THE THREATENING ATTITUDE OF THE NGATIMARU.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 354, 27 February 1871, Page 2

THE THREATENING ATTITUDE OF THE NGATIMARU.

The Thames Advertiser's Ohinemuri Correspondent writes as follows, on the 22nd : — The Ngatimaru seem to bo setting their " house in order" against the time the Court will decide who is to get the Aroha. They mean to have men enough on the ground to look after their interest. A number of the tribe, with old Riwai in command, arrived on the disputed block last Sunday, and I am informed, talk large and in a threatening manner as to what they mean to do with the Ngatihaua. They say they will take possession of all settlements, destroy crops, kill pigs, and take all horses found on the land ; also, should they find any man surveying, they will give him threo warnings to desist, and should he persist in prosecuting his work in defiance of said warnings, they say they will shoot him. They (the Ngatimaru) keep three men constantly on the look-out for surveyors. The portion of the Ngatihaua who have been residing at the Aroha have left for Maungatautari to have a consultation with, and, if found necessary, bring down tho whole of the tribe, as, from the menacing conduct of the Ngatimaru, they are afraid of personal violence. In the event of the Ngatihaua getting the block, Tana, chief of the tribe, has made arrangements with tho Hon. the Native Ministsr to hand it over to the Government as a goldfiold, they being anxious to have it thrown open to tho pakeha without delay. I am afraid, should the opening of the Aroha be at all likely to cause a row amongst tho natives, the Nativo Minister will not bo the man to expedite arrangements whilst there _3 the shadow of a rupture in prospective ; ho is more likely to try and please both parties of natives, even at tho expense of the poor pi-kihs, !