IN NATIVE DISTRICTS.

A.—No. 10.

11

depart quickly ;go and save yourself). (This is supposed to be in allusion to the White Cliff murders committed by Ngatimaniapoto, of which tribe Manga is one of the principal chiefs.) Some of you ask me to come inland; this is inland, and lam here, but not to join you, but to visit and see my relations (Waikatos). I will return to my place and my treasures (the homes of his ancestors), and never will I leave Waikato, the land of my ancestors and my treasures; no never, never, never. For several minutes after Te AVheoro had ceased speaking there was not a whisper to be heard. He made a profound impression on all present, he being very much respected by all the King party, from Tawhiao downwards. Wiremu Hunia, one of Tawhiao's secretaries and special messenger, then stepped forward and said : —Listen, white men and Natives. Listen to the Panui (Proclamation) of To Ariki (Lord and Master). Listen to the words of Tawhaio (copy herewith, as taken from original). As a Proclamation from Tawhiao read to a meeting of King Natives always terminates all business, the meeting broke up at once. I remained at Hangatiki until late in the afternoon, but nothing further of general interest took place. I saw both Tamati Manuwhiri and Manga (Rewi), and spoke to them, though but for a moment, no conversation with them being possible, from the extreme jealousy existing amongst the Natives themselves, but their manner was kind and civil; I believe that both of them were anxious to have spoken more with me, the former particularly, but there was no possibility of an opportunity of doing so. I being the object of curiosity to all the Natives present at the meeting, and being also most carefully watched, I need hardly say that I did not see Tawhiao, ho not being allowed to see any European on any account (Lewis Hettit excepted). The utmost order was preserved at Hangatiki. I did not hear any bad language of any sort made use of when speaking of Europeans. I believe the great object of the King's party now to be, to try and detach our Native allies from fighting on our side ; that in no case we should be aided by Native allies, but left to fight our own battles with Natives. The King's party will not, I believe, interfere in the Aroha land dispute. I met Te Heuheu at Hangatiki ;he arrived there on the 24th instant, with five followers only. He informed me that Te Kooti had, he thought, returned to Te Wairoa, that he was not in the Taupo district. One thing I saw clearly, that the most intense jealousy exists between the Waikatos and the Ngatimaniapotos, which must in time lead to a division. The Waikatos are also very much divided amongst themselves, and nothing but the fear of Te Pakeha preserves them in their cohesiveness. Te Aukati, always a source of jealousy and ill-feeling between the tribes, is now becoming more so than ever, and must ifleft alone be, I think, soon done away with. I observed also at the meeting a very large number of halfcastes, at least sixty, of whom about forty-five were living with the King's party. The only Europeans allowed to be present at the meeting were Lewis Hettit and myself, and Manga informed the former that any Europeans intruding into their district, knowing as all must do of the rules of the Aukati, would be stripped and detained until their curiosity was amply satisfied. I was glad to observe that nearly all, both women and children, were dressed in more or loss of European clothing, and looked clean and healthy; immense numbers of children I could not but remark, they amounted to at least 500, between four and fourteen years of age, but the number of male children in proportion to female appeared to me to be fully two to one. As I was the first European allowed to go into the King's district, I most carefully abstained from intruding in any way, or entering into any general conversation to which exception might be taken by any of the King's party ; but I look forward to the time when I may again meet with some of the leading men of that party. The expected arrival of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was mentioned to Tamati Manuwhiri, but no remark in answer was elicited from him. I was informed at Hangatiki that the Arawas were to be invited next month to visit Tawhiao at Tokangamutu, and that in the following month Tamihana Te Eauparaha, Ngatitoa and Ngatiraukawa Tribes from Kapiti, were to be invited to visit him. I observed one remarkable thing, that all the Natives have, either during or since the war in Waikato, changed their names ; all baptized names are strictly set aside, and old Maori family names taken in their place. Not one of the Natives connected with the murders at the White Cliffs wore present at the meeting at Hangatiki, nor could I ascertain more than they were believed to be at Mokau Heads ; they are said to be under Tawhiao's displeasure, and were not invited, and would not have been allowed to bo present at Hangatiki. Eeinana was invited to attend, but instead of doing so he went to join his friends at Mokou. Te Wheoro and his party were to have left Hangatiki to-morrow morning, but will, I fear, be now detained by the rain and floods. There was considerable excitement amongst the King party at Hangatiki a short time ago, on hearing that troops were to be stationed at Taupo; but I was unable, up to the time of my leaving, to ascertain their real feelings on the subject. I was particularly struck with the large body of men, over 1,500, present at Hangatiki, capable of bearing arms, and all well armed, but I have every reason also to believe and to know that ammunition is exceedingly scarce ; also at the present modification and improvement in the Hauhau prayers, now quietly conducted within a house, and not, as formerly, by Natives in a half-crazy state, screaming and howling unintelligible gibberish. The friendly Natives were very much pleased at the manner in which they were received and treated by the King Natives generally, though disappointed at not seeing Tawhiao ; in fact, Manga (liewi) excepted, the leading men did not take any active part beyond the reception of the friendlies. On the whole, though no admissions were made by the King's party at this meeting, I cannot but look upon it as a probable precursor of better feelings. The fact of my being allowed to attend the meeting is a small point gained ; and the total absence of any bad language of any sort, either to me personally or the Europeans generally, was remarkable, and the quiet and orderly conduct of so large a body of