THE WEREROA PA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 289, 17 July 1865, Page 1

THE WEREROA PA.

[From the Wanganui Chronicle, June S3.]

The mistake regarding the surrender of this pa on Friday last has, of course, excited a good deal of curiosity. We have taken some pains to gather the particulars from various sources, and having collated these, we now give the result to our readers. We do not vouch for its perfect accuracy, but believe that it will be found substantially correct. When Major Von Tempsky was in Wellington he received from the Colonial Government liberty to attack the pa with the forces which he had at his disposal—the Forest Rangers—the Wanganui Cavalry—and the Native contingent! On his arrival here, the only difficulty he found in concentrating these forces was an objection raised by the Resident Magistrate at Tipiriki, to the effect that the withdrawal of the native contingent from that place would bring down on it the .hostile natives around, that the navigation of the river might be stopped, and the post thus placed in extreme peril. This objection was met by the Native Resident Magistrate here offering to swear in a; sufficient number of friendly natives, as-spe-cial constables, to keep the river communication open ; but this not being satisfactory to the objector, the matter was referred to the Colonial Government. Pending its decision. Major Buffer, at Major Von Tempsky’s request, furnished him with six of his policemen as guides. They were mounted, armed, and received the same pay as the cavalry, and had other inducements to good and efficient service held out to them. -

In due time permission came to remove the native contingent, or at least three-fourths of it from Pipiriki, coupled, however, as we understand, with the proviso that they should not go further than Kai-Iwi, until, at least, it was seen that their services could not be dispensed with. For, by this time, there was some hope of the natives in the pa surrendering it. The wife of Abraham, the Waitotara chief, had come into town, aud had given such information to the military authorities as led them to believe that the occupants of the pa were willing to surrender, and induced Brigadier-General Waddy, C. 8., to send Kereti, one of Mr Buffer’s policemen, aud Major Von Tempsky’s native guides accompanied by Abraham’s wife as a protection—as we mentioned some days ago—out to the pa to ascertain the views of its occupants. They returned bringing an offer of a surrender which from its nature was, as we understand, but on this point we are not quite certain, considered to be unconditional. On this, the same embassy was sent out again, and it was on this occasion that the mistake regarding the surrender arose. The accounts we have heard regarding this part of the story are conflicting, aud we cannot give the details, but merely the result. It appears that the negotiations with Kereti were proceeding satisfactorily, when some of the friendly natives out there came up to the pa, and had an interview with its occupants, who told them they were in communication with General Waddy, and could not enter into negociations with them. [The militia contingent, and the friendly Maoris who accompanied them, had gone two days before out to Nukumaru.] This interview ended in a request by our natives for some potatoes, and several of the people in the pa were sent down with them towards Nukumaru with kits of potatoes on their backs. On their way they met Capt. M’Donald, who seems to have supposed that they had agreed to surrender, but to make assurance doubly sure, pulled some bread out of his pocket and gave each of them a piece, saying, when they accepted it, that this made peace between them. We are not aware that this is a native custom, and the bearers of the potatoes laughed at what Capt. M’Donald was doing, and having delivered the potatoes returned to the pa. This took place last Friday evening. Next day, we understand, that the occupants of the pa refused to enter into negociations with the friendly natives for peace, and that the militia contingent and they had buckled on their accoutrements and were ready to march up to it, when Colonel Logan arrived on the scene of action and forbade the movement. This, we believe to be in brief a plain unvarnished statement of what has taken place. The present position of matters is this : The negociations for a surrender are likely to by soon completeted. Major Yon Tempsky and .the colonial forces at Nukumaru are under the orders of Brigadier-General Waddy, C.B. Kereti has been dismissed by Major Yon Tempsky, from his post as guide for dereliction of duty (in acting, we suppose, on General Waddy’s orders.) Major Yon Tempsky and Captain M’Donald have thrown up their commissions. The collision between the military and the colonial authorities has come to a point, and the Government must come to some conclusive decision on the question whether the colonial forces are to be independent or under the command of the superior military officer.

It appears very clear that so long as there are two independent authorities, even though they are working for the same end, there must be collision and inefficiency. Here Major Von Tempsky receives authority from the General Government to do a certain thing, Brigadier-General Waddy finds that he can do the same thing, possibly in a different way. Both parties act, no doubt, with the bes] intantions. Just as Major Von Tempsky supposes he has nearly gained his end, ihe agent for the General Government here (we have no doubt with the very best intentions), steps in and intercepts him. The object of both parties is delayed in the accomplishment. We will not say that there is a desire on the p’art ef each to anticipate the other; but even supposing the best motives, feelings, and intentions, such separate

and independent commands cannot but be injurious.

It may be added that Pehimani, the principal chief in the pa, came in by himself on Monday, and offers to surrender himself and his people, and that Brigadier-General Waddy has required that they should evacuate the pa, and go to certain localities pointed out, to reside there. There are about 200 in the pa, men, women, and children, almost, if not altogether, all Waitotara natives; and this surrender has been hastened, if not strictly caused, by the destruction of a large quantity of their food—principally wheat—by a recent flood.