VISIT OE THE GOVERNOR TO THE NORTH.
A.—rTu. 7.
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staunch to it. Come to your children. These children have grown under your care, and they thrive. My hands have not been stained with blood for a long time past. I have no desire to do evil. Tou have come from other parts to see Whangaroa. I have no leaning towards any one. lam under your feet, and have been so for a long time past. I have been at your feet, and shall still remain so. Welcome, Governor ; that is all I have to say. Tutahi Rameka said : Welcome, Governor! Come and see your children of Whangaroa. Bring your goodness to us. Tou have seen the rest of your children, and have now come to see us. Welcome, O Governor. Wiremu Naihi said: Welcome, Governor! Come, bring the goodness to Whangaroa. We have nothing to say to you but a word of welcome. Come and teach us the law. Come and sea Whangaroa, and the people thereof. That is all I have to say. HoNr Karahini said : Welcome, O Governor! I have nothing to say to you but my love of good. We asked for a township here, but have not yet seen it. Come and see the few children that are here. I have nothing to say to you but words of love. Horo Tukarere said: Welcome, Governor! Come the head of all; come and see your children. There is nothing we have to adhere to but the law of the Governor. Hema Turi said: Welcome, Governor, to Whangaroa! Welcome, O Representative of the Queen —the mother of New Zealand. Come in the bonds of love. Come and see us, who are sitting under the shadow of the Queen. Listen quietly to what we have to say ; never mind whether the words are bad or good; but listen patiently. Come and shine upon us who are in the dark. That is all I have to say. Tamiora Kohiti said : Welcome, O Governor! This is the first time I have been able to address the Governor, as it is the first visit of a Governor to Whangaroa. Whangaroa is a deep harbour; steamers can come up, but this the first time I have seen the Governor. Ships of any size can anchor here. There has been a Governor for a number of years, but to-day is the first time this harbour has seen a Governor. The Governors who came before have never visited us. There is no clergyman here either. The Governors and the Ministers have gone to other places, but have never been to Whangaroa before. The Magistrate from Waimate visits here, and the Ministers from Waimate and Hokianga visit here, but you are the God of our bodies, as Christ is the God of our spirits. Patara Roro said: Welcome, O Governor ! This is the first time Whangaroa has seen a Governor. The Queen's name is heard all over the Island, but this is the first time her Representative ha* been here. Welcome ; we have nothing to say to you. Tou have come and seen your children ; you have come and visited us, and here we shall still remain. That is all I have to say to you. Hare Hongi Te Kohai said: Welcome, O Governor and Mr. McLean! Come and see your people, the Ngapuhi. Never mind, though the canoe is small, still there is a proverb connected with it. Welcome, O Governor. We are sitting under the shadow of the Queen; but I am my own servant and my own soldier. The reason why I say so is this: If any of the Hauhaus come here and interfere with any of us, then I will get up and fight. That is right. Henare Tanoaru said : Welcome, O Governor ! Come and visit this place. Though the name of it is Whangaroa, still it is a district of the Bay of Islands, the same as Mongonui. Welcome ; Come and see this river, Whangaroa. This is the fish-hook of Mani (the Maori ancestor who is supposed to have fished up New Zealand). Come and see this place ;itis a deep river. This is sufficient. Pumipi Whaitua said : Welcome, 0 Governor! Come and see your children. We have great love towards you and to our Europeans. Salutations to you. I have great regard for the Europeans of Whangaroa. They have done no harm to us, and we have done no harm to them. We have done no harm to religion, and we have not trampled the laws under our feet. We still hold the laws in our hands, even up to the present day. That is all I have to say to you. Henare Tupi said: Welcome, O Governor! Welcome, Mr. McLean! Tou and our father, the Governor. I have nothing to say but a word of welcome. Though there are few of us, all we have to say is welcome. I have been here sitting in the sunshine waiting for you. I now get up to speak to you, and this is the first time I have known the difference between a summer day and a winter day. I say to you welcome ! Tou see us quietly sitting here. His Excellency the Governor said: lam glad to come here to see Whangaroa, and to meet the descendants of Hongi Hika, the friend of George the Fourth, King of England. It is very gratifying to me to find that, like all the rest of the Ngapuhi whom I have visited, you desire to maintain the most friendly relations with your European fellow-subjects. It makes my heart glad to find that you all desire to uphold the law and to suppress evil; and this shows your wisdom and good sense. lam well aware that since days long gone by and forgotten, none of you have ever raised a weapon against the Europeans. I believe that you are sincere in requesting that a Gaol may be erected here, for the punishment of offenders. The same request was made at Hokianga and elsewhere by the Ngapuhi. Tour request that a Gaol should be erected shews that you are desirous that all the requirements of the law should be carried out in your district. And I may here observe that His Honor the Chief Justice of New Zealand is here with me, which shews his anxiety to observe the condition of the country where he administers the law so ably, for the good and the protection both of the Maori and of the European. lam desirous that peace and prosperity should prevail, and lam glad of the assurances of a friendly and peaceable nature which you now make. One of the speakers has made the request that a township should be established in your harbour. I have no doubt, if you continue, as you have always done, to preserve such friendly relations with your European neighbours, that your hope, in this respect, may in time be realised. The Queen will be highly pleased to hear of the loyal sentiments of Hongi Hika's people. It is a proof that Hongi Hika was sincere in his desire to have Europeans here; for you remember that it was Hongi Hika and Waikato who first went to England to ask King George the Fourth to extend his protection, and send Europeans to this country. This is my second visit to your beautiful harbour of Whangaroa ; and I hope I shall often be able to come here again. Meanwhile I pray God, the Giver of all good, to shower His choicest blessings on your
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