WAIMATE PLAINS.

Patea Mail, 16 October 1880, Page 3

WAIMATE PLAINS.

[from OUR COK RE S PO N D ENT. J Hawera, Friday. The natives are again mustering for the Parihaka meeting on the 17lh. Hone Pibama sent a present to the Prophet on Wednesday of 1,000 loaves of bread, as well assome bullocks. Messrs McL'Dowic and Co. baked 600 of the loaves, and Mr

Gray of Normanby the remainder. I believe Hone is going to Parihaka this time. There will be a good many present, but not so large a crowd as was there at the September meeting. Most of the liberated prisoners have returned to Parihaka, and have again put themselves under the To Whiti yoke—l was going to say “joke.” The obstruction of the Maoris seems to have bad a greater bold on the minds of

Southerners, than was at first thought. Considering the feverish anxiety displayed a couple of years ago to poseess land on the Waimatc Plains, and the lukewarm manner at present displayed by Southern visitors, it would seem the above is tlie case. Of course there is no official hindrance to one person buying a dozen sections for cash, but there is a groat risk of not being able to get them in a block without their being run up to a ruinous price.

Many persons have visited the Plains since they have been in the market, but rarely stay over a few days, perhaps to return ; but generally they profess to be much dissatisfied with the smallness of the sections. The A.C.’s at Manaia have about finished their redoubt. There arc about 90 men stationed there. The public works contingent are still busy forming the road from that township to Nonnanby.