THE NATIVE FEUD AT TARANAKI.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 June 1855, Page 11

THE NATIVE FEUD AT TARANAKI.

[From the New Zealander, April 25.] 1855. In consequence of the failure of every effort for the re-establishment of peace among the hostile native tribes, His Excellency the Officer administering the Government considered it necessary ti> proceed to New Plymouth, to employ all the influence of the Government for the restoration of order, and to learn what measures might require to be taken for the protection of the European settlers. With that object in view, His Excellency and suite embarked at Auckland, on board H.M.B. Pandora, Commander Drury, on the 17th of March, and, after a tedious passage of nine days reached his destination on the 2tith of March. Immediately after his arrival, His Excellency ; had an interview with the Civil Authorities of ; the Province, in order that His Excellency! might be furnished with the utmost possible information respecting the true causes of the excitement which so long and injuriously menaced the Province. I'ro'.T! the information which was then suppiif;.-, n\v\ vi-i.rn conversations held with the Sut':e Lleoident Magistrate, and the Native Scov. f ;iry, it would appear that— The feud existing at Taranaki has assumed a very serious aspect, inasmuch as many causes of qua'rrel have been so confused and amalgamated into one general dispute, that great difficulty, if not impossibility, may exist in any attempt to set it right. The friendly natives, or those residing in or near the settlement, are connected with. . i.haia, the chief assessor, whv>se wife vras seduced, aud

who caused the seducer to be shot, which has embroiled laim with the Ngatiruanui. Rawiri an assessor also, was shot by Kakatore wliile in the act of laying out a boundary line. Ihaia has subsequently revived the enmity of the other natives, by raising the bodies of thr dead who fell in a fight, and firing into them and spearing them. This again has been taken up by the natives of distant tribes, while on the other hand, they themselves and their follower.* are what they call frieudly natives, or natives residing under the immediate protection of th< Europeans ; at least they so consider themselves Opposed to these, are William King and Kata tore, also at the same time possessing good feeling towards the white people, and evincing nr disposition to molest thorn in any way, so long a* the feud is allowed to be carried on without European interference. ' On the following day, the 27th March. Hi*l Excellency had an interview with the Superintendent. After this, His Excellency proceeded to the Land Office, in front of which ho was met by several Chiefs of Rawiri's tribe, who had leer: summoned to attend. There were present,— Tamati "Waka, Iharaira, llauiera, Hone Ropihn, amOfbturoa. His Excellency informed the chiefs presen; that having heard with much regret of the continued differences which still existed between the native tribes in the Taranaki Province, he had expressly come down from Auckland in the hope 3 of settling by his presence, influence, and advice, these differences. He now desired to hear any statement the natives present had to make. \Tarnata Waka (no relation to the celebrated northern Chief of that name) rose up and spoke : lam the man on whom death has rested. I an;' dead. Salutations to you, 0 Governor Salutations to you Strangers, men of a distance. Salutations to your goods and all your things. Good things come to save, for the Governor did not originate the evil, it came from barter. I sold land and so it is. You have come all of vou to see the death of which you have heard. *Mr Symonds saw with his own eyes these tribes Taranaki and Ngatiruanui come only to "Waitaha, to fight even as when Rawiri was alive. Rawiri's death is not paid for. I received the word of the Governor fr< m Mr. Symonds and Major Nugent, these words were very good, we all liked them. Throwing down his hatchet on the grass, saying, this was my Grst weapon when Rawiri was alive, and is so now. I asked the Europeans to give me guns to seek payment for Rawiri's death. You are kind, we do not wish: to be evil to man. Ido not like murder. If the Governor had consented to give mo a gun when I wrote to him, it would not have been difiicult to make matters right new; had you given me a

