NGATIAPA v. NGATIRAUKAWA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 27, 29 July 1871, Page 4

NGATIAPA v. NGATIRAUKAWA.

(From a Correspondent)

Great excitement prevails among the various hapus of natives scattered along the West Coast in consequence of the attitude assumed by Kawana Hunia and his Ngatiapa, and Kepa or Kemp and his Wanganuis, in conjunction with the Muopoko, with regard to the disputed land at Horowhenua. About three weeks ago these chiefs and about twenty of their men went armed to the whare of Watene Tewaewae and ordered him off his land, himself, his wife, and another of the owners named Te Witi. They of course refused to go when the Ngatiapa set fire to the whare, the owners of it being then inside and refusing to come out. They were pulled out of the burning house, and after using many threats and brandishing his revolver, Hunia and his men departed to the Muopoko settlement, near at hand, where he has since constituted a pah. This pah is composed of an outer line of strong palisades with rifle pits and earthworks within, and a large whare'

is sunk in the ground so as to be out of the line of fire of any enemy who may attack the fortification. A large supply of potatoes, corn, &c, has been carted within and every preparation made tor war.

Meanwhile messengers were sent to the various hapus of Ngatiraukawa, with information of what had occurred, and great excitement was the consequence of the news. There is no doubt that had such an outragebeen committed some few years ago, war, quick and sudden, would have been the inevitable result but times are greatly changed with the Maoris, and the old custom of taking immediate “ utu” is tempered by a wish to know the feeling of the Pakeha on the subject. Telegrams were sent and letters written to M'Lean, and what'he would say was, and is, the principal topic'of conversation among Ngatiraukawa. It speaks much for the influence of Mr M‘Lean that a tribe who, unklike their opponents the Ngatiapa, have not been considered as great allies of the Pakeha, should thus restrain their natural impetuosity and defer to the opinion of the European. Ngatihuia, of Porotawhao, the nearest neighbor of the Muopoko, and aliapu of Ngatiraukawa, furbished up their double and single-barrelled guns, and are building a pah for the defence of their women and children should Hunia meditate an attack in that direction. Guard is kept at night, and every precaution used to prevent surprise. It is asserted that Ngatiapa are armed with Enfield rifles, the property of the Government, lent to them when fighting against the Hauhaus, It is certain they are well armed, and a day or two subsequent to the burning of the whare some of them went to Rangitikei and returned with a number of rifles. Hunia has a needle gun, which is said to have cost him £ls. lam an fully puzzled where he got it from, when I know the present laws regarding the sale of arms to natives.

A large meeting was held at Horowhenua in May of last year for the purpose of arranging boundaries, and otherwise settling the dispute as to the ownership of the land, and even at that time, when Hunia saw that the arbitrators were likely to decide against him, he behaved in a very insulting manner towards the men whom he himself had asked to decide upon the matter. The land in question originally belonged to the Muopoko, who were conquered by the Ngatiraukawa, under the leadership of Whathanui, who saved their lives, and marked out a portion of land for them to live on. They were thus, according to Maori custom, slaves of Whathanui, and all their land became the property of the conquerors, who were behaving with a leniency and generosity unfrequent among Maoris in saving their lives and giving them land to reside on. The land given them had well-defined boundaries laid out; but encouraged, no doubt, by their success in Rangitikei, the Ngatiapa, who are related to the Muopoko, now wish to get back all the land taken from Muopoko by Ngatiraukawa, which is held and in the occupation of Watini and other des. cendants of Whathanui. For some years past Ngatiapa have been very insulting and bounceable towards their old conquerors, the Ngatiraukawa, and there is no doubt that now they are well armed they would like to repay them for all the indignities and defeats received at their hands in former years. Ngatiraukawa feel aggrieved that Ngatiapa shoud be allowed to retain Government arms to be made use of in purely native quarrels, and suggest that Government should arm them likewise. This, of course, could not be thought of; but, at the same time, if Ngatiapa have Government arms in their possession they ought to be required to deliver them up. It will become rather a serious question, and one likely to involve the pakeha if Ngatiapa refuse, as they are likely, to restore the arms they have in their possession. If they will not give them up, they must be made to do so, and the only way of making them is by fighting them, and the best men that could be employed to give them a thrashing are Ngatiraukawa. Major Edwards was at Horowhenua, on the part of the Government, last week, and Ngatiapa spoke very fairly, and seemed perfectly satisfied to leave the matter to arbitration ; but the same evening that the Major left they threat-

ened to dig up the body of old Whathanui, and burn it. Thus the matter stands. Ngatiapa and Muopoko in their pah at Horowhenua say they mean fighting, and will have the land. Ngatiraukawa, with grounded arms, await the decision of M‘Lean, and refuse to give up land won by the bravery of their fathers. If Hunia and Kemp refuse to leave Horowhenua and submit the matter to arbitration, as is the wish of Ngatiraukawa, then war between the parties is imminent if not inevitable. With regard to the strength of the two parties, it is very hard to decide, as it is very uncertain what tribes would be dragged into the affair. Ngatiapa have the advantage in arms, but Ngatiraukawa are or were the best fighting men. Ngatiraukawa are not so numerous in this part of the coast as they were, and all their .old fighting men are dead. They will have to contend with a different class of combatants to the fathers of the present Ngatiapa, who, as Kemp says when Ngatiraukawa’beat them, “ had nothing but a stick,” and so the latter came from the north with guns and swept all before them.