THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 305

could only regard those who sat idly by
without making any attempt to extinguish
the flames as something worse than doubtful
friends; but that the Government did fully
recognise and appreciate the conduct of the
friendly natives engaged in the recent con-
flict, who had at the sacrifice of their lives
endeavoured to extinguish the fire. "You
Pehi, must declare on which side you are;
you can no longer be permitted to stand on
the outside." I then told him that I intended
to take the prisoners down to Wanganui
with me, and the promises I had made in
regard to them to Hori Kingi and the other
friendly chiefs. Pehi replied that "as the
prisoners had not been taken in battle they
belong to me, your share is the great num-
ber killed," and then made an appeal to Hori
Kingi to this effect, "If you will assist me in
preventing these prisoners being taken to
Wanganui, I promise that henceforth there
shall be peace between us and between our
people." Hori Kingi, without replying to him
whispered to me, "Who believes him;" "he
has said nothing;" "what guarantee can we
have that Pehi will keep his word?"

I reminded Pehi that instead of assisting
the friendly natives in repelling Matene and
his fanatics, he had himself kept out of the
way while most of his people had joined
Matene and had taken part in the engage-
ment at Moutoa; that it was absurd in him
or any chief to lay claim to men taken
prisoners while fighting against the Queen.
Pehi made several more appeals to the
friendly chiefs and to myself to be allowed
to keep the prisoners, but when I finally told
him that it was no use talking more about
them, that I had come up to take them, and
take them I would, he got up in a state of
considerable excitement and said, "If you
take the prisoners I follow you down the
river quickly," and so ended the korero. It
was no sooner finished than thirteen Kingites
came forward and expressed their desire to
take the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

In Pehi's presence I administered to them on
the Testament the following oath: "In the
presence of the chiefs and their people here
assembled I, A.B., do hereby renounce
Kingism, and further swear henceforth to
bear true allegiance to our Sovereign Queen
Victoria-so help me God."

In this pa there was only one prisoner,
rather severely wounded. Dr. Fletcher in
examining him expressed his doubts whether
he would bear removing. On hearing this
the natives burst into a roar of laughter
"What! not well enough to be removed? he
was jolly and hearty enongh when we arrived;
we know better, he's only shamming, we'll
have him," and off they bundled him to the
canoe. Just as we reached our canoes a
volley was fired apparently in the rear of
where Pehi received us. In an instant the
natives, who suspected treachery-that Pehi
had probably concealed a body of men ready
to fall upon them if it were prudent-threw
themselves into skirmishing order, and avail-
ing themselves as if by instinct of every tree
and of the slightest unevenness of ground,
rapidly advanced to the pa, and demanded
the meaning of the volley. It turned out
that it was merely a salute fired by Topia
(Pehi's son) and other rebels just returned
from Waikato, on paying a visit to Pehi.
The first place we stopped at on returning
was the Kauaeroa Pa, where we took the
prisoners without difficulty, and received
from the Rev. Mr. Lampila an abundant
supply of grapes, which proved most refresh-
ing to the wounded. On arriving at Tawhi-
tinui, being under the impression that the
only prisoner to be taken was the chief Te
Raimona, I did not at first leave the canoe.
After nearly an hour had elapsed and no
appearance of the prisoner, I went up to the
pa and found a rather angry discussion
going on. Te Raimona, who was wounded
in the groin, was sitting under a verandah,
and his wife was, in not very complimentary
language to the loyal chiefs, protesting
against his being surrendered, Te Raimona
himself declaring that he would not be
taken. Hori Kingi, leaning on his spear,
seemed to be arguing the point at issue very
calmly. Seeing no probable termination to
the discussion, I asked Mete Kingi why they
did not take the prisoner. He at once
replied, "He is a great chief, he is nearly
related to all of us, if we lay hands on him
he will be degraded and looked upon as a
slave for ever. We are, therefore, trying to
persuade him to walk down to the canoe
without our touching him. Give us time."
"Take your own time; I will wait as long
as you choose." Another half-hour elapsed
without the negotiation having apparently
advanced a single step, when Mete Kingi
came to me and said, "What is to be done?
he won't come." "Send a file of men on each
side, and I will then order the constable to
take him." Without a moment's hesitation,
Mete Kingi said "It shall be done," and was
giving the orders to his men, when Te Rai-
mona probably seeing the movement, got up
and said "I will go." He was no sooner in
the canoe than Hori Kingi said, "There are
a few other prisoners, all old men; have we
not done enough for to-day?" an opinion in
which I so entirely concurred that I ordered
him to push off at once. When we arrived
at Ranana, Te Raimona was treated with the
greatest possible respect, a tangi was held
over him, he was shown into the rumanga
house, supplied with the best of everything
they had, the other prisoners being placed
in a whare by themselves, but nevertheless
treated most kindly, and yet strange to say
at Tawhitinui, the pa from which Te Rai-
mona was taken, Matene and his followers
(including of course their prisoners) had dug
two large ovens in which they intended to
have cooked (had they proved victors) their
opponents, whether killed or taken prisoners.

Tuesday, 24th.-We left Ranana about
9 a.m., and touching at the several pas where
natives were desirous of taking the oath of