THE WAIMATE PLAINS SURVEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5347, 9 April 1879, Page 7

THE WAIMATE PLAINS SURVEY.

Regarding the removal of surveyors on the Waimate Plains, the Government state that a party of natives, headed by Te Alanu—a native who some time ago was rescued from custody while on his wiy to Turanaki by coach—carried away the tools of the surveyors to the nearest township, and e'rJered tbe surveyois off the ground. The Govenment believe that the Maoris intend to do the same with other survey parties. No violence whatever was offered to the sorveyos ; in fact, the Maoris ac;ed in the most go id-humoured manner, and made no threats of any kind. It was thought this act of Te Manu and company is a sort of final protest against the survey aud occupation of the Waimate Plains on behalf of the Natives who have been cultivating the ground. It is thought that the Natives have ac el uuder instructions from Parihaka, at the instiga ion most probably of Euiopeaus who have some sort of interest in the land, but it is also thought the Natives would not h iv.) acted in 30 high- tandel a manner without receiviug instruct orw from Te Whiti. M ijor Brown is on his way down from the pa ns, and willbebere t'j-uU' rrow. Tne Herald's Car'yla correspondent telegraphs : — "It is rumoured that thj Natives have determined to rtmove all the surveyors tr.nn tho Waimate Plains. Tbe Civil Commissioner (Major Brown) who came along with the Hon. Mr Sheehim from Parihaka, was at Carlyle at noon tc-day, and left at about halfpast 1 for Hawera, on hearing that Mr Skeat, head of the survey party, had ariived there. It is reported that Te Maau, with a parly of Natives, is detei mined to clear the sur veyors from off the plains. Instruments, tents, and other things belonging tv Skeet's party havd been brought aciois the Waingongoro lUver, aud the Maori drays have again returned to bring, it is said, the other surveyors off the laud."

Tv« Herald's Hawera correspondent sends the following telegram :—" Skew's Burvey party and camp were taken possession of by 12 Maoris, Titokowaru being present. Tue Natives ca;tsd the party to the south side of the Waingongoro River. About a hundred Maoris mat them when they came upon the main road. After leaving the party on the other side of the bridge, the Maoris rode off, saying they were going to reinjve Climes' camp. I hear from the Natives that they are acting under Te Whiti's orders to remove all surveyors from off the plains." J here is a considerable atrount of excitement at New riyniouth respecting the action of t'ue Natives ->ii the Waimate plains, and Natives as they paß= through the town are questioned very closely as to whai t;nn-pixed at Pa-imka between To Whi i and the Hon. Mr Snee'aao, and all the Naf.ves say Mr Shaehiu advocated that Hiio'ci shuu'd be seat to eicher Waugami or New P.ym mth to be tried, and iha; Te Whiti might aco iinpany him so as to sea fair pluy. But Te "\yhiti rjplijd that .Mr Sheehan Bhould bring his people to I'arihaka, and he would be the judge. Another Nutive says that when al the meeting Mr Sneehan, observing Hiroki present, commented on the murder he had committed, and c >udemned the Natives for the part th-y had t.iken iv not giving him up. Te Whiti gave a smart and unexpected answer that the Government were responsible for the murder, saying they were thieves—they bad taken their (the Maoris') land. The mur.ler would not have happened if it had not been for the surveyw-1. This was received with a loud r-sp n-e of "Ka mate te Suethan, o Te Whiti," which (translated) means th.t Sheehati was beat»n in his Ulking by Te Whiti, After the Native Minis er left, it is Siid that Te Whiti gavo orders tuat any surveyor who at"empt;d to make roads or lims at Waimate, or between Aieuui and Arenui R.ver, were to be thrown on one side or cartsd away, but there was to> be no blood spilt, He further ordered tliat Kurop aue ure to be kept on the other sid-) of the Wain^ong'TO liver. Another Maori .says that at'ur Mr Sheahan left the Natives threatened Te Whiti's life if he did not give orders for 'heau to reaiova tin surveyors. The Tiranaki Herald says :—" As a PakehaM.iori of not very nice principles has bien known to be visiting the district lately, it looks as if his visit there had something to do w;th this change in the conduct of the Native*. As matteis have now gone so far the Government must show a boll fiont and maintain the attitude th-y have previou-ly taken up." It is reported that 'I itokowaru has t,-le-grapi.el that he is at the head of the paity, and is r sp rarit'le for what has be*n done. Sir George Grey, since his arrival in Auckland, ha- b=tn in constant t.'l-graphio cmitiuncat.on with members of the Gcnernment up .n the Wiiiina'.e squilnl-J. It U understood that he is indi.-postd to the taking of any steps which may lead to the breaking of peace. A special reporter te'e^raphs : — Many leading Kaupohiuui Natives state they knew nithing of the action against the surveyors til they w<rj turned off the plains. They ar« disposed to iicept any reasonable terns aud r.BOrves, if offer d by Government; nut until affairs are inorj d finitely settled they are de-tr;nined, as hitherto, to remain entirely nt.ii:rj,l. Ti'okowaru's (ribe, however, ream cantankeroti", aud now with great glee, boastfully though good-buuioursdly, relate the* triumph. The Natives re.illy appear to have no intention of fighting, and are quite un T-i-ared; but th-re is no tilling whut it may leul to unless nipped in the bud. On Saturday Mr H Williams, with deßnite tuKtr'ictions from the Government, visited the -et'lennut at Waimv'e PUin3, acoompanied by MBB.-.M M'Guire and Xi ig. Mr Willi.ms told tl.e Native* potitively that unless they consented to the return oE the surveyors, the settlement of the qr.eitioi would be pUced iv ihe hands of Uoljnel Whitmore, with whom, as Williams naively s»id, they bal a previous warm acquaintance. Tne first pla< c visited was Te Kautau. James Mackay has gone to Paribaka to interview Te Whiti. The Natives have considerable fa!th in him. A large number of Natives are generally friendly disposed now, aud say that Te Wbiti is light in defending the hind. Otber3 say "Give us liberal r«ssrve< and the Government can take the reat, and ihe matter be fettled." Td Wliiti's imme hate followers on the plains nay tint it v litoton v's men, and teem bo'der than ever, Liughing the threats ot the Government to scorn. The impres-ion is favourable amongst thft whites

