Notes in the King Country.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1664, 18 June 1875, Page 2

Notes in the King Country.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Kopua, Bth to IGth June, 1875. THE KING WILLING TO OPEN THE

COUNTRY.

Upox my second visit to the King's Country I was most kindly received wherever I went, as the natives, half-castes, and Europeans, all were very much pleased with the faithful accurate account I published in your columns of April last relating to their habits and manners. With respect to the opening of this country, I think that I may safely state that it is the Government's fault that it is not now opened to Europeans, as the King is quite willing to lease the land to Europeans, if the Government will first give him a Crown Grant for all his land South of the Puriri River. The laud is very productive, and I find that the average grain crop is about 40 bushels to the acre, and in case 3 where new ground is broken up, the first year yields a much higher average. I ant informed that the - last time Mr. C. O. Davis was at Te Kuiti he was told that they were willing to lease the ground to Europeans, provided the Government would previously give them a Crown Grant for all their own land. Major Mair •has been told the same thing. The natives here are talking about establishing schools, they see their children growing up without any education at all, and are now very anxious that they should be taught They propose having schools at Kaipiha, Kopua, and Otorohanga, but as yet nothing has been done.

THE KING'S MOVEMENTS.—GOVERN-

MENT PRESENTS

The King stayed at his brother's house at Wharekomohi last week for two days on his way from Te Kuiti, He has at the present tiide a child sick of the measles. Rewi, on his return. with Major Mair from the meeting at Tauranga, accompanied by several natives, stopped at Alexandra for the purpose of obtaining blankets for the winter. They stayed at Kopua one night on their way back to Te Kuiti. No doubt the Europeans and Government consider that these blankets are given as rations; but the natives and Rewi look upon it in quite a different light, and as Rewi was asked to come to Alexandra and select at the store whatever he required, he considers that they are given as a present from the Government. It certainly is not at all probable that Rewi should be one of the first to infringe the law laid down in March last, which was, <as you are aware, "That for the future none of the Hauhau natives were to receive any more rations from the Native Office." Very recently, Rewi also received from the Government two guns. He took one of these guns with him to Tauranga, and made a present of it to one of the leading chiefs there, the other he has taken home with him to Te Kuiti. No doubt the Government have every political reason for allowing Rewi to have these guna, but is it not just as culpable for the Government to give or sell guns to the Hauhau natives as any other person ? I have heard a good story about Rewi which happened during his visit to Alexandra. Whilst be was passing the store kept by Mr Duffy, the worthy storekeeper came out of his shop and enthusiastically greeted the distinguished visitor, asking him to enter his store. This he did, no doubt with the hope that he might secure Rewi as a customer, it being customary for the Hauhau natives to receive their Government supplies at another store kept by Mr Hill. Rewi said, "You are a Queen's storekeeper." " No," replied Mr. Duffy, "I am a Hauhau." Whereupon Rewi made his selection after Hauhaufashion, and left without paying his bill, remarking that Hanhaus didn't charge each other. Now Mr Duffy has to mourn the loss of nine very fine shawls, and also two saddles, which the wily chief has taken to Te Kuiti as the spoils of his visit to the Pakeha's store.

RISE IN THE RIVER. — NATIVE PRODUCE. For the last two days we have had a heavy fall of rain, which has caused the Waipa'"} : River to rise several feet, and prevents yf I returning for a few days, as it would nof '„„ %. safe to swim a horse across the river.-'*' My. only chance is to get a passage in one of the canoes going down to Alexandra. Now the ' river has risen somewhat, it is expected that the natives will bring down their grain, hops, and tobacco for sale at Alexandra and Cam- : bridge. They have already sold several tons of tobacco to the storekeepers at Alexandra. They get Is 3d per lb. tor it, and the storekeeper retails it to the public at Is 6d per lb. !; At Alexandra wheat and oats at the present : time are selling at 63 6d a bushel each; * cleaned bees-wax at 8d per lb, and rough dirty wax at 6d per lb. All the kumeras and pumpkins, grown in the King's Country, are consumed, but they have still a very large stock of potatoes, parsnips, and carrots, m which they expect will last them until next year's crop. At the present time the natives >.: are purchasing a much larger amount of' agricultural implements than in former years. ; They have bought already a great many new ploughs ; also, a chaff - cutter and otber agricultural implements, and have ordered a new winnowing machine. Next year they will have many more acres fenced 5 in, and will have under cultivation a much larger area of land. One thing I have observed since my first visit here, is that the natives have been copying the Europeans and better class of half-castes by fencing in land and cultivating English grass and other pro-. ducts introduced by the Europeans settlers, : and it is to be hoped that they will only continue to sow grass ; for generally speaking, if ; they see a bit of natural grass land fenced, it is there they like to plant, because it ia easier worked^ The* consequence of their so acting, is the caure of their having so few fat cattle. lam certain, however, that when they see the benefit derived from the few Europeans and half-castes grass-paddocks, that they will then go in extensively for lay- • ing down grass. This year, strange to say, ' the European settlers in the. Waikato are extensively buying seed1) wheat, from the natives at Kopua, and are gladly giving the prices asked, viz., from 7s to 8s par bushel. TEE MEAST.E^. —MR. DAVIS PUR-

CHASING CATTLE. The natives have not as yet found any remedy for the measles, and at Te Kniti, where the disease has raged for some little

lime, all tie chi'dren attacked under three years died, whilst, strange to say, that all who had it above that age recovered.—Mr. C. 0. Davis's nephew is now travelling through the various settlements, purchasing young stock; he is giving between £4 and £5 a-head for two-year-old cattle.

PHEASANTS PLENTIFUL. — YOUR CORRESPONDENT «TO BE SHOT.

Whilst going along the tracks you disturb a great number of pheasants. They naturally largely increase in numbers each yeaiv as the natives seldom shoot them, as they prefer pork for their food. Wot long ago Mr. Reynolds obtained permission from a native to shoot pheasants, but he was soon stopped by Tawhiao. The mistake Mr Reynolds made was hi* not obtaining the King's permission in the first instance. —On arriving here I heard that; Alexander Thompson the halfcast of Kopua had threatened to shoot me. if ever I came here again, for publishing his name in the Star newspaper about the watch he wore belonging to Rewi. He went1 to Alexandra and purchased'some'gunpowder and shot, with which he said he intended to shoot me if he had the chance, - bui; he was cautioned by the authorities, and also warned by Tupotai, the chief of Xopua.' COLDNESS OF THE WEATHER. The weather here is bitterly cold and late at night and in the early morning it is nearly .impossible to keep yourself warm in these raupo whares. Iv getting up in the morning ■; you see now ice a good thickness which continues during the whole day, notwithstanding that the sun shines on it for many hours during the day. I noticed during the frosty weather that the snowy mountain (Tongariro) appeared to the naked eye to have risen at least ten feet in one night. A fearful snowstorm passed over Bangiaohia a few days ago f and covered the land .with* sheet of snow. From this you can judge that the weather here is much colder. . ;■