NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 16, 13 May 1871, Page 7

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Mr Locke returned to town on Saturday evening. He held a meeting with the West Taupo natives and the people from the Tuhua district, under the chiefs Matua te Nini .and Manuera te Tuhi, on the 26th and 27th of April. The natives, a portion of the Ngatuwharetoa tribe, have had no friendly intercourse with Europeans for a period of ten years, and they have, in fact, been in •arms against us both during the Waikato war, and in conjunction with Te Kooti.

The meeting was entirely satisfactory. The tribe surrendered, abolished the aukatis (road prohibitions), and threw open the country to Europeans. As a surety, the Matuahu, in token of submission, handed over to Mr Locke a valuable double-barrelled rifle ; and he and Manuera, in the names of their people, signed conjointly a written copy of their speeches, embodying a full acknbwledgment of their surrender. Manuera and Matuahu intend visiting Napier almost immediately. Mr Locke afterwards proceeded to Niho o te kiore (the rat’s tooth) a portion of the Waikato, twenty miles beyond Taupo, the site of the proposed bridge across the Waikato, and to which place a dray.road has just been completed by native labor. Here, on the 2nd May, Mr Locke met the Ngatiraukawas, under their chiefs Hitiri, Maihi te Ngaru, Te Paerata, Tiniwhata and Pita te Ruahina, and discussed the road, telegraph, and other matters with them to their entire satisfaction.—“ Telegraph,” Bth May.