THE LOYAL WANGANUI NATIVES SECRET EXPEDITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 177, 5 December 1868, Page 3

THE LOYAL WANGANUI NATIVES SECRET EXPEDITION.

(From the Wanganui Times.) Many of the Putiki and up-river Natives felt sorely aggrieved at being called cowards by Colonel Whitmore, and abused by certain persons in Wanganui. Having been dismissed with arms and ammunition in their hands, they determined to shew to the Government, the people of Wanganui, and the colony at large, that they were not only thoroughly loyal, but perfectly able, singlehanded, to beat Titokowaru and his men, and drive them out of these district*. To do that, however, they must be allowed to fight in their own way, aiid tinder commanders in whom they had confidence. To carry out their object they planned a kind of secret expedition under the following chiefs: — Poma, of Kawaerea, Hakaria of Kawaerea, Mci, of Karatia, Pauro, of Hiruharama, Toma, of Hiruharama, Aperaniko, and Meti Kingi. On Wednesday, the 18th inst., Poma called on Captain M'Donnell, informed him of their intentions, and strongly urged him to accompany them in their dangerous enterprise. On being questioned, he said that he was about to start next morning up-river, as far as Jerusalem— thp farthest up of our f riendlies settlement — to raise the tribe's and order the men to muster at Raurikia, where Meti Kingi and Aperaniko would join them. He further added, that they would then, with three or four hundred men, strike through the bush ; their scouts and spies would bring them on Titokowaru's position, and imparted other information which we deem it not advisable to publish, but all tending to show the feasibility of their plans. Captain M'Donnell at once consented to join, in what he felt confident would be a successful attack upon the arch-cannibal, and rid these districts of himself and his followers. On Thursday,- tne 19th, about 5 a.m., Poma*,^ with- Captain 'McDonnell and fifty Kupapas started from Wanganui in canoes: oiutheir .up-river .» Commencing at Kaiwhalke they visited every, settlement, aroused the tribes and directed a muster of every fighting man at Raurikia, by Monday,

the 23rd, so aa to be ready to start with four day's provisions ready cooked, on the morning of Tuesday, the 24th. On Saturday, the 21st, Poma and party reached Jerusalem. The Kupapas there, as well as at all the places they had visited on their way up, at once agreed to join in a united attack upon Titokowaru There were 87 fighting men at that settlement, but it being the farthest up and on the boundary ofPehi's territory, it was arranged that 42 of those men should remain there, and the other 45 accompany the expedition. On Sunday, the 22nd, all attended Divine service and rested on the Sabbath. j On Monday the 23rd, at 5 a.m., they started down river for Raurikia, the appointed place of rendezvous. On their way down the Kupapas at London, Koratia and other places were in readiness by their canoes, and on the approach of the main body at once joined them. On arriving at Raurikia they were joined by the Kai Whaike's and other hapus which increased the force to over 300 fighting men, and as others were shortly expected under Meti Kingi and Aperaniko, the whole were elated with the prospect of a glorious victory. Their old pakeha chief was to be sent for ; their four days' provisions were already cooked, and anecdotes of their former exploits when they fought without pay and in their own fashion enlivened the camp — when, Lo 1 a messenger from the evil genius who presides over the destinies of this province, and unfortunately in a measure, of the colony at large, arrived amongst them. Need we say that was a messenger from Colonel Haultain, imperatively ordering those men not to dare.to attack to Titokowaru, as the Government would not have it done in that way ! Shortly afterwards Mete Kingi, Kemp, and Aperaniko, also arrived, when it was ascertained that Mete Kingi uaturally supposing that Col. Haultain would be delighted to hear of an effectual blow being about to be struck at Titokowaru, and that too without any expense to the Government, had divulged to him the plan of the secret expedition. That our Defence (?) Ministers had positively prohibited Mete Kingi, or any of his people, from having anything to do with it, and had sent himself Kemp, and Aperaniko on to order them to disperse 1 ! j The Chiefs said to Meti Kingi— " You told ns to muster here, and that you would meet us here to go out and attack Titokowaru. What is this word that we are not to go ? Are we sold ?" Mete Kingi did not reply, but Aperaniko said : — " This is Colonel Haultain's word. You are not to go through the bush and fight Titokowaru. If you do not have a success, no matter if you kill Titokowaru, you won't get a sixpence for it, and if you get out to Colonel Whitmore's camp you won't get a single ration given to you, or anything to eat of any kind." One of the chiefs replied: "We are not going to fight for rations or for money. We are going to fight Titokowaru in our own Maori style. What has Colonel Haultain to do with us ? " The leading men then talked of the battles they hrd fou4ht, and in which they had always been successful when they didn't fight for money. They said that they would go now without any pay. If they succeeded and heat Titokowaru, and drove the rest (not killed) of his people before them out of this province, the Government might recompense them if they liked ; if not, they would not ask them to do so. If, on the other hand, they did not succeed, the Government could lose nothing. At all events, they said, " we will drive Titokowaru out of these districts. He challenged us to fight near Waihi; we will fight him now. We are certain of success." Mete Kingi said : " I thought I had better tell Colonel Haultain what we were going to do ; so I went and told him. Coionel Haultain said to me that we were not to do it. That he would not allow it. That the Government did not want it done in that way. That he (Mete Kiugi) was a bad man. That Kemp was a good man, aud would be supported by the Government. That he (Colonel Haultain) had been told by several natives that he (Mete Kingi) was working against Kemp in every way. Mete denied it, and said, " Kemp and I are one;" and also said that a- Golonel Haultain refused to let them go and fight Titokowaru in their own way, he would go and bring the Kupapas down, and would then defy Colonel Haultain to point out any of them that had told him that he had advised the men not to go with Kemp. The men would never go with Kemp to fight under Colonel Whitmore. They wanted no one to advise them about that. They refused to be drafted out like a lot of sheep from a flock, the fat ones to be butchered under Whitmore, and the rest to wait their turn. They would go all together under Colonel M'Donnell and fight in their own way. They wanted no pay nor anything else from the Government. When he had said that Colonel Haultain again said bad words to him, and insisted that they must not go, and that they must he hrought back directly. Poma said: " Well, Meti, we are all one. We will either all go as Kupas under Colonel M'Donnell or not at all. We won't go under Whitmore. If Colonel Haultain won't let us fight now we will go home. We are all one." Several of the chiefs and leading men having spoken to the same effect, the men prepared to return to their respective hemes, but on Tuesday morning they came down to Wanganui at the urgent request of Mete Kingi. Thus has Colonel Haultain orice more acted as Defence Minister to Titokowaru. What will the press and people of the colony say to the manner in which the people of Wanganui and surrounding districts are victimised by the Stafford Ministry? , ■ Commenting bn the above, the Government paper says : — It will hardly surprise anyone with recent I

