NATIVE MEETINGS AT TAUPO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7403, 11 August 1885, Page 5

NATIVE MEETINGS AT TAUPO.

[from our own correspondent.]

Hamilton, Monday. About a month ago a resident of Eangitikei was in the Taupo country, and was much taken with the largo totarabußh at Waipapa, one of the best in the country. He expressed a wish to buy or lease this bush, with the object of erocting sawmills. The natives, however, would give no answer at the time, but promised to talk over the matter. A large meeting was held last week at Waipapa, at which the Ngatituwharetoa were the _ principal _ attendants, when a determination was arrived at to lease the bush, on condition that a certain royalty to be agreed upon should be paid for each tree cut down, and that the damage caused to other trees by those fallen or used for road-making purposes should be paid for. It was resolved to send word to this effect to Patea, where the would-be lessee is at present staying.

Another large native meeting, the largest probably ever held in the Taupo district, will take place about the 20th instant, at Potu, on the banks of the Rotoaira Lake, at the foot of Tougariro. The Ngatuwharetoa are, it seems, much dissatisfied with the way in which native business is being conducted by the Government, but the principal object of the meeting is to ask that they may have their portion of the King Country, which has been included in the large survey of three and a-half millions of acres recently made, allocated to thein independently of YVahanui and his people. Twenty tons of flour have been carried to the place of meeting and 8000 birds, principally tuis and kakas.

The heaviest fall of snow experienced this season in the Taupo district occurred on Friday night last, the snow lying on the ground almost to the Lake.