THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1879, Page 4

THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

The "Tarnrnki Herald " of n recent rfyfe gives the follow i»r? description of Mr Maeksy's viait fo Parihakn :— -"Mr »T«mei Mackay nnd Cnp'ain Blakp op Tnepday last red a visit to Pari'f ka with a vifw of tslkirr? o^er tbo difnonlty the* lind arjfpn rpßppnlinc tbf Wnimiln Plains w ; th TeWbifi.es tli r y had dons vbp pre^irus day with h cood fffept with Thrkowarn, at hia Bfitdemput. This w»s t:io firs* time thnt Mr M»rkay h*(\ vi?lfpd Prrihaka, snr? »l«ho'igli T« W'uti lifid not appn him beforp, sii'l Mr Mr.okay w^s krown to several of th« Mnirig pross-nt who ha 5 b«/»n r. n the Wfst Coa?> Gol'fifd.lg wl in Nelson mury ypars Rii:ce. Pnrihnk^ is eiiuatfd nbout 35 miles wppt of New P'ymonth, nf. tb« bnß? cf v ount F{jmont, bptwpen Sony river nnd Od'Jnsjkc. It, is inhnd pome five mii?p from the b & ( c' 1 . nnd is surrounded wi'h hpfevy b'j°b. Af'-^r l-^avinj; tli? bennh the trnreller, after ridios a mils or more over op^n Innd, entprs tbo biish by r drny rood cut by the natives to the villngp. Tt is lortuoup, erossin? »avines nnr? sfrpnms two milea ere rpf.cb\n<* the vjllnjjp, but. ouHivsfed jjronnda adjoin the rond on rilbcr sid9. Thf-y are cleared and fenced in with pi-r---prnof fences. Wheat, m^izp, kumaf-s, poratofs, and tobnrco, «ro thp orincipal products here cultivated. Tbo road winding and turning about in almost every direction, it r.ppesrs a long time, before the settlement is reached, uatil tarnin? for thft last limfl tho frsvellt-r 80(?denly finds the villcpo w.-S! fenoc] in irnroediatply before Kirn. A srn-il! river flows through ita midst, dividing it into two fqual portious. It contninß about two hundred bouses or wbnrrs, »nd an adult popnlaiion of soiio four hundred inhabitants, and shout double the number of children. Tho Parihnfea village is about 300 yards fqiinre, in tho centre of which a yard is fone. j d iv rapasuri::f» about 200 by 250 fee.t. H<*re Te Wbiti's monthly meetic-co are bald, and it is here that the chief declaims for five or six boar? sometimes witliont intermix ion. The hou-ts in tbejvillflgp are defsched from eneh other, and dotted about at uneven dißJanoPs, aceon'ing to th^ pleasure or caprice of the builders. The wharen ere built, of wood, and enclosed aid thatched with toi-toi or loner prase. Ou tbo outside of the village, en a bill, ia the. urupa or hnryiDg gmund. Te Whiti is a man of nb6ufc fifty, be ia of medium height, ascetic in r.ppeataoe-', with clear cut, almost European features, hiß voice is soGorou?, and whrn he addresses no assemblage from iho rising ground in the enclosure, wh'di forms n sort of dai?. and wlier?, oa important occasions, be invites vieir- »ra of dietinction to sit with him, lie lo iks like some oriilnr of old haracguing his fellow citizens. When, ape.'.kinu lie stneds erect, bareheaded, and whb hiy right arm free for gKsriculuiion, nn.l leaves his mat to fall around him lika a toga. His voice his powerful mi clear, and ein hn heard dII through (h---villajie, now thrilling with pisai.n, anon replete with scorn, atd tbeu plaintive in ils winning etitroaty He revels in mysiiciem, aad for copiousness of language and imagery, for gracefulness of action, and modal;.tion of voice, for aslf-possesaion and command ovor his audience, Te Wbiti certeioly ranks hieh as aa orator. To the usual metaplior adopted by ih<i natives in epe^kicg, Te Whili adds all that can be gle-oned from scripture, a prophetic, and, at tirasp, Bupernaturd construction is thus put upon theai by bis Maori auditory. He has a retentive memory, and in private conversations with his visitors, shows that he ia well informed on both encumt nnd modern history. In viaitinp To Whiii it will be Bf-en lhat Mr Mackfiy bed to ordinary maa to deal with, an;] therefore it behoved him to be c»utious as to v/liat bo said or did. Mr Mackay u»d Caphiiu Blake, on rp&chinu' the village, ioau-J about four hundred cativen tber:>. To Whiti, with some chiefs, waa billing on the high ground referred to a'lov's, and both visitors were welcomed by tho natives in a very friendiy manner. Mr Mftcksy ealuted the chief, aud having heard that Te Whiti waa food of noetapbor, commenced to address him in a metaphorical barn.nyue. He said he was very eorry to find that Te Whiti's house was on fire, that ha Lad launched his cacoe in stormy waters, and that the stern bad pcrteJ from the fore part. Here Te Whiti requested Mr Mackay to leave the Maoris, and Bit with him on the pintform. Te Whiti asked Mr Mackay if he waa a Government officar ? Mr Mackay said he waa not a Government officer, but had come up to Bee hii», bo as to talk the matter over resp?ctin« the surveyors being turned off the Waimato Puine. Te Whiti said the Government wanted to tear the blarjket from off his back and leave him with none. Mr Mackay said he was mistaken in that, the Government mer*ly wanted him to lay his blanket ou tb« ground that both might sit on it. Te WLUi said, "But the Governro.itK would cut it in two, and after taking away half, would require the whole." Mr Mackay said all the Government wanted was to occupy the blankbt with the Maori. Te Whiti said that Mackay had a pair of trousera on, and be mi|;bt aa well ask for one of the legs of them afl to ask him to let the Government have one of his blankets. Mr Mackay replied that it was not fio. If Te Whiti had one of his legs in his trousers he would be disgraced, because he would be called a one-legged man by ilia people. He had another pair of

