MR. FOX’S JOURNEY TO AHURIRI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 59, 14 August 1862, Page 3

MR. FOX’S JOURNEY TO AHURIRI.

In the Maori Messenger of July Ist, we have the following account of Mr. Fox’s journey to Ahurivi. “ "We gave an account in our last number but one of Mr. Fox’s visit to Taupe. On the morning after the II ui at Tapmvaiharuru, lie and Mr. Brown went on. They crossed the 'Waikato river just where it comes out of the lake. The river here is very deep, swift, and strong ; and if there was nothing to hold on by, canoes would be carried headlong down the river for a long distance. But the Maories have stretched a rope across the river, fastened to a post on each side, and that is lastened to the canoe ; so instead of being carried down the river, the swift and strong stream pushes the canoe across, without the necessity t of using the paddles and without its floating down the river. That night Mr. Fox ami Mr. Brown got to the beginning of the bush which leads to Tarawera on the road to Ahuriri; there they slept in a kainga on the top of a hill. There were no Mauris there, but. they had food with them, and they gathered fern for their beds, and cooked their food at a fire which they made. Next morning very early before the sun was up, they started again. The hush beyond this is very bad, up and down hills extremely steep, but bye and bye the road begins, which the Maoris have made towards Ahuriri. lids road ought to be finished, then travellers could get along easily; now, when the road is not made, it .almost kills the horses. At last they got to Tarawera. There lives Nicholas, a very civilized Maori; he has a good weatherboard house, with chimneys, glass windows, floors, doors, and everything just like a Pakeha. There was a Pakeha at work putting up a post and rail fence, to make a paddock all round the house; he came from Ahuriri and was paid for his work by Nicholas. The chief was not at home, but his wife brought out flour and made scones, and boiled the kettle and made tea, and gave Mr. Fox and his friend a good breakfast; she also gave them plates and knives and forks to eat with. So they went on their way refreshed, and very thankful for the kind and brotherly feeling displayed towards them by all the Maoris, whoreever they went. They did not ask for food, when they stopped it was offered to them, and the women went to work to get it at once. Beyond Tarawera there is a very high hill, almost straight up; it is a mile long, and there is no road made here. Beyond that is the Mohaka river, which is swift and strong. A bridge might easily be put over this river, but there is nobody to do it. Thus for want of roads and bridges, travelling is made hard

