PARIHAKA.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3504, 18 March 1880, Page 2

PARIHAKA.

This day.

Td "Wiiiti on the Position.

Sis Speech.

The half yearly meeting wns held t> day. The number of natives present is estimated at 20G0, and about 60 Europeans. Great preparations have been made in the way of food. Something Jike 60 pigs aad 100 sheep have been slaughtered, and there were 200 large baskets of bread, 303 kits of melons, and about 30 boilers full of tea were provided.

After the food had been distributed Te Whiti spoke. His words were not very definite, but throughout there was a tone of peace. He referred to the presence of tbe Constabulary on the Plains as proof that the Europeans desired war, and to make the natives fight for their land, but as the land belonged to the natives they bad no occasion to fight.

There were two things he wished to state ; first, that the flood had subsided, and would never again come upon the earth ; and secondly that the natives were not to step outside of what ho had apportioned or measured out. Parihaka was a sacred end sure refuge for all the Maori people.

Towhu also spoke, and said the Europeans desired war, they had brought their guns aud bayonets and Hashed them in the eyep of the natives ; they were also making roads with their shovels—all that meant war

The meeting then stopped for further refreshments.