TE WHITI INTERVIEWED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1012, 29 November 1883, Page 2

TE WHITI INTERVIEWED.

A reporter of the Auckland Herald describing a visit lately paid by him to Te Whiti at Parihaka, says :—“ As 1 entered the great Maori settlement by a back road, I witnessed a great Maori tangi, but was unable to ascertain its cause. Judging from the number engaged in the great ‘ cry,’ it must have been a case of importance. Still it did not seem to affect those outside of its immediate circle, for very near I saw a group smoking and laughing, and another party playing euchre. All this, however, was on the outskirts of the main settlement. The approach was through a quagmire, which took my horse nearly to the saddle girths. Once through this the ground became firm and dry, and I was soon directed to the residence of Te Whiti, which stands on an overlooking the whole settlement. I handed my hor;e to a stalwart native, who courteously volunteered to hold him, while I surveyed the abode of the ‘great prophet,’ which I found to be a substantial weatherb ard house, ‘ almost a villa,’ built, I was told, by the Government. If so, the State has provided a habitation fit to be the home of such an important personage. I found, however, that its owner was not within, and another native took me through the settlement to a larger whare, where the chief whom I sought was at the time having a neighborly gossip. There were about 40 stalwart men lying about all over the whare on mats, but the great man himself was squatting in a most undignified way in one corner. He, however, sat up, gave me a very cordial shake of the hand, and so far as I could understand, welcomed roe to his settlement. The heat of the whare, however, was most offensive, and I was unable long to remain inside, and I declined to accept the invitation to remain and partake of their evening meal. I was agreebly surprised to find that the natives at the settlement have made great provisions for food, as there were a large number of fat bullocks in the place, many tons of flour, very large stacks of potatoes, and many hundreds of pigs Most of the uatives were comfortably dressed, and, out of the many hundreds whom 1 saw, there was not a single case where I did not get a cordial greeting, and in many cases an enthusiastic welcome. 1 had only two hours to spare, but during that time I saw a good deal of the settlement, and everything gave me a very favorable impression of the place and the people. The constabulary camp stands on a hill just: outside the settlement, at an elevation which enables to overlook the whole locality. I do not, however, anticipate that the force will ever again be required for actual service, though it may be judicious to {provide against any contingency which may arise.”