AND NATIVE MATTERS AT THE THAMES.

9

A.—No. 1_»

Governor for Hauraki is " good," not evil. This was done by the Governor and Hauraki Chiefs. If you have come to give effect to those words, well." The Hon. D. McLean: " I the stranger, rise to speak to you. I am he who spoke Avith you in other days. The men are gone, thay have passed away, but you, those that are left, are still here. Let us talk of 'Te Pai o Hauraki'—that is what I have come for, to see that it is not disturbed. Meha and I too listen to Avhat you have to say, and to advise you, in order that the peace which has existed in Hauraki during the past- years may be kept, as I hear you are going in two different ways ; but if some of you go out into the storm, Ido not know what the result may be. You the people of this place must speak the most of the words, and I will reply to you." Hohepa Te Rauhihi: " Welcome, people and visitor ; come and speak your words. It is as you say, you represent the dead. Their souls and faces live again in you. Your words are good. You say, the men are dead, but you remember their words. Come to the people, to the words laid down, there is no turning them aside one Avay or the other." Reihana Te Tahua : " Welcome, you and your words, and the Chiefs. A Avord was laid down by you and the Chiefs. Had a Avar ensued between us, then this your visit Avould have been a visit of peacemaking, as has been your visit to Waikato. But as it is, you have come to speak to us the Avords of those that are gone. Well, come and speak them. Hauraki, you know, has been quiet all along. This is not a peace-making, as there has been no quarrel." The Hon. D. McLean : "You say well, this is not a peace-making; that was confirmed long ago, many years since by other Governors. You the Chief of Hauraki speak, in order that the sun may shine upon your words." Reihana Te Tahua: " Nothing has yet disturbed the peace which has so long subsisted between us, and which has continued up to the present time. That is Avhy I said, had there been any intermission during the time the sun has shone down upon us together for so long, this would be a peace-making." [Hauhau prayers.] Reihana Te Tahua :" We have spoken of peace, but is that all ? It is of no use our sitting here without purpose; it Avere better that we should speak. I therefore am going to ask you what other object you have in coming here ? " The Hon. D. McLean : " You ask what other object I have come here for. I have already spoken of Te Pai o Hauraki. I spoke to you of the desirableness of acting in such a Avay as to secure the continuance of the tranquillity which has prevailed in Hauraki for so long a time. One section of you asked me to come up here and talk of the treasures which lie hid in the ground of Hauraki ; but much of my time was taken up elsewhere. It is for you all to decide in reference to that gold, in order that there may be no disturbance of the peace of Hauraki. Te Hira is holding that in his hand; that is what I have come hero to do, to advise yon to act in such a way as that Te Pai o Hauraki may be firmly established. It is not. that all the land up here is Te Hira's, but his name only is upon it." Reihana Te Tahua: "Come to bring hither your words. All I have to say in reference to the treasures under ground is this: —Omahu is the boundary laid clown by the Maori and Pakeha chiefs, from thence right round to the East Coast. That part is for you ; the land, the gold and all. This part was set apart for us. It Avas not done by me. This is for the Hauhau and King Natives ; the surface and underground as Avell ; that is what I say. Good has been laid down here in so far as a boundary at Omahu is concerned. If I. were to jump on that, it Avould be evil. If you stay on your piece, good ; if I stay on mv piece, good. [Hauhau prayers.] Moananui: " Reihana, listen. Is it only owing to the Pakehas themselves that they keep on coming up here ? If it is only their doing, tell us why it is they tease you ? But I say there is a rope round their necks drawing them up, as they all live on one piece at Ohinemuri. The Maoris brought them up here ;do not say the Pakehas came of themselves. My ears are deafened, 'he tupapaku au na te korero.' It is the Ohinemuri people who have brought them here. But as for these prospecting here without leave, that is their own. doing ; but even that would not be done without the knowledge of the Maoris and their consent thereto." Reihana Te Tahua : " Your word is correct; it is not the Pakeha, it is the Maoris of this place (Ohinemuri) themselves that have drawn them here. This is the result that has ensued in consequence of some of the Ohinemuri people trying to take Ohinemuri away from the others." Hohepa Te Rauhihi : " That which is to be spoken on this occasion should be spoken. The mind clings to the words which have been spoken. There are mariA r things in your minds Avhich you came here to speak. Speak them out." Moananui: " Speak out what you have to say. I told you there should bo no pokanoa. If it Avere the doing of the Pakeha that they came up here, it would be for these Pakehas to speak. But as it is you, speak out to us what you have to say." Reihana Tc Tahua: "What you say, Meha, is right; there are two different parties now at Ohinemuri, those willing to cede the land and those unAvilling to cede the land. That is why I referred to Omahu ; the land to the North of that line is for the Queen and the Government; the land to the South for the Hauhaus and King. The Queen Natives invite the diggers. The Queen Natives leap over that boundary, and so do the diggers." Pineaha: "Reihana, what you say is good—what you say Avith regard to the boundary ; I ceded Hauraki as far as Omahu. You say that is the King's boundary, yours and the King's. That boundary at Omahu is mine and the Government's. That is the boundary of What was ceded by the Chiefs of Hauraki." Reihana Te Tahua : " That is approved of. That was your word. My ears heard it, the word in respect of that boundary and the gold. The word Avas also spoken at that time in reference to this land and the gold. I assented to your boundary. Which of these two parties is in the right? Those Avho trample on that boundary or those who do not ?" Pineaha Maratanaha • " You Avish me to saA r avlio is in the right. I am. I ceded my piece. Some 3