The late Expedition in search of Winiata. TE WHEORO'S STATEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 590, 2 March 1876, Page 3

The late Expedition in search of Winiata. TE WHEORO'S STATEMENT.

In our issue of Tuesday we drew Attention to**n inaccuracy whioh crept into ow account of the late expedition in search Of Winiata, whioh if not corrected might lead many to suppose that Te Wheoro had acted with duplicity towards the Government in the matter of the refusal of the Tamahere ' men to proceed further with the party than Te Au o Wmikato. The •explanation was that the Taraahere natives, unwilling to go to Moerangi— with 1 the' natives 1 of which settlement they "were not on good 'terms — made the excuse 'for not prdceedin'g* further than Te Au o "W&ikato, that they bad 'been forbidden to do so by 'their chief. It wotrld seem, boweve"r, that teacteount 'of their reason for stopping short is not 'altogether the full -one, and as the' : fohowing statement of his action in the matter by Major Te Wheoro has^een'futnished to us,^e> -are* enabled to clear the 'misapprehension up 'in a 'manner satisfactory to nil parties. *Xt 1 would seem that aome misconception as to the order given led to the inference unfavorable to Te 'Wheoro, whose Causfe for acting as'ne did 1 is now fully' atid 1 satisfactorily explained. "The statement of Te "Wheoro is not uninteresting to the general 'reader, but even had it' been so, we should not" have' hesitated to insert it -as a-taatter of iustice to that chief.

"Ale*andra. '•'^Vith tfeapect' to wliafwas written of in the Wxikato Times newspaper^ nhe 24Ui instant, as "to my Government • duties, the correct truth has'tibt been ttld. I did not say what 1 is 1 in the newspaper to *ny " half-caste or any -one else who went' with • the party in "search *df 'the j - murd&er. "" There "was ' 6ne half-caste - asked to go. 'Major Mair and myself had jtlreadyV^Bged who were to go, he'was the only 'balfcaste I' saw. *There wag -a ■white nia'ri went with the party to'Tarnahere at night, lrts name was "Bob Kelly, but I did not;. say what was in- the newspaper 'to bkn. 'I- did not bay to him,*Or to any of the Madris, do riot take 'any one wandering about, or that the murderer vaa not to be arrested by any of the Maoris watching the roads, - 1 did not i»ll the Maoritfnot to go further than Te au o ' Waikato. ' Majors, Mair iand x CUire a"nd ! myself considered 'the matter ' carefully, and -when Major Mair and -myself -tot to Tamahere, we asked the chiefs and - the 1 principal men 'there abbutftlris work, and to appoint a suitable man to find out and ' -watch the roads which be thought the ' mufderer-wouid qo J on. We agreed that ■ they should go* toTe 'Att o Waikato, and the serjfearit'v/duld Instruct" them -what to -do, and; pixce fe'em on the void during the night, and hide themselves during the day from'the natives' of the surrounding settlements, and to be careful' at the road and*not go to any of 'the Maori settlements, 'in • case* they should be talking about what tbfty were -doing- to the'people wha were hiding the rtrardfcrer, lest they should take him elseVhere. 1 he/Vere to' stay at European places to avoid being seen. \Vhen the ones were appointed to watch the roads, a party would be sent to Search 'Moerarigi and Mamoe/wheve' the ' murderer 'Was suppoied to 'be A l ttMtp was drawn by the Maoris to enable them to know ;bhe road to watch the murderer- escaping from the searching party; snd that the mafa'watching 'the' road would' catch him. There 1 were four roads we " thought likely he would try; firfet — the Mangawara Crteek ' down to Taupiri ; second— the roatf from Moerangi to Tauhei and Hukartui; third — the road from Mamoe to Tauhei and Te Au '"Waikirto ; fourth—from the Piako River to W*itoa -and Mata Mata. All the»e roads were watched. When you arrited at Tamahere all these, arrange. ment« wete made. Major Mair add myßelfimd -three Maoiis and k two whit* men, oneof^whom was a sergeant in charge. I was asked to go to Moer•ngi- with 'the party ; I said I would not go for fear of the Maoris knowing, and the murderer would bolt Bob Kelly Was our iriterpf eter. ' I "Baid ' go *to T© Au-Waikato, and there yon will find the sergeant -He has charge of the men ' "watching the- Toads, and he can take them " away to search if he chooses ; that is what X said. I did "not; say anything tifter " Major Mair left, as we had arranged every thing.- 1 "only had to wait at Tamahere for the arrival of the ftkebas'to Bee them and the Maoris atarUd, as I had promised Major Mair when her returned to Hamilton. The Europeans arrived there late in the 1 evening : J thought it wire too 'late, but 'some Mrori told me that there was only •a shtfrt distance <# the road 'bad, and "I agreed that they should go that night. 'Bt this time the Maoris had got tired of waiting, and thought that the Europeans were not fftttring that evening, and turned their horses out in the paddock. When we found the.ptrty were going that evening the men Vent in seach of their homes. 1 eaid to Bob Kelly, *Do not let these Maoris go* to the Maori settlements". I told Kirn if they did so to discharge them. Pernaps he did not understand what I meant. The Maoris what I said, for it wai not me alone, but Major v Clare also agreed to it. It was Bob Kelly who prop6sed to Mrjor 'Clare to go to Moerangi. Then I said 'Go to Te Auo Waikato ; the sergeant is there 'fend after you hare the men f lanted on tbe road8 ' then go.' That waa agreed tipon ; they went, and returned iD the morning to Hamilton. There Was >udthing more said. When I heard themertage the Maoris oi Moerangi lidd sgnt about a coiistable mti. •midating th«m with hii revolvet, they said the l c6nst»bles we're -not to gO over there. I then proposed to Major Mair to send a letter to those natives, and let oite df foe searching party 'tafke it, and not to frighten them, brit to leave it ; and the constables Hot to carry pistols to the toeaceable Maoris. Major Mair agreed md saia he would write and sign his and xny name to it. I then returned to Alex%ndra. My principal object was to caton th« murderer before ht got away among the Hanbaus, as if he got there, it would fa a difficult matter to acoomplab, *Dtt

this ofteno© would bethe cause of death to many. The Maoris and the Europeans know the consequence of trampling on the Hauhau's law. What ha* been «aid about me is calculated to do me a great deal of harm by implying that it is my fault that the murderer was not oaught. How ia it he was not canght when the white people went firtt after him, when I *vas not there ? I would not get honor for this work, and why should these things be ■aid against me. Wi Te Wheorb.