terms ot peace, that i?, that tho lands which had been confiscated on tlia Waikato should be returned to him, and having oil his recont visit to Wellington been thus disappointed, now, it would seem, ioins issue with those who have all along held out to fj«lvt and die for their lands. It is credibly asserted, that thero is scarcely to ;30 seen a native in the Waikato ; even those wiio have recently been professing friendship and good will towards us, have joined the ranks of tho enemy, and aro at this very moment in arms against us. It has not been as 'y ot ascertained correetlv where the enemy intend concentrating their forces; some say ot the Thame?, others,, ia e Hawkes' Bay district will he the point of attack. Most probably the latter will be tho place, inasmuch us letters have been received in town fr"'" Bav, dated September loth, stating that 100 fighting men of tho Waikato wore expected very shortly at Petani, a settlement near Napier, whore, on then arrival, they would at onee make ani attack upon till, town. Tho letter containing this information was received in town last week, but was looked upon at tho time as simply a Maori vara. Events, however, from recent intoUiponco from the Waikato go to prove that a deep designing plot is being laid, culling for instwit anr) deceive action on the part of the Government. A natne named ilohi, a Maori policeman belonging to the "Waikato, was last week in town receiving On his leaving town he told his friends that tins would be his last draw upon the Government, inasmuch as he, with the rest of the Waikato tribe, were i,bout to take up arms against us.