THE KING NATIVES AND MR BRYCE'S VISIT. [BY TELEGRAPH. — SPECIAL REPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1609, 26 October 1882, Page 2

THE KING NA TIVES AND MR BRYCE'S VISIT. [BY TELEGRAPH . — SPECIAL REPORTER.]

Alkvandka, Last Night. TIIMJE fire very few indications either here or at Whatiwhatihoe to load visitors to behove that anything of au extraordinary natiuc, such as a new phase in the nativ e policy ot the Govemineut was to take place, or a concession ot some great importance to the colony was about to be made by the. natives. Indeed, i have heard Mr Bryce's visit to Whatiwhatihoe and the opening of the new bridge, and the good which was likely to accrue therclroiu more talked of, and debated more freely in other Waikato townships, than hcic. Alexandia letains its usual quiet, and as to the natives, nearly cvuryone I met to-day earnestly enquired " When is Mr 13ryee coming?' I v lbited the settlement this afternoon, and with a few exceptions it is the Whatiwhatihoe of live months ago. The blidge, being now open for tiailic, oontiasts vciy favourably with the canoe which ailouled the only means of communication between the Native and European townships duri'ig the May meeting. A large 'number of new whaies have been elected, and theie is not now a single tent on the giouud. A considerable area of ground on the flat has been ploughed and laid down m potatoes and melons. Theie being lower pigs and dogs about the place, the ground in the vicinity of the settlement being less boggy, and the foul matenal from which obnoxious gas.-os weie wont to use dining the May meeting, being le^s abundant. Since the muneious visiting tubes departed a gi eater degree of happiness and pleasantness pi evades the scene. Tluough the medium ot a friend who accompanied me I interrogated many ot those liom whom I was likely to hear what was going on, but the more 1 intenogated the more ignorance I elicited. No one seemed to know anything beyond the fact that Mr Biyce was coming, but as regaids what he was going to do (beyond giving them a good spice and some koieio), or what Tawlnao was likely to ask tor, they seemed to know nothing. When I reached Tawhiao's domicile 1 learned horn his spouse, Pohaere, that he was asleep, and I .lid not v culture to waken him. There is no picpaiation w Jmtever being made lor the ivluiisteual visit, m the way of a fen&t, bub 1 have been infonncd that Government is oxpeeted to spend C L .IO m providing the least and other requisites for the occasion. No reliable basij vv hatever is given for this hbcial expectation, beyond the rumour that this sum was \otcd last .Session for the purpose mentioned. The natives aic not awaio what ill 1 Biycc's progiainme will be, nor can they speak toy T-avvhiao, u ho, it he docs know anything, is very leticent, As legaids Taw hiao allowing the loads to go through the country towards Tauiuaki or Kawhia, he has expicssed hinibeli on several occasions in a manner nidieatn c of his willingness, and from what I hoar I feel assiued that Tawhiao's line of action will entirely depend upon Mr Bryce's pioposals. There was a meeting of chiefs and others in the big ruuunga house to-day, but I could not ascertain what it was about. In a telegram to Tawhiao, to-day, Mr Bryce said he would be up by speci.il train on Friday. Tawhiao is expected to meet Mr Bryce at Alexandra, and on the following day both will duve acioss the l.iidge. The meeting is expected to last four or five weeks, when natives aie desirous everything between both races should be finally settled. Wahanui is at present at Kopua, and is not expected to attend, and Kevvi is at Kilnkihi. A laige numbei of natives fiom the interior have gathered in. Mr "Whitakcr, M.H.H., and Dr. Bailor aie expected to attend the ceremony, and Mr Duiaur i>, aKo expected. Mi liutlei, Mr Biyce'b societal y, left for Auckland this nioniinu, and Mr Wilkinson, native agent, is also in Auckland. As regaids the discovery of gold near Rangitoto, about w Inch so much has been hoaid ot lute, tlieie is a gcntieiihin at piesont knocking about the settlement whose name or fiom whence he came has not as yet been made known. I enquired alter him in the settlement to day, and found he had applied to Tawlnao toi permission to prospect the country. Tawhiao has told him that owing to pieis of business in attending to Mr Biyoe's visit, he could not hear him on the matter at present, and so he was faying his luck with To Wheoio. I saw his Utter of introduction from »Su George Giey to Tawlnao, of which the follow ing is the translation • — •'Wellington, June 20.— T0 Tawhiao.— A stranger goes amongst you, wishing to find gold in the middle of youi land. He is a man of great knowledge in these mattcis. and if the king will let him go into the interior he w ill be able to tell by the indications and the appearance of the country whether gold exists or not. If there is, he will wiitc a map of the country. This man is not wishing to get the gold for himself ; he only wishes to see wheieitis. — (Signed) GMmukGunY." I cannot say this is a literal translation. The gold-seeker referred to is named Nicholls, but I cannot say fiom whence he came."