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A.—No. 5.

come here to make peace ; you sent for me that we might speak to each other. I quite agree to what you say about sending the notice (of reward) after me to-morrow. You have heard the words that 1 have spoken. If you choose to arrest me now you can. I am willing to be arrested without offering resistance. Do not think to frighten me into taking the oath of allegiance by threats. I will not lake the oath of allegiance. The Governor said: He had better go at once, he would not have any further intercourse with him —with a man that had murdered his countrymen, and was implicated in such horrid crimes as Iho murder of the Bey. Mr. Volkner, who was a good missionary; they hanged him near his own church, and in the presence of his own congregation ; they ate some parts of his body. He was sure the chiefs of Putiki would not countenance such a man. Depart immediately. Topia then left. After a little while Hori Kingi came back to say that Topia had spoken to the effect that he would go up to Pipiriki and consult Te Tahana, and would then come down the river, with all his people, and take the oath, for he was anxious to come here. He would not suppress what Pehi had done. The Governor: He did not wish to frighten him into taking the oath. Ho only agreed to allow him to take the oath out of consideration for the promise made by Hori Kingi. He would give this day for the fulfilment of those promises ; but to-morrow I will give £1000 reward for his apprehension, and. if caught, he will be tried. The Governor believes that he will yet be caught and tried, and if convicted very likely hung. It is a great crime that he has committed in allowing the head of ]\I r. Hewitt to be received at Pipiriki, and then to bo taken towards Turanga, for the purpose of raising the Xativcs to war. Those very men carrying that head had murdered a good missionary, the Eev. Mr. Volkner ; they hung him near his own church; they cut off' his head, and ate his eyes ; they ate his brains and heart, and gave his body to the dogs. This work began and went from Vanganui —from Topia, the priest of Ilau Haus, a man that has been brought up from his childhood amongst the Europeans, who has been kindly treated by them, and was never injured by them in any way. He will surely be punished. I shall never pardon him. He will yet be tried for these murders. I will offer £1000 reward to-morrow for his apprehension, which will stand good until he is caught. If the Europeans heard that Topia was here and what he has done, I think that they will not'let him get away. A chief ought to bo an example to his people, and when he commits a crime he should be brought to justice and punished. In his (the Governor's) opinion he (Topia) should take the oath of allegiance to-day, and then go and consult his people, and bring them down with him. If they did not come, he might return alone. It was in this way alone that he could atone for the offences that he had committed. James Fulloon, Interpreter. Enclosure 2 to No. 30. J. Booth, Esq., to His Excellency the GovEKyoa. Sic,— I have the honor to report to your Excellency that on arriving at Eanana on the night of Friday, the 17th instant, lat once forwarded a letter to Pipiriki. The following is a translation: — Eanana, 18th March, 1865, 12.30 a.m. To Tahana Turoa. to Hori Patcne, to Te Mokena, to Ihaia, to Kereopa, and to all the men at Pipiriki. To Tamati Waka of Manganui-o-te-ao, and to his people, to Kopato te Korohiti of Utapu, and to his people. Friends, —This is the Governor's word to you. You are to come down the river, and he will confirm the peace which was made by Hori Kingi and Mete Kingi with Pchi Turoa, and with all of you at Ohoutahi and at Pipiriki. This is to tell all of you who are at Pipiriki and at Ohincmutu to come and meet me to-day at Hiruharama, and we will talk this matter over. Pehi will be there with me. The reason why the Governor wishes you to come down at once is because of the dreadful crimes which have been committed by the Hau Hau fanatics. The head which was taken by Kereopa reached Opotiki. The Minister, Mr. Volkner, has been murdered, and his eyes, brains, and heart have been devoured by the Hau Hans. The Eev. Mr. Grace is also a prisoner in the hands of these murderers. The Governor says that the time has now come when he must know his friends from his foes. The Governor has made peace with Pehi, they are now friends ; but the words of Topia have not been straight and open like those of Pehi. and the Governor's thoughts about Topia arc dark. The Governor's word to you is this, if you wish to make peace with him on this day, or at this time, he will make peace with you, and his thoughts will be light. Your friends who were taken prisoners in the fight at Moutoa are on their way back, the Eanga is their canoe. When this letter reaches you make haste and come the same hour. From me, J. Booth. From Mete Kixgi. The letter of which the above is a translation was sent to Pipiriki by five Native policemen ; they arrived at Pipiriki at daybreak on Saturday morning. After the letter was read several of the principal men (about ten) said in answer, that they would not go to make peace with the Governor, that they had never intended to make peace with the Governor, and that the pledges were only pledges of peace between themselves and Hori Kingi; that it was a Maori quarrel, and the peace was between Maoris only. Tahana, who was then at Ohinemutu, was then sent for. When lie arrived, he severely blamed the men who had before spoken for the course they had taken; he said "you Ihaia te Mokena and Tamati "Waka sent those presents to serve as stepping stones across the river of difficulty and trouble to the favor of the Governor, and now you are trying to go back from that word." They then made answer that Te Aropeta has asked them for the things as a gift to Hori Kingi.

18

DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR OE NEW

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