PRESENTS FROM THE QUEEN TO THE MAORIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 490, 20 April 1861, Page 10

PRESENTS FROM THE QUEEN TO THE MAORIES.

We (Advertiser, April 6J extract the following account of a native meeting at Putiki from the Wnnganui Chronicle received this day by the Overland Mail. There is no other intelligence from this settlement. Everything at present wears a peaceful aspect, but it may be only the slumbering of the volcano, which any day may pour out its lava and overwhelm the country : —

" On Saturday a number of the Ngatipoutamas and Ngatipas, tribes located on the Wanganui between this and Pepereki, met at Putiki, for the purpose of witnessing the presentation of the Staffs sent by the Queen to the chiefs in this neighbourhood, in return for the presents sent to her Majesty some time ago by the natives These presents were of some value in native estimation, consisting of a Kiwi mat, a curious bag made by John Williams' wife, green stone nieris, &c., The return presents have been here for some time, but as the Rev. Mr. Taylor explained, he had been waiting for some favourable opportunity for presenting them which had not occurred till now. They consist of four very handsome staffs of finely polished wood, tipped at the lower end with silver, and having silver knobs as handles. The Queen's arms are engraved on a silver plate, and the name of each chief to whom they were severally presented. These were Hori King, Mawae, pp e hi (who was not present, but was represented by his brother), and Abraham of Turnkina. The Key. Mr. Taylor delivered the presents, and made some remarks appropriate to the occasion. He assured them that they were tokens of the Queen's friendship, and he trusted that the care her Majesty had for them, and the favour she shoAved them, would be acknoAvledged by them in a suitable manner. They must see that she wishes them well, and they ought to cherish those feelings of loyalty towards her which they had hitherto felt. Nothing would give the Queen greater satisfaction than to see the Europeans and Natives living in 'harmony and peace as one united people. The chiefs replied at some

length, declaring that their sentiments were peaceful— that they wished the two peoples to be united ; that though there was a contest at Taranaki, this was sacred ground (wai tapu). The tapu would only be broken if the Europeans made an aggression, on them.