1961 - The Richmond-Atkinson Papers Vol I - Chapter 12, Waikato will be at Home, 1861, p 674-735

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Chapter 12

Waikato will be at Home

1861

Early in 1861 there was sharp fighting in Taranaki. Five considerable engagements were fought, and in two of them (at the Huirangi redoubts 3 and 7) British troops suffered severely. These encounters arose out of General Pratt's engineering approach to the hostile position at Te Arei. By mid-March the main sap had advanced 1626 yards, and at this stage, the fate of the position being imminent, Wiremu Kingi withdrew northward to live with the Ngatimaniapoto, a leading King tribe.

The Governor came to New Plymouth and negotiations were opened through a missionary with the enemy commander, Hapurona. On 19 March a truce was concluded under which the title to the disputed land at Waitara was to be fully investigated, and the survey completed. Meanwhile Te Atiawa was to submit to the Queen's authority and return the plunder taken from the settlers. James Cowan says: 1

People who had suffered these losses were mortified by the terms offered to the Maoris, all the more so since they were rejected by the Ngatiruanui and Taranaki tribes, who remained defiantly in arms, raiding at their pleasure. The Government, however, was

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obsessed by the threatening behaviour of the King tribes to the northward. The capital city, Auckland, appeared to be in danger, and all the troops who could be spared from the Taranaki theatre were hurried thither. The defence of Taranaki during the coming winter devolved upon the 57th regiment and the local volunteers and militia, a total of about 600 of all arms, under the command of Colonel H. J. Warre.

In April General Pratt left for Melbourne. He was superseded in the New Zealand command by Lieut-General Sir Duncan Cameron, who had gained distinction in the Crimea. Cameron arrived to find the Government waiting apprehensively for news from Waikato. The reports of the resident missionaries, upon which they mainly relied, indicated an easing of the tension which had prevailed in the last year or two. The veteran John Morgan, in particular, whose station was in the midst of the disaffected tribes, wrote on 27 March with a measure of confidence: "Waikato as a body will, in my opinion, be at home this winter." This assurance was gravely discounted by the reply which was given to the Governor's proclamation of 15 May by Wiremu Tamihana te Waharoa (chief of the Ngatihaua and perhaps the most influential chief in all Waikato.)

Political events in 1861 had considerable influence on the native question. That Edward Stafford had been able to carry on the government for five years was due partly to the national exigency of the Maori war, and partly to his shrewd exploitation of provincial rivalries. The suppression of the Maori revolt was both a national and a provincial interest: since the provinces could not hope to succeed - where the general government had failed - in inducing the Maori to part with their lands. Until 1860, with the natives still defiant, the larger provinces had an interest in keeping a strong general government in office. The prolongation of the war, however, encouraged provincial discontent and a centrifugal disposition in some of the provinces, which wished to have the management of native affairs.

In 1861 a new factor irrupted upon the scene. A Tasmanian named Thomas Gabriel Read discovered in Otago a goldfield which induced a tempestuous rush of diggers from Australia, California and

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Great Britain. The gold fever affected seriously those northern provinces which were relying on their militiamen for defence in the event of another war. At the outset the discovery was an exciting diversion, but in a few months it exercised a powerful influence upon the current of politics.

The Stafford ministry had undoubtedly lost prestige, and it narrowly escaped defeat while native bills were being debated during that session. The people of New Zealand as a whole were war-weary. In the North Island there was no prospect of peace, and the southern provinces were told that their abundant resources were being spent on war in the North. A strong sentiment in favour of separation was evident in 1858, during the passing of the New Provinces Act, by which three new ones were carved out of the original six.

If Stafford could convince the country that the Maori war would not last indefinitely this centrifugal tendency might have been arrested, but the passing years held out no hope of a lasting peace. The ministry met parliament on 3 June 1861 - a month after the discovery of gold, with little to recommend it but its good intentions. That these were not appreciated was clear when resolutions on native policy were tabled by the opposition leader, William Fox, a noted philo-Maori. On 5 July the government was defeated on a motion of no-confidence, and a week later Stafford handed over the seals of office to Fox. During the debate on no-confidence the superintendent of Wellington (Dr I. E. Featherston) charged C. W. Richmond with having exerted improper influence in regard to the purchase of Maori lands in Taranaki. Richmond demanded an investigation by a select committee. He was completely vindicated, 2 and being now free of office for the first time for six years, he joined T. B. Gillies in a legal practice in Dunedin.

Colonel T. Gore Browne was succeeded as governor by Sir George Grey, who had previously been governor from 1845 to 1853. He assumed office early in October 1861 on his arrival from South Africa. The letters of this period throw interesting light on the "break-up" of Auckland society following the departure of a popular governor and of Mrs Gore Browne, whose grace and tact as a hostess lent a

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personal authority to her husband's administration. The shrewd and lively letters of Jane Maria Atkinson and the cynical pessimism of her husband aptly reflect this phase of despondency. Colonel Browne had scarcely left New Zealand for his new post (in Tasmania) when those who had supported his policy became involved in what Mrs Browne termed 'a controversy which is now part of our New Zealand history.' Battle was joined over the publication of despatches which passed between the Governor and the Secretary of State and of a pamphlet by the late Chief Justice (Sir William Martin). 3

Meanwhile in the Scots province of Otago a lively social revolution had been initiated by the rush of gold diggers to Gabriel's Gully and the Dunstan. By the end of the year the white population of the Middle (or South) Island already exceeded that of the much earlier settled North. The effect of this influx was evident in the founding of new organs of opinion and a new spirit in the provincial councils of Otago and (later) Canterbury. In Parliament the ultra-provincialist sentiment strongly reinforced the opposition to the general government. Henceforth the south was a seedbed of separatism, which adopted various guises in the next two decades.

In Taranaki Charles Brown defeated James C. Richmond for the provincial superintendency. H. A. Atkinson was re-elected to the council for Grey and Bell, and later in the year was deputy-superintendent. James Richmond was still M.H.R. for Omata, and in June Atkinson was elected to parliament for Grey and Bell. He arrived in Auckland a few hours too late to save the Stafford government in the division. There were now three of the family group in the House of Representatives - C. W. Richmond, J. C. Richmond and H. A. Atkinson.

John Gorst, arriving in the Colony during the year, was appointed by Grey to an administrative post in the Waikato district to assist in introducing British institutions.

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A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Tu 1 Jan 1861

Just after 12 (midnight) embarked in Nama ... at daybreak started over land for Auckland . . . After breakfast walked on to Pitoitoi . . . got into a canoe of Keene's & paddled & sailed down to the Wynyard pier . . . The canoe behaved better in a sea than I expected.

Th 3 Jan . . . Brought J.C.R. back with me to tea, afterwards went down with him to C.W.R. - found him finishing his answer to Sir W. Martin's pamphlet on the Taranaki question. News from Taranaki, the new pa Matarikoriko has been taken & a substantial victory gained ... As there were no civilians in this fight it is a comfort to see that the soldiers are beginning to understand their business.

W 9 Jan Finished writing my new words in my dictionary . . .

F 11 Jan Walked into Town with White getting a great deal of information in a little time . . . The 1st Auckland elections were held today. The electors have dispensed with Messrs Daldy & Forsaith's services, taking Firth & Russell in their place. Williamson is reelected. It is an unmistakeable approval of justness of war . . .

Tu 15 Jan . . . Went into Town again with C.W.R. got some pamphlets for myself & White. In afn. did Maori . . . Today Heale and Archibald Clark were rejected by the discordant wavering 'multitude', two miserable wretches being taken in their place. They were the best men of the Auckland lot.

W 16 Jan . . . Walked into the Domain with C.W.R, talked about plans. He still thinks of settling at Otago ... if out of office this session. I can't see my way so far South just yet ...

v 32

C. W. Richmond to J. S. Atkinson (London) - - - Auckland, 16 Jan 1861

The probability is that the Stafford Ministry will go out of office next session. That is to say, about April next, I shall be thrown upon my own resources . . . Our sheep run will pay nothing for at least a year from the present time, and we have no longer a home in Taranaki to fall back upon . . .

The Philo-Maori party rather stole a march upon us with Sir W. Martin's pamphlet ... A detachment of the 57th is just arrived from India. The remainder is expected immediately . . .

v 42

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 16 Jan 1861

It is now the sixth day since I left you and our dear Annie on the beach at Onehunga, no custom can make such partings easy to me, I felt like a small boy going away to school and more dismal than that, because all partings now are images of the mysterious parting and I feel a misgiving whether any power can make earthy things like me live; certainly none can on the sudden. . . .

It was a terrible bar. They said they had crossed when it was worse . . . The ship shows the state of affairs well. The deck is without a break from stem to stern, and unencumbered with baggage, cattle or boats, so you see the whole ship as if it

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were but a little smack, and we rolled and twisted in the breakers most alarmingly. One sea seemed bound to come on board at least to the weight of 50 tons, but we escaped with a tremendous roll and a good spray. In fact the Victoria is as near a perfect craft for the business it has to do as one could well imagine... We were 25 hours on the way. . . . We had to beat under steam, the sea was too heavy to take straight in our teeth, and the wind was dead against us . . .

I am sorry to say that the affair at Matarikoriko [30 Dec 1860] appears to have been much less of a success than we had imagined from the newspaper accounts. The natives are in good spirits and . . . nearer to a match in numbers than they have been since Waireka; and as the General's plan of establishing posts to command the country does not prevent marauders from firing on us as near as the Waiwakaiho bridge we cannot reckon any part of the country secure. The only way to prevent the war being indefinitely protracted is to show the natives we can reach them which as yet we have not attempted to show. The General has advanced his position nearer to the Huirangi peach groves but the bush will remain an impregnable fortress as far as we can learn . . . The General is driving parallels up to the coppices . . .

