CONVEYANCE OF OVERLAND MAILS.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 14, 15 December 1857, Page 3

CONVEYANCE OF OVERLAND MAILS.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, December 2nd, 1857. TENDERS will be received at this office until the 13th of February next, from

persons desirous of contracting to perform the following services for 12 months from the acceptance of the contract, \iz: To convey Mails once a week between Wellington and New Plymouth. The contractor to lake the Mails from the Post Office in Wellington at 2 p.m. every Monday, and deliver them at the Post Office in New Plymouth atone p.m. on the following Saturday; and, in like manner, to take the Mails from the Post Office in New Plymouth at two o'clock every Monday, and deliver them at the Post Office in Wellincton at one o'clock on the following Saturday —leaving and calling for Mails at Wanganui, Rangitiki, and Manawalu : waiting at each of the two latter Post Offices half an hour, and at the Wanganui Office 3 hours. No Mail to exceed 281bs. in weight. Further particulars may be asceriained on application to the Postmasters at Wellington, Wanganui, and New Plymouth. Every Tender must specify the lime ai which the subscriber will be prepared to commence the service, and security will be required for the due performance of the Contract. Payments to the Contractor will be made monthly by the Poslmasler at Wellington, or New Plymouth, at the option of I he contractor. E. W. Stafford.

Rangitikei, October 23. ißol. Frjends,— My elder brethren, the Europeans, and my Maori relatives; here am I directing my thoughts lo search after some plan by which all men may iucreasc. My heart tells me that we should turn unto God, and to His word. so*y do not let us intermix with those wbo think otherwise. In bvgone davs we were shrouded jn darkness f but now we have light in the Lord., Jet us walk as children of the light, because jjie fruits of the §pmi are upon all things that are good,

right, and irue. Let us endeavour lo perforin those duties which are approved by the Lord, and do not intermeddle with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather condemn them. Receive each other's words in the spirit of meekness, and in the fear of God. Give heed to this also. Rongokako was the father of Tamalea, who was the ancestor of all the tribes inhabiting New Zealand. lie came from Hawaiki in a canoe called Takitupu ;it was also called Ilorouta. He first landed at Turanga, on the fish which had been drawn up by his ancestor Maui. There he left Takitupu, and travelled byland, keeping near the sea coast, till he reached Ahuriri, where his pnt IVgaram, Tapuleranga, fled from him to the interior of Ahuriri. Tamalea travelled on thence lo Ruahine, where he set up a pole as a mark of the place whence his son Kahunganu returned. The name of the pole was Rakautaonga. The cause of Kaiumgunu's returning was thai he saw the sea gulls which had followed them flying over Ruahine, and wheeling over their heads- He used this saying, "The sea gall which screams harshly above Tapuleranga;" and this also, "The great flounder of Te Whanganui-o-rolu." Then Tamalea, addressing his son, Kahungunu, said, "Do you feel home-sick?" He replied, "No, I am only sighing," Tama tea said, "If you feel home-sick, you had belter go bact." SoKaluigunu returned to Heretaunga, and Tama tea journeyed on till he reached a lofty mountain, "where another of his pets, "Pohokura, escaped ; he had another called Pukeokahu. When he reached the great river, Moawanga, he stack tlve ends of his firebrands in it. Hence the saying, "the firebrands of Tamatea's Qre." These afterwards became river monsters. lie went on thence to Whanganui, where he sat down to comb and plait his hair; from this circumstance the place was called PutikiWharanui o Tamalea—Tamatea's great lopknot. This is all I know of one of our ancestors who was named Tamalea Pokaissrbenua, —Tamatca who encircled the land. From Noa Te Wiiuiako, of Ngatipikihau.