TE KOOTI and his FOLLOWERS AT CANVRUDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1784, 11 December 1883, Page 2

TE KOOTI and his FOLLOWERS AT CANVRUDGE.

' ' 5 "t-s iT^KootEjwith about 200 followers includ-f tins ~Beviral womeu and children', 1 al£ 'motintedi'aTrived in Cambridge froi^rKihi- 1 jkihi| about 5 o'clock on Friday evfeniugi 'last. ♦ The' party did not come directly intd^ thef"tq\yn, but camped on the patch '<&, ground" between the W.iikato and Kara])iro bridges. A fiumber of them including Te Kooti visited the town during the evening and obtained provisions (by paying for them) fpr their meal. It i.s needless to say they? were nob' over .warmly received by the townspeople ; indeed in many eases strong avoision was shown to their presence; and, wo learn, in one paiticular instance the leader, who was got up in a very respectable costume, was forcibly ejected from one of the hotels. .At different'times he offered to shake haiids with some of the people who out of 'curiosity went " to just have a look at the monbter," but instead of receiving the warm hand he got instead what ib generally known as the "cold shoulder." His friendly overtures were not at all favourably entertained. It was .generally granted, however,, that. T%. Kooti was by far the best looking native of the pai ty ; indeed, the extremely pleasant expression of his countenance is a matter does not admit of question. He was exceptionally well mounted, his hoi^e being a very superior kind of weightcarrying hack, but the remaining horses of the party afforded sufficient evidence for the indictment of each individual owner on a charge of gro-ss cruelty to animals. Indeed, in this rospoct, the whole body may be termed a travelling settlement of criminals of no mean order. They seem to move about with a very pretentious air, and in getting amongst them the immediate satellites of the pardoned outlaw look at the stranger with a very suggestive air, which seems to indicate " This is the great Te Kootij of \vhoifi and hhf great deeds all the woild have heard ; you aie in hi& august presence ; therefoie, wo pray ye, pay your homage." It is said that the party were disappointed at not receiving a demonstration of Avelcome on arriving at Cambridge, and left the place with much disgust on this account. They left Cambridge for Rotorua on the following morning, during a heavy downpour of rain. They intended staying at Tapapa for the night. As the natives at Rotorua are iust now in the throes of- extreme penury, we do not expect they will fare exceedingly well on their arrival there.