VISIT TO THE WAIKATO.

11

A.—No. 12.

soldiers from all these places should be withdrawn. They ask you also to acknowledge their King. Now then, you are between both parties, and this weighty matter will be intrusted to you, that is, to propose these things to your side, the Europeans. Do not suppose that your dignity will be sacrificed, or that you will become little in the eyes of the Maoris, should you accede to their requests. No, it will be simply a great people doing a great thing. Say not to us that the Waikato is dotted over with houses, and that Europeans are living in various localities. We (the Maoris) did not ask you to build those houses, and to occupy those lands. We are not asking you for anything that is yours ;we never acknowledged your boundary line laid down by the Governor (the boundary of the confiscated land), and all we ask of you now is to give back our own, the land of our ancestors. Our boundary line is at Mangatawhiri, and we erected a post there. We were not to cross over to your side, nor you to ours. Do not take that which belongs to a small people like us. We have but a small portion which you should allow us to occupy. Be you strong now to carry out your part of the business, for ours is done. Turn neither to the right nor to the left, but look straight on, and be strong to complete your great work, so that the sun (peace) may shine upon us. Mr. Firth then addressed Manuwhiri and the chiefs, his words being interpreted by Mr. Preece. He said : Friend Manuwhiri, salutations to you, and to all of you. This is a great work that we are engaged upon to-day; it is the saving of men's lives. This is a very great work indeed ;to accomplish this the Saviour came down from heaven, and died for us. I shall have weighty words to speak to you this day. The work lam engaged upon Ido not want to be done in a corner. We wish our work and our words to be known to all men, that all the Pakehas and the Maoris in New Zealand may hear them. There is one here who will write down our words, and give them forth to the whole world. Whitiora said yesterday that my arm was strong for war formerly. He spoke the truth. It was strong for war then, but for some time past it has been just as strong for peace. I went to war so that the supremacy of the law might be maintained, so that the law might be above every man; so that evil deeds might be put down throughout the Island. Bewi and the Waikato went into war, and their desire also was that their law might be maintained. I was on one side of the tohare, Eewi was on the other side : we each went on our War paths until we met in the centre of the house. We have both found that we have not secured the supremacy of the law, for evil deeds are still done in the land. Bands of armed men of both races are wandering about the country seeking to destroy each others' lives; Ministers have been killed, quiet people have been been killed, women and children have been killed. Long ago, when I heard that the son of Queen Victoria was coming here, a man of ancient lineage and exalted rank, a man whose reputation was known throughout the world —when I heard that he was about to come here to these shores, I saw that a great opportunity would arise for the establishment of peace. At last the Prince arrived, and it wont forth amongst the people that a meeting would take place at Ngaruawahia between the Prince on one side, and Tawhiao, Manuwhiri, and Eewi on the other. Then Eewi sent down his fifty men to meet the Prince at Ngaruawahia and they returned, because nobody knew that they were coming down, and no proper intimation was given to the Governor. After that it appeared that some misunderstanding had arisen, and the Prince was going away without seeing you. A number of Pakeha rangatiras (European gentlemen) heard that the Prince was not going to Ngaruawahia—that he was going away in his ship. They wrote a letter to the Governor asking that the Prince might remain in the land, so that peace might be established between the two races. In consequence of that word to the Governor the Prince consented to remain. I then came up to this part of the country in order to remove any misunderstanding which might have existed amongst you, and I brought this white flag in my hand (pointing to Mr. Davis). I came here also for the purpose of understanding what your thoughts were about the peace which we are all anxious to obtain, both Pakehas and Maoris, and also to prevent any mistake being made. In the days that are passed my friend Wiremu Tamihana (William Thompson) and I made peace at Waihou. I said to him, " William, let no evil deeds be done in this district; let no fighting men be found here. I on my part will take care that no soldiers come to this district." I have kept my word, for the foot of a soldier has not trodden upon the land at Waihou, and the peace that Thompson and I made there, still remains. Evil deeds have been done in other parts of the Island, but no women or children have been murdered there. There was fighting in other parts of the Island. Thompson and I were like men standing on the shores ;we saw the ship tossed about by the fury of the winds and the waves, and in danger of being wrecked. Thompson died, and his last words were " Peace." Before he passed away he gave to me his mat " Taihoa," and he said to me, " Many wicked deeds will be done in this Island by my people. Do not "you be impatient when you hear of evil things being done. Put on this mantle, and wait patiently until the dark days have passed away." I have put on that mantle ; even now it is wrapped around me. I wish you thoroughly to understand my position. I have not come to speak to you to-day as the representative of the Government. I am. not a Government man, I am standing alone, and 1 have come here because I do not wish to see the canoe destroyed by the Pakehas and the Maoris who are in it. lam come here to see if I can find out any way by which the canoe can be brought safely to shore. I come now to speak of your proposals for peace. I have no authority whatever, as lam not speaking on behalf of the Government in any sense, but, notwithstanding that, I know something of their intentions. Now with regard to your first proposal about the King. I believe that the King will he assented to in a certain district. Manuwhiri (Tamati Ngapora) :Itis a matter of indifference to us whether you consent or not; we shall have him. Mr. Firth: With regard to the fighting, I believe, if peace be established, the Government will consent to the ending of all fighting in all parts of the Island. Then again with regard to the amnesty. There have been many persons, innocent men, women, and children, foully murdered, and these things weigh heavily on the minds of the Pakehas, so that there will be great difficulty in their forgiving them, because their hearts are very sore about them. Nevertheless I believe that, if that were the only obstacle to the establishment of a permanent peace throughout the whole of this country, dark as the hearts of the Pakehas are about these things, I believe a free pardon will be granted to all. Manuwhiri: What you consider murders are not murders with us according to our custom, because, war having once commenced, the rule is to kill wherever you see. Mr. Firth: Now there is another matter about which there must be no misunderstanding. I shall