Haweka, April 7th. Te Rama, who is here now, i-nys that auoce young men boasted to Te Whiti that they had used violence in removing the surveyos, up v which Te Whiti was exceedingly augry, and te.er ly lectured the lying boasters, le Wliin a-n- t»r Bokiri and investigated the matter. T« Rama says he wan pleased when he heard there had been no vMance ueed ky his peop'e, as e-ecything muit be done peacefally and la New Plymouth, Aprl 7th. The TaranaTii Herald t-is tveaing givei tie

following description of Mr Mackay's visit to Parihaka:—" Mr Mackvr and Captßin Blake on Tuesday last paid a visit to Parihaka, with a view of talking over the d ffieolty that ha arisen respecting the Waimate Plains with le Whiti, us they had dona tbe previous day with good effect with Titokowara at his settlement. This was the lirat time Maokay h*d visited Paiihaka, and although Te Whiti hid not eeen him before, still Mackay was known to several Maoris present who had been on the west Coast Gold-fields and Nelson many years since. Parihuka is situated about 25 milts west oi New Plymouth, at the boee of Mount Jigmoni;, betwesu Stony River and Opunake. It is inland some five mi!e« from the beach, and aur rounded with heavy bush. After leaving the beach the traveller, after riding a mile or more over open land, e&ters the bush by a dray road cut by the Natives to the village. It is tortuous, crossing ravines and small streams. Two miles ere retching the village, cultivated grounds adjoin tin road on either side. They are cleared and fenced in with pig-proof fences. Wheat, maiz°, kumarae, potatoes, and tobacco aro the principal products here cultivated. Winding nnd turning abuut in almost every direction, it appears a long time before the settlement is reached, until, turning for the last time, the traveller suddenly finds the village fenced in immediately before him. A small river fl-ws through its midst, dividing it into two almost equal parts. It contains about 200 "hares, and an adult population of tome 400 inhabitants, and about double number that of children. The Parihaka Tillage is about 300 1 yards square, in the centre of which a yard is 1 fenced, measuring about 200 by 250 feet. Here Te Whiti's monthly meetings are held, and it is here that the chief declaims for fiv-i or six hours sometimes without intermission. | Th.9 houses in the riling* are detached from each other, aud dotted abcut at uneven distances according to the pleasure or c ip-ice of the bu'lders. Th* whares are built of wood, enclosed, and thatched with toi-tci or long grass. On the outside of tho village, on a hill, is the uiupa or burying-grounil. Te Whiti is a man of about 50. lie is of medium he-igbt, ascetic in appearance, with clean-cut, almost European features. His voice is sonorous, and when he addresses an assemblage from the r'sing ({round of the enclosure, which forms a sort of dais, and where on important occasions ha invites fisitors of distinction to sit with him, he looks like eomo orator of old haranguing his fellow citizens. When speaking he stands erect, bareheaded, and with bis light arm frte, for gesticulating. He leaves his mat to fall around him like a toga. His voice is powerful and clear, and can be heard all through the village, now thrilling with passion, now replete with scorn, then plaintive in its winning entreaty. He revels in roy.-ticism, and fur copiousness of Hnguage aud imagery, for gracefulness of action and modulation of voice, for selfpis^essinn and command over his audience, Te Whiti certainly ranks high as an orator. To thn usual metaphor adopted by Natives in sneaking, Te Whiti ad is all that can be gleaned from the Scriptures, so that his public utterances have a prophetic aid at times a supernatural con6tructi n put upon them by his Maori auditory. He has a wry retentive memory, ani in private conversation with his visitors shows that ha is well informed o;i b( th ancient and modem history. In viiiting Te Whiti it will be se-n that Mackay had no ordinary man to deal with, and therefore it behoved biin to be cautious as to what he s»id or did. Mr Mackay and Captain Blake on reaching the village found about 400 Natives there. Te Whiti, with aomechie's, were sitting on the hisrh ground referred t > above. Botu were welcomed by the Natives in a very friendly manner, nnd Mr Mackay saluted the chiefs, and, having beard that Te Whiti was fond of metaphor, commenced to address him in metaphoric language. He said he was sorry to find that Te Whiti'a house was on fire, that he had launched his canoe in stormy waters, and that tha stern had parted from the fore pwt. Here Te Whiti requested Mr Mackay to leave the Maoris and sit with him on tha platform. Te Whili a<ked Mr Maekay if he was a Government officer, and Mr Mackay