OTAKI. HOISTING OF THE KING FLAG.

Otago Witness, Issue 488, 6 April 1861, Page 6

OTAKI. HOISTING OF THE KING FLAG.

. .We extract the Mowing account of the hoisting of the "Maori King Fla^" at Otaki from tne columns of the "Wellington Advertiser, " of the 16th irist. . Ttaesoleirin: ceremony ;of Ihoisting. the. flag Of the Maori King tddk place on Tuesday last the (l^thinjtemt, .as.periannduricenie^t. There Were between _*oo^ ,and fiOO Maories, but tio S^WatfMeizeit Europeans present.. Before ie, ' beremony 'commenced, the ' 'King Madr^es, rej^Wtb 'creature " edmfotfts,'' f pttso#k' of a. -feast, 'ana it is estimated that 'there *were;hot Itessthan twenty bullocks and of flour consumed on the occasion The performance commenced by the hoisting ,t>f three flags one-third up the pole. The übj&rmbst flag had a white ground, with a black cross in the. centre, and red stars at the Joints. The second flag was that of the madri King ; it was in the shape of a long <rfhib, bf a black ground, and with a red cross >hdrstarsat the'end. The third and lowerniolt 1 was the tri-colour, but what it was suppose&to represent we have not been informed. xhe Maories assembled first went round the dag-staff in military order, two and two, all fluting the flag as they passed. There was a portion of the Roman Catholic and then a portion of the Church of England service read.' The flags were then hoisted! two-thirds of the uls'ta'ttce arid afterwards to the top of the pole. Each time a volley was fired, and when the flags were .fully hoisted three loud and hearty chefers were given, and another volley fired. during the ceremony; which, ive were glad to learn, were of a ' peaceable ieiidency. Itr'fne evening the flags' were lowered, and are not to be hoisted again ttnfijl next year. On the same day the friendly natives^ who we regret to state are very few iri ntihtner, hoisted the Queen's flag opposite the "-church ; but this incident excited but little notice. The flags were hoisted opposite filestore of Mr. Davis, and, in order to show iHeir peaceable intentions, they requested that gentleman to hoist the British flag previous to their hoisting the Waikato one. When our informant passdd through Waikanae the (^necnis flag was flyhig, and a large number of natives were present. We observe that Te Rauparaha accuses Mr. Turton, the Circuit Magistrate, of approving of the hoisting of the Waikatb flag 5 But the correct interpretation of 'his advice is evidently not an approval of the hoisting* of the 'flag, but the disapproval of any' violent attempt made to prevent it being effected. And who will say that, under the circumstances, such advice was not in the highest degree alike patriotic and judicious ? Otaki, March 14, 1861. knowing that you would wish for any intelligence concerning the hoisting of the Maori King's standard here, I enclose you an account of "t^e proceedings that took place. ,The account is ratheriong, but I thought I would giye'the fullest I could obtain. I. have not been abje to get Heremiah Te Tuere's first clay's speech', or a list of the rules of the day, or.W,i'Tako's letter, as the natives are busy; j.will send^them by next mail, if possible. llih f March: — The natives hoisted the staff and rigged It, The lower mast was brought down froni the beach at' Porotawhae, the topmast froni the bush at Otaki, and the yard from the wreck of the 'Valentine Hellicar.' At JS p.m. armed guards were stationed round t^he, flag-s<afl> M^tE drdeftf to shoot any person nofanswering the guard. Relief guard every hour ;i 9 tfjbe for each hour. The night went off very quiet. lgtii.rrAV'7 a.m., straggling firing, which lasted till jhalf-past eight/ At 9 a.m. the difterfn^pffahf gas" were called out, armed, and hzarcheQ. i\fo tleep round thp flagstaff twice, Wgfli /&P natives^ arm .^ with spears and difr fereni aatfte' instruments,, joined in and folJo^e^,iin\ I s^iife.',"-.Tiie' armed inarched up to ffie Jf'W' front of the staff, the unarmed to the N.E; front; the head chiefs standing in the tmg round staff. . Heremiah Te Tuere cajje^ pn theref jto salute the king by bowing ibxee times ' uncovered. He then read tne' Catholic 3 prayers, for the king, after which Etajji 'j^e "^akarawe read the prayers of the Protestant Ch'Urch. W/h : eh finished, orders to lo^wiiih Wank (iartridge'were given. Flags hoisted "fronji the ground— -a salute, of 200 guns; half mapt— another salute; mast-head r-a grand salute and war dance, r Speeches W^re .then made, which were salutations to '£hei { rj£ing. Kferemiah Te Tuerc gave an ex- j plariation of his views in hoisting the flag at Otat£y af^er which the natives' were dismissed, a^i3 b^gan fp divide the food for the different iriSe^ lasted until sundown, when the flag's were lowered with the same ceremopy as j in.the niorhing. At. the. close of the proceedings of;'the d # ay ? Heremiah Te Tuere'read out the rjuiea proposed for the day. . ,4AtficrSakitji)g '$c, same as yesterday. T,wo;flags only hoisted, viz., the Waikato and French ; after; which Heremiah dismissed the natives till 3 p.m. At 11, ft.m.. the friendly natives began to assemble from the. town on theJPukekaraka hilj; all very quiet till about three, p'clock, when two friendly chiefs, Karaitamaf&J^apukai and Mamahu Tini Poaka rushed. ,out ; fjrom the friendly mob with only fl.'^hawi round tfie loins, armed with a and reed spears; the spears they threw: at, ttxe diffprent tribes, and one at the flagstaff. They then retreated to their side ; JihgGj challenge was a signal for the kingites to commencie the proceedings of the evening. T^ey QQjpimenced a war dance at their different en&mpments, and marched out 4pO strong, with f&ncy.shirtfc shawls; &c, round the loms, armed with guns, spears, taiahas, mcri meri, &c, and took up their stations in three mobs, ' four deep, 300 yards distant from the flag- - fffeaSl "Mamahu then rushed forward and threw another reeS spear at them, and'returnedythe Ngatiawa tribe after him in double o.uicik time, and the most unearthly yelling glaFcOujfti be'fhough^ of. This was repeated j tl|e other remaining tribes, and the s^nam fm*% mi&s some time ; aftor which the 400 cwnmenced" their .war-dance, which was. a t^dtl^tjung? prder being called, speeches re nVide Ky'theprhVciparchiefs, which were i^ltaWqnf .to tHe friendly natives. Matenc stood ,ap and made a speech, in-qdMng-ttie 1 reason' of the kingites dividing «s|rtfiein/ me," said he, "Quickly; so &&£' SF^inay knbW what is the reason fj^.'^o^ riot 'keep me in suspense.? Ilapi Temh3Mraw<B ' (kihgite)' said, v Matene, yon are tfye refflson ; ,do not hide it, you know you areS^^dii^a^e, a Idndi-seller, I am a Jahd.l^lfe^ f :Jla^e!Te ; Whiwhisai^ "That is nßr tfe'reS^] do iiot keep it back, let me iyttpiS;. - vl^you'c^nHot* tell me, I must ask tha I^Jmyissk \ wh^lt $1 I niitst • a NgatiM§W^'(kjn^iieyßttid it is, th,c land'-sellihg." HO||n;T^nfßWd ! li!s > speech' wftTi a MapiLsorig. . v^^^Jia/re'JCsip'iiVai'^kitrgife) shod, up a;nd for"turrtfrig n from them', Mfr£^t¥(irt}rijr their' carioeV V You 'are', all J SBm^^J^SMc\ m that'lf^e anew pUy thing." biding tlicm F farWe'fH a^ the . Sa^be^taiM^tefflng thejn that they had takeh w^Jr^R^.^tlrarid; .would be lost., Napai, ~ TanSfeafra^i^iiiteYsUKJ^f up tind said, *' I have -M^^ffl^3f|isfe fh\t'; y.6u Haycl beenqiifestiondd ; I?^^ffl^W^clin|'ch ; , 'dti^cn, and governor. ' ~r&^?~"fjfoi^'ofj!fitf,^~ r &^?~"fjfoi^'ofj!fitf,^ i^ic*' wi?r<j' I : hi^ve. to say.