and tedious, and many horses are spoiled, and sometimes pc <pF are drowned in this liver. i'.lay the '.my wour wlnm the Aliens will be wiser annd help tu in a lie good roads everywhere. That night they g<a to a Pakcha house, the house o{ Mr. Toogund, who has a sheep station. Then next day they went down the Patea river, and so got, in (he evening about sunset, to Napier. At this lids time all the Maoris of those parts were gathered together, ah,nit nine miles from Napier, at Alat.-.dwi. for a general nmuming (taiini ) over Moaimnui, a chief of the Ngatihalmiignnn trine, who died a year ago. 1 here wore 1,000 natives there,perhaps more, from all parts about Aimriri, from Porangabau, from Lparaima, from Buataniwha, from Tarawera, irom Patea, from Wairua, and some, but not many, from Waikato, and other places. Besides the mourning for Aloanamti, they were expecting also to see Sir George Grey, the Governor of New Zealand whom they nad asked to come to see them at that time and who had promised to be there. lie was prevented from going because the Commodore (chief Captain) of the men-of-war, who was at Sydney, suddenly sent for all those ships except one. and that one had broken her boiler. So when Sir George Grey was ready to sail, (here was no ship for him, and he was obliged to defer his visit. He has since gone by another ship, hut the Maoris who were at the mourning for Aloananui, have, no doubt, all gone to their distant homes. Well, when Air. Fox got to Napier he sent a message to Mafaiwi to tell the Maorios that Sir George Grey had not come, ami offering himself to go to them to talk about the new plans of Government for the Natives. This was on a Friday, and it was fixed hv the Maorios that there should he a horcro with Mr. Fox on the Monday at Mataiwi. On Sunday night a groat storm came up from the south, with heavy rain, and on Monday morning the rain was pouring down in sheets. However, Air. Fox, accompanied by Captain Carter, the Superintendent of Napier, Mr. George Cooper, the L’esident Magistrate of Waipnkurau, and Air. Brown, started in a spring cart; Air. Locke and Air. Hamlin had gone on early in the morning, they were to interpret. When Air. Fox and his friends got to Alataiwi, they found all the Natives gathered together under their wharca and tents, for it was very wet, and the water lay all about like a sea. It was not possible to hold a hid in the open air, on account of the rain and wind, so it. was fixed that the great Chiefs should moot Air. Fox in Aluananni's house. There also was the Bev. Samuel Williams, the Alissionary from Te Ante. Benata of j’a Whakairo began the horcro. He welcomed Air. Fox as the representative of the Governor. He said he had heard of the Governor's plans, and that they were good. AYlum Governor Browne was here the policy of the Government was dark. The Alaories saw the result of the dispute about the land sold by Te Teira at Taranaki, and they knew that there wore similar disputes at Hawke’s Bay, Aluiriri. They believed that when Governor Browne should be done fighting at Taranaki, he would make an excuse to begin at Ahnrriri, ami destroy them all. Therefore they joined the King, and sympathised with the war party at Taranaki. Now Governor Grey had come ami his thoughts were good ; all was clear (mamma) again, and if he only carried out what he talked of, all would be well. He wanted to know when the Commissioner would he sent. Air. Fox then told the meeting why it was that the Governor had not been able to come hut as be knew the Governor's plans for the government of the Alaories, he would talk to them about that. He then told them all that the readers of the Maori Messenger have read of what the Governor had said at Kororareka, Waimato, Ilokianga. and Kuhanga, and said that the Commissioner would be sent as soon as the Governor could find a proper man, and that he was seeking for one at that time. Benata then said that they were all satisfied with Air. Fox's words, but there were some things more that should he talked about. There was AVaitara, the root of all the evil, was the Governor to enquire about that ? Air. Fox said that the Governor wished very much to have that enquired into and that when he (Air. Fox) went to AVaikato to see the Chiefs there, the Governor authorized him to propose to the Alaories how this should he done. He proposed that there should he six judges to enquire into the matter; one Pakeha and two Alaories appointed by the Governor, and one Bakeha and two Alaories appointed by those who held the iikanr/a or mana (?) of that land the Waiters. This was because the Governor wished that all should be done fairly and justly, and that

each party, both Pakeha and Maori, might he satisfied with the decision. Well the Chiefs of Waikato said they would consider this, anti would consult with W. Thompson, wlio was at Hauraki at that time. Afterwards Thompson had written to him (Mr. Fox,) telling him that he should not consent that Waitara should be enquired into. “So now,” said Mr. Pox, “Let all the Maories see who is it that stops the road of peace ; that it is William Thompson and the Waikato Maories, and not the Governor and the Pakehas. If Thompson had consented, perhaps, by this time, all would have been clear; but he would not consent, though it was he himself that said let the fighting be stopped till the Waitara is enquired into. Now all the Pakehas say that William Thompson never wished to have this enquiry ; otherwise, why does he not accept the Governor’s offer ?” M hen Eenata and the other Maories heard this they were very much surprised, for it was more than two months since Mr. Fox had made this oiler to Waikato, and William llumipson had not told any of the other tribes about it. Eenata, Karaitiana and the others, talked among themselves in whisper’s, ami alter a long time, Karaitiana said to Mr. p’ox. “Say no more about that, we will write to Thompson to know why he has behaved so ; we will call him to answer for it.” So then they talked about other things, and when they were done, dinner was placed on the table for the Pakehas, and they reIreshed themselves, and after a short time returned to Napier, This was the end of that meetingSince Mr. Fox left Napier, we hear that Karaitiana, Eenata, and the other leading Chiefs have written to William Thompson to know why he refused the Governor’s offer to enquire into Waitara. The Ahuriri Maoris think that Thompson has made fools of them, and of their loving friends the Pakehas who assisted them in fighting the battle of words with Governor Browne. Hereafter perhaps we shall hear what Thompson says to the Ahuriri Maoris, and whether they think he was right in refusing to have Waitara enquired into.