TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 564, 31 March 1858, Page 3

TARANAKI.

THE NATIVE , WARS,

(From a Cories, of the 'Nelson Examiner.') There would seem to he no end to the bloody strife among the natives of our neighbourhood. Most of us expected that the patched-up peace made with the redhanded murderer, Katatore, would hot be of long continuance. Had he made atonement for his atrocious. crim c, or had he been banished from the district which he had outraged, and all claim to which he had forfeited by his butchery, there might have been hopes of peace. But his relatives (the friendly party) were left by the Government to struggle alone, against overwhelming odds, by ottyer and distant tribes, aiding and abetting ..him in his savage determination to destroy all who attempted to sell land to the pakeha; and becoming weary of the struggle, the opportunity was seized upon to induce them to shake his blood r red hand, arid rub noses with him, especially as he appeared willing to sell the disputed territory to Government. But he was insincere throughout, vlhaia and Kikorima, with their party, never believed in his truth and honesty, and the result proved that they were right. This man, who, in 1844, expelled the English farming settlers from the Mahgoraka village, arid so bounced and frightened Captain Fitz Roy, that he was glad to let the savage have all his own way, has of late been pretending to agree to the sale of land; and yet, while the negotiation was pending with the commissioner here, wrote privately to Governor Browne, asking' an absurdly large payment for the land—a price that could not be entertained for a moment — and threatened that unless his exorbitant demands were complied with, he would join the Waikato movement for a Maori king! So much for his sincerity; and he, the murderer, who mig-ht have been expected to agree to any terms, since his crimes were still unpurged. Ihaia and his party, after waiting for many years for Government to buy their lands, and seeing there was no prospect of this unless all were agreed, at length offered to make peace with Katatore, but he would not. He would neither come out to fight lhaia, nor: would he be at peace— even on the day he was killed, and previously, Ihaia had made him presents and feasted him> in order to, a reconciliation. But no! this high-minded chieftain (as one or two sanguine friends of his call him) would partake of Ihaia's feasts, and accept his giftSj but he would not be.friends. Ihaia cut down a large rimu tree, intending to have it hollowed out for a canoe: after he left it, Katatore and people went and cross-cut the fallen tree into short lengths, arid sent also some taunting, messag-es to him. This continued fora length of time. Meanwhile the Land-Purchase-Commissioner was considered by Ihaia to be taking- more notice of Katatore, the murderer, than was right. There may have been policy on the Commissioner's part in doing this, for the purpose of conciliating the one great opponent, who was apparently becoming friendly. But this gave much umbrage to Ihaia. He and his people became exasperated at the idea, that they were comparatively set aside, arid Katatore, the murderer, who had always opposed land sales, looked up to as of greater importance. Even civilized human nature might have felt resentment at this sort of thing; savages,,as Ihaia and the rest of them are, had their worst feelings excited by it; "Why does your{ Governor pay attention to Katatore, and set me aside; is it because he is a murderer?" was a question asked of a visitor. The crowning injustice, in Ihaia's estimation, was a most unfortunate gift by the Provincial Government of £10 to Katatore, as a bonus for getting rid of the 'Scotch thistle from the disputed land—-where the murders had taken place and where all the fighting and Woodshed that. followed, had occurred. Ihaia was wild about this. He said to several who went up to him, "Your Government is nbthing at all; you let Katatore murder seven of his own relations, and refused to punish him, though we were ready to assist you. Yoii made peace with him; your GovernorWynyard shook hands with him; and now : you give him J£lo for the very grass growing on the graves of the men' he murdered !" Who could reply to this? The readers of the 'Examiner,' arid others' at a distance; may hardly think that this is' a fact, but it is even" so • and that it ; was a most unwise and mistaken gift, the present sad warfare proves. Ihaia cannot sell his land, though he petitioned the General As-

sembly about it in 1854. He sees himself snubbed and coolly treated, while the murderer of his relatives, and the enemy of the settlement, is paraded into town, and feasted by the Government authorities with bags of flour and sugar; and his blood-red flag flaunts the pakeha inhabitants—whom he has always resisted as it floats in the breeze, in front of Government House.* No wonder, I say, that the Maori Ihaia determined to put a stop to this. As a Maori, and in accordance with native usage, he felt himself justified in what he did; but to us it appears to be a savage murder. Katatore and his nephew, returning home quite tipsy from town, were set upon and murdered by Ihaia's party, who were waiting for them in ambush. The friends of. the murdered man, joined by others in the neighbourhood, at once sought to make reprisals, chiefly to prevent Ihaia from increasing his influence; and so the contest is resumed, under circurristarices of fearfully savage ferocity. Almost daily skirmishes take place; some of them fatal, oftener they are a mere waste of ammunition. Katatore's people, however, have commenced a mode of warfare hitherto unpractised by the natives, and I fear the results will be disastrous. Ihaia finding his pa at Ikamoana insecure and likely to be surrounded,. and away also from his principal cultivations on the Waitara, abandoned his pa some ten or twelve days since, and retreated to his principal stockades on the above river. The rage of Katatore's friends next morning (Sunday, the 7th inst.), on finding that Ihaia had given them the slip, was beyond measure diabolical. They danced and shouted as they set fire to fences,, houses, carts, thrashing-machine, and all the property about. They caught the poultry, tied them up in baskets, alive as they were, and threw them into the devouring flames. They caught the pigs, fearfully mangled them with their tomahawks, and threw them, amid savage yells, into the fire. Some poor pig-s were seen to run about screaming, with their entrails protruding, but these could not be heard for the yelling and uproar of the savage Maories. This, you will recollect, was on a Sunday morning, and it was the work of men who have been under missionary teaching for the last eighteen or twenty years. Six carts and a thrashing-machine of Ihaia's were burnt by the mob.

