A NATIVE’S STATEMENT.—TRANSLATION.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 219, 21 June 1872, Page 3

A NATIVE’S STATEMENT. —TRANSLATION.

Friend, the editor of the European newspaper, this is a word of ours to you for you to give forth through your newspaper, to be looked upon by our loving friends of the European side who sympathise with us in our assembly with reference to our man who was shot at by McCaskill. Our words must commence at the beginning. In the year 1859 commenced the work (wai) of Waikato ; during that year also our assembly commenced respecting tlie European residents in Hauraki and within all its bound !es. The object of our assembly was the protecting of our European friends, so that they would not nut be interfered with by the Waikato tribes. We continued to protect the Europeans from that period, reaching on to the year when the Waikatos took up arms. In 1863, the day of the month was the 16th of June, the fight was in Waikato —we then decided positively respecting the conduct of affairs in this place, and our Europeans, namely, Mr Lanfear (the minister), Mr Charles Schumaeker, Mr Niccoll, Mr Nicholas, Mr George Simpson, Mr McCaskill and his relatives, Mr John Thorpe, and all the Europeans then residing in Hauraki. Our determination was this : That no person at all should interfere to murder, to rob them of their property, to intimi- j date them with guns, spear, or tomahawk, j This was the work of our assembly to : keep down these things, namely, the I troublesome persons, to prevent their in- j terferenee, like the Waikato tribes, who ! cut off their own feet, that is, they robbed tlu-ir own Europeans, aud also murdered them —that was the reason of our determination respecting all the tribes of this island, so that they should not interfere to murder or rob our Europeans. Consequent on this, our assembly decided that Ngatipu should reside at Hilcutaia, their own place, to protect McCaskill. and his friends, and bis flocks, and bis herds and all things under his control—they 7 were all protected by this tribe —aud also Mr McCaskill, reaching on to the time of the Waikato's coming to Hikutaia, and also until the end of the war at Waikato. Their love for the European McCaskill continued even on to the year 1872, when we discovered McCaskiil's payment for our protecting him. namely, the shooting at our relative with a gun thereby breaking his jaw, leaving some of the bone with Dr. Kilgour; this is the reward of kindness. But sufficient, the proverb is known, namely: “Kindness will not go before my quiet remaining.''—Sufficient are those | words from the Assembly of Hauraki. I A word which has been omitted. Bhonld i vou discover the propriety of these words, j hie residing at Hikutaia must cease. Suf-

fieient the persons who remain at Ilikutaia—his brother Donald McCaskill and his famfly—because we have seen the evil of McCaskill. Should we have discovered any evil in his brother, we should have said the same respecting him. The end. To the Editor of the European newspap. rat Grahamstown.Witness to the correctness he foregoing statement — llemi Hingikerea Peru. Arikirau, a portion of Hauraki, June 20, 1872.