PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE MURDER OF KERETI.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1865 Session I, E-06

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE MURDER OF KERETI.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE GE.VERAL ASSEMBLY BY COMMAND OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR. WELLINGTON: 1865.

E.—No, 6.

E.—No. 6,

No. 1. PBOCLAMATION. Colouial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 2nd October, 1865. Whereas upon the 21st day of September a Native Policeman, named Kereti, was barbarously murdered by a party of Hau Hau fanatics, when he was engaged in carrying the Governor's Proclamation of peace to the Natives in arms, and after he had been invited by them to bring the Proclamation for their perusal. And whereas it appears by the dying declaration of the deceased that the under-mentioned Natives were amongst those who committed tho murder, the Governor has been pleased to direct that a Reward of One Thousand Pounds shall be given for the apprehension and bringing to justice of any one person, and One Hundred Pounds in addition for each of the other persons who took part in the said crime. The Natives who were identified by Kereti were —Himiona te Whawati, of the Ngarauru Tribe, Waitotara, Hare Tipene's Hapu. Bawiri, a Taranaki Native connected with the Ngatipourua Hapu, Waitotara. Hami Tukihata, of the Ngarauru Tribe, Te Iwipirau's Hapu. By His Excellency's Command, J. C. EiciniOND. No. 2. WALTEE BULLEE, E.M., TO THE HON. THE NATIVE MINISTEB. E. M. Office, Sie— Wanganui, Sept. 26, 1865. I extremely regret to have to report the murder by a party of Ngarauru Natives, of a Policeman of this department while engaged in a peaceful errand. Kereti Te Ahuru, whom I had previously placed at Brigadier General Waddy's disposal as guide and messenger in his communications with the Natives, came to my office on the morning of the 19th instant and reported that he was proceeding to the Waitotara by the General's orders with copies of the Peace Proclamations for distribution among the Natives of that district. On the evening of the 22nd, news reached Wanganui that tho unfortunate man had been fired upon and mortally wounded by an ambuscade of Maories within sight of the Weraroa Eedoubt, and on the following morning I received a private note from the General detailing the circumstances as they had been reported to him. Mr. Broughton the Interpreter to the Forces was despatched to Weraroa on Saturday morning, and he returned on Sunday evening with the intelligence of the poor man's death. Before he expired, Kereti made a statement of the circumstance?, with the names of his murderers, men of his own immediate hapu, which statement (although unfortunately not signed) was taken down in writing by Mr. Broughton on the spot, and in the presence of a Maori witness. Kereti's body has been brought into Wanganui for burial, and will be interred this afternoon. I have &c, Waltee Bulleb, E.M. The Hon the. Native Minister, Wellington. P.S. —The statement of Kereti will be forwarded to you by Mr. Broughton by this mail, together with his own full report on the subject. WB. No 3. CHABLES W. BEOUGHTON, TO THE HON. THE NATIVE MINISTEB. Wanganui, SlE,— 27th Sept., 1865. In accordance with my instructions I have the honor to forward herewith for the infor-

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE MURDER OF KERETI.

