THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 301

ammunition and guns, and that it was more
than probable that the Waikatos, Taranakis,
and Ngatiruanuis, and other tribes would at
once muster in force to avenge the defeat
and death of so many of their relations and
to furnish the friendly natives with arms,
ammunition, and food, and to proceed myself
up the river with the reinforcement, taking
with me Dr. Fletcher to attend the wounded,
and Mr. Booth as my interpreter. I failed in
procuring more than seven guns. Previous to
leaving, having heard that the Ngatiapas were
anxious to join the Wanganui natives, and
that the latter were nothing loth to accept
their assistance, I requested Mr. White to
write to the Ngatiapas, forbidding them to
move from their district, and then explained
to the Putiki chiefs that in the present state
of relations between the Ngatiapas and
Ngatirauka was, nothing would tend so much
to embroil them with the Ngatirauka was as
their seeking the aid of the Ngatiapas, it being
well known that the Wanganui natives are
fully backing the Ngatiapas against the Ngatirau-
kawas in their Rangitikei land dispute. They
at once admitted that such in all probability
would be the result, and pledged themselves
not to allow a single Ngatiapa to accompany
them up the river—a pledge they most faith-
fully kept.

Tuesday, May 17th.—We left Wanganui
about 1 p.m. in a canoe manned by a crew
of some fifteen men, under the guidance of
Hoani Wiremu (John Williams)—the main
body under Hori Kingi, Mawai, and other
Putiki chiefs, had started some two or three
hours amidst the cheers of the Wanganui
settlers, who had loaded the canoes with pro-
visions. Few who witnessed that scene will forget the heartiness with which
the Maoris responded to the hip, hip, hurra,
hurra, hurra, of the settlers. And yet while
these Maoris were going again to engage in
a contest in which they had little or no con-
cern—to risk their lives a second time almost
solely in defence of the Europeans—there
were still some settlers who grudged them
the arms and ammunition the Government
had supplied them with, and deplored the
infatuation of the Government in trusting
them, or, as they expressed it, in arming
savages against their own race. It was dusk
before we reached Raorikea (Laodicea) where
we found Hori Kingi and his people engaged
in a tangi which lasted nearly the whole
night. We pitched our tent on the oppo-
site bank of the river.

Wednesday, the 18th.—Owing to a heavy
fresh in the river, and to the necessity of
having a tangi at each pa for the killed
and wounded, our progress was so slow that
we did not to-day make more than about
twelve miles, arriving at Parikino, where we
halted for the night, at 4 p.m. Ten natives
belonging to the pa who had been engaged in
the fight at Moutoa had just returned.
Kawana Paipai (Governor Piper) one of our
Putiki chiefs, after conversing with these men
for a few moments, came to me in great
tribulation, saying that the two chiefs Hemi
Napi (a near relation of his own) and Riwai,
who had fallen on the field of battle, had
been buried like dogs—thrown into the
ground without coffins. I at once assured
him that I would have their bodies exhumed
and coffins made for them, and that they
should be buried wherever he pleased, and
further that a suitable monument should be
erected to the memory of them and all the
brave men who had sacrificed their lives for
the Pakehas on the field of Moutoa. Kawana
Paipai went away, with his heart, if no longer
sad, at any rate greatly lightened.

Thursday, the 19th.—We left Parikino
early. The fresh in the river (it having been
raining nearly all yesterday) much increased.
On arriving at Atene (Athens) I found it
was not their intention to land; but on my
declaring that it was my determination to
visit every pa, whether friendly or hostile,
they paddled to the landing-place. This pa
consists of two pas, distant from each
other about a couple of hundred yards, the
one occupied by friendly natives, the other by
the rankest Kingites and scoundrels, headed
by old Hamarama, the brother of either Pehi
or the late Hori Patene (I forget which.) At
this pa, situate midway between Tawhitinui
and Wanganui, Matene and his gang had
succeeded in forcing the river, were to
have halted for a night. An ample commis-
sariat had been provided for them, and the
next morning the whole of Hamarama's mob
would have accompanied them in their descent
upon Wanganui. Our interview with Hama-
rama was very brief. Hamarama, after greet-
ing us, expressed himself as much hurt at our
apparent intention to pass his pa without
landing. I replied I had landed to tell him
that I was well aware of the designs of him
and his followers, to warn him against per-
sisting in them, and to let him and other
Kingites know that the Government were
not merely arming the loyal natives, but were
prepared, if necessary, to protect them with
troops. His reply was to the effect that he
was an old and infirm man, that he took no
part in such matters, that he stood on
outside, that I must speak to Pehi, what-
ever Pehi said you must do, you will
be able to make arrangements with Pehi. Hori
Kingi, who appears to have an intense con-
tempt and hatred of the people of this pa, then
stood up and said, “ Hamarama, I have only a
few words to utter. I am going up the river to
speak to Pehi, when I return I shall have a
word or two to say to you,” and off we
marched to our canoes. The meaning of
Hori Kingi's words to Hamarama is this—
Hori Kingi has made up his mind that he will
have no Kingites in his rear, between his
advanced post and Wanganui, and that if
Hamarama does not quietly and speedily
accept this polite notice to quit, he will
summarily eject him. We arrived, just as it
was getting dark, at Otumairo, and knowing
that several of the wounded men were at