AT LAST.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 366, 15 February 1879, Page 22

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TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MATE. Snq—Happening to talk about Maori affairs with a friend of mine who has had the advantage of being associated with Maoris from his infancy, I was surprised to fiud him impressed with an idea that there will be trouble with the Maoris, and I think it well that his reasons should be made known. I beg to submit them as near as I can recollect his conversation on the subject. Some of the Maori names have escaped my memory, such for instance as the pa'where Te Wbiti has his head quarters, but my friend tells me that he was at that pa when Mr. Sheehan arrived at a place which X think he called Opunalce, about four miles from Te Whiti’s pa. He tells me that the Maoris distrust Sheehan very much, and that when Te Whiti heard «f Sheehan’s arrival m that district he said to his people that he “smelt blood.” Shortly after this, while Sheehan was at Opunake, a Mr. Williams, of the Native Department, arrived at Te Whiti’s pa and commenced to look for Hiroki, the murderer of a surveyor. As soon as Te Whiti learned that Williams was looking for Hiroki, who was then in the pa, the former chief gave him five minutes to skedaddle, and that he left the pa at once to save his bacon being made into long pigWhen Titokowaru met Sheehan that chief asked him to whom the Waimate Plains belong, and that Sheehan said it belonged to the Government, as it had been confiscated. Titokowaru said that it had not been surveyed. Sheehan said that the Government was going to survey it. Titokowaru replied that if the Government surveyed it that it would be done without the consent of the Maoris. By this my friend understands that the Maoris are allowing the survey to proceed under protest. Te Whiti holds a meeting on the 17th of each month as a sort of religious holiday, ami

that he gives out that he retires occasionally to a neighboring high mountain, where he interviews Jesus Christ a 3 Moses did Jehova on Mount Sinai, when he received the tables of the law. That Te Whiti’s people have been turbulent and bouncible on their way to attend these monthly meetings, and have pulled up survey pegs, &c.; but on their return, acting under the influence of their prophet, they are peaceable, as they are taught that on the 17th March next that Te Whiti will show them Jesus Christ, and will then divide all the land among his Maori people. My friend thinks that Te Whiti cannot restrain his people beyond the date that he has fixed for giving them possession of the promised land, and that the noted Titokowaru is under the influence and guidance of Te Whiti, and that there is no doubt that Te Whiti’s fanatical followers will fight as soon as their prophet will give the word. I give these facts as the opinion of a man better qualified to judge than most white men can be, and I think that on that account the public ought to know the truth. If the peace of the country depends on a savage mind deluding himself and his followers with an idea that he is another Moses or a Joshua leading his people into a promised land. This is no party question, and the people of this colony who remember former outbreaks should put an end to this fooling of the Government, fancying that the personal influence of a young man who is believed by the Maoris to be too clever by half, will keep a new generation of Maoris from trying to take possession of the land of promise. I asked my friend what he thought should be done, and he said that he thought a sufficient force should be ready to protect the settlers, and above all things the Government ought to secure the services of a small force of Australian blacks to act as trackers to lead the A.C. force in pursuit of any party that may commit any outrage. If some preparation be not made before the 17th March then the Government will have to purchase the forbearance of the Maori prophet when he commences to fulfil his promise of dividing the land among his people. —I am, &c., Old Colonist. Manawatu, Feb. 10.