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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 246, 10 February 1875, Page 2

A correspondent in writing to a southern paper from Rotorua, on February Ist, says; “ A large meeting of the Arawa and ITrewera tribes is now being held at Galatea, presided over by Mr. Mitchell and Captain Mair, on behalf of the Government. These gentlemen after several days exhaustive discussions in relation to genealogies and tribal boundaries have succeeded in coalescing the various contending interests concerned, and have completed a lease to the Crown of about one hundred and fifty thousand acres of the lower Kaingaroa country on very satisfactory terms. The extensive lands situated to the east of Rangitiaiki well up into the ITrewera country are now engaging the attention of the meeting. The proceedings are quiet and orderly. Thus writes the Napier Telegraph-. —Major Ropata has had a letter recently from Te Kooti, who chaffingly asks after his welfare now that ho is no longer in receipt of Government rations. Te Kooti wants to know how Ropata is off for biscuits, and if he is not getting tired of leading a pe ceful life, and he infers in his letter that, probably, the Ngatiporou tribe would once again like to be on the war trail hunting down the Maori enemies of the Pakelia. A comical old gentleman is Te Kooti but he nray yet find the Ngatiporou making fun of him. Afier our experience in hanging Kereopa, there would be no need to practice Calcraft’s art on bags of sand. Ha! a is the name of a blood-thirsty Maori savage, who is a companion of Te Kooti, and followed him throughout his raids on the settlers of Poverty Bay. Hata’s mother, Tuatini, lives at Poverty Bay, and she has lately received a letter from her amiable son, informing her that if she would send some friendly disposed natives, “ whose hands are not stained with blood,” as a sort of deputation to him, inviting him to return to his ancestral whare, lie would probably feel disposed to grant their prayer. Such condecension cannot be surpassed, and we imagine the Poverty Bay settlers would be delighted to welcome back an individual who has so very materially assisted to further the prosperity of the district. If Mr. Hata falls into the hands of Europeans, it is to be hoped a long rope and a short shrift will fie all the honor he receives.