When my friends of Te Kotahitanga and I visited Waahi this month of May, Mahuta addressed us in these words: “Welcome my uncle (Te Heuheu Tukino) the mooring for man, land, and custom. Come, bearing with you the leaders of the country. Come and let us work and consider together. Come, thou magi to examine such things as planned and discussed. Welcome, thou astrologers.” Then the song was sung. For nigh on thirty years a great river has flowed between Waikato and the European, a river of hostility, bloodshed, and confiscation. This status quo has prevailed for a long time: but there is a coming together. Mahuta has seized Potatau's advice “Uphold the law”—and furthermore pursues that other “Hold fast to the Faith,” which Nikora nurtures and those with him at Te Pourewa, where Sunday is observed, and where the homes are open to the ministering evangelists. Mahuta exhorted his younger brother concerning their ancestors' tattered cloak. I will add this, no misfortune will befall you, O Waikato, if the torn cloak were patched, and in the future used for you to lie on. This has universal authority, God's hand has written it in the heaven and on earth, the Faith is the only foundation upon which man and his accomplishments will stand and survive. The law, economics, manpower, and education are but subsidiary to the Faith and the fear of God. (II) TE KAUHANGANUI The saying arose—the tree groweth at Waikato from whence stems Te Kauhanganui, a perch for the feathered flock of the land. It stands at Maungakawa. It is there that the King is enthroned and the plaza upon which the Kingites assemble. Te Kauhanganui is opened annually on the 2nd May, when the galaxy of leaders gather as though boding great events. (For who can lead who is destitute?) There the King commands, and there the people deliberate. When the King stood aloof of Parliamentary influence, and of affairs concerning other parts of the country, I was not sure what matter should be discussed. But in the years of Te Kotahitanga's existence, there have been three visits to Te Kauhanganui; during Mahuta's time when he and all Waikato with him participated in the discussions on Parliamentary acts, there was ample material for Te Kauhanganui meetings. Therefore, O Waikato! It is of great importance to venture outside your boundary, that you may observe and listen also: it is to your advantage to permit into your domain, outside, sound opinion, that you may consider clearly both sides, and make fair comparison, amend policies, and act on such important deliberations which abound throughout your territory. (III) THE PEOPLE Waikato is a big tribe, and if those people on its borders or under the Movement's influence were included no other gathering of people could Te Iwi He iwi nui a Waikato, a ki te huia atu nga iwi e pae i nga taha, a e uru ana ki te whakahaere kotahi, kaore he huihuinga iwi o te motu nei e rite, no te mea ahakoa he maha nga wehewehenga tupana, hapu i roto, he Maniapoto, he Raukawa, he Ngati-Haua, he Ngati Poao, he Ngati Maru, he Ngaiterangi, e taea ana te ki he kotahi enei iwi me Waikato, kotahi te waka taua, kotahi te tangata kei runga i nga kai-hautu. Mo te ahua o te tangata, ehara he Maori nei ano: he tangata i pai tona waihanga he tangata i kino: he tangata i parauri, he tangata i kiritea. Engari ka nui te tangata. I tona wa pea i mua atu o te whakapono nei kaore he wahi matatea o nga taha o nga awa. Engari ki taku titiro kei te hoki haere. He maha nga taitamariki kua moe i te tane i te wahine, he maha e rite ana mo te pera engari e takakau ana: otira kaore i maha nga tamariki ririki nga mea hei tiriwa i nga matua. He tohu mate tena ki a au, he tohu e whakaheke ana te iwi. Nga Huarahi Oranga E marama ana te motu ki to Waikato ahua he iwi e mate ana i te whenua kore. Kaati ko nga huarahi oranga i ahu mai i tera mea i te whenua, te reti, te moni hoko, te mokete ranei i kore i a Waikato, tera ano ra nga hapu e whiwhi ana. Haunga ia nga wahi whenua hei tupuranga kai, i a te Maori i ana mahi o te kai, e whiwhi whenua ana nga hapu mo tena. Na, i mua ake ra he oranga nui e puta ana mai ki te tangata i te kiri rapeti, e