CAPTAIN KNOLLYS-CROUMBIE BROWN.

Patea Mail, 30 June 1881, Page 3

CAPTAIN KNOLLYS-CROUMBIE BROWN.

The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says—Captain Knollysin his report to the Governor of his visit to Parihaka, hits the nail on the head as to the utter demoralisation of that part ot the colony in the following extract —“ J. would beg to call your Excellency’s attention to the sale of spirits and beer to the Natives in the district of Taranaki. Each hotel and public house is thronged day and night by a crowd of Maoris (among whom is a large proportion of women and young boys) simply loafing and drinking. I have seen the same people at a public house lor days consecutively, evidently drinking their money out day after day and poisoning themselves with the vile spirits imported for Maori consumption. I heard a case of a chief to whom another was paying a visit, going with all his people and the visitors to a public house, and every individual leaving with a bottle of spirits in each hand ; £7O was the cost of the carouse.’ As your correspondent, I long ago drew your attention to this evil, and had Captain Knollys been in a position to pursue Ms enquiries further, he might have added that some of the so-called t! rulingfamilies” are directly interested in this shameful traffic. This portion of Captain Knollys’ report is really the only one of great value. He could not help seeing what is patent to everybody who travels north of Wanganui; while the more intricate question of the relationship of the Maori to the European could not possibly have been understood by him in the hurried visit be paid, and, more especially, when 1 “shepherded’’ by the .persons who accompanied him.