FIGHTING BETWEEN THE NGATIAPA AND NGATIRAUKAWA AT MANAWATU.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 305, 23 July 1868, Page 2

FIGHTING BETWEEN THE NGATIAPA AND NGATIRAUKAWA AT MANAWATU.

(From the Wanganui Times.) Extraordinary reports reached town yesterday of " Fighting at Manawatu," and some of the " facts" have been stated with such an appearance of truth as to create some little alarm in the minds of the public. The following is a correct aarrative of what occurred ; but for the better understanding of the real cause we may preface it thus.

A few weeks ago a Ngatiraukawa chief, named Nepia, leased something like one-half of the recently purchased Manawatu block to Mr John Gotty, and we believe received from him about £250 as the first year's rent. This Nepia had signed the deed of cession to the Crown, and was one of the Ngatiraukawa chiefs who had received £IO,OOO as their share of the purchase-money, of which he received as his own share £675. No doubt, instigated thereto, this same Nepia signed and obtained the signatures of a considerable number of Ngatiraukawas, to a lease of about half the block to Mr Gotty, and received his money. Gotty drove some 1,500 sheep from Wanganui toManawatu and took possession.

On Dr. Eeatherstone's arrival at Rangitikei a meeting of natives was convened, when he wrote to Nepia and Mr Gotty requesting them to have the sheep removed. No attention was paid to thisletter by Mr Gotty and so Governor Hunia was told to have the sheep driven off, if Mr. Gotty refused to remove them. The Ngatiapa ultimately commenced to drive the sheep off, and were attacked by the Ngatiraukawa. A shindy ensued, and some broken heads were the consequence, but nobody was much hurt. On Sunday morning thirty Ngatiapas on foot, and twelve on horseback crossed the river. A few of them carried tomahawks to cut down the fences of the paddock in which the sheep were penned. On approaching the paddock the Ngatiaraukawa came out, both men and women, and defied the Ngatiapa to dare to advance. The Ngatiapa did advance and then there was another small fight, one or two slight cuts being inflicted on a few of the belligerents. One incident of what can hardly be called a fight is thus recorded: —A Ngatiraukawa rushed at Governor Hunia's son —a mere lad —who had an axe in his hand wherewith to cut down the fence. The lad resisted, and the assailant also received a slight cut on the hand, but took the-axe, and another of the Ngatiraukawas ran forward to knock him down. A Ngatiapa instantly sprang forward and said that the first man who dared to touch the lad, he would instantly knock him down: so the assailant withdrew. While this w r as going on the sheep were driven into an adjoiniug bush, and both parties to the quarrel commenced to fence them in. Then from each side there were violent threats, and on Sunday, evening Governor Hunia sent to say thot he would pitch his tents on the prohibited spot, and both parties commenced to prepare for the coming contest. Thus matters stood when Captain M'Donald left on Sunday night. He returned to the scene fo dispute yesterdav, and we shall shortly hear something further on the subject.