Friday evg. Jan 18. ... When we waked this morning we heard very heavy firing at Waitara, the General has been moving forward a few hundred yards, we imagine, and the heavy firing was to cover his advance, by making it too hot for the natives to show and fire on the working parties. He moves by regular approaches now, so that there are very few casualties on our side . . . The Rev Mr Wilson, of whom we read as being at Waitara, made my acquaintance on my landing. He came down to persuade the natives to spare the wounded. He has had some encouragement from the Waikato men, who promise to abstain from cold blooded killing of prisoners, but the southern natives absolutely refuse to entertain the idea. The soldiers and settlers, many of them, look askance at him as a missionary and particularly on the release of one of the Waikato prisoners by his instrumentality. I fancy this made him seek my acquaintance. He knows something of William, and hoped I should sympathise with him. I do so heartily for I believe he is a sensible and straightforward man, without any morbid ideas about the natives, or frenzied notions that their 'rights' are being violated, but with a single definite purpose, in which ... it is impossible not to wish him success. . . .

The heavy shooting of yesterday resulted in a redoubt being formed 500 yards nearer the native position . . . The General is rapidly firing all his big shot and shell away so that there will be a new system again soon. Nothing but liveliness will effectually meet liveliness.

1861/1

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, F 18 Jan 1861

Did a little Maori, chopped wood & got ready . . . Called for C.W.R. & went with him & Emily to Town . . . had dinner at the Tancreds. At 1 we embarked at Wynyard Pier (in Poriana with Rogan, Keene & a crew). Got to Pitoitoi & camped.

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S 19 Jan C.W.R. had a bad night of it, but after breakfast we started (walking). He was wheezy at the hills but got along better than we expected ... At Waipapa had dinner, came on to Mangakura & camped, sending envoys to Kapoai for a boat . . .

M 21 Jan About sunrise embarked in the Iris. Went on to Kapoai & had breakfast, shipped a new hand instead of our policeman & rowed down to Waipiro, had dinner - well supplied with pipis but alas no tupakihi . . . could not fetch Otamatea so went across to Tauhara & camped . . . After watching the sunset . . . saw another noteworthy sight ... a young karoro just out of the nest, running along in a curious human way all by himself.

Tu 22 Jan . . . Started (in Iris) after sailing a little (sun intensely hot) wind came against us & we had to row up Otamatea . . . Got to Tamoa rather wet & camped. Kanae once more.

W 23 Jan Started early & as the mist cleared off the river the scenery was beautiful . . . The best country I have seen since leaving 'the land of streams.' Went up the to the landing place on the road to Whangarei . . . Saw where the battle field of Ikaranganui was but did not get to it . . .

Th 24 Jan Bathed. After breakfast started down Otamatea, called at a small kainga to see Paikea (head chief of Kaipara). Called at 'Mata Pura', got oysters from the shore & ripe peaches from a deserted orchard. Sailed up to Otiaho. Found Manuka & a huihui of Ngatiwhakaue there . . . Walked a little on the white beach by moonlight - a curious scene.

v 32

Jane Maria Atkinson to Margaret Taylor - - - Parnell, Auckland, 20 Jan 1861

. . . The elections for the next General Assembly have been occupying public attention of late; the result of the most of those in this Province is considered unfavourable to the Stafford Ministry . . . The present Ministry have held office unusually long for a new country just beginning to use representative government, and there is no doubt they would have gone out last session if there had been any men in the Opposition fit to fill their places. No one can ever guess what the views and the temper of the new House will be till it meets. It will have a large proportion of new men, and we must hope there will be some with ability amongst them.

I have no wish to see the present Ministry unchanged remaining in office. William does far more than his share of the work for various reasons. Mr Whitaker (Attorney General) has a private business as lawyer in Auckland, but is still the best worker, having it in his nature to be constantly employed. If I thought William's health would stand public life, assisted by working colleagues, I should wish, as many do, to see a Richmond Cabinet replace that of Stafford. No Ministry advocating the 'peace at any price' principles of the last session's opposition can come in. The wretched men who for interested motives took up the honestly meant Bishop and Church Missionary cry of an 'unholy war' in order to get into office themselves, have all explained away their own words; those who could not have lost their seats. So unmistakeable is the

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determination of the colonists generally to have the struggle with the Maori settled now, once for all, that every party and every candidate, whatever they might have been saying a few weeks back, took up the cry of 'vigorous prosecution of the war till an honourable peace can be secured'.

v 38, pp 479-81 (ts)

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 20 Jan 1861

. . . The Natives are swarming around and have complete command of the bush. If people go out to drive in their cattle or horses there is always a party of Natives ready to sweep out and drive the creatures into the bush. They are living on beef and fern root. A pa is being built again at Waireka, and Captains Cracroft and Blake are both anxious to go out to the attack again, but it is not likely that Sillery 4 will agree to such a movement ... A little audacity in us would greatly reduce theirs. Even as it is the chances are not great of their mustering courage for the job. They have lost the most favourable time for it - the south east wind would have helped them to burn our parched houses, now the wind is gone, and the moon is in her third quarter, so there is scarcely any darkness all night. . . .

Yesterday ... I read a good deal of Burns - Pitcairn left me a copy as a legacy. I was surprised to find how ignorant I was of Burns. His free bold thought and language are full of freshness still to us who have grown up accustomed to the ideas he had to fight for and adopt when they were little understood . . .

1861/2

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 23 Jan 1861

My letter by the R. Lowe was somewhat doleful, but the news of the election, the arrival of the 57th and a success this morning in repelling an attack on the sappers at work at Waitara have cheered me . . . We have had a good deal of anxiety about the state of preparation in the town ... I am not clear that, disgusted with their failures elsewhere, and anxious to go home, the Waikatos may not resolve on some desperate attempt to retrieve their reputation. There are a great many natives around, some say as many as 2500. Yesterday an abortive expedition came off to the Waireka hill. A large force of natives was known to be at work there; the town was threatened and Capt. Cracroft, who has been lying off here with the Niger for the last ten days, came on shore to propose an expedition, which Colonel Sillery refused to undertake. The Capt. went on board and meditated, looked at his weather glass saw the wind was not likely to trouble him, determined to send every spare man by water to the attack, asked for volunteers from the ship, and every man volunteered: then at 3 o'clock a.m. set out in his boats, sending a letter on shore to Sillery to say that he had started and should be glad of support. Sillery in this 'fix', sent out 200 soldiers and afterwards 140 volunteers, but Cracroft could not land, having a bad

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pilot and the troops got into a skirmish on the road, which detained them till they learned Cracroft had returned. A sergeant was killed in the skirmish ... He had straggled from his party . . . The effect is good I think, it shews the Maoris we are alert and makes the town safer.

Yesterday it is thought some damage was done at Waitara. The natives who used to come out daily at sunrise for a demonstration in front of the Huirangi peach grove were received by grape shot and rifle volleys and some of them disabled. Today an attempt was made by them to overpower the sappers at work in approaches to their position, but as the troops had previous information there was a good force to meet them and 34 were killed and 4 made prisoners . . . We know of two killed on our side . . .

If the war is not soon ended and if the elections turn out unfavorably here, I think it would be best as well as pleasantest for me to come to live with you. I might not earn much, but if we took a house, I could save some of the expense we now incur by doing household work . . .

I have just been to the door to see the funeral of the poor fellow who was shot yesterday. He had been for a long time a teetotaller and by some chance had been tempted to break the pledge and was half mad when he went out and would run out in front as much as 200 yards at times. He had no family happily . . .

I am almost mad not to have my dear ones around me. What has been the matter with dear Mother? Our fresh sea air would be a revival for her. Heaven send us peace, no one prays more heartily for it than I. I have begun reading Guizot's memoirs of his own times . . . The book has immense interest for us so near the very earliest even of his experience. His conservatism comes very near our own tone now . . .

1860/3

C. W. Richmond to Emily Richmond - - - Mangawhare, Kaipara, 25 Jan 1861

We reached this place this morning, and ... I am able to tell you that we are all right, and that I have nearly got rid of my asthma.

Mr Rogan has returned southwards . . . We have had a delightful trip up to the present time. Kaipara far surpassed my expectation. It is full of beautiful places, and travelling by whale boat is very pleasant in such weather as we have had. In the few lines I wrote from Pitoitoi I believe I told you we were on the point of starting to cross from the Waitemata to the landing place on the Kaipara ... 14 or 16 miles. . . . By the aid of a few pipes of stramonium, and taking the hills at a very gentle pace I contrived to get to the camping place at Mangakura. From the heights where you first come in sight of the Kaipara there is a magnificent view of the vast sheet of water stretching northwards to the horizon. To the eastward the inland sea is bounded by range upon range of hill and mountain, and to the westward, it is shut in by a line of high hills, capped here and there with the white sand of the west coast. At your feet stretch the swamps of the Kaipara River which meanders through them with a singularly circuitous course . . . The banks are of soft mud, so that it is only at particular places that it is possible to land. The water of the river looks like pease

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soup . . . These marshes would be a wretched abode. But no one lives in them . . . The swamps themselves are the abode of ducks and musquitoes, and the river of kanae, which comes up with every tide. These fish are wonderful leapers, flying high out of the water. Their splashing pleasantly breaks the general stillness. Amongst the living creatures I must not omit one who is unique. The 'kuhi', 'guhi', or goose of Mangakura. This gentleman is of solitary stock. He was brought over years ago by the Maoris and now fends for himself in the wilderness. When a camp is pitched the guhi may be heard screaming either welcome or defiance from his abode somewhere in the raupo . . .

Kaipara is an arm of the sea, or rather many arms of the sea branching out north south and east with a single entrance on the west side. Its bottom is for the most part sandy and its colour the usual sea greens and blues. We have now traversed its whole extent from south to north and have explored one of its eastern arms, the Otamatea up to the very head, which is no great distance from the East coast. The scenery of the Otamatea is most beautiful, resembling when the tide is fully up a series of lakes shut in by gentle hills wooded to the water's edge and backed up in the distance by higher ranges bristling with forest. It is as beautiful as Queen Charlotte's Sound, and much more useful . . .

