HOW THE MAORIS OBTAIN THEIR AMMUNITION.

West Coast Times, Issue 36, 26 August 1865, Page 2

HOW THE MAORIS OBTAIN THEIR AMMUNITION.

A remarkable disclosure has been made in the General Assembly, showing how the Maoris wero supplied with ammunition in the North Island. It arose out of the putting of tho following question to the Postmaster- General by Mr Burns : " Whether he has taken any steps to discover tho correctness or otherwise of the statements contained in a paragraph in the "Wellington Independent" of the 27th June, headed, ' How the Maories were supplied with Ammunition ;' and whether ho is aware who were the persons that supplied tho said ammunition." The systematic supply of these munitions of war, Mr Burns (who declared they were furnished in a "surrepshus" manner), consisted of window sushweights, made of lead, and innumerable kegs of powder in casks. Tho weights wero sent by tons to tho Bay of Islands, where there was hardly a whjdow of this kind to bo found in all tho district ; and all this was carried on by an Auckland firm, one of whoso mombers waS connected M-ith tho Provincial Government of Auckland, and wl.o had madethoiv pile, and went afterwards over to Sydney, and represented that it was nocossai'y to have a vigorous prosecution of tho war against tho natives, and also complaiuod that American whalora were supplying the natives 1 The trade had been

carried on for a long time, and he believed that large stores of ammunition were thus supplied and accumulated. In replying to the h on. member, Major Richardson said he had had a correspondence with the " Hawkes Bay Times," in which paper the article spoken of first appeared, and evidence of its accuracy was produced from a Mr R. G. Hawkes, who was in the employment of an Auckland firm, named Coombes and Daldy, and was under the orders of another firm, Black and Co., to whom Coombes and Daldy made cash advances. A schooner belonging to this Auckland firm was employed regularly in this trade, which was carried on from 1855 to 1859. The natives of Maungatapuwere then fighting with another tribe, and certainly, said the Postmaster-General, the traders acted fairly, for they supplied both sides. Black and Co. were afterwards summoned, and they were fined £100 for selling powder and small arms But the thing was not stopped ; the schooner came at night and landed tM r elve casks, out of which small kegs of powder were taken, and large quantities of lead sash weigh ts'were also landed, the natives carrying them away slung about their waists ; and they brought down large quantities of wheat and other produce in return for the supplies thus obtained. A long and ineresting correspondence was produced and will shortly be printed. Tt is highly instructive as to tho loyalty that may be found among some classes of merchants.