E.—Ko. 6

mation of the Government copy of my report to the Assistant Military Secretary, dated 26th instant. I have &c, Chables W. Beougiiton, The Hon. the Native Minister, Interpreter to the Forces. Wellington. Enclosure 1 to No. 3. Wanganui, Sib,— 26th September, 1865. I have the honor to report for the information of the Officer Commanding the Forces in New Zealand, that having been directed by Brigadier General Waddy to endeavor to get the Governor's peace proclamation disseminated among3t the rebel Natives at Waitotara and on to the Patea, I, ou the 18th instant, instructed Kereti (one of the Native Police who had been attached by the Native Eesident Magistrate here to the Brigadier General as a Native orderly) to endeavour to find out amongst the Native women, who were captured at the Weraroa, some one who might be able to communicate with the rebel fanatics without personal danger, as it was notoriously unsafe for any friendly Native or European to go amongst them. AVe concluded upon sending the next day a sister of Pirimona's (Pirimona is one of the principal Waitotara rebel leaders), and Kereti accompanying her as far as the Weraroa Eodoubt when she was to cross the river and endeavour to communicate with her people. The next day, however, Kereti came to my house with a Native named Tariu (the prisoner liberated from the hulk at Wellington,) husband of the woman who was to have gone, but could not, and I agreed that he should go. I particularly instructed Kereti on no account to leave the Weraroa Redoubt himself, but to remain there and await Tariu's return. Kereti fully agreed with me that it was not safe for him to go amongst the rebels, and I certainly never expected he Would attempt it; it was entirely against my advice and instructions. They left my house about 10 o'clock on the morning of the 19th, and arrived in safety at the Weraroa redoubt that evening. On Friday night 22nd instant, tho news reached town that Kereti had been shot, and I was desired by the Brigadier General to proceed at once to the Weraroa. On my arrival there I found Kereti mortally wounded, and Tariu just returned from the Putae pa, where he had delivered the copies of the proclamation. Kereti was dying, and could only speak with great pain and difficulty, but he gave me a statement of what had occurred, which I wrote down verbatim, and beg to enclose a copy and translation thereof herewith. I have also the honor to enclose copy of Tariu's statement with a translation. Kereti died on the morning of the 21th, and his body has been brought into town and will be handed over to his friends for burial. The following are the names of the men and their tribes who shot Kereti, and stripped him. 1. Himiona te Whawati of the Ngarauru tribe, Waitotara. Hare Tipone's hapu. 2. Eawiri; this man is a Taranaki Native but connected with the Ngatiporua hapu, Waitotara, and with Wiremu Poaka, who is now a prisoner on board the hulk at Wellington. 3. Hami Tukihata of the Ngarauru tribe, Te Iwipirau hapu. I have, &c, Chaeles W. Beoughton, Interpreter to the Forces. Enclosure 2 to No. 3. KEBETI'S STATEMENT. Weraroa, 23rd September, 1865. We two (i.e., himself and Tariu) came from Town on Tuesday and arrived at Weraroa and slept there. On Thursday, I went out and when I reached Areiahi I saw a party of 20 going to lay ambuscades in the Kohiroa, I lay hidden, let them pass, they also did not see me. 1 went on, when I was near to the river (Waitotara) I saw 4 women on the other side, they called out to me " Who is that ?" I replied, "I, Kereti," they called out tome " come." Then Bawiri called out asking me the reason for my coming there, I replied " the peace making of the Governor; Tariu has also gone down to carry the news to the Putae;" they called back to me, "We are not agreeable to this peace making of the Governor;" I said " Must Igo back ?" They replied to me, " Yes;" that wrs all. Then Eawiri called out to me, " No, do you return to-morrow that we may talk il over thoroughly." Next day upon this word of theirs, I went to take them the papers of the Governor, but the path was ambuscaded after me, I was shot and fell, I was shot by Himiona te Wawhiti, by Ea-

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO

E.—No. G

wivi and by Kami Tukihata. This is all, I fell, they rushed upon me to take away my things; they took away my clothes, my money 155., and a shark's tooth. They saw the soldiers coming and ran C. W. B. TAEIU'S STATEMENT. Wanganui, 25th September, 1865. I and Kereti left Town on the 19th instant. We arrived at the soldiers' redoubt at the Weraroa and we slept there. Next day I went off to the Putae leaving Kereti at the Weraroa. When I arrived at the pa I saluted the people; that finished, one man came out to salute me (Karapehu; then he asked me the reason for my coming there. I said, lam a mail from the Governor. I gave him my papers for him to convey to the people. He took the papers to them, and then returned to my side. I remained. We sat down doing nothing, but we did not converse until evening when Pirimona came and saluted me. When that was finished I asked him " What will be done about my papers, and as to my returning to morrow ?" He said, "there is no word, you will be taken and made a prisoner of, you will not be allowed to go back." This is all. I slept in Pirimona's house. Next day Hare Tipene came to me to see me. I asked him what was his thought about the papers. He replied, it does not rest with me but with Hetaraka and the people. This was all his word, he returned ; I was staying as a prisoner ; I was not allowed to return, and I slept there also. At night Pirimona was fetched to go to the Bunanga which was being held concerning myself and my papers. On his return he told me the men were not agreeable to the Governor's talk. '1 heir wish was to keep on fighting against the Europeans, against the sovereignty of the Queen. It would also be no good to try and make peace at a future time, rather they intended to keep on fighting against the sovereignty of the Queen. They were soldiers, but rather let the Governor go to Te Ua to make his peace because that was the great chief Te Ua. This is all that word. I should be let go to return to Wanganui to-morrow, but that I must not come back again. This is all. On Friday morning Hare Tipene came to me and told me to travel by the beach, I must not return by the way I came because ambuscades were laid for me. This is all. I came by the beach, and arrived at the Weraroa. I found Kereti was shot; he was staying at the soldiers' redoubt. On Saturday Charles Broughton and Te Karera arrived to us, then Kereti told C. Broughton about his being shot. Kereti's talk was written down by Charles Broughton; W3 heard the talk, we saw the writing, it is correct. This is all. From Tabiu te Uiba.

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THE MURDER OF KERETI.