experience of the utter unscrupulousness of assertion indulged in by our Wanganui contemporary, that, so far as Colonel Haultain is concerned, there is not a word of truth in the whole narrative. The following statements are utterly untrue and entirely false : — " Need we say that a messenger from Colonel Haultain ; imperatively ordering those men not to dare to attack Titokowaru, as the Govornment would not have it done in that way 1 Meti Kingi did not reply, but Aperaniko said .- — This is Colonel Haultain's word. You are not to go through the bush and fight Titokowaru. If you do not have a success, no matter if you lail Titokowaru, you won't get a sixpence for it, and if you get out to Colonel Whitmore's Camp you wont get a single ration given to you, or anything to eat of any kind. Meti Kingi said : — I thought I had better tell Colonel Haultain what we were going to do ; so I went and told him. Colonel Haultain said to me that we were not to do it. That he would not allow it. That the Government did not want it done in that way. The facts of the case are, we believe, much as follows : — Immediately after the Governor's visit — Meti Kingi sent a party of Kupapas up the river, not, however, with the slightest idea of attacking Titokowaru, but on the chance of picking off stragglers from his force. Meti never told Colonel Haultain at all. but communicated this great idea to Dr Featherston, telling him that he "had sent his men up the river to try and catch stragglers from Titokowaru's force, but if they met a party they were to come back." The doctor soundly rated him for sending the men away instead of carryine; out the wishes of the Government, viz : — The forming of a small contingent under Kemp, to serve with Colonel Whitmore, and placing the remainder, as Kupapas, under Colonel McDonnell. Kemp, upon hearing of the affair, wrote a letter ordering the men to return, and Mete Kingi, finding he could notpreventit,gavein, and came to Colonel H"ultain, offering to do whatever the Government wished. The Colonel then told told him to bring the men down, that the word of the Governor (as to forming a Native Contingent) might be obeyed. When they returned, the influence of Mete and certain Europeans prevailed in inducing them not to join the Contingent, and they expressed a desire to serve altogether under Colonel McDonnell. This was acceded to, although not entirely in accordance with the wishes of the Government The " secret expedition" was thus never divulged to Colonel Haultain until it had not only started, but been actually ordered back by Kemp. Mete never came to the Colonel at all, until he had his not very satis- | factory interview with Dr Featherston. The I M'Donnell mentioned in connection with the expedition was not Colonel M'Donnell, but his brother, the captain, who is reported to have undertaken ths command. The fighting chiefs, Kemp, Hunia, Pete, were known not to have been present, so that very little reflection might have prevented the idea gaining ground that there was any real intention of warlike enterprise.