AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1824, 31 January 1863, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

SIR GEORGE GREY'S VISIT TO THE WAIKATO. • [From the New Zbalandbr, 14th January.] We have been favored, from a source which is reliable, with the following interesting account of some of the incidents of the recent visit of Governor Grey to Waikato* Matutaera was not within reach, having takeD a long joun\ey into the interior to risit an old chief of rank who waa ill, W 0

have hopes that an official acoount of an affair so important will bo published in the Government paper, the Maori Messenger, for the information of both races, and that it will not be left to the Auckland managers of the Hokioi to forward a cooked report for the purpose of making mischief amongst the natives: — On New year's day, at 7-30 a.m., His Excellency left Auckland on a tour through the Waikato district, arriving at Drury at 11-30, where he waited to refresh and bait the horses l£ hours. During his stay here, two native Chiefs, Wireinu, Te Wheoro, and Noah Tawharu — both Native Assessors—who were on their way to Auckland — joined the Governor's party, and returned to Maungatawhiri ; arriving there at 5-30 p.m., all encamped for the night. The native Chiefs sending messengers to prepare a canoe and paddles to take his-ggcellency up the Waikato river on the followinHsfay. Accordingly by daylight next ! morning a 'large canoe, with a crew of 20 natives, most of whom were chiefs, had arrived, and amongst them more than one supporter of the King movement. After paddling the whole day, His Excellency landed at Paetai at 11.30 p.m. Several of the principal men of the place roused by the singing of the men paddling in the canoe, had assembled on the bank of the river, and gave the Governor a most genuine welcome. By the time the tents were pitched all the people of the settlement had turned out and welcomed Sir George Grey with the most unfeigned affection — expressing their surprise at seeing " their father" so unexpectedly, and alone. By midnight the Governor retired to his tont, and at seven next morning nearly 200 of the natives had assembled to speak to the Governor; amongst them were the old Chiefs Kanawa and Wharepu. Now these two men haee been thorough Kingites, main pillars of the Maori King movement^ At this interview the whole assembly stood up taking off their hats, and when the governor told them in answer to their questions, that all his intentions were for their good, they welcomed his Excellency as 11 their father; the countenance of their father Potatou ; their friend the Governor ;" — saying that had he not left the country all this King movement had never have been dreamt of. They welcomed him now they said, as " theirold friend" and wished as he had come to visit them he would go on and see the Chiefs at all the other settlements. While the meeting was going on they prepared horses to take and escort the Governor to Tuapira. On leaving Pae Tai the whole of the Natives gave his Excellency three hearty cheers. Arriving at Taupiri early in the day, the Governor pushed on, unattended, to Ngaruawahia, the central stronghold of the King movement, where old Potetou is buried — where tho King flag was first hoisted. Having walked round the settlement, visited the grave of Potatou, and looked at the flagstaff, Sir George was at last recognised by the Chiefs and people, who were so overjoyed at seeing him that they collected round him in a body, weeping for very joy, addressing him as their friend, father protector, of the people. After a considerable time thus spent, His Excellency thanked them for the cordial and affectionate reception they had given him, and returned to Taupiri. The Chiefs of Ngaruawahia immediately posted off messengers (of their own accord) to all the principal chiefs in the district, informing them of the Governor's presence at Waikato. Most of these living at a great distance inland, did not arrive until Wednesday evening, but in the mean time his Excellency was visited by many of the Ngaruawahia Chiefs, among whom was Matutaera's sister and his eldest son, Hori Grey, who was born shortly after the Governor left New Zealand, and named after Sir G. by Potatou, his grandfather. At one of her interviews the' sister of the Maori King expressed herself thus : " Had I been the Governor, and thus taken the Kingites by surprise, I should have completed my victory by pulling the halyards of the flagstaff to the ground ond oversetting the sentry box ; that in my opinion would be the final overthrow of the King movement." Ilia Excellency having learned that the Chiefa had arrivbd at Ngauwahia on Wednesday evening sent word that they should come on to Taupiri if they wanted to see him. Accordingly on Thursday morning all the chiefs who had heard of his Excellency's visit, headed by Thompson, came up to Taupiri, where squatting themselves on the ground in a body, they waited the Governor's appearance. As his Excellency approached the whole assemblage stood up, took off their hats, and exclaimed '• Welcome our old friend ! Welcome the Governor ! Welcome our father, the friend of Potatou ! Welcome parent of the people !'* VV hen within fifty yards of the body of the people Thompson run out to meet and shake hands with the Governor, bidding him welcome to Waikato to see all the people, hfs children. Having escorted his Excellency to the chair prepared for him, the people sat down, and the meeting opened. During the meeting the natives raised strong objections to the steamer being Bent on their river. His Excellency assured them that nothing but good would result from a steamer being placed on tho river, and told them that if they would at once take this step for themselves he would not send one, but- that he would not on any account permit the people to be deprived of the advantages to be derived from such a movement, and he showed them how extensively useful it would be to all the people. With respect to the King movement, the natives said that hitherto they had employed all their energies to establish the institution, and had no time to devote to the making of laws; that now the thing had obtained a position among the people they would elect from amongst their cheifs those who were most learned, to frame rules and laws for the good government of the people ; these laws will be handed by Matutaera to the Governor for his sanction, andif assented to by the Governor, they will become law: The Governor replied that so far as he understood their King movement, as they were now conducting it, nothing but evil would result. That if they would send a deputation of their principal chiefs to Auckland to give a full and minute explanation to him and his ministers he would then be in a position to give them a definite answer. As it was now growing late, and the Governor was suffering from a severe attack of indisposition the result of over-exertion and exposure to the night air in his journey up the river, the meeting closed, with three hearty cheers from Thompson and tho people for the Governor. They then ' proceeded to Ngaruawahia, where a meeting was held, at which they resolved that his Excellency should be invited to go through the whole district that each chief should conduct and entertain tho Governor, while at his settlement. During the night his Excellency became much worse ; he was advised io go back to Auckland until his health would again permit him to undertake v a journey. When halfway down the river, trie canoe was overtaken by a man on horseback galloping along the bank, carrying letters from Thompson and all the people, urging him if his health would permit to come and visit the people throughout the whole district ; but as his Excellency's illness had increased so much as to make his return to town necessary, he proceeded on his way to Auckland, and arrived here on the evening of Saturday last. s The 4 New Zealander' of the 28nd says—" The mail carrier who arrived yesterday from the Waikato reports that the Chief Wm. Thompson, and a number of his friends are on their journey towards Auckland to visit Sir George Grey, and that they may be expected to arrive in town in the course of this day."