troopers in the hcußp, and it would be M»er (hat be should have them, thfit they both might walk aboot comfortably. There whs another difficulty about the ; r hnfinr; orily one psir of irofisFrs between thrm. Supposing one wanted to po ono way and the othrr iv an opprsita direction tb?y would not be nh!o (o do po without dcftroyir-K thp cnirrrnt. It vraq cot so with the hlarkrt. Tfi Whiti sai ': "If a hen is pitting on hrr r-er:?, and a man rUtf-mpfs »r> mb hpr of thorn, ph™ will p»ek at his hand. You surely do not hlama the hen for j rot?ctinc; her offspring. The Pgsß firo os;r lan< ! , Jin -'•' we nnlurally uphold our rights to i»." Mr Ma^kay : '• That is vry well; but the Gnvtrnor claims the hn<l. Ho pnya iho egss are '"is property. If (ho Upm continues to perk at Mie man's lir.ncl ho nvy beeoaia yex 3 d, pick ut. n s'i-k, nnn knock \\o r on (he hcaJ. Tl>pn ilicrfl will le no fu-thrr difficulty n'mut tho ownr-rshi:) of tho ec : .^ Yon and the Governor had better lot thp n«ui hatch tho brood, and th?n nl,?---p-onrhte the rhi'ikpr.s." Te Whiii mado nr> answer lo this, but was fiil^nt fora fhort timß He then toll Mr Mf.rkay to drop his metaphorical way of taking, an \ to soy pUioly wb'it he \9 anted. A lor.^ discussion then look phco in which To Whiti aearrtcd that t;so reason the surveyors had b.-en turned iff the Phios w»s hoouj-e tho Government liad promised thit the native cultivations should not be touched, uni that r-esrvo.3 should bo s.?t uoart for tbeir use. Mr Matkay said tho Government irlended that ehoulii be dorse. Th Whifi replied, ho (Jia not bfiliove anything of (ho kind, or the Government would net have ordered the surveyors to cut up their oultivatnns in t.ho way they had dono. Even Titokowaru'a garden, he said, the surveyors bad been through, nod bad nut pees in close to the door of his house. Mr Mackay u\e\ to explain that tho survey ot th«i Pi*ine did not mean th;.t thf) Government intended to lake md s-11 if, but it was necessary to mark the land off, so that each porson should ko r !W what portion of it belonged to hire. To Wbiii Bsid he could uot credit that. They had not consulted him in any way about übout tho land or the survey, aad be felt thit the Government were £oing lo leave tb j m destitute. He a: Jed that the late Mr M'Lefcii and Mr Parris hid sx5J-.de oertsin proenneg which had cot been carrie.i out, that faith had been broken with them ia every way, therefore she Mcori O'-uld only come to the cone usion (!:at she Government intended to seU the whols of (be laa<-, without any portion of ii beiu^ sat esi.le for iie natives. The Maoris aid net wish .to Ciiihi, but they tvere nr . goirg to bo robbed of their 1-in.J.