OPOTIKI.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 21, 13 November 1872, Page 3

OPOTIKI.

November 6. S.VTtrEDAY last -was rather an exciting day in potiki A party of tho A raw* tribe from Rotorua and tho coast entered the evening before v.ell dressed and well mounted in that flash blustering stylo the Maori can so well assume. At times each man acting arid feeling os if ho were without any d««ubt one of tho lords of creation. They came to claim a girl that in 18/0 was taken prisoner by some war party of theirs from Te ii.ioti, ami when hostilities censed she look the first r.pp ndunir.y to join her own peot.de again the Whakatohcn ; but the Arawa still claimed h-r us theirs, and hence this grand turn out, this invasion of Opetikh Mr Bmibant, K\l , anxious to prevent tho ctlusiou uf bio Oil, prevented the Arawas from going down to tho kuinga of the \V link if ohea, but ct»mpolled them to remain here and sent for the others to como up, so that, they might be ail under his eye. And up they came, marching in single fib-, with tho Queen's' Hag in iroi.t, 18 > strong, determined to protect this lamb of their flock, to throw their protecting arm around In r, bl-'W and swagger and bluster, ,aye, and even fiaht, rather than see her again a slave to their old enemy, tho A raw a; and planting their ii sg in front of tiu ra they' squatted under the Masonic Verandah and patiently waited tho c -ruing of their f >es. Great was the excite tnent, all were on the qui vivo ; but:. «,»• hist, after Waiting some time, wo heard the cry. “ they come,” and there they were sure enough—turning an opposite corner was the fl-st o' tho -A.ra.wu. c >iuuin, who marched proudly down, took their places on the oppo.-it e side ol the t*i root, and .-qua ted in front of the W nakat ohea. Smart looking fellows they svere too ; lot) strong representaiives of their tribe, woo couh.i muster I,OhO fighting men, ccxnc to claim the dark skinned l.fotie. Now, they come peaceable. In love, they ask her to return with them ; but should ih.-ir request be refused, great ii-ul terrible will b« the auger of the \ raw a. Trtiho, t.aiho ; they will come again, and then th y will ut.tei iy extinguish the Whakatohea. They Will come in their glory arid their strength ; 1,000 fighting men. with tiro and avvord, with uuins and spear, rills and tomahawk, and wipe tho VVhaku-tolu-ii out root and branch—-hapu, kaingtt, and iwa, from among the tribes of tho land. But a » -n?e of right gave might to the Whakatohea, and in their reply they calmly invited them, with all the dignity, hauteur, and contempt they could assume, to come. Come in a‘l their td rong?h ; Come with lire and nrorcl, with rifle and toinah ivVK, more and spea-, and if tho to w who were here ut present were unable to give such fierce* a filing reception, a few lines to Major Hopata would bring over 3,Out) men, and they hoped sufficient A raw as would come to provide heart and liver for at least one ample supper, as their a'oek of fleam meat was .-it present rather lew. They knew tho heart of the Arawa was bad. but still a few hungry men might manage on a pinch to m ike a supper off them. Alter all these speeches wore over, and as many more as would fid tno columns of the Bay of Pl.t: .a 11 11.mss, the dark skinned Hobo reiJVi! with her trioe, and tho A raw a raise J a subseriotion, gave her a dowry, sang a farewell song, danced tne war dance, which was replied to bv another of tno same from tho VVhnAutohea, arm then all disperse-;}, anger erapon* too, peace reigned, ar»d tho whole matter was ended CO?iEHS?OS'PBWT.