Two bloody and fatal skirmishes have occurred within the last week ; in each of them Ihaia was victor,- and his position is Considered by competent judges to be impregnable against Maori assailants.

: At least eleven have been killed, and perhaps as many severely wounded, since the re'-cbmmericement of the war; seven have fallen with Katatore, and four on Ihaia's side. Both parties are exasperated to the last degree, and they now proclaim, on either side, war to the death; a clean sweep; neither woman nor child is to be spared. The neighbouring tribes are being drawn into the quarrel.

There is a rumour in town to-day that the Wanganui natives, to the number of 300, are on their way, and have arrived in the upper part of the river. These will most likely join Ihaia. Tuesday last, fourteen carts passed through the town, laden with provision for Katatore, escorted by about eighty men from the south, whose arms and ammunition were hidden at the bottom of the carts. Some of the Waikatores are said to he coming down; and the Waitara bids fair to become a bloody battle field. The fight is confined entirely at present to the native race, and now that they have retired to the Waitara, five miles from the nearest settlers, we are not in the imminent danger from chance balls that we were when Ihaia was at Ikamoana. While Ihaia was at this latter place, there was a bloody skirmish on the farms of two of our settlers j their fine fields of standing corn were trampled over, and from behind their fences and from inside their houses the natives fired at each other, to the imminent danger and to the great alarm of the European females. Ihaia behaved well on that occasion. He did his best to retreat from the attacking party (and suffered some loss in doing- so,) lest a chance shot should hit any of his pakeha friends. The other party have no feeling's of this kind, for they threaten to follow Ihaia even to the town, and kill him m any of the houses here. Some of our leading men here have occasionally visited Ihaia at his pa, and Katatore's friends talk

i * The force of public opinion obliged the authorities here to take down the offensive flag-staff; and it is now erected in front of the private residence of the Land-Purchaso-Com-missioner.

of putting a ball into them if they do not keep away. Dr. Neild was sent by Government to attend to the wounded natives, and went to Katatore's people first. They objected to his going to dress the wounds of the other party. "No let them die; you shall not go." "' Very well, then/ said Dr. Neild in reply, ■" I shall not attend to your wounded. lam sent to both parties, and as you forbid my gomefurther, I shall return at once." I think success and victory will be on the right side—that of Ihaia. He has many determined foes, who appear to stick at nothing ; but he is both brave and prudent, and I need not say that he has the sympathies of nearly all the settlers. The ' Taranaki Herald,' which I suppose you regularly receive, speaks the mind of the entire community on' this question. The ' News' has surprised most of us for its want of independent outspeaking. Monday morning, 22nd February. In the ' Herald' of Saturday last is an account of the Bishop's visit to Waitara and a speech made by Ihaia to his lordship which is well worth reading. If you have room for it.please let it follow this letter. It tells its own tale, and furnishes its own explanation.

[The paper referred to has been published.]

, 23rd February, 1858,, Since I closed my last communication, the Henry1 has brought us important news from Auckland. A proclamation is issued forbidding natives from carrying arms within the boundary of the settlement, and .the Resident Magistrate is instructed, iri the event of not being, able to enforce this order, to call upon Major Murray, the Commander of the detachment of the military, for aid, and we are informed that orders are despatched to the various officers in command of detachments, to be in readiness to render assistance in carryingOut the proclamation. I need not say that this measure has given great satisfaction to the settlers, and it now only remains for the Resident Magistrate to act with firmness, as well as prudence, in enforcing the Governor's order.

Another important piece of news to us is, that the Militia are to be embodied immediately. Major Lloyd, who sold out of the service some years ag-o, and has been an enterprising settler here for seven or eight years, is commissioned to organise and command.them; Gharies Brown Esq., late Superintendent, being second in command ,• and various other officers are appointed, some of them veryjuvenile. The Major was returning to England, had paid his passag-e, and got his luggage on Board, when he received his appointment. He is bustling about quite a young man again in the duties of his office. ■ Differences of opinion exist among us as to the expediency of this, measure. It is doubted whether we shall not by this means court the very evil we have been dreading. At present, both parties of natives believe our statement of the .wish of the settlers not to interfere with their quarrel, but possibly the general arming and drilling of the settlers may excite ijheir suspicions. Others, however, have been long- persuaded of the necessity of the measure, and though the drawing jjiway of such a large number of our ablebodied farmers and mechanics from their Occupations may greatly influence the labour market, yet necessity has no. law. On one point, touching the calling out of the militia, we derive considerable satisfaction. The wonder has been how the force was to be paid, and how the other great expenditure was to be provided for. It seems from a despatch from the Home Government, that, where the colony is not in circumstances to make the necessary provision, application is to be made to the military chest. Now there is no mistake about our poverty, for we are not able to make necessary provisions for roads, bridges, Ac, without heavy taxation by local rates, in addition to the ordinary customs' duties. We can plead our poverty, and make our application with a good grace.