Otamatea branches out also north and south so as to form a perfect cross of magnificent water . . . Auckland has nothing like the scene of the meeting of the 4 rivers in the centre of the cross. T. S. Forsaith Esqre late M.G.A. owns 900 acres at the corner between Otamatea and Arapawa . . . Miss T.S.F. . . . will be worth having if she inherits in addition to the delightful mansion of Kyberville (noted for its resemblance to Geneva except that there is no lake) . . . the site of a township on these grand fiords ... A ship of 300 or 400 tons can ascend about 15 miles ... In many places the mangroves - not dead stumps like those in Hobson's Bay, but full of leaf, - raise their heads in the midst of the tide . . . There are dozens of places any one of which has all the makings of an English watering place. Lely will be pleased to hear that some of them have buff sand like Bournemouth and buff cliffs. Others have dazzlingly white cliffs, white shell beaches, and sand like fine brown sugar. Many of the cliffs are covered with pohutukawa, and other trees down to the oysters ...

We have met with nothing like the Christmas fare which Arthur enjoyed. We have . . . only once tasted this best of New Zealand fishes [Kanae]. We have been living on bacon, biscuits and indifferent potatoes. I have slept every night in the tent, except when we arrived after dark at Tauhara . . . and we slept in a whare. Wonderful to say there were no fleas. But we were in the first part of the night half suffocated; for the people had collected all the charcoal from the fires in a sort of ante room to our appartment in which all the people of the kainga were collected. At last we shut the door and opened a window which by good luck there was.

We have been upon the whole well off with our crew. We took one very bad hand from Auckland. He had been in the Police force and I have often seen him walking his rounds in Parnell closely buttoned. Either he was ill or sulky for he always lagged

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and did no work. The others laughed at him a good deal. Rogan was talking to Keene (the Orakei chief who accompanied us) asking how it was this man was always behind. Keene said he could not tell how it happened unless it was because he was a pirihimana. He wore trousers which he complained were too tight. Rogan noticed that this would not do in the bush with a pikau, and the policeman settled to take off the trousers at a place called Waikoko, half way between Waimata and Kaipara . . . However, he stuck to the trousers. Keene, who himself wore trousers, rather defended the wearing of trousers. He said this was a trouser-wearing time. That everybody wore them. At last the poor policeman was discharged and sent back to Akarana.

We sailed in a beautiful little green whale boat which went very fast. Sometimes it tipped dreadfully . . . The mouth of Kaipara is 3 or 4 miles wide gaping to the ocean and the endless lines of breakers outside. The strong ebb would of course sweep a disabled boat out to certain destruction . . . We saw the perfect orb of the sun go down between the heads into the ocean. I never saw that grand sight more perfectly. Darkness coming on we . . . stood for Tauhara instead . . . Sunday we spent at the camp at Mangakura where the guhi lives by the milky waters of the upper Kaipara River . . . [On Thursday] we had a fine run to a place called Otiaho where Arthur spent Xmas - the place with sugar sand. A native feast was being held here. We knew that a bullock had been killed for the guests and flattered ourselves that we might perhaps come in for the tail. But no such luck. We had to fall back on our own bacon reinforced in the course of the evening with fried onions and dried eels. The eel required some strength and skill to cut up and a good deal of chewing and was rather oily . . .

There was a Maori steward at this place who had graduated on board ship. Although there was nothing to eat he displayed great skill and agility in preparing the table, laying tablecloth, knives and forks, setting cups etc. - taking manifest pride in his work. . . . Here we boiled the pihi arero (or beef tongue) ... It is now in Mrs Mariner's pantry ... till Monday when Authur and I make a start for Hokianga ... Mrs Mariner is evidently a first rate bush housekeeper. I ate a great pasty made of beautifully light paste (of a biscuit-like consistency) with gooseberry jam inside . . .

We have had lots of musquitoes in the tents, but it has been too cold for them to bite. The sandflies at the head of Otamatea were very bad.

1861/4

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Mangawhare, Su 27 Jan 1861

. . . Went out with William, bathed, then sat by him on Mt Wesley while he sketched the country towards Tokatoka. After dinner read a little & went out again with William & two young little Mariners to the Ngatikawa's pa - Wairoakareia - & back.

W 30 Jan . . . We had made up our minds last night to go up the river & on to Whangarei, but early this mg. Waata Rori (Walter Laurie, son of Porore) came & offered to take us to Hokianga at the price we had offered Mohi. At 11.30 started, William & I on horses, W. Rori & Tamati walking . . . Came out on the beach at

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Papakotore, went on to Moiatoa & had dinner. Very much interested in a large stratum of lignite to be seen under the sandcliffs, kapia 5 still in, & some of the wood curiously recent looking (under from 50ft to 150ft of sandy rock). Watched the karoros carrying up the pouas & letting them drop to break the shells, then going down & eating . . . We rode on to Mamari ... & after about an hour our slaves arrived. Saw my first korora (dead).

Th 31 Jan Had breakfast, packed up, planted Otamatea peach stone & started... Got to the foot of Maunganui & by degrees up & over him, arriving at Waikara between 5 & 6 p.m. Maories very slow & horses a nuisance. Maunganui is perfect of its kind, or rather 'sui generis', as far as anything William or I have ever seen. Huge black lava cliffs rising right out of the sea, the tops & in some places the sides covered with low trees. There are great gorges cut out of the face of the cliffs ... & at the bottom is the deep blue sea, a magnificent sight. At this (Hokianga) side ... we climbed some little trees & got some glorious views, the straight line of coast just curved at the far end, yellow brown beach & white surf, probably to Kaipara Heads. Tokatoka, Maunga Raho & two ranges beyond & part of Wairoa visible. On Maunganui I saw about a dozen plants & trees new to me. On two sides of the mountain are barren sand hills but on the mountain itself & on the ridges inland the soils (tho' stony) seem very rich.

F 1 Feb ... At Kawerua halted for the ebb tide (to cross Waimamaku) . . . Got first sight of Hokianga from above about 5.30 p.m. (a beautiful sight). Went down to Martin's house. Pilot boat gone up with a brig. Rode a wild goose chase to Nimmo's place 5 miles up (Nimmo himself being at Martin's) to get a boat. . . Pitched our tent, in the dark, & paid & dismissed our slaves . . .

S 2 Feb Got the loan of the pilot boat but had to hire a maori crew at 10/- apiece to pull us up to J. Webster's, called at Manings (not at home), got to Websters (Kohukohu) about 2 p.m. ... Mr J. Webster a character - most successful in his management of Maories - probably the largest timber exporter in N.Z. Has been a great traveller, in Australia & the S. S. islands. Started with Boyd in the Wanderer to found the Papuan Republic . . .The day Boyd was killed eleven of them afterwards went ashore & went 10 miles down the coast, burning the villages as they went, but could not find him tho they saw unmistakeable signs of his having been killed. He showed us some excellent drawings of the birds & fishes of the islands ... In the evg. his sister-in-law Miss Russell (a half caste) gave us some music, & very good it was . . .

Su 3 Feb . . . About 11 Mr Webster & his brother (Alexr.), C.W.R & I went for a sail up the river, passed an island where the first judicial execution of a Maori 6 took place (20 years or more ago). Beat up as far as the old mission station (deserted like two-thirds of the houses in Hokianga). In the distance saw the house of Jackey Marmon - said to be oldest settler in N.Z. - said also to have done a little cannibalism in his time . . . After dinner read Jack the Cannibal Killer ... a (manuscript) autobiography of a runaway sailor while living amongst the New Caledonians. A man

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without principle or shame, but having considerable ability. This book should be called - The Autobiography of a blackguard - or Jean Jacques Rousseau of the S. S. Islands ... In the evg. C.W.R. in bed with asthma.

M 4 Feb William still bad with asthma . . . Saw the 'Cannibal Killer' (W. Diaper) who is working for Webster as a carpenter. Also Arama Karaka of this place, said by Webster to be an excellent man, a moral force Maori & of great influence. In evg. played a game at chess with A. Webster (Sydney) & won it. A. Karaka after looking on for about an hour said 'Katahi ano te tino mea.'

Tu 5 Feb About 10.30 got into a boat with Mr Webster & his brother & an elector or two & rowed down to Hurd's Point, the Hokianga polling place. All voted for Busby (against Carleton). 7 After a little while we came back I pulled both ways, which improved my style . . . Talked in evg. and listened to Miss Russell's singing.

W 6 Feb ... At 10.30 bid farewell to Kohukohu & its people. Mr Webster supplied us with a boat & crew (two natives) & I rowed occasionally, went up the Waima, landed & went to Revd. Laurie's 8 where put up . . . Saw Mohi Tawai there. In the eveng. had a little music, Scotch songs from Miss Wishart - Jacobin ones sung with enthusiasm. The Revd. Laurie told us circumstantially how he prevented a war between Waikato (under old Wetere) and Ngatiwhatua, at Pukaki.

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J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond (at Auckland) - - - Taranaki, 27 Jan 1861

You will see by the Taranaki Herald what I have been thinking respecting our war. The accounts of the abortive Waireka affair and of the repulse of the natives from the No 3 redoubt at Waitara in the Nelson Exr. are also my doing . . . Evidently this last success is a terrible blow to the natives. The Rev. Mr Wilson says they must have as many as 120 killed and wounded. 9 I have got most of my information from Mr Wilson, whom I like very much. Had all our missionaries been men of his plain broad sense and unblinded honor we should be very differently situated. ... He lives in Parnell. . .

On last Wednesday evening about sunset firing was heard near Carrington Hill blockhouse, and we all repaired within the lines. I took up my quarters at the new offices we are in course of building on Mt Elliot, opposite I. N. Watt's store. Nothing came of the affair. It was a straggling party stimulated by the distant view of the sentry's head, which showed clearly a mile off in the brilliant air. I did not sleep for fleas. They have become a pest in town. There is so much dust and few people can keep their crowded houses clean. Then shavings, which were my bed, are a favourite residence of fleas ... I went out frequently to taste the air, and to see the men of the 57th land from the Star Queen which was done between 10 o'clock and 2 in the morning. We have had the roadstead like a pond all the fortnight since I have been here . . .

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Sunday afternoon ... I have been basking in the garden along with T. King, eating apples and figs. I always bring him over on Sundays as he is quite lonely at the office. ... I think the wrath against T. King and myself with respect to Nelson is wearing out . . . Old crazy Samuels, who is fussing about continually and thinks himself of great political influence, says that Charles Brown will be returned. A few months ago he was by no means popular but very likely he has attained popularity since, for there is no particular reason for it. It is a matter I care very little for personally if we had peace. . . .