mean no wrong by my flag ; do not think so. If bad thoughts come over me,' I will go to Waitar'a. I will have no fighting here ; noj never ; Tslrahaki is the place for that. Listen aU. Lddk "at the flag-staff; do you see the king's flag flyihg ? Nd, it is down ;. it is gone from the gaze of you. I said it would only see the light one day, and it is so. Am I wrong ? It will not be seen until the 12th of Marchj 1862, and so on every year. I wish to live in peace ; Ido not want war. If war appears, it will be from the- Governor, and that will not be my fault. I salute my king." Song — "I have nothing more to say ; all that I require is peace with, ail." The kingites commenced a siong and war-dance, which finished the proceedihgs of the day. They then fell in two deep, and marched round the flag-staff, Heremiah Te Tuere leading. They saluted the flag, and then went to their different encampments, where they finished with a war-dance. 14th. — The meeting broke up; the Ngatikahungus, Ngatiawas, Ngatihauas, and others, started homewards, leaving but a few behind. The meeting went off very quietly and orderly, more so than most of our meetings. The Europeans that were on the ground intermixed with the natives. The natives were very friendly, laughing, and joking, and enquiring what the meaning of their flags were ; they seemed to be puzzled, and could not get at any definite answer. No slurs were cast on the Europeans, or any remarks passed about Taranaki. They seemed to be in a very good humour.