THE WAIKATO.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1950, 5 August 1869, Page 2

THE WAIKATO.

TE KOOTI’S PROCEEDINGS,

TAWHIAO’S PROCLAMATION ORDER.

ING HIM TO LEAVE. (Southern Cross, 24 th July.)

TJp to our latest advices yesterday no attack had been made by Te Kooti on the Waikato. A telegram received yesterday morning states that he still remained at Te Kuiti, but that his demeanour was much quieter. No doubt the attitude of the King party has let him down somewhat. The telegram del scribes the Waikatos as having had considerable accessions to their numbers during the past day or two, and as being all arrived and prepared to put Te Kooti down should lie proceed to carry his threats into execution.

On Thursday Tawhiao issued a proclamation, cautioning Te Kooti against committing any act of violence, and commanding him to return without delay by the way he came. Te Kooti demurred to this, and a discussion took place, which continued for some time. Te Kooti requested that he might be allowed to return by way of Wharepa pa, avowing his intention to attack the Tauranga Friendlies, against whom he is more embittered than against

Europeans. It would appear from a telegram which we received yesterday afternoon, that Te Kooti’s presumptuous demand upon the Waikato King party, with his bounceable attitude, and his robbery of Hettit’s store at Otorohanga, has had precisely the effect which we predicted it would—it has drawn down upon himself the confirmed hostility of the Waikatos (if not the Kgatimaniapoto), for Hettit, according to Maori custom, may be regarded as a Ngatimaniapoto. and has a claim on the whole tribe for protection. To give the Maoris their due, it must be admitted that no people are more ready to defend each other-as members of one tribe, their former internecine wars having rendered mutual defence and combination absolutely necessary for self-preservation. In our own times we have seen the scattered portions of a tribe breaking up their tern* porary homes at a moment’s notice, and flocking from hundreds of miles to defend the head-quarters or birthplace of their people. In addition to this, Hettifc’s wife is a near relative of Rewi, his sons are married to ISTgatimauiapoto women of rank, and he is on terms of intimate friendship with Tawhiao, Tamati Ngapora, and all the principal chiefs of the King party. If Te Kooti wanted to bring down upon himself the angry hostility of both Ngatimaniapoto and Waikato to boot, he could not do it more effectively and speedily than by injuring Hettit’s person or property.