Auckland.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 459, 7 March 1867, Page 2

Auckland.

TAURAXGA, [Prom the Daily Southern Cross’s Special he" porter.] Te Papa, 18th Feb. The funeral of the two men killed at Whakamarama, T. Jordan and Jeffs, took place on Saturday last ia the cemetery at Te Papa, where so many lie who have been killed in battle. The funeral was attended by the Hon. the Defence Minister and by a great many of the citizens of Tauranga. The whole of the 12th Regiment turned out, with the baud and firing party. The funeral servhie was read hy Archdeacon Brown.

No fighting has taken plane on the ranges since I wrote on Saturday last and the bush for a considerable distance round the settlements of Te Irihanga and Whakamarama has been scoured by the Arawas without finding any enemy. In all, three dead bodies of the Hau-hans have been found in the bush. The small settlement of ; Puripuri has been visited by the Arawas yesterday and burned. We cannot get much information about the Hau-haus, their strength, or their chances of reinforcements. A gentlemen, writing from Wangamata on the 15th inst., says ; —“ A portion of the natives of this place were very busy yesterday cleaning their guns, and I heard early this morning that they are going to leave this place tomorrow or next day. Two of their head men —Pene and Erueti —have been away since I came here. The are only waiting their orders to join the rebel party. These natives do not belong to this district; they are the Kolierikis, from the Wairoa, near Auckland, most of whom were concerned in the murders that were committed in that district. The rest of the natives here are in a great state of excitement in consequence of a report that has been spread amongst them to the effect that the Government is going to send troops among them, i asured them the Government would send no troops here as long as they remained at home. There are the Urangaweras, who live at a place called parakinai, and they are busy boatbuilding and cultivating; and when I was among them the other day they asked me to look at their crops and and settlement, and say whether they were likely to commence fighting.” I

have ho idea that the matte? is finished, and that the Firrakau and their allies will come in and take the oath of allegiance, but in what place or manner the Hnu-haus will appear again it is impossible to say. They have given up any intention oi pabuilding, and are determined to hang ! about in the forest harrassing the settlers. Ibis is certainly the best plan for them, and although they have lost a good few men lately, I don’t think i any surveyor even now would fee bold Wiremu Patene (Te Witirangi), of 1 Matpibi, died on Saturday last. He was a very respectable man, and had always endeavored to keep the natives at peace.

I must again occupy a little space with reference to the Tauranga land question. When the Governor made peace at Tauranga, it was agreed that one-fourth of the land of the district should be taken. The whole was estimated at 200,000 acres, and therefore the amount to be taken was 50,000 acres. It is believed now that the 200,000 acres was an over-esti-mate, and it seems that we cannot get the 50,000 within the boundaries which it was at first thought would include the amount. The surveyors crossed the Wairoa, but the survey there was stopped by the authorities, principally, I believe, out of considera tion for the Pirirakau. For the satisfaction of the natives of the whole district, what we have done should be fully explained. But from what I have seen here, I don’t think those in arms put their quarrel upon the ground of any land taking, aud the supposition that prevailed pretty widely in Auckland on that matter is, I believe, a mistake, which I participated in. Between the Waimapu aud the Wairoa the Pirirakau have got no laud. Some ■ f the natives now in arms, however, have lost land, —for instance, Paraone, chief of the Akeake; but I am informed that ample reserves were made for him and his tribe. Paraone was down at all the meetings, and made no complaint. so far as I can hear, of the arrangements made for him. Marsh Pohepohe, now in arms, has not lost an acre of land, and so can have no quarrel on that schore. Everyone must feel pity for those infatuated men, but I cannot see that any blame lies with Mr Mackay or Mr Clarke. Any fault is in the indefinite arrangements made by the Government at first. I send you a copy of the first notice given to the surveyors, dated June 19, some time before the surveyors crossed the Wairoa. The following is the uotice:—-

“ Waihau, Hune 19, 1566. “ Kia te Karaka, “ E hoa, tena taka kupu me hoki atu to tini kite Papa. No te wahi tena, i nga toto a te Maori ote pakeha. Kua rongo au kua taa mao to tini ki Paengaroa, Putamou, ki Oropi. E hoa, hoki atu to tini ki raro i te wbenua o te King!. “Na WIREMU TE Wahaboa. “ Ki a te Karaka." “Waihau, June 19, 1860. “ To Mr Clarke. *‘ Friend, —This is mj word ; take back your claim to Te Papa, for it was was there that the blood of the Maoris and Europeans was shed. I have heard that your chain has reached to Paengaroa, Pulamou, and Oropi. Friend, take back your chain below the Imd of the King. “ (Signed) Wibemu te Wahaboa. “To Mr Clarke.” The land from which the chain is to be taken is not overstepping of the boundaries of the confiscaced block, but the laud of the King. The letter bears the signature of ‘William Thompson, but it was the work of his eldest son. From the date of the above notice up till the surveyors finally gave up work, none of the warnings ever stated as a ground that the surveyors were taking more than they ought. These unfortunate people in the ranges have given ear to various stragglers from Waikato and other parts of the interior; and the Ngatiporou, who can have no land quarrel, are apparently taking the most prominent part in the fighting. These Ngatiporou came to the district expressing their intention of killing—not the surveyors who had

gone over n hat the natives considered the boundary—any they could meet with.

The following is a copy of a letter sent to the surveyors on the 15th of November. The letter was forwarded by Mr Clarke, who told the surveyors immediately to come in;—“ Thirteen armed men and three armed women of the Ngatiporou tribe are at Waiwhata-

whata, and have expressed their istßß= tion of killing the surveyors now working between the Wairoa and i Waimapu. The surveyors are, there- ' fore, recommended either to come into Te Papa, or to keep a careful watch ’ against :jon.”

20th February. I went up the Wairoa yesterday, and and found that the whole of the force, Europeans and Maoris, had moved down from Te Irihanga and WhakamAWAmn +/v DKDBfstoiy to moving further up the aiver, to a place convenient for an attack on Kaimai, a settlement which has not yet been visited. The crops at Irihanga and Wbakamarama have been pretty effectually destroyed. The potatoes have bean dug np, and left on the surface of the ground to spoil; and the wheat has been torn up and partly burned. The crop destroyed at the different settlements must be worth thousands of pounds. Fires were burning yesterday at several parts on the ranges, where, it was clear, the the Hau-haus were. No men from the Thames have yet been seen by the friendly natives, and, perhaps, their visit was, like that of Riki, but a short one. The attack on Kaimai will, I expect, show us how we stand. The fires seen yesterday were at settlements which have been taken by our men. which shows us that when wo leave a place the Hauhaus emerge from the bush and take possession again. Every one here is tired of the war. It is a direct loss to nearly every European engaged in it.