AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 232, 27 February 1865, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

MR. CHANDLER, THE CHIEF PAUL. AND THE ORAKEI NATIVES. The following paragraph was published a few days since by the New Zealand Herald. “We have been informed on grounds that wo have no reason to , douV, that a well known citizen has recently had a narrow escape from-an attack intended to be made* on him by a native in the immediate vicinity of Auckland. It appears that Mr. Chandler, who served at the commencement of the Waikato hostilities as an interpreter to general Cameron, and as pilot to the river steamers, was perfectly well known to the Maoris of the Waikato and neighboring tribes from a long residence amongst them, and was latterly regarded with much ill-will, from the belief they entertained that without the aid of his local knowledge the invasion of their district eonld not have been successfully accomplished It is said that many of them have been heard to threaten his life whenever an opportunity presented itself. Mr Chandler has been for some time past residing near Auckland, and attended the sale of Mr Rust’s stock at Kohimarima the other dav. The fal-m is approachcdnn one direction through a long narrow dell with very precipitous sides covered with dense scrub, and secured at each end by a five-railed gate. On reaching the further gate Mr Chandler found a Maori seated acros it, who at first refused in the most insolent way to make room for “him to pass, baton the white man expostulating with him at length went away in a sulky manner grumbling threats. Mr. Chan'-, dler remained some time at the sale, but. luckily returned by another route, by which he avoided, as he has since been credibly informed, an ambush that was laid for him the whole length of the dell by a party of Huraki natives, who were all armed, and who had threatened to take his life.” It, appears that the publication of the above caused a letter to be written for publication by the native chief Paul, of which the following*is a translation : TRANSLATION. To the Editor of the Neio Zealand Herald. Eriend.'—My letter to you is in reference to the , evil talk of this man which he has inserted in the newspaper against the men of Orakei, saving that they are coming to kill the pakehas. This is my word to you. Do not listen to what this mad drunkard says, and if you see that, point him out to us that jvc may prosecute him—for 1 am the chief of Orakei, and you have never seen any fault on my part. lam a Pakeha like yourselves, and my tribe are under me, and would not do anything contrary to my wishes. You arc all aware of my good conduct from long ago up to the present, time. 1 say, therefore, do not listen to tlie talk of a madman. This is all. From the Maori (Patti,). The chief Paul it will be seen denies the truth of an alleged statement “ that the Orakei natives were coining to kill the pakehas.” No such statement appears in the paragraph iu'Mondav’s Herald to which he alludes. •He does not however deny the statement that really was made, viz., that Mr Chandler’s life was threatened and that an ambush was prepared by natives to waylay him. We have since receiving the above letter conversed with the gentleman who contributed the paragraph an Monday’s Herald, and he assures us that it is substantially correct.” For the benefit of those of our readers who understand “ Maori” we give a copy of Paul’s letter. Ki ti kai-tuhituhi ti Nepepa Hefaid. Ehoa,—He reta taku kia koe. Mo te korcro korero kino a teci pakeha a Kanara i koriro nei ia i tana nupepa korero kino mo nga tangata a Orakei i mea, I haere mai ana kite patu u nga Pakeha, Tenei taku kupu kia kouton kai whak'arongo kouton kia nga korero a tena taryata haurangi, korangh, Ki te mea ka kita koulou i tena tangata me whakaatu mai kia au. Kia whaka kia ia kite ritenga oti tore. No te mea ko ahau te Rangat.ra o Orakei a Kahore ano kouton i kiti noa i okuhe note mea hi Pakeha hoki au vita taki me teuton. Ko taku hpi hoki kei raro ano i au kahori a raton tikruga e poka ake i taku. E matau ano hoki kouton kia aku mahia pai. O mua mai, a taea hohia tenei akiwa. Kora au i mea ai, kei whakarango kcuton ki uga korero a te porangi. Keoi ano, , Na te Maori.