NATIVE THREATS AT TE PUNA, TAURANGA.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1090, 19 June 1879, Page 2

NATIVE THREATS AT TE PUNA, TAURANGA.

The ' Bay of Plenty Times'* has the following :— Mr T. E. Arnold, who is m the employment of Mr William Esdaile, of Te Akai Atua, about fifteen miles from jthis (own, has furnished us with a full account of the circumstances of the recent interference of some Te Puna natives with his employers property. Mr Arnold slatea that he was engaged at work some distance from Mi Esdaile's house, when a half-caste boy named Borell, who had been employed about the place, came up to him, m a stite of great excitement, and told him that the Hiiuhau natives had arrived, and were going to break down the house, and turn them off. On going- down to the house he found four Hauhau chiefs there — Maniera, Tongita, Hunia, and Pftneteka, and a lialfcaste. The latter said, "Do you know what these natives have come for ?" Arnold said " No." The half-caste then explained that he had merely met the four natives on the road, but had no farther connection with them. Maniera thereupon got up and said: "The reason we have come here is to tell you people to go away, and ts take your thiugs away as quick as possible, and pull the house down, else we will do it for you." On Arnold asking him the reason for such conduct, he said. "Becanse the laud belongs to us." Arnold replied, "It cannot belong to you — it belongs to Mr Esdaile," when the Maori rejoined, "It belongs to 'us. Who did Mr. Esdaile get it from ?" Arnold replied he bought it from the Government, but the Maori said that whoever sold it to the Government nad no right to alienate it, and that the natives were doterminsd to prevent its occupation by any European without their distinct permission. He then reiterated his command (o remove the house and goods immediately, threatening that, if he refused, the Maori "hapu" would carry off the goods and destroy the house. Mr Edward Esdaile (a cousin of Mr Wm. Esdaile), who was present at the interview, suggested to Arnold that the should endeavor to persuade the Maoris to give them a day's grace, so that they might have time to inform the Magistrates m Tauranga of the affair. Arnold then asked the chiefs why they had not interfered before, as Mr Esdaile had boen living- on the land for some months. Maniera explained that he had only just returned from the King Country, and was not before aware that the land had been taken up by Europeans. The order had now gone out to expel them, and he and his brother chiefs were come for the pnrpo.se of carrying that order into execution. After some further talk, the chiefs agreed to give one day's grace, and finally left, intimating that if the goods were not removed and the house pulled down when they returned the following day, they would be obliged to pull it down themselves, or burn it. Mr E. Esdale subsequently came into Tauranga, and mentioned the matter to Mr Brabant, R.M., who scut a message to Arnold that he was not to resist if the Maoris should attempt to carry out their threats. The natives, however, never returned, and he has not since been interfered with.