I am greatly refreshed by seeing that the English and Australian press are getting hold of the broad features of our case. The almost inevitable nature of the crisis; the falsity of the comparison which makes the wilderness Naboth's vineyard, and the natives the industrious vinedressers; the smallness of the alleged error of the govt., if proved; and the horrible criminality of those who by their public denunciations and obstruction of the government have supported the spirit of resistance, seem to be established. ... At no great distance of time there will be a revulsion of feeling everywhere against the Hadfield Featherston faction. They are terrible traitors and Martin must be sadly wanting in depth to have acted and thought as he has done. ...

Monday morning - The Cordelia is at Waitara ... I must shut this stupid letter as the Waitara flag is up and perhaps the mail will close suddenly. I am most thankful to hear that a large force is likely to arrive before long to settle this question of supremacy ... if England undertakes for a few years really to see to it that there is law here.

1861/5

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 2Q Jan 1861

It seems to me almost certain that the session must be at Auckland and with the force that is gradually gathering I should say that Auckland is absolutely safe even if the Ngapuhi join in the war, as it is now reported they will do. But if you take a house it should not be far away from Auckland, as any amount of bungling must be reckoned for at the hands of the military authorities. . . .

I find great good in having the newspaper to look after. So far I have not done it well... If Pheney should go and Chilman, Halse and I get hold of his press it would be practicable to make a respectable paper. But all is dim.

1861/6

Maria Richmond to Jane Atkinson - - - [Auckland, 2 Feb 1861]

Arthur and he [William] left for Kaipara a fortnight since yesterday . . . Arthur says Wm's asthma is cured by sleeping out of doors on new fern and advises my trying a similar experiment in the Domain. I shall wait until I am assured 'I am wanted somewhere else'. Mr Stafford is disporting himself in the South. I have been spending a few days at Mr Whitaker's and whilst I was there Mr W. had a letter from Mr S. to the effect that he feared he should not be able to return before the end of Feby. Mr W.

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seemed annoyed at his coolness, as well he might, the weight being all on his shoulders now, he works hard early and late. Mr Weld cannot come till after his election, which he is sure to lose if he absents himself. The No Popery cry has been raised against him. I suppose there is no chance of the Ministry standing and for Wm's sake I can hardly wish he should remain in office, the work and anxiety will I fear undermine his constitution.

1861/70.

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 3 Feb 1861

It feels always like a holiday to me when I sit down to write to you. All the little preparations are quite a delight. I wish I were a poet to write fresh sweet words every time to you whose sweetness and unfading freshness makes life a joy to me. . . .

You will be glad to hear that I have now the loft to myself. S----- has got a lodging and ... I have already got much more free from fleas by industrious dusting and washing the floor and putting my bed and blankets out in the sunshine ... Everyone in the town is groaning under the infliction . . . People are so crammed they cannot keep their houses in a decent state. Our little house in town is begun; the frame will be set up on Monday if the weather is fair. It is to be 24' by 13' and will have two floors. The upper floor will have only one room but the lower will be divided, and there is to be a little porch. It will be quite a bachelor's house, but I can't help thinking of you in it. I fancy getting it dragged to some section on the beach and additions made to it. But the threatening aspect of the war makes this a very doubtful hope.

I cannot find out the truth about the force to be expected . . .

Tuesday Evening Feb 5. ... I was busy reorganising my loft which is now a really pleasant abode . . . Although it is so low the windows at the end keep it quite airy; it has never been oppressive in all the hot weather and now that it is clean I could be well satisfied to bring you and my little ones to it. But this must not be yet; I cannot say that I think the place secure.

1861/8

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 5 Feb 1861

... The face of the war can hardly be more unsatisfactory than now. We are not safe in town, and we see the houses and stacks that yet remain going by driblets from day to day. It is said General Pratt 10 has some idea of returning this way shortly ... A real permanent occupation of the country cannot be effected till he gets at the cultivations and he dare not do that while the rebels muster so strong, but if there were a Southern expedition set on foot he would draw off a great many and the town garrison might rout out W. King and destroy the cultivations or take up the potatoes. But it is getting late in the season, soon the Natives will get the crops in themselves and then we must reckon the war to last into next summer. Things may be better than I hope . . . General Pratt and his 'sappy' procedure would absorb 10,000 men at Waitara and look for

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more. One cannot say. I am sometimes hopeful that even yet we might be together here after the session, but I am bound to be at the session, come what will. As to the Superintendentship, it ... is too soon to talk much of this, especially in the risky state of even one's life, let alone the chances of a popular election.

1861/9

C. W. Richmond, nursery rhyme - - - (undated)

1861/39

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 6 Feb 1861

I wrote to you today to go I hope by the Victoria and arrive on the anniversary of our meeting in 1856, and I cannot lie down for the night without saying once again dearest that the five years which date from your precious note have been beyond all comparison the best and happiest of my life, and these last days with all their outward drawbacks, the brightest and most blessed of the whole five years. I say this dear love without being excited 'but in the quietness of thought' with a full remembrance of every, no of many failures and shortcomings. That your dear company has been a gift beyond all price and one of growing value is the last thought and firm knowledge with which I end this period. God be thanked for it. I would like to live on this beautiful world a long time beside you and see our little ones developing and rejoice in our dear friends: but we are surrounded always by the spirit of death and if he has marked either of us especially at this time, God be thanked who has allowed me these five years intimacy with you my dear dear wife. The sense of our insecurity broods over me, but I do not see how I can mend matters; we are going to sleep in town tonight not for any special alarm but on general principle. I shall take this scrap with me and my last dear letters, besides the Holloway 1856 note. God bless you my darling and all our treasures goodnight.

Friday Feb. 8 . . . General Pratt is I fear confused as to the proper office of a general, and has stopped all operations at Waitara for this or some other pretext. Heartily as I wish for peace I should be mad to desire it without such guarantees as we are very unlikely to get at present. Men who intend to surrender arms, land, murderous companions, cattle and other plunder, do not go on shooting burning and plundering to the last hour. But at least it looks well that any part of the rebel taua

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wishes to be out of the quarrel. We know certainly that very many Waikatos have returned home in parties of 15 or 20 and probably the chances of an attack on town are now much reduced. 11

1861/10

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Waima, Th 7 Feb 1861

Talked a little with Revd. L[awry]. It appears the country will be priest ridden before long (Popish priest ridden that is). The Govt, favours the Papists so & neglects the Wesleyans. Started about 9 with mounted guide ... At Ohaeawai . . . saw some remains of palisading & breastworks, but it seems did not see the pa itself. Rode on to Waimate, called on Rev G. Clarke (Protector Aborigines formerly) ... an amiable and interesting man, but with imaginative views on Maori matters. His eldest son is a man of evident ability well informed & with a liberal mind. 12 Played two games at chess with Marsden Clarke, & won both (for the honour of Taranaki) . . . We got (from G.C. junr.) an account of the attack on No 3 redoubt (before Huirangi). The maories got into the outer ditch before they were seen, but did not get much farther. I was very much gratified with the notion of the artillery men cutting short the fuse & throwing the shell into the ditch, which was excellent.

F 8 Feb After breakfast rode over with Mr Clarke to the lake (Omapere), saw the remains of the Okaihau pa (properly Mahue) & near to it on a rocky promontory Hongi's old pa (Tapuae-haruru) & other noticeable spots ... Started for Kirikiri. When we got there found Clendon & H. Kemp had gone over to Kororareka expecting to meet the Govr. Very civilly entertained by Kemp senr. 13 R. Kemp took us to see the Waianiwaniwa falls on the Kirikiri. The water falls 70 or 80 feet sheer down, over a great arch made of blocks of lava, under the arch is a cave filled with ferns which can be seen thro the sheet of water. The ferns ... all I saw were common to Taranaki. 14

S 9 Feb Kororareka. ... In the evg. Mr Barstow 15 came in. After talking about the election he told us some of his experiences of wild cattle, Maories, S. S. Islanders &c. To avoid a bull, stand still till he lowers his head, then jump aside & move off slowly, repeating as often as necessary . . . The best was how he recovered some stolen rope from some Maories (at the Great Barrier) by threatening to fire a rusty old canon at their ship two miles off unless they produced it, tho as he says the ball would hardly have gone 200 yards.

Tu 12 Feb . . . Embarked with C.W.R. in Tamati Waka's whale boat. Rowed over to Ti (or Mangonui). I steered & drew a great deal of obloquy on myself. Seven (Maori) boats - all close together pulling at different rates . . . Stopped at two places on the road, waiting for the Govr. Not a very interesting meeting. Some advised the Govr. to make peace with Te Rangitake, some said don't, but the main part of the

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(sincere) talk was about rum, asking to have the restriction taken off the sale of it. I was near a pakeha (T. Hanson) who had a very good knowledge of Maori & he helped me in the translation. Talking about Kingi Wiremu (present, a huge fat man), he said that in size he was nothing to his father, who moreover was a great cannibal. He (Hanson) had seen him eat a child six months old without help. He used to keep female slaves on purpose to rear this sort of live stock.

M 18 Feb Auckland. . . . The Fawn in from Taranaki. Bad news Cap. Strange 16 (65th) killed at Waitara & poor Willie King murdered on his own place. 17

Tu 19 Feb . . . Went to C.W.R's where the Revd. J. A. Wilson was, lately up from Taranaki. He is strongly of opinion that the Maories will leave Taranaki soon from want of food.

W 20 Feb . . . Saw George Lethbridge & Willie Webster in Town. The latter has left the Volunteers - 'because there was only a skirmish once in six months & nothing but 'sentry-go' & bullying between.'

W 27 Feb . . . Maori most of the day, called on White in the evg. ... He was getting the Tainui genealogies from Hohepa Tamaihengia - tino tohunga of Ngatitoa.