said he was rot a Government officer, but had come up to FC9 him, so as to talk the matter over respecting the s'irveyors being turned off Wuimate Plains. Te Wbiti said tbe Government wanted to tear the blanket off his back, and leave him with none. Mr Mackay said he was mistaken in that. Tho Government merely wanted him to lay his blanket on the ground that both might sit on it. Te Whiti said, But the Government would cut it in two, and after taking away half would then require the whole. Mr Mackay said all the Government wanted was to occupy the blanket with the Maori. Te Whiti said that Mr Mackay had a pair of trousers on. He might as well a«k for them or one of his kgs as a*k him to let Government have one of hi* blankets. Mr Maikay replied that it was not so. If To Whiti had one of bis legs in trousers he would b-j disgraced, because he would be called a one-legged man by his people. He had another pair of trousers in the boure, and it would be better tint ha should have them, that they both might walk about comfortably. There was another difficulty about their having ouly one pair of trousers between them. Supp sing one wantid to go one way and the other Uie other way, they would not be able to d > so without destroying the garment. It was fo with the blanket. Te Whiti said—' If a hen is.sittinjf on her eggs and a man attempt to rob her, she will peck at his hand. Yon surely do nt blame the hen for protecting her offspring. The eggs are our land, and we naturally uphold our rights to it.' Mr Mackay said—' Tnat is very well, but Gove'nment claims tin land; Government says the eggs are its property, and it the hen c mtinue ti Deck at the man's hand he may become vexed, pick up a stick and kuock her on the he id Then there will be no further difficulty about the ownership of till eggs. You and the Government bad better let the hen hatch the brood, and then apportion the chickens." Te Whiti made no answer to this, but was silent for a short time. He then tol-1 Mackay to drop his metaphorical way of talking, and fay plainly what lie wanted. A lorg disciß^ion then tojk place, in which Te Wniti asserted that the reason the surveyois had been turned (ff the plains was becniKe the Government promised that Native cultivations should not be touched, and that reserves should be fob apart fvr their use. Mr Mackay said the Government ii> tended that should be done. Te Whiti replied that he did not believe anything of the kind, or the Government would Hit have ordered the surveyors to cut up their ciltivati >ns in the way they had done. Even Titokowaru's garden, he said, the surveyors had been through, and had put pegs in close to the door of his house. Mr Mackay tried to explain tha Burvey of the plains, did not moi.li that t'.ie Goverament intended to take aud sell it, but it was necessary to mark t'.e land off, so that each perfon should know what portion of it belonged t-> him. Te Whiti said he could not credit that. They had not consulted him in any way about the'land or survey*, and he felt that tho Government were going to leave them destitute. He added that the late Sir Donald M'Lean and Mr Parris had made certain promises which had not been carried out, and that faith had been broken with them in every way. Therefore the Maoris could only conio to the conclusion that the Government intended to sell the whole of the land without ai.y portion of it being sit aside for the Natives. The Maoris did not wish to fistht, but they were not'going to be robbed of their land. Mr Mackay argued that tho land belonged to the Government. It had been fought for and taken from them. It had been cnfiacated and now belonged to the Government, but tho Government had no intention to leave the Maoris destitute, llesi-rve* should ba given them. Te Whiti replied that if that was so, why had not the Government occupied it from the conquest until now? Instead of that, the Maoiis had oceupiel it unirol. sted. They had constantly held it, and it was theirs to all intents ami p«rp< s»s. Aft»r aconsiderable amount "f urgumeut t > the same effect, the ciHcusfiun was postponed until Mr Mackay hud had »n opportunity of ascertaining whether or not there was any misapprehension on the part of the Maoris as to a promise which Te Whiti said had been made. Mr Mackay staited next morning for New Plymouth with Captain Blake, nn-1 arrived in tc-wn en Thursday night, and has been h^re ever F.inca inquiring into the matter." A private telegram from Hawera says : —" I don't anticipate Native troubles if the Government act diiCieelly. The Natives are making r.O war preparations." Tha Hiueinoa, with 30 of the Armed Constabulary for Opnnake, arrived in the roadstead this moruirg. She was at Opunake yesterday, but she was too late to land the nun here.

