ALEXANDRA. THE HIKURANGI MEETING. December 12.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 558, 16 December 1875, Page 2

ALEXANDRA. THE HIKURANGI MEETING. December 12.

Tawbiao's meeting at Hikurangi ooncluded yesterday. The only business *ai tho introduction of the new religion. Tawhiao it the lole leader in the movement. He declared that God must hare come with their Ancestors from Hawaiki, in their canoes, with those who came on the crest of the wares and those who; crossed over according to their traditions on the leaves of the twee. God disl not oome to them from abroad with the Missionaries, fie had always been with them. They had seeu the evil of their ways and he now called upon them to be atedfast, to have faith and believe, to put off all their evil* ways — Ko tenei toun taku kupu kia mau ki te wh.aka.pono — prayers mom and night and oft times during the day was practised during the meeting and learning the prayers and hymns he has composed. Drink is to be entirely abolished. Some rum introduced by seme of the natires was seized by him and publicly smashed, he saying for the future none was to 'be allowed there. By many of the natires this morement of Tawhiao's is anxiously watched to see if he himself will be stedfast. Hikurangi is about 14 miles from here situate on a high hill commanding a fine view of the Waikato settlements, there are only as yet some dozen houses finished, its site has nothing to recommend it but its accessibility to Kuwhia and the inland settlements, the country being Very broken. He has chosen a number of his people to visit the various settlement, to introduce the religion amongst them, men and woman who are turned Toreao's. Many ■ new laws have been made ; theiring is in future to be heavily punished, while for adultery ,l which has caused -ao many amongst them and lately a murder at Otiwa, there is to be co redress. There was little done the last three days of the meeting on account of the rain, and on Saturday the visitors were not to be t restrained, the heavy fresh in the valley of the Waipa which was plainly discern able hurrying them off to their homes to see what damage their property had sustained. This hw been considerable, a preftt number of them now being homeless and all their crops destroyed. The great fresh in the Waipa, on Friday and Saturday has caused considerable loss and damage to up country natives. No such fresh is recollected by the present generation of natires, but one, which must bare taken place some 40 years ago, and referred to by them as the Hari kaupapa .All the -lands low lying on the banks of the Waipa are-Bubmergod, and of those in crop of course the produce is now utterly destroyed. At Hangatiki, Orahiri, Waitoma and other small settlements, great damage has been done. In some cases stock has been carried away and lost, a large number of whares and stock and moveable property are also swept away the owners being absent at the meeting. At Awai and the varkms -settlements at Kopua a large area of crops are gone, and a great number of dwellings. The Hetits with young Turner at Otorohanga are about the greatest sufferers, the wbole-of their crops being under water. All the settlemen's lower do wa to Alexandra and near to the banks of the river are under wa*«r. The loss in canoes is great everywhere. — (From oub <SWN COBRISPONDBNT.