MORE THREATS BY TE PUNA ? NATIVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5491, 23 June 1879, Page 5

MORE THREATS BY TE PUNA ? NATIVES.

The Bay of Plenty Times of Thursday iaa the following :—•'The difficulty with the Tβ Pana natives seems to be getting rather alarming. Prom what we can gather, it appears that, although Mr. Esdaile holds a Crown grant for his proparty, the natives dispute the ownership, asserting their determination to obtain possession of it. On Tuesday Major Roberts weut out to Te Puna, and yeaterdiy he also visited the place, accompanied by Mr. E. Goldsmith, District JSnrveyor, and Judge J. Wilson, of the Native Lands Court. What transpired at tho interview has not yet been disclosed, but we understand that the natives expressed their firm determination to take possession of Mr. Esdaile's land on the ground, as they allege, that the Government had no title, as it had been alienated by the native proprietors. They also etated that they would uot permit the road to be formed, as all the property there belonged to them. We have been told that Mr. Ksdaile applied to the magistrates here to issue a warrant for the arrest of the natives who had threatened to burn down his house, but his application was not granted. We have also been informed th&t Mr. Esdaile's brother came into town yesterday for the purpose of getting a number of persons to go to the place to protect him in case of an attack. Mr. Dobbyn, the contractor for .the Te Puna Road, states that on Monday he and his men were visited by a party of natives, who peremptorily ordered the work to cease. They stated that they had firmly made up their minds not to allow the road to be made, adding that they would visit him every day (or three days, and if they did not find him and his men away on the thirdday, they might take the consequences, Four Maoris, whom. Mr. JDobbyn had employed, dropped work, stating that they would not continue if they got £50 a-day. The European labourers wrought on, and on Tuesday they were again warned. They still, however, persisted with the work, and, yesterday they received another visit, and, as the natives seemed determined to carry their threats into execution, Mr. Dobbyn and his men consulted their safety by abandoning tho work. From all appearances, some of the Te Puna natives seem bent on mischief." The same paper also siys: —"We have informed on good authority that some natives from the settlement at Rereatukahia, Katikati, went to the block-house at Aongatete, and, after asking Mrs. Earl where the other members of the house were, warned her that they must all 'clear out.' The natives also said they were acting under instructions from the King, and that the whole of the laud in that district would belong to thom in six mouths' tiino. Aft-jr leaving the blockhouse, they viaited Mr. George Hunter, and threatened him in n. similar manner, Wβ understand these natives have only recently returned from the King souutry, where they had been staying for some months."