gun, and I bad not been brave to get payment, 1 could have tbus seen mine own strength and weakness. But these are other days. When are evil days to arrive since it is three winters and three summers since the quarrel began, and evil lias not yet come (amongst the Europeans). It is good O Governor, your coining to this your town is good. Some men think good, some evil, I may be like them. Kawiri is gone. lam an orphan and friendless. This is the spot where Rawiri walked and spoke. The Ngatiruanui are coming, and we shall see the evil. They may bt good or evil. Gome O Governor with your peace making, if the tribes come to make evil, tell them to go back and remain in peace. My fight is for Europeans to come and live with me, and to give me all their good. I sold this land to Governor Fitzroy : we sold all the land, and Rawiri is dead. I the orphan am now speaking to you. We have had a rope to our necks You thought it good to come and sec us, and make peace. I consent to it. Men are now without j arms; some have guns, but they are broken j had you given us guns, when 31 r. Symonds had come, all would have been ended. Are not the Ngati ruanui coming to attack us all ? Not yourself, 0 Governor, but Mr. Halse, Captain King, and all natives will be implicated, they will shoot us. 1 cannot speak smooth things since there is evil! unknown. Men are seeking evil. This is all. | Iharaira next spoke:—Listen, 0 Governor,! Mr. Tlalse, and all of you. This is the place where all land was negociated for. We are loving to all Europeans, and they love us; thiswas the thought of those who have now gone Good things are good things; listen O Governor, had you, Mr. Halse, Mr. McLean, and Mr. Cooper given us guns, I should have bow been alive Am not I your son, O Governor ? But you said I was deranged in asking for guns, had you given them, peace would have been made. I do not ask for any man to make the sun to shine Hearken to the actions of Taranaki, if you live I will, if I die you will. When think you Mr. Halse will handle your gun, which you hide, your goods are gone (Rawiri) Interpret my words to the Governor. Mr. Halse, I do not wish for the sun to shine. Rawiri is gone, lam here. This is all I have to say. Even as I said to Mr. Symonds, I say now. My letter was •ailed deranged; tell me the fruits of making peace. I ask you Mr. Halse, for powder and guns : I asked in vain. I will not rest, but ask blood for blood. Even as you Europeans, you rest not till your debts are paid, if a debtor pass a creditor, and he even puts the peak of his cap over his eyes to hide himself, yet for all that he is to pay his debt. If I consent for peace, ti.en you wii! like it, but no, no peace you will see in a day's time. Having heard these two speeches, His Excel-

lency replied that they (the Natives) must be as well aware as he was, that a state of peace isalone calculated to conduce to the real happiness of man, whilst a state of excitement and strife must invariably lead to confusion and distress The continued feud amongst the nalives can onh add to the evil, whereas confidence in the laws and obedience to the will of the Queen (as made known to them by those in authority,) will a-* surely lead to contrary results, make them happy and prosperous, and a comfort to themselves and all around them. In a land so blessed by providence it ia sad that man by strife should entail misery in the neighbourhood. In this very locality they (the Natives) may have heard of an example on the part of the white population, of obedience <o the laws. A desperate crime was committed, the offender was at once handed over to the civil power for final disposal, and thus while justice is duly administered, the peaceful relations of society remain undisturbed. The Governor added he had heard with pleasure the speech of Tamata Waka, as regards his fellow for the white people, and his desire to: live with them in peaco, as the Queen their! mother would desire With such good dispositions the Governor said, he felt assured he proceed in his mission, and retain a hope of "arranging the present distressing differences, so that when he wrote home he might state to their great Mothsr, that her native subjects at Tara naki are as deserving of her anxious care as anv in New Zealand. The Governor further added, he would wish to meet all the great chiefs in committee, and with them make such arrangements as may be acceptahle to all; for the longer this strife is continued, the greater will be the evil on the land, and consequently all good men should join in putting an end to it. - Raniera then spoke,—Good, good, it is good; all your words are good 0 Governor. The laws of God are the laws which are good, these laws hold the heart; the laws of the Queen are not sufficient, but the laws of God with them are good. These laws brought ministers of God here, and teach peace and goodness to all men. Salutations to you O Governor, the man who alone teaches good; you send jrood to all the ends of the world The heart of old did not see peace the men of old saw not the good things of these days, they lived and slept like pigs. We loved the things of old, but they did not bring peace They of old did not think of good things, but in this they were seeking evil, hence your coming; evil being here has brought you We are in strife. I sold land, your words of peace are good. I thought evil would not havs come in. Rawir" is gone and others with him are gone; how can we his friends rest, had they been plebeians thus well, but chiefs must have payment. I have but one head, and if this head be

touched, they take all, I cannot make peace now. Look at us, I thiuk you are our father and we the sons, but no, you cut us off, and we were killed when we were off our guard. I did not come here, you brought us. liawiri is dead, I have no words. T:>>nnta Waka has said and I sav ti-o s, tine, Van s:iy there is gnod, but yonder is th:.' ui.-iti whose hook is made for me, (meaning the Ngatirr.unui Tribe, who were coming to assist Katatore against Hatviri's people), how can peace he made, evil will rise, eve» after this fine day; even a good man's heart will have evil, all hearts have evil. There are many winds, but one wind alone makes good, you have coine to make peace but it is not possible. This is my song. These words are my darkness all have gone, the young fruit is left alone. The Queen bee is gone, and all will follow ; the young bee will not stay alone. This is all my speech. [To be continued.]