(FROJI A CORRESPONDENT.)

Ofukake, March 31st. After about a month's inquiry into this Waimate b ;siii<-s3, the following are the concilia ons I have arrieil at. Sir Donald M'Lean whni in office made certain iromises to the Maori people, which have neither been kept nor regarJed. Messrs Brown and Williams, -who it is supposed knew thes3 facts, carefully con-ceal-d them fro:n the Native Minister of the present Governm-nt. Sir Donald M'Leaa promised the Maoris 5s an acre compensation f r what laud Government proposed taking, within certain defined areas. Twenty-five per cent, of the produce of the sale of Waimate Plains will g.> to the New Plymouth Harbour Board, while Opunofco hai better facilities for harbour construction th«i New Plymouth. Some 16,000 acres of the }jain are advertised for Fal-, and not a sinyl) acre of reserve has been marked out, p jeitive'-y promised or reserved. As an instance of the high-handed manner in which the survey has been carried out, a road line was mads or laid out through the whara and the garden of Titokowaru. The Government have been ignorant of the state of Native f«eliug, and from the contempt for pa-it Government promises the boya were ord r*d tt> remove the surveyor* in a e<'O I ■ humi.ui ed manner. Meanwhile Mr Mackay is here inquiring into all the facto of the cas).

Mr Bryce, 11 H.lt, during bis vist to tl c North, of Auchlaid in-<pfCied lha Vict.iriik, Awauui, anl Kiiia Valleys, near Mcng nui. He states that 100 000 ncr^o could be B.jttloU upon and brought pn 'er crop with advan'-ajje. 4