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H. A. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson - - - Taranaki, 27 Feb 1861

The General at Waitara is continuing the sap and will according to Dr White, who was up yesterday get to where the Natives are in from ten to fourteen days. And almost as a matter of course when he get[s] there the Natives will still be as far off. Grayling 18 . . . told me the plan of the general was a really good one, and that it was progressing very favorably. . . . All the Maories are to be driven to Waireka and then the troops are to come up and crush them all at once. I was rather surprised to hear that most of them are already driven up. Fancy the General driving the Maories anywhere that they did not choose to go!

An escort goes every Saturday to Omata from Town with provisions, on Saturday last it was under the command of Major Herbert and consisted of two hundred men, which is the smallest number that is ever sent. They arrived at the stockade all right and were piling arms in the road when all at once they received a volley from about 100 Natives who were waiting for them on the top of Major Lloyd's pah (it is right in front of the stockade to seaward distant 750 yards), two men were slightly touched . . . both 57th men. Herbert at once attacked them but they bolted before he could get round them, he had a 24 pounder with him ... A support of 100 men was sent from Town under Col Young 65th. I was with this lot in command of the Volunteers, we had the advance guard. You may be sure it did not take us long to get out. Directly we arrived on the ground we were extended and drove the natives from the gully

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at the bottom of the road into the Waireka gully. Herbert & Young determined to cross the Waireka gully at several points and see how the pahs look. The 24 pounder was brought to the front . . . and fired one round ... I began to fancy we were going to do something ... an order came from Town that we were on no account to cross the gully, so the retire was sounded and we had to march back to our great disgust. We had two men wounded (57th) in . . . the gully. . . . Although a great deal of ammunition was fired away, it was mostly at smoke ... A native had never crossed the gully, they would have had to run for it across those large fields and must have left a large number. Young has been 30 years or thereabouts in the service and that is the first shot he ever had fired at him.

We had a court-martial to-day on -----. . . [He] has only been drunk 8 times when for duty within this year.

News is just up from Waitara that the Natives have destroyed 200 yards of the sap, the sap roller and sundry other things. Another man of the 40th was mortally wounded yesterday. If that old muff does not soon alter his tactics we shall be in a jolly mess for the winter. The Maories at Waireka don't seem inclined to move yet but I fear that unless we soon make a move against them they will be off. It is said that they intend to attack the next escort and surround it. I only hope this may be true, I rather fancy they will by the time they have got round us wish themselves well back to the bush again.

The fever is leaving us, I am thankful to say, and the general health seems very much better. Old Young is much better than we expected; he behaved very well on Saturday . . . McKellar should be made Capt in poor King's place; on no a/c McKechney, he is quite unfit for it.

Why don't we get the 2/6 per day and proper clothing? We have only 40 pairs of trousers for 100 men! ! and been now on active service nearly a year. How long is the war likely to last? Every body that likes ought to have his discharge. Could not you get the Government to reduce the price of the ammunition from 1/6 per dozen to say -/6: this would put it within the reach of the men. I think the Gov might be content to charge half that price for it. . . .

v 5, p 50

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Th 28 Feb 1861

Talked over Taranaki affairs & read letters & papers . . . The six Friendly Natives who lately went over to the enemy are said by the General (in a Procln.) to have been seduced from their allegiance by settlers. Not a bad notion. If the obnoxious settlers could induce all the Friendly Natives to go over we should get rid of our worst enemy, excepting perhaps our commanders ... By the Omata stockade our fellows had got the fishes in a net & were about to haul in when orders came from Town (from Col. Sillery, I suppose) to 'Let go the net' which was done accordingly.

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A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, M 4 Mar 1861

Went over to Dilworth & told him to get the ram sold. Did a little maori. In afn. went to Town came home with C.W.R. (also went with him to look at the new rifles & breach loading carbines) . . .

W 6 Mar . . . Came up ... to C.W.R's & spent the eveng. The Revd. J. A. Wilson . . . says there is no doubt that William Thompson (Tarapipipi) (who has just gone down to Taranaki) has all along been the 'root' of the war party in Waikato. He did not warn Wetini not to go, as Mr Wilson met the latter on his way to Taranaki who told him that Tarapipipi himself would have gone if he had not. He told us an interesting story af Tupaia's father (chief of Ngatiawa Bay of Plenty). A Ngapuhi taua had come down & the two hostile parties were camp'd on the beach miles from each other. They used to fight morning & evening, resting in the middle of the day ... One day at noon when both armies were asleep Tupaia's father got up took his weapons & walked away towards the enemy to see if he could pick up anything . . . sat down in the shade of the ngaiho's which bordered the beach. After a while he saw coming towards him a Ngapuhi chief bent on the same errand as himself, when he got near also sat down in the ngaihos. Upon this our hero got up crept round behind the other seized & bound him & marched him off towards the Ngatiawa camp, but when he had got a little way towards it he loosed his hands gave him his weapons & said 'now tie me & take me to your pa.' This was done & when they got there the Ngapuhi chief at first had great difficulty in preventing them killing the other, but when he had told them what had happened they were all instantly silent, & it ended in peace. He says in talking with the Natives about killing wounded men they all agree our way is better, but say what can we do when our blood is up? We cannot 'reach it.'

M 11 Mar 1861 . . . Went into the Albert Barracks & inspected the Armstrong guns (just out). Capn. Mercer (in charge), Col. Warre, Cap. Cracroft, Weld, the Gov &c were there on a similar errand . . . Heard this morng. that young Edward Messenger was shot yesterday week . . . probably the best shot in the Volunteers. He was in Waireka & Mahoetahi & at the former stormed the pa with the sailors.

W 13 Mar ... In evg. went down to C.W.R's. Reading in Sir C. Napier's Life the history of his campaign against Beja Khan in the hills. Not a bad parallel to the Taranaki War.

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J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 9 March 1861

I cannot find that any stir has taken place about the superintendentship. It lies I suppose between C. Brown and myself. William Bayly has undertaken to get a requisition for Brown from two thirds of the electors if he will resign his commission; Brown declined to do so. That is the whole of the movement so far . . .

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Rumor says that Colonel Warre 19 is under arrest for speaking his mind on the state of affairs. The men are very hard worked on the sap and night watches and there are daily casualties on the work. Warre is stated to have said he would not allow his men to be used in this way, and high words followed and he was arrested.

1861/12

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, S 16 Mar 1861

. . . Went to Town, half way with Hohepa Tamaihengia & the other half with White, getting two valuable lessons. Met a Maori girl with a pakipakitaha & so got the meaning explained ...

Su 17 Mar While I was getting breakfast ready young Mary came up with a message from C.W.R. saying he was poorly & wanted me to take some papers down to Gov. House . . . Found him writing an address for the Govr. to the rebellious negroes, stating roughly the ground work of peace - British law & individualization of titles between Waitara & Tataraimaka, giving up murderers &c . . . Got into the van with the men of the N[ative] O[ffice] & the chiefs &c who are going & went on to Onehunga. Embarked in the Victoria. . . . Argued the war question with the officers of the Victoria, some of whom think we are making our fortunes by the war. This day twelve months the first shot was fired . . .

M 18 Mar New Plymouth. . . . Anchored off the Waitara about 6 a.m. . . . Landed about 9, walked about a little . . . Went first to Puketakauere (where there is now a stockade) the ground does not look so difficult as I expected. Went on to Kairau (or No 1 Redoubt) also occupied by soldiers. Matarikoriko being about 1000 yards nearer the river. Overtook W. Seccombe and Eb. Shaw and with them examined No 3 Redoubt. 20 Shaw was up just after the fight was over and before the dead bodies of the Maoris were taken away . . . The body of Hori the hunchback was found in the end of the ditch close by the gate way. Lieut Jackson was shot standing in the upper corner near 3. The maoris are buried a little way off and there is a slight railing put up, partly broken down by the cattle already . . . All the way as I was going there was a heavy fire from the guns and mortars but when I got there they were only firing with small arms . . . the maoris occasionally answering from the right hand end of the pa and from the rifle (or double barrell gun) pits on the edge of the bush . . . Got back to the friendly maori pa at the mouth of the Waitara. Met Parris and had some food, about dark went on board the Tasmanian Maid and slept. The Fawn left for Auckland about 2 but what McLean is doing I don't know . . . N.B. A great treat to see the old mountain again.

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J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 18 Mar 1861

The steamers now all go from Waitara ... To make our communications with you frequent Waitara should be the head post office. ... I am very far from easy about you both, and I most heartily wish I were free from all politics, General Assembly and all, that we might at once remove to some place of complete quiet and freedom from alarms, whilst you can move safely . . . We are all, I think, more depressed and hopeless than ever. General Pratt's conduct looks more and more idiotic. Our men on the great cannonading days fire from morning till night at a great fern-covered hill which presents no mark in one part more than another. The ammunition fired away must be astounding, and the labor to the men excessive; they keep loading and firing without any aim the whole day. Occasionally the General appears clapping his hands and crying 'give it them my lads - that's it!' Then he gets in a rage, stamps and storms, and next he retires and goes to sleep.

Before this reaches you you will hear of the death of poor young Macnaghten of the Artillery, a practical working officer who had been in every affair of the war. He fired his first shot in the war at the L. pa and the last on the anniversary of that celebrated victory of Gold's. Our men are dribbled off daily ... A deep red glow on the under side of the clouds in the direction of Pukerangiora seems to indicate that some destruction is going on there. Houses in the bush are also being fired.

I have been very busy getting our goods into the little new house, and doing all I can to restore them . . . The books have many of them suffered from damp, but the choicest are safe. I have turned all over, dusted and aired them and I think of putting them on some rough shelves for a time at least. . . . On the whole it is as well that I built the little box, a great many things will be rescued by it . . . that is assuming no great disaster happens in town. Even then it is among the best situated houses, close to Mt Eliot which is an entrenched camp . . .

1861/13

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - New Plymouth, Tu 19 Mar 1861

The Tas. Maid left Waitara about 1.30 a.m. & anchored off N.P. about 3.30 a.m. Landed about 7 ... a flag of truce said to be flying at Waitara & McLean negotiating with the enemy.

