VISIT TO THE WAIKATO.

A.—»«. M.

9

having all the principal chiefs and orators near him. The korero on the previous day had been marked by great caution on both sides. Manuwhiri evidently believed that Mr. Firth had not yet unfolded the real object of his visit, and he was apparently determined to draw the Pakehas out first. Mr. Firth, on his part, was obliged to be very cautious from his unofficial position, and the conversation flagged very much at times, both sides remaining silent for minutes together. Indeed, without Mr. Davis it would have been utterly impossible to have kept up the interest at all. The discussion was opened by a chief named Paengahuru, of the Ngatimahuta Tribe, who said : What need is there of any further discussion after what took place yesterday ? Mr. Davis: There may be some things still in the heart, for it is the heart of man that thinks ; it would be well that your thoughts should be made known. Paengahuru : Let me alone (that is, the King party). Let me proceed with my business (allow us to carry out our own plans for the well-being of our race). Although it is the heart of man that thinks, I do not wish to be troubled : I want to take time to consider. Mr. Davis : Tou and I are not to live for ever. It is not well that our paths should be circuitous. Come straight to the point, so that we may each in our own day derive the benefits arising from peaceful relations. Paengahuru: The sun will talk to me, the day will talk to me, and the night will also talk. Mr. Davis: If you were able to converse with the day and night and to command time, that thought of yours would be good, but the work must be done now, while you and I are here, while we live. Is there no desire in your heart ? do you feel no pain ? Paengahuru: There are desires in my heart, and Ido feel pain. Mr. Davis : "Why then do you not speak out, so that the ears of these gentlemen may hear what you have to say, for they have come on the European side. "What about the land ? does it feel no pain, or are you feeling no pain on account of it ? Paengahuru : I am. The land is like a stricken bird, whose wings are quivering on account of the pain. Mr. Davis : Have you nothing particular to say ? We are waiting for you to express yourself candidly. Let us know where your bouudary is, and what are your thoughts respecting it. Did you put up a post and place a placard thereon some years ago ? What about the post now, what about the placard ? Paengahuru paused for some time, and did not answer. Mr. Davis : If you do not understand my questions I will put them in other words. Paengahuru: I do not want to say that I will hold out for that; I am not quite light with respect to your questions. Mr. Davis: Tou have said that the land is in pain, and that it is like a bird pierced and bleeding, and whose wings are quivering. Tou say also that you are feeling pain in consequence. Cannot you tell us where your boundary line is, and what are your views respecting the land, so that these gentlemen may hear you ? I know what your feelings are, and I want you to express yourself before these gentlemen, because otherwise, if you are silent and I express your opinions, it may be said that these opinions are mere inventions of my own. I have known your opinions for a long time, and 1 have expressed them. I have on these occasions been told by the people below that they are my own ideas. Now I want you to speak for yourselves. Paengahuru again paused for some time, and appeared disinclined to hazard a reply. lieihana Te Aroha (of Te Haua, and formerly of Pukaki) said: Friend Mr. Davis, let me now have my say. It is not you only who have known my sentiments with regard to the land (confiscated land), but my views have been put forth time after time to the whole four corners of the world. To what are you alluding ? Is it to the post at Mangatawhiri, that was in your charge and mine ?* It was under our mutual protection (under the protection of Europeans and Natives). That is an established thing; we need not refer to that again. But to what do you allude when you wish us to speak out ? Is it in relation to the streams of thought that day by day and from season to season we eacli separately derive from the Almighty ? Tou have one stream and I have another, and we each ought to work out the thoughts that present themselves to our minds. Mr. Davis : Tes, time is given us by the Almighty, and the good thoughts are instilled into our minds by the Almighty. But they are not to be buried in our hearts. We are to work while there are opportunities, so that we may be benefitted, and the happy influences felt by all. Te Aroha: Tes, I know that you are one with me, and that we have to work to-day ; but the time has not yet come for the establishment of peaceful relations. The times are in God's hands. Mr. Davis: The times are in His hands, but we are not at liberty to sit down and do nothing. There is plenty of work for both sides to do, and it must be done. This is the reason why we have come hither. Let us understand each other; let your sentiments be made known to us, and ours to you. Te Aroha : If this be the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, which is to come to pass in the last days, what can be done to prevent it ? Mr. Davis : Tour word respecting the prophecy of Daniel cannot be counteracted by anything that we may do. Our business is what we have to do to-day, not with Daniel's prophecy. Our business is, what shall we do for the benefit of our fellow men, to save their lives, and not to refer to Daniel's predictions regarding other events. Te Aroha paused for some time apparently in deep thought, and Manuwhiri. who had spoken not one word further than the usual salutation to us on entering, had sat with his head bowed and his eyes fixed on the ground. The remainder of the Natives, about 100 in number, sat in attitudes of deep attention. After a long and painful silence, Te Aroha said: Jehovah of Hosts lives, and he has said that peace shall never be made. There |~ * Before the War in Waikato the Natives erected a post on the bank of the Mangatawhiri Creek, and on it was a large placard stating that the boundary of the Queen's land was there. 3