NATIVE VERSION OF THE LATE DISTURBANCES ON THE EAST COAST.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 497, 5 August 1867, Page 3

NATIVE VERSION OF THE LATE DISTURBANCES ON THE EAST COAST.

The ‘ Tauranga Record,’ July 20, Las been handed the following communication for publication. It furnishes some clue to the motives which actuated the recent murders at Opotiki, and the condition of the natives there ; Tauranga, July 15. Mv Beau Srn, —As the murder of Mr White seems to have created some discussion in (he papers I will lay a few tacts before you to assist you in coming to 11 conclusion, and also a letter from Sir George Grey to the Ilau hnu portion ol the 'Whnkalohea, which Theresa (my wife) delivered to them, and which with the natives amounted to an announcement of a cessation of hostilities : Opotiki, March 3, ISOO.

Salutations to the chiefs of the tribe, —1 have arrived in Opotiki. On that account I now cal; upon you all to come iu and surrender to me. Do not delay, hut come back to me at once. If you assent al once to come hack to me, those, people who have been concerned in the murders will be tried by the laws of the laud. Large numbers of the native Baulinas belonging to the eastward have surrendered to me and taken the oath of allegiance. My messengers which carry tills letter to you will tell you of all that I have said to them. They will also inform you that I have now aiong with me Tc Ua, the llauhau prophet, and that my great desire is to save and preserve the Maori rao •, and to establish a permanent peace throughout this island. Snllicient —from the Governor, G. Gutty. A good manv natives surrendered at this time, among tint rest Waitena, i. Ngatiwui, the chief from whom I cot thi.uarrativc. Ke states I hut in March lest, ho fell in with some of his old friends, tie llau-lmus, living peaceably at a settlement The following day, while in the camp In ; told Major St. John that lie had seen u numb; r of natives at Waioweka. This was at once seized Upon by that oiheer and Waiteria was pressed into the service, (i.e ) bo bad a gun given to him and was told that ho must go with them. Wniteri i did go reluctantly, as he knew that ii would bring the vengeance of the Hau-hau.-on ins peo-!e living in a defenceless stall at Opn'ie. However, he went, and tw. chief—l’i'haka and I’aora—wete slain. A fivtr days afterwards the women iron, the llau-lnns asked the question, Who brought this taua on us? The answer was Waiteria While s.nneofthe parly were itu on anuti;er occasion pig-hunt-irg they caught two dogs in the bush which they knew belonged (o the Uri worn. Too Major was informed of thi-, and the natives told him to call in all tin ]people from the bush as they knew a tana j (war party) was out. This was poo-poohed by the Major, and two days afterwards poor Bergs and Moore lost their lives.

In June Wit cm with s me other c'-iet's went to the Native Lands-Court at Make in and it was while on their way back, that Mr Bennett White and Wi Popatn wenslain. Mr White and his friend were killed in the evening. Witeria, accompanied by liis son, passed the place on the following morning and were fired ou by the ilau-haus. it is not improbable that this tana was there to kill those of the Wlmkatohea who had been fighting agai; * them the Major has implicated these people* after doing so he deprives them of their arms which had been served out to them, and they have in consequence been obliged to desert Opape where they would next summer have been more prosperous by cultivating the land, than by fighting but they are quite broken hearted now. The few potatoes they were keeping for seed no doubt will have been destroyed. I should have got this account in the native’s own handwriting but ho is afraid of the Major who he says would burn down his settle*; merit and put him in gaol. Those people have nothing, everything has been seized by the Major, cattle and horses are all taken from them. I was one of the expo[ditionary force at Opotiki when the people I surrendered, at which time they were told by Major MTJonnell that they could retain eil their cattle and horses, but this permission has been altered by the present com mandant. Huri oka ka (u ano ** • «