AFFAIRS AT TAURANGA.

47

A—No. 20,

Enclosure 1 in No. 50. [tbanslation.] Te Puke, part of Otawa, To Ngatikeeebu,— 26th January, 1867. Fathers, salutations ! Do you listen to that word. Do you and all the Arawa remain where you are ;do not come hither. I am going to the place where my friends fell in battle. I have no design upon you, but I am going after my fellow antagonists (or disputants) the Pakelias, kahuri. From Hakaeaia Hkpara. Maiiii the writer. This letter is in the handwriting of Maihi Pohepohe.

No. 51.

Copy of a Letter from Mr. Clatike to the Hon. J. C. Richmond. (D. 313.) Civil Commissioner's Office, Sic, — Tauranga, 24th February, 1867. I have the honor to report, for your information, that in accordance with your instructions, I left this in the Colonial steamer " Sturt" on the night of the 22nd instant, for Tairua, for the purpose of personally communicating with the Native chief Ropata, and also of ascertaining the present temper of the Natives in that direction. Ropata had written to me previously, stating that he had left Mataora (the head quarters of the Ngatiporou llauhaus) for Tairua, on account of a rumour that had reached him, that it was the intention of the Arawa to attack and destroy Mataroa. We arrived at Tairua at daylight, and I at once communicated with the principal Natives of the place ; from them learned that Ropata had not arrived at Tairua, but would, most probably, be found at Otahu, a place about two miles to the south of Whangamata. I also gathered from both Natives and Europeans that most extravagant rumours were in circulation as to the intentions of the Arawas, and great alarm was the consequence. It was stated that the Arawas were going to take advantage of the present disturbances to revenge some old grievances, and that it was their intention to sweep the whole coast as far as the Thames. I traced these reports to some Tauranga Natives (Te Ninihi and Hamiora Tupaea) who visited their relatives residing at Otahu, and I have little doubt in my own mind they were put in circulation with a mischievous intent. From the Europeans I learned that the Otahu Natives (the Urungawrra, a branch of the Ngaiterangi) had been to Taima to endeavour to sell off all their boats. Mr. George Graham, junior, informed me that ho had been in treaty with the Natives for the purchase of some of these boats ; that he offered them part in cash, and the balance by promissory notes, which should only hold good if they remained peaceable; that if they went to fight the promissory notes should be void. They did not object to take promissory notes, but they would not agree to the proviso. T told the Natives at Tairua that the Arawas were the servants of the Government. That the Government had not the remotest intention of molestiag them in any way, as they had not, as far as we knew, identified themselves with the Ngatiporou insurgents. They were quite satisfied with tins assurance, and Rawiri, their chief, volunteered with another man to accompany me to Otaku to see Ropata and Wi Kotero the principal man of the Urungawera. "We left Tairua about ten o'clock a.m., for Otahu, arriving there at noon. I immediately despatched a messenger to Parakiwai. a kainga three or four miles up the Otahu River, with letters to Ropata and Wi Kotero, requesting them to come down to their old pa and confer with me. The messenger returned a little after four p.m., accompanied by one old man only, Wi Kotero's uncle. From this man I learned that Ropata had left Otahu two days before for Tauranga to see me, and that Wi Kotero and a large party of his people had gone to the Thames the day before. I gathered from him that they were in a state of great alarm. That when we visited Tauranga about two weeks ago Te Ninihi and his other friends reported to him that I had in my possession a letter discovered in one of the rebel kaingas from some person at Otahu. That the Government were greatly incensed with the writer, and intended punishing the hapu for it. I would remark in passing, that it is quite correct that at Te Akeake I discovered a letter to Hakaraia from an Otahu Native, and that the Tauranga Natives were aware of the fact. Te Ninihi and others have repeatedly pressed me to divulge the name of the writer. Although the letter is of little consequence, I have always refused to do this. I went so far as to tell them the letter was written from Otahu. The consequence is that they have taxed their memories to remember what letters they had written, and their own guilty consciences have led them to fix upon one written by the Otaku Runanga to their friends in Tauranga, in which, according to their own account, certain objectionable expressions had been made use of. Upon this circumstance the whole of their alarm is founded. Te Winihi and Hamiora Tupaea about a week ago went down to Otahu and informed the Natives that the soldiers and the Arawa wore close on their heels, and that the Arawa were going to clear the whole coast from Katikati to the Thames. The chief stated that they, as a hapu, intended to hold to the peace making of the Governor at Tauranga; that the letter which they supposed had displeased the Government was written to warn their friends ; that the Ngatiporou were about commencing hostilities and advising them to go to some safe place. I gave this man the same assurance as I had given to the Tairua Natives, that we did not wish to molest any of them, and that they should always be protected so long as they remained friendly to the Government. Upon hearing this he became very communicative and gave me various pieces of information respecting the movements of the Ngatiporou, with whom they appear to have been in constant communication. He informed me that a short time ago Te Hira Kake of the Thames sent a letter to the Ngatiporou residing at Mataora, and requested all who took part in the late Tauranga war and had lost friends at Te Ranga, to assemble at Ohinemuri (for what purpose was not stated) ; that