rite ana ano ki nga mahi utu ra e mahi nei te Maori ki te pakeha. No tenei tau ka whakamutua e te Kawanatanga te patu i te rapeti, ka kore tena huarahi oranga. Kei etahi wahi o Waikato, a, kei Hauraki ahu atu ki Tairua he kapia te huarahi moni, he tini o Waikato e ahu pera ana ki te whakarawe hereni. Tetahi mahi o Waikato he tapahi harakeke mo nga mira mahi muka. Engari tenei, ko te kai nui tonu o Waikato he tapahi harakeke mo nga mira mahi muka. Engari tenei, ko te kai nui tonu o Waikato he harakeke, e tu ra he wao, e tu ra he wao o taua taputapu. He haua noa pea no nga wahine o reira i kore ai e rangaia he takapau kia maha hei whariki mo nga whare. Ko te mahi pakeha kaore i nui, ara te tope rakau, te tua ngaherehere, te kutikuti hipi, te parau. E kimi ana au na te aha a Waikato i ora ai? E wha ona peene (he paana ki etahi iwi): e kohia ana he moni nui i ia tau, i ia tau, mo nga whakahaere o te kingitanga; e tu ana he hui nunui i ia tau, i ia tau, hei iki i te kai i te moni: e whiwhi ana te tangata i te kai pakeha, i te kakahu, i era atu mea, penei ano me etahi iwi e whai oranga nei i nga whenua. Ka miharo au. Mei tupono tenei mate, te mate i te whenua, ki etahi atu iwi o tatou e kore pea e penei te ora. Kei konei te ora mo te Maori, me tango te oranga whenua kia waiho ai ma te werawera o ia tangata, o ia tangata, e whakarawe he kai mo te poho o ana potiki, he kanukanu ranei hei uhi mo te tuara o tana whaereere. equal it, for though there are many parts and subtribes, claiming descent from different ancestors, Maniapoto, Raukawa, Ngati Haua, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Maru, Ngaiterangi, it can be said they are one, with Waikato, one body, under one command. In appearances he is as any other Maori. Perhaps in his time, before the advent of Christianity, there was not one uninhabited place along the rivers' banks. But now I observe that there is a diminishing population. Many young people have married, there are many still of marriageable age but are single: indeed, the birthrate does not offset the death rate. That is a bad sign, a mark of a people's decline. (IV) MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD The country appreciates Waikato's predicament of being landless. Therefore such sources of revenue as rates, sales, or mortgages are denied Waikato, there are few sub-tribes who have land, not considering of course those holdings for small gardens, which a Maori may cultivate as he pleases, the sub-tribes have such small holdings to say the least. Now, previously, a lucrative source was rabbit skins, that income was on a par with daily wage employment. This year the Government terminated rabbit killing, so that source of income has disappeared. In some parts of Waikato, from Hauraki, and extending to Tairua kauri gum also was a great means of revenue, and many Waikato people made gum digging their chief occupation. Another Waikato industry is flax milling. Now also it must be said that this is one of the main sources of Waikato food, where flax grows in abundance. Perhaps the Waikato wives are invalids for only a few mats are plaited for the homes. Europeans offer little work in the way of wood-cutting, bush-felling, shearing and ploughing. What, I ask, is the sustenance of Waikato? It has four brass bands, there is a substantial annual subscription for the administration of the Movement; great annual meetings are help food and money consumed; the people are we provided for in European food and clothing and other requisites, comparable with those who are land-owners. I marvel. If this were some other people, they would have succumbed. Sustenance here for the Maori, even without the land, to sweat alone of each man will find food for his children, and clothing to cover his wife's back. (V) THE FAITH My friends will recount Te Karaka (Arc deacon), when he addressed a Church gathering at Te Pourewa, Waipa, on 25th April last. Thist is part of his address: ‘Now that seven years have lapsed since the Revs. Taimona Hapimana and Nikora Taut ministered in these parts, we look for the fruits. It is said that there has been a return from the