Page image

G.—3

66

Sir George Grey : How many did they kill of your people ? Rein : They only killed one man of my people, but he was a chief. Sir George Grey : Had they any guns ? Seici : We had guns ; but they had not. Sir George Grey: Then Karaitiana's people must have been plucky to fight you in these circumstances. The subject of salmon was introduced, and Sir George Grey said that he hoped to be able to come up to Puniu to eat salmon with Rewi yet. Mr. J. Jones (of Mokau), who was present, said that he believed the Murray cod would succeed admirably in the Mokau River, and that the Natives intended to ask the Government to assist in acclimatizing the fish in the Mokau. Sir George Grey said he had no doubt but the Government would assist him in introducing the Murray cod to the Mokau, and that he would set about the work as soon as the Natives asked him. Sir George asked Rewi if he and his people were well provided for, and had plenty of food. Rewi said they were well off for food, but the houses were hardly sufficient. During the conversation something was said about ages. Rewi said he remembered what Sir George was like shortly after his arrival in New Zealand. Sir George said he remembered Rewi as a stalwart fighting man at that time. Many came to the conclusion that they were both about the same age, and that William King was somewhat older. Rewi shortly arterwards went away, returning to the hainga. I have several times refered to the invasion of Waikato, which took place about 1830 or 1831, and 1 may state how that war was brought about. The Maoris could not resort to conferences and proctocols and ultimatums, but they managed just as well when they wanted war. The story is as follows: A little boy, a grandson of Tarawa's, of Ngatiruanui, came to this part to visit some relations amongst the Atirawa. This boy was murdered at a place called Whaaturangi (now called Inglcwood) by some of the Atirawa. These people wanted to make war against Ngatiruanui, and took this means to bring on a war. The child was chopped up in pieces, and cooked in an oven, and then taken out. The bones were made fishhooks of, with which fish were caught off the beach at Opunake. Some of these fish were sent to the relatives of the child, and they did not know of the murder till they had eaten the fish caught with the bones of their child. Then Ngatiruanui formed a war party, and killed To Karawa, a great chief of the Atirawa. After killing To Karawa they flayed and stretched the skin over a hoop, and trundled the hoop along the ground. Ngatata, the father of Wi Tako, who then lived at the Sugarloaf, determined to avenge the death of Te Karawa, and went to Waikato to induce Te Wheorowheoro to raise an army to attack the Ngatiruanui. Te Wheorowheoro brought down four thousand men, and attacked, first, those residing at Waitara, who were the people who had sent for him. The Waikatos then drove all before them. [From the New Zealand Jlerald, 27th June.] THE NATIVE MEETING AT WAITAKA. (By Electric Telegraph. From our Special Correspondent.) New Plymouth, Wednesday. Again I have to report delay, and that another day has been lost. It really needs peculiar qualifications to deal with Maori meetings, and the greatest of all these qualities is patience. My stock of patience is almost used up, and I am afraid your readers will begin to consider themselves " sold," in seeing it stated every day that all business had been put off till to-morrow. The meeting was appointed for the 21st of June, and now we are at the 2Gth, and yet nothing has been done. Rewi does not care about saying anything in the absence of any man of weight belonging to the district. He himself is a stranger. I have no doubt that he desires to make the people of Taranaki parties to a friendly arrangement with the Government, but he would not think of attempting to commit them in their absence. We must, therefore, wait patiently. Sir G. Grey is very anxious to get away. The " Hinemoa " arrived off New Plymouth to-day, and it is supposed she will have to boat about till Ministers are ready to go. The long-expected convoy from Parihaka, Te Whiti's place, came into New Plymouth to-day. There were forty-four carts, forty of them drawn by 10G bullocks, and four of them drawn by ten horses. On a pole on one of the carts was a white flag over a red one, and on one of the other carts were two flags. Most of the Natives were mounted. They have encamped at Bell Block to-night, and enter Waitara to-morrow. The carts are loaded with potatoes, kumaras, live pigs, and other kinds of food. The weather to-day has been squally, and several slight showers have fallen. There is a prospect, however, of better weather to-morrow. Perhaps I ought to say that the Europeans now hold Waitara, as it was included in the Taranaki confiscated block. The block was first purchased from Te Tiro, and we went to war with AVilliam King because he resisted the sale, and would not allow the survey to be made. Afterwards a proclamation was issued, stating : " Whereas an engagement for the purchase of a certain tract of land at the Waitara, commonly known as Te Teiara's Block, was entered into by the Government of New Zealand in 1859, but the said purchase has never been completed. And whereas circumstances connected with the said purchase, unknown to the Government at the sale of the said land, have lately transpired, which make it advisable that the said purchase should not be further proceeded with : Now, therefore the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, doth hereby declare that the purchase of the said block of land is abandoned, and all claim to the same on the part of the Government is henceforth renounced." This proclamation was issued a few days after the killing of Lieutenant Hope, Dr. Tragett, and a party of men who were marching in from Taitaraimaki. lam informed that when Sir George Grey came here with Dr. Domett and Mr. Dillon Bell, to take into consideration the troubles of Taranaki, it was determined that the purchase of Waitara was wrongful, and that it ought to be given back. The proclamation renouncing the purchase was prepared, but, owing to the necessities of Ministerial responsible Government, its publication was delayed for a few days, and in the meantime the escort from Taitaraimaki were murdered. Some

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert