MORTALITY AMONGST THE NATIVES IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6998, 22 April 1884, Page 6

MORTALITY AMONGST THE NATIVES IN THE NORTH.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —With reference to a letter in your issue of to-d&y, stating that there have been but few cues of sickness among the northern natives in particular, none at Fakepoto, I beg to state that at Ahipara, which is but four and a-half miles from the settlement in question, there have been eight or nine deaths; the latter number, I think, among tho children attending the satire school alone, not to apeak of cases of mortality among infants and adults. In faot,. the school on account of the fever was olosed in November last, six weeks before the holidays commenced. To go further north, at Tβ Kao, Parengarenga, the sohool is at present closed for the same cause, and.several deaths have occurred there, one 'during the few days I was. stopping . there. When at KaiUia, a few months ago, I heard that there was a great deal of, sickness amongst the natives of the; ■Victoria Yalley, and the native schoolmaster at Peria, near Mangonai, spoke to me most gloomily about the health of the district. In fact, through sickness and other oauies, fear of contagion, etc., he had lost more than half his school. —I am, etc, Te Kai Whakapojso.