: E—No. 3c

4

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE

Thus, then, the Ngatiawa were once more left alone to themselves, with their own disputes ; and this was just what Taranaki wished it should be. But, unfortunately, this state of things did not remain long undisturbed, for scarcely had the Ngatiruanui been home again for a week or two when a report was received that the dead bodies, left behind buried in their graves by the Ngatiruanui on their return from Ngatiawa, had since been dug up again and wantonly abused by Ihaia's party. This report, which subsequently seemed to prove but too true as to admit of any doubt, excited a very strong and dangerous feeling of indignation and resentment throughout all Ngatiruanui and Taranaki. It was viewed by all as an unprovoked insult, even more criminal and hateful, and hence also calling even more loudly for vengeance, than the former act of killing Kimene; and a general cry was heard that Ihaia had deserved to be assailed again, and to be exterminated together with his whole party of adherents. While their minds were in this state of a general fermentation, Te Ruahine-party of the Ngatiruanui under Tamati Hone Oraukawa, who had been the chief actors at Te Mamaku pu, came into Taranaki to an uhunga for the dead in the various pas that had died during and after the measles epidemic. But the chief object of that visit in the district seemed to me to be this, viz., to sound the minds of this Taranaki tribe and see whether they would be induced to join Ngatiruanui in a new expedition against Ihaia ma, which, as was previously known, had been already decided upon by the latter, and was to be proceeded with immediately after their return home from this Taranaki uhunga. On that occasion, (when Te Ruahina were here,) a large or rather a hot and boisterous meeting and debate pro and con in reference to the contemplated expedition against Ihaia took place here at Warea. Through the first half of it, I believe, I stood entirely alone in. opposing altogether, for reasons which I explained, the whole plan of another movement, whether to be undertaken by Ngatiruanui alone or by them and Taranaki conjointly upon or against Ngatiawa. Instead of entering again on any such excursion, I proposed that they should rather try and settle the present affair by means of a calm and considerate negociation, which I had no doubt they would find Mr. Turton very willing to undertake, if they wished it, between themselves and Ihaia; and that that negociation might be such as to either prove that the report received was incorrect, or, in case of its being correct, to obtain some payment from the offending party as a satisfaction towards the conclusion of this discussion. The minds seemed to become a little more cool and reasonable. Still, the only apparent point I had gained at the end of the debate was, that even the Ngatiruanui should carry out their intention to go again to Ngatiawa, and even though a party or' this Taranaki tribe should join, there should be no passage for them through this district, but they should be confined to the mountain road for any such excursion. I deemed this in so far important as by keeping this district neutral ground, it would, at all events, save New Plymouth from being placed directly between the fire of two contending parties, who might have thought proper to meet each other in the very town, and that at a time when there was not so much as a shadow of a protective force to prevent it. After this meeting the Ngatiruanui returned home still determined, as it appeared, to carry out their scheme and proceed in a body again to Ngatiawa ; and five of the Chiefs of this Taranaki tribe had given their word and publicly announced to their people their intention of personally accompanying Ngatiruanui in that undertaking. However, before that design was carried out, the majority of these Chiefs were prevailed upon to withdraw from the affiir and to desist from anything which would involve the whole tribe. Among the Ngatiruanui themselves, too, some desire for a peaceful settlement of the matter soon became apparent. Hence very soon after they had returned home from here Aperahama of Warea received a letter from Tamati Hone Oraukawa, expressing the wish of the latter to have the present quarrel put an end to without having again to resort to open hostilities, and therefore requesting him (Aperahema) to muster a party of the Taranaki and proceed with them to Ngatiruanui merely for the sake of making there a grand display of arms, and thus publicly shew their sympathy with them (the Ngatiruanui), as this would enable them to relinquish with honor any further hostile movement or intention against Ngatiawa, since it would shew openly that not from lack of courage or the support of friends they had shrunk from avenging the insult they had sustained in their dead, but that simply for the sake of good will and peace they had forborne and forgiven the offenders without having brought them to account. Tamati Hone's request was favourably received throughout Taranaki, for the predominating wish which generally prevailed among this people was for peace, and that every dispute which existed between Ngatiruanui and Ngatiawa should be settled as soon as possible, in order that the affairs of the former and of Taranaki might become fully extricated from those of the Ngatiawa, with whom they had s,nee the death of Rimene been mixed up; and that thus the last-named tribe might again entirely be left to their own troubles and disputes to themselves alone. Accordingly, soon after the receipt of Tamati Hone's letter, Aperahama, at the head of a considerable number of the Taranaki tribe, proceeded (in the beginning of last March) to Ngatiruanui. But'on his arrival there he had not found the disposition for peace so generally prevailing as he had been led by Tamati Hone's letter to suppose ; for although the latter himself and one Rawenata, with whom rested the chief tikanga in the affair, had taken the lead in this movement for peace, and were supported by a small party of theirs, still the majority of the tribe had made an obstinate stand for marching again upon Ngatiawa against Ihaia ma; and they had now used their utmost endeavours to induce the Taranakis to join them and start then and there at once. In this, however, they had completely failed; and after much storming and " tolce," pro and con, Tamati Hone and Rawenata, supported by their own party and the Taranaki, had successfully carried their point, namely, that the present quarrel was to be considered as fully and fairly settled and for ever extinguished ; and that hence no further movement of a hostile