W 20 Mar . . . Parris came up from Waitara & went down in the Maid to see the Poutoko natives - with what object I don't know. The truce has not ended at Waitara & all sorts of rumours about peace are about the Town. In the mean time our Southern friends are 'clearing up' the few remaining houses. Smoke to be seen in several directions . . .

Th 21 Mar... Publicly rather a startling state of things. The Waikatos have gone home, or at least started, & McLean is negotiating with W. Kingi. The Southern rascals have left Waireka . . . taking 6 or 800 sheep & 60 head of cattle with them

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according to the Poutoko natives . . . They burned a great many houses yesterday or at least made a great deal of smoke in different directions, and some even this morning before they left. This hardly looks like peace.

F 22 Mar . . . Tried to get up a party to go to Hurworth. Col. Sillery's answer to Harry's application for leave to go is that he could not let an armed party and should not like an unarmed party to go, but he has referred it to Gen Pratt.

S 23 Mar . . . Col. Sillery referred Harry's application to Gen. Pratt who today sends back word that 'unarmed parties of not more than ten, in charge of an officer, may go out to visit their farms, the officer to be held strictly responsible for any damage they may do to the Maories or their property.' And this tho the truce does not include the Southern Natives.

Su 24 Mar About 9 a.m. our 'unarmed party of ten' 21 began to collect by the Stone Cottage, soon after we started to explore the Bush & visit Hurworth once more. It was a delicious morning . . . We went by the Victoria mill, to avoid any troublesome questions from sentries. The first place we called at was Hursthouse's. The house is standing but very few peaches left. Dick Lethbridge's burnt, Broadmore's burnt. Just before we came to Merton we passed the scattered & whitening bones of a little horse once called Sylvia. At Merton the house, Bird's nest & gallery are burnt, the shed & cowshed standing. On the brow of the hill... a large light colored bullock dead. James Oliver's burnt, Robert's standing, Batkin's (now Pheney's) standing but knocked about, Drayton's burnt, Newman's burnt, W. French's and J. French's (really Pitcairn's) burnt... At Rata nui the house & saw mill burnt. After this came a ... mile or so of bush, with nothing to show a state of war but the thistles flourishing luxuriantly. At Jemmy's clearing . . . the leaning tawa had fallen across the road. Nothing else had gone wrong, the bush itself looking as homelike as ever. C.W.R's clearing which was never sown, is covered with under-wood, just growing - the best thing for it to keep the thistles out . . . When we got to the last little hill this side of Hurworth there was Harry's house right before us looking just the same as ever. This cheered us & we went on. The dormitorium standing. Just beyond this we got sight of a rounded little hill . . . but alas no house at its foot. ... A few steps farther & we could see James's standing. On a shutter in the verandah was written in large letters (in chalk) - 'E nga tangata katoa o te taua, kaua e tahuna tenei whare, hei moenga mo nga tangata e haere ana ki Waitara - Na Te Tapihana.' 22 The same inscription was repeated with slight variations all over the walls of the large lower room, which they had used as their bedroom. All over the floor was an indescribable mess of broken crockery & glass, bits of chopped up furniture, torn up paper, & lots of dirt. Just before the fireplace were a few makos which they had been sleeping on. They had taken great liberties with the doors, chopping out the locks of some & the panels of others ...

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They had made a 'hangi' just before the front windows. Henry who had gone on came back & told us that his had disappeared ... of mine there is nothing but the charred stumps of the piles left and the chimnies . . . Before they burned the shed they pulled off the door & threw it outside, so we have got something towards another house . .. Went on to Harry's. The dairy is burnt, the house knocked about a little & a large hole burnt in the floor of the kitchen . . . Went on to Henry's. His two chimnies standing up back to back . . . His pump had gone down the well ... his lathe was standing 'in situ.' Of the other houses Bill's & the Ronald's are burnt, Decy's little one standing, Kohekohe Lodge & Fernpost House also standing . . . The universal feeling was expressed in the wish that we had been present to assist at the burning of our homesteads . . . After we got home Wells called & reported all the upper Mangorei houses standing except Waite's which was burnt some months ago . . .

v 32

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 24 Mar 1861

I must say a few words to you my own darling before I lie down, to tell you how we have been stirred by the vision of a return of peace and reunion . . . Waikato has retired and is honorable enough to respect a flag of truce, and the Southern men precipitately retreated on the news that peace was likely. So it is quite safe to go into the country, and we went to explore . . .

All the doors of our house are destroyed, several sashes broken, all or nearly all the crockery dug up and smashed . . . The drawing room paper is stripped, as we knew, the book cases were thrown down to do this and so they escaped further damage . . . I see no sign of any attempt to burn. All over the walls are inscriptions signed 'Na te Tapihana' requesting Maoris not to burn the house, as it was a sleeping place for men travelling to Waitara. Harry's house had a fire lighted on the floor which after burning a great hole had gone out . . . Thomas King's two houses are burned, Blackett's, Allen's safe, Chilman's safe. Our little fruit trees have not been much burnt... I have no faith in a peace with Waikato, but the Ngatiawa are tired ... It seemed extravagant for the Waikato and Ngatiawa to be united at Pukerangiora - the scene of the frightful massacre of the latter by the former - against the British who were for years the safeguard of Ngatiawa against their enemies. Peace has not come but day dawns. . . .

Wednesday morning . . . It is a disappointment to me not to have seen the Governor or had definite news about the peace before the Airedale comes in ... I send a ... bit of gutta percha for Annie's teeth. It seems to have changed its consistency by age but perhaps if it is well worked by hand, after putting it in hot water it may come all right again.

No news whatever has turned up about affairs at Waitara . . . An article I put in last Saturday's Herald, a very dull one but one that I thought rather stiff in its demands for conditions of peace, has given much matter of excitement. Some settlers, Hulke and Devenish among others, say 'its the worst thing that ever happened for

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N. Plymo'. Colonel Young on the other hand says 'it is a noble article', the writer is fit for the English parliament, and to edit the Times'. I never was more surprised at the effect of my genius. The article is . . . just the opposite of what the readers fancy. I fear the Governor will not recommend me for the honor of knighthood in consequence . . .

Sunday morning. ... Yes darling I agree to a great extent with you about the Maori murderers, they are not of the same dye of guilt as men who for some wretched end sneak about and kill some unsuspecting friend, perhaps, in the midst of all the discouragements to such violence that surround men in public life. What should be done in a case like theirs I can't say, but I would prefer hearing that they had fallen in fight to having them cut off in a deliberate way.

The arrival of General Cameron has set us all speculating. Tales of all sorts are about. He is said to bring instructions from home which preclude a tinkered peace. I hope so, yet I long for peace as heartily and as hourly as anyone. In the meantime we must suspend if possible any decisive step about housing for the winter. ...

1861/14

Rev J. Morgan to C.W. Richmond - - - Otawhao, 2j Mar 1861

The Governor has requested me to communicate with you during the time he is away at Taranaki ... At present all is quiet in this district. Everything now depends on Wm Thompson. If the Governor is unable to conclude a peace with him, we must be exceedingly watchful for the out settlements. Waikato as a body will in my opinion be at home this winter so that although Taranaki may enjoy a little rest we must be on the look out in another quarter. I fear that we shall find that the natives are not yet prepared to accept fair & just terms of peace . . .

v 5, p 52

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - New Plymouth, Th 28 Mar 1861

Got onto a horse & went out with Decy to catch his . . . had some difficulty in getting by the Fort Misery sentry (because we got near him without thinking of it. No one is allowed to go outside the line of blockhouses without a pass from Col. Sillery, except Maories who may go unchallenged where they like.) 23 Had dinner at Harry's. Afterwards rode out with Decy to Bell Block in search of a mare said to be like Vixen, which was illusory. . . . While we were there Major Herbert & old Sillery rode up, which made Decy 'take cover' being out of bounds. Had tea at Harry's in honor of Waireka. Dr Laurenson of the Niger (a Waireka man) was also there.

S 30 Mar A day of good omen. In the early dawn whilst calmly reposing on my pillow I could see the flag up for the Airedale ... I went into Town & meeting Harry, heard with equal joy & astonishment that a new General had landed, having come straight from England - Gen. D. A. Cameron. This was wonderfully reviving. He is

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a tall man, with a large hookey nose & small grey eyes. After inspecting the defences of the Town he rode down to Waitara & announced himself to the Govr. who is said to be as much surprised as we were (allowing of course for difference of rank) 24 . . . During the course of the day saw Chilman who came up from Nelson in the Airedale. He says Gen. Cameron talks very reasonably about the possibility of taking rifle pits without a sap & moving in two directions at once, &c. ... This day twenty years ago the first ship the William Bryan got to this place.

Su 31 Mar . . . About 3 p.m. went on board the Airedale ... in the same boat with Gen. Cameron & Sir J. Alexander. The latter told the Gen that 200 of his men (14th) were at Taranaki, to which the Gen'l answered 'Then I suppose they have participated in all these victories,' which of course gratified me a good deal. He also talked of the Waireka 'rifle' pits & pas as if it might be quite possible to take them. Unfortunately I lost sight of him on board as I could not afford chief cabin fare, tho I very nearly made up my mind to spend the money in the hopes of insinuating some correct notions about the bush & fighting in it. ... I spent the night on deck, sitting on my Kaipara portmanteau. (Note - We called at Waitara for the Govt despatches as we passed.)

M 1 Apr Auckland. We got into the Heads about 10 a.m. . . . After dinner went to Town to enter myself for a shot for the A.R.A's prize . . .

Tu 2 Apr . . . We saw the Naval Brigade go by into Town, just up from Taranaki. Went to C.W.R's in evg, & talked of peace & war.

v 32

Rev J. Morgan to C. W. Richmond - - - Otawhao, 3 Apr 1861

The Waikatos began to arrive at Otawhao on Monday last, and are still coming up in small parties. Wm Thompson and other leading chiefs have taken the road by Kawhia & Raglan to Ngaruawahia. . . . Their first point is a grand muster at Ngaruawahia to consider the terms of peace proposed by Mr McLean. 2nd Some chiefs speak of a second meeting with the pakehas at Tuakau or Mangare. The second point is only conversation at present. I am of opinion that the Waikatos are anxious for peace but they wish to yield as little as possible. They do not appear disposed to accept the Governor's terms as proposed to them by Mr McLean. As far as the Waikatos are themselves concerned, I think that the king movement will be the chief difficulty. If that can be managed I do not think that it would require much tact to seperate them from Wm King & Ngatiruanui. It is quite in accordance with maori ideas that having shown their love to Wm King in going to Taranaki, that now having returned home they should remain at home.

Although I believe that the Waikatos wish for peace, I would not lead the Government to suppose that they may not again be engaged in hostilities with the Waikatos. I do not think that any hostile movement will be immediately made against

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the Auckland out settlements, I think they will rather pause at Ngaruawahia, and endeavour to draw the Govt, to their terms. It is however clear that with so large a body of armed men in the Province undecided as to their future movements, and even now speaking of a second meeting at Tuakau or Mangare, that the Govt, must be on the look out. Wm Thompson may be expected at Ngaruawahia within a week . . .

Some of the natives say that in the event of the war being resumed at Taranaki the Waikatos will return there. I am, however, of opinion that every month finds them less disposed to go so far from home, and that many who have now returned home will never go back. They might however with ease be moved to go North instead of south. I consider the country at the present moment very unsettled, & fear that we shall find that peace will not yet be restored . . . Could any plan be devised to prevent their going down armed to Tuakau? Rewi & a few others remained at Taranaki, & will probably see the Govr. there . . . One difficulty in seperating the Waikatos from the Taranaki question will arise from Wm King having told Wm Thompson that he would leave the settlement of the Waitara difficulty in his hands.

v 5, p 52

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 3 Apr 1861

I just learned that the Jupiter is sailing directly and I must scribble a line. On Monday I rode out to Waitara and along the forts to No 8 redoubt, and back, about 30 miles so I am stiff and stupid but otherwise well. The rumors of the Waitara negotiations are still vague. C.W.R. knows more than we, but it is said that at a large meeting yesterday all the owners of land between Bell Block and Waitara gave it over to the Governor. They said, 'Great is W. King's wrong, his land is on the other side of Waitara, let it be payment for his wrong' ... I believe in peace on the part of our own Ngatiawa natives, the men who have been fighting against us are as friendly as ever. No trace of bitterness appears in their greetings which are very lively. About Waikato and the South we hear nothing.

1861/15

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, F 5 Apr 1861

Went to Town & got 100 rounds of ball cartridge & 150 caps - paid 10/- . . . Talked over the affairs of the Nation with C.W.R. They are crying peace peace where there is no peace.

S 6 Apr . . . Saw C.W.R in afn. & told him not to decide hastily on settling at Otakou or Canterbury till he saw what was to be done at Taranaki. If he would go there I would join him (as skip) but if he went farther south, I should be very doubtful ...

M 8 Apr After breakfast went to Mount Eden to fire my rifle - 5 rounds at 100 yds ... 5 at 200 not properly marked - all lying . . .

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F 12 Apr Turned out early & got to Mt Eden target before sunrise - shot a little. After breakfast went to Town, with White, came home & put the words I got into my dictionary as usual ... In the evg. read a review of Froude by Revd. F. D. Maurice.

v 32

Jane Maria Atkinson to Margaret Taylor - - - New Plymouth, 5 Apr 1861

The month just passed has seemed an unusually long one. When it commenced we were waiting anxiously for the result of the negotiations for peace ... It goes out apparently leaving Taranaki quiet, and likely to remain so, even tho' more fighting may have to be done before peace can be considered as resting on a sure foundation for the whole of the Colony. The anxiety of the Governor and his advisers to clear the quarrel of the complications . . . has induced them to let the first Maoris in the rebellion get off very easily. In fact the terms granted them, however they may sound to English ears at a distance, consist in greatly enhancing the value of all their possessions at Waitara, inflicting no penalty but that of in future governing them by British law ... It is now said that the Taranakis, the smaller of the two southern tribes, who have done far the largest share of injury to our settlement in the way of murdering, house burning and cattle lifting, have given in to the terms offered them and the Ngatiruanuis. Besides restoring all the plunder in their hands they are to give up some considerable tract of land to compensate for the property destroyed which cannot be restored. It is not made a condition of granting peace to the whole tribes that they should give up the murderers of the various settlers . . . because such a condition might have occasioned endless delays and difficulties. But notice is given that the various men known or suspected to have been guilty of the different murders will be seized whenever they are caught and tried for their crimes according to British law.

Those best acquainted with the Maoris say that not another shot will be fired in our Province. If the Ngatiruanuis do not come in to the Governor's terms as the Taranakis have done . . . they are certain not to recommence hostilities now that the Waikatos have abandoned the quarrel about Teira's block in our Province. If they desire more fighting they will wait till some new outbreak of the Waikatos in the north. These, the most powerful tribe we have to contend with, continue quite unbroken in spirit. They are just now tired of fighting, and being in need of ammunition and stores, have abandoned the Ngatiawa's quarrel, but they do not feel us to be their masters, and have no idea of giving up their King, or their own way of managing their affairs. If it were possible for them to be really under fixed laws of their own framing, and to have a head to whom our Government could apply for redress when aggressions were made on the Europeans, it might be the easiest way of governing them and living in peace near them. But their King is a mere shadow, he has no real power, and would be immediately disobeyed if he attempted to enforce any law against powerful and important men. In fact law, and obedience to law generally, implies force somewhere, and there is no predominating power among the Maoris to

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override individual caprice. This is the mistake the Bishop and Missionary party make. They want the Natives treated as weak parents treat their children - they are not to be asked to obey unless they understand the reason for obeying and acquiesce willingly. It is horribly cruel and unjust of us to wish to enforce our terms on the Natives. If this is so, is it horribly unjust and cruel to enforce the laws against nine-tenths of Her Majesty's civilised subjects? ... In most cases Maoris are shrewd enough to see the advantages of our system of government; they avail themselves whenever they can for their own gain, of the courts and magistrates; but of course . . . they rebel when it touches them personally in the form of fine, imprisonment, or even at times, the payment of just debts.

You would hardly believe it possible that men of sense and thought could be found to talk the stuff that is talked about the injustice of governing the Maoris, until they help to frame our laws. They can obtain the franchise just as any other man in N.Z. can, by having possession of land under Crown grants, by renting land or houses to a certain amount. Holding their own wide uncultivated wastes as they do in communistic style, it would be impossible to ground their right to vote on this sort of ownership. But the Bishop evidently thinks they are frightfully oppressed, that with their noble landed possessions they have not the same influence among us that the Dukes of Devonshire and Marquises of Westminster have at Home. The Saturday Review has twaddled away the most ignorant rubbish about the war here, and . . . appears to indicate it as a duty in the British Government to see the rest of New Zealand strictly entailed on the descendants of the Maoris now living.

v 39, pp 219-23 (ts)

C. W. Richmond to Emily Richmond - - - Nelson, 12 Apr 1861

Nelson is very much improved since I was here by the erection of several very nice public buildings. I am writing this in the Supt's office, in a very fine spacious room, three times the size of my office with splendid plate glass windows. No Provl. Govt, except that of poor little Taranaki is so ill lodged as the General Govt.

I found the Taranaki people in a blaze of indignation at the terms offered to the Ngatiawa. However, after I had seen the Governor and Weld and Whitaker, which I did for about 18 minutes, I was able to give explanations which abated J.C.R's wrath, and will tend I hope to calm the general mind. I myself am satisfied with what has been done. The Dometts had a party last night. I was not there, but looked in before the festivities began and saw Kate.

1861/16

C. W. Richmond to Emily Richmond - - - Lyttelton, 14 Apr 1861

After just a week's voyage from Auckland, including stoppages, here I am in Lyttelton ... I have only as yet seen the Wards, McKellar and Teddo [E. Patten] and his sister. The latter live in a comfortable enough little box of a cottage high above the

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town. Teddo pays £40 a year rent, but has a garden which supplies him with vegetables. . . .

At Wellington I had a bed at Carkeek's, and in the morning, i.e. yesterday morning, I went to see Miss St Hill who is at the Judge's. She was out, but Judge Johnston seemed very glad to see me and made me stay to lunch. Mrs Johnston is a very amiable woman. The Judge is altogether and very strongly with the Government upon the Native war. He is on excellent terms with the Bishop, but on this matter they altogether differ.

I see the Wellington Advertizer (our friendly paper in Wellington) says the Ministry ought to be impeached for the peace. This is at the beginning of the article however, towards the end the Advertizer says that under possible circumstances, all may have been for the best. I never feel at all fit for the work of government except when I hear or read what our adversaries have to say. That always gives me self-confidence, even to the verge and perhaps beyond the verge of self-conceit. . . .

Mrs Fitzgerald I hear is poorly. She has lately lost her father and a brother. Moorhouse is away at Melbourne. . . .

I feel very desolate here, and don't seem to know what I have come for as there is no particular business to transact, although I found a good deal at Nelson and some at Wellington. I have not fallen in with Bell. I suppose I shall meet him at Dunedin. I am yet undecided whether to go down to Invercargill or to turn aside from the path of duty and visit Idaburn. There has been a find of gold in the neighbourhood of the run and it is hard to say what effect it will have. I fear it will do more harm than good as our runs are not stocked.

1861/17

H. A. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson - - - Taranaki, 16 Apr 1861

. . . The General reviewed the troops in Town the other day and the Militia and Volunteers with them. We marched past in quick time. He then inspected us by companies with ranks at open order. When he came to No 2 Rifles he complimented me upon the good marching of the company, which he said was the best of the lot. I don't think there will be any fresh organization of the Militia and Volunteers by what I heard from Whitaker.

Big Joe has escaped this morning from the jail. We have begun to practice firing at last. What do you think of C. Messenger missing four times out of five at 100 kneeling!!!

The General is every where. He keeps everything going himself. He is very anxious to have a brush with the niggers by all accounts. If he does have to meet them I feel sure we shall soon have a look at one another pretty close. . . .

It is reported that troops are to leave for Auckland at once . . .

v 5, p 53

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A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, W 17 Apr 1861

Went to Town with White, & into court & saw part of an assault case - Maori v Wahu (or Oahu)... The Niger & Fawn in from Taranaki with the Govr., Weld, Whitaker, Waka Nene &c on board. The terms . . . have been agreed to by 'Hapurona & Ngatiawa' (Patu Kakariki is among them) Wi Kingi himself of course is still at Waikato. Taranaki & Ngatiruanui will not treat with the Govr. If Waikato had told them to do it, it would have been well, but they do not know him &c. According to Weld the war is not to be carried into their country yet. It is thought better to begin with Waikato & so troops are being brought up.

Th 18 Apr ... At Native Office met Tamati Waka. Talked to him a little about the peace. If the Govr. had followed his advice Ngatiawa would not have been let off quite so easily.

W 24 Apr ... At the N.O. saw Weld. He defends the treaty with Ngatiawa (which is natural) chiefly as getting rid of the land question from the war, by showing that the war against W. King was undertaken not to get land but to enforce the law. It will not help to convince us however . . . and adversaries will say, What about this 'compensation' you are going to get out of Ngatiruanui & Taranaki? He says Waikato is to be dealt with first & the notion is to strike rapidly at the heart of the district directly they begin. Also what is rather comforting that Col. Warre is to command at Taranaki . . .

Su 28 Apr . . . Got our letters. Harry speaks well of Cameron, he says the settlers are treated now as they have never been before. Saw young Fulloon (of the N.O). He says the Taranakis have accepted the terms & are collecting horses & cattle to bring back. They are to give up some land he . . . thinks it is near Kaihihi . . .

v 32

C. W. Richmond to Emily Richmond - - - Dunedin, 17 Apr 1861

I got here last night after as fine a voyage as could be wished . . . Today has been lovely - rather too warm, and tonight is as mild as Auckland. This place has greatly improved since I was here in 1858. There are many new shops and private houses. The style of everything has improved and there is more stir than in any place in New Zealand except Queen Street. I have had, I am sorry to say, one bad night with asthma on board the Airedale. I attribute it, in great part, to my folly in eating Chinese ginger. What was not due to the ginger proceeded from the sea fog. . . .

The prospects of the session appear doubtful. The Wellington men affect to be certain of success, but from what I hear their victory is far from assured. I have learnt today that Gillies is very anxious to have me for a partner in his business, which is expanding beyond his power of getting through it. He tells me he can assure me £1000 a year to begin with. You must keep this strictly to yourself and Lely.

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I have just been dining with the great Johnny Jones reputed to be worth £200,000. Bell 25 was there and of course knows all the household and calls the girls (one big and two little) by their Christian names.

1861/18

Maria Richmond to C. W. Richmond (in Dunedin) - - - Parnell, 17 Apr 1861

. . . Emily has just read Mr Bell's letter to me & wishes me to beg that you will by all means get rid of the sheep run if the climate be such as is represented and you can dispose of it without loss. Em seems willing to give up her hopes of affluence & to content herself with a moderate competency.

v 5. p 53

Jane Maria Atkinson to Margaret Taylor - - - Parnell, Auckland, 1 May 1861

. . . Henry talks of turning brewer. A brewery is likely to be let soon, & he thinks at small risk he might try the business, which is generally very profitable in N.Z. Now his house is burnt his garden & orchard destroyed his fences injured, & his land grown weedy, it is heartless work to recommence in the bush without capital which he has not to put things in order again & he feels the necessity of earning money at once, for his captain's pay in the Militia will perhaps end in a few months . . .

v 5, p 57

J. N. Shepherd, J.P. to S. Hooker - - - Upokorau, 8 May 1861

(The following is an exact & correct copy--)

Stephen Hooker

You are summoned to appear before me James N. Shepherd Her Majesties nominated Justice of the Peace on Saturday next at ten o'clock in the forenoon to answer to an information laid against you by Nopera Pakaiwawe for having entered his premises and from there pulled without his leave on Ket of Corn he having sold you all the Corn he had to spare. Appear without fail at your peril.

Given this 8th day of May by her Majesty nominated Justice of the Peace for the district of Wangaroa
James N. Shepherd

The following private note was sent with the Summons. - - - Wednesday evening

Mr Hooker

Sir, Do not fail to appear for the purpose of settling this unpleasant affair or it will be taken before Mr Clendon when you will have to pay heavily.

I am Sir
Your obt Sert.
James N. Shepherd.

v 5, p 58

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A. S. Atkinson, journal Auckland, W 8 May 1861

After breakfast walked to Mt Eden & shot away a little ammunition in hopes of winning a prize by a fluke, but didn't. Got about as many as I deserved to wit 10 in 9 shots (4 at 100, 5 at 200, 1 at 300). The best score (Fenton) 18, the worst 5, target 6x2. after dinner went to the N.O. & got some waiatas whakamarama'd. Then went with young Turton to the Mechanics Inst. & saw a testimonial presented to Capn. Cracroft. The meeting was small but enthusiastic, hardly fifty present.

v 32

H. A. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson (at Auckland) - - - Taranaki, 11 May 1861

. . . The Omata stockade played us at cricket the other day. We beat them single inning and 150 runs. I did nothing only got three runs . . . The mounted men play the Omata to-day and beat them single innings by 2 runs. I hear we stand but a poor chance for prizes here, our shooting is not up to the mark, 27 is the most we have made in 15 shots.

v 5, p 58

C. W. Richmond to Emily Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 14 May 1861

I arrived here this morning in the little Wonga from Wanganui. I last wrote to you from Dunedin by the White Swan. I went thence to Lyttelton in the Prince Alfred with 1000 sheep for fellow passengers. Cabin passengers they may be said to have been for they had the exclusive use of the poop. The smell was horrible. I had an attack of asthma on board and was so bad when I reached Lyttelton that I hardly could creep up to the hotel. After a few hours it left me quite free. I stayed from Monday the 29th April till Wednesday the 8th May with the Hamiltons who were as kind as ever ... I went to Fitzgerald's station and slept there one night (if it is not a bull to say so). I also went with Fitzgerald to see the Watts Russells at 11am. Mrs W.R.'s sister, Mrs Lance, is as beautiful a creature as I ever saw. Mrs W. Russell is no longer to be called very beautiful, but is full of fun and wickedness. Fitzgerald is quite himself again and as wicked as Mrs Russell. I had a drive with him in his patent cart with wheels 8 feet high, in which he drives tandem. I am sure you will greatly enjoy being driven by him through rough and smooth, moist and dry and more especially through the streets of Christchurch when the leader is in a prancing humour. Remonstrance would be vain. Mrs Fitzgerald had just been confined so I did not see her. ...

1861/20

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Th 16 May 1861

... In afn. went to Town saw M'clean & got inducted into the N.O. [Native Office] as dep. assist, clerk without salary - came home punctually at 4 P.M. - . . .

F 17 May Went to my duty at 10 am. translated my first letter (from Tamihana te Rauparaha asking for flags). At 1, came back with White & after dinner went again,

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got on pretty well. In evg. read the greater part of a lecture of little White's (in manuscript) on Maori priesthood, witchcraft, & war. As full of matter as an egg is full of meat but not very well arranged. It is a pity the little man has little literary ability.

v 32

R. Pitcairn to H. A. Atkinson - - - On board S.S. Robert Lowe, and at Lee, England17 May and 23 May 1861

. . . Gold has been making a fool of himself by writing to the Times about Puketakeuere. I did not see the letter which appeared about 7 weeks back but I saw one from Nelson's brother giving him the lie direct . . .

I see I have said nothing about my fellow passengers. Old Gold is not such a bad sort of a fellow in private but a great bluff. He has completely spoilt his wife, who has not a single idea beyond her personal appearance ... On the whole we passed a pretty pleasant time with the Golds. The war was avoided as much as possible but the Genl. brought it up once or twice & did not get spared. Blake one evening pitched into him right & left ...

v 5, p 59

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 18 May 1861

. . . On Friday evening began our election excitement. Ritchie after keeping the writs out of sight for a fortnight to make up for lost time gave a weeks' notice of the election and Hulke, who has gone in bald headed against me, commenced a requisition to C. Brown. Another was at once begun to me, and I agreed without waiting to sound the public. I did so with regret because to fail remotely affects general politics and I would rather not have our people seem opposed to C.W.R., their ablest friend, by rejecting me contemptuously. Otherwise I really contemplate the end in either case very quietly. I think C. Brown's popularity is greater than I had expected, or at all events the canvassers are more active and expert as is usual with an 'extreme gauche' party. It is not unlikely he may poll two to one . . . Cutfield . . . will I think retire in my favor. He and I rode out on Thursday to Tataraimaka . . .

I had libelled our Taranaki scenery in saying Auckland is superior. The luxuriant vegetation and lovely streams are no bad set off against the still waters about Auckland. Tataraimaka is grown up with fern, the grass is three parts smothered. All the cattle having been driven off before last spring, the young fern shoots had full liberty to grow. Every house is gone, only one small chapel was spared, and that is knocked about and much injured. The ride (in all about 32 miles) did not weary me. No natives about except the 'friendlies' at Poutoko and Hauranga.

1861/21

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Th 23 May 1861

. . . had a long talk with C.W.R. about the state of prospect of the country. It seems questionable, from the tone of what he says whether in spite of Gen. Cameron

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& his 5000 men the Governor will have pluck enough to carry out the work. 'If Waikato is attacked the war will spread all over the island, Ahuriri & the out settlements of Auckland are undefended. Wellington indefensible.' But the thing is can the colonisation of the island go on while the Maories still believe they are unconquerable & mean to use their power to set up an independent kingdom? And if it is to come to fighting sooner or later what shall we gain by waiting? If we do not use the troops we have got here it is not very likely England will send them out again the next time we call 'wolf.'

F 24 May About 10 a.m. set out to walk to see a review of troops beyond Remuera (near the 'Harp of Erin'), - about 3000 of all arms there. It went off very well, but of course it did [not] look like fighting Maories - forming squares, marching in close line &c.

S 25 May At the N.O. till 2 p.m. . . . Heard of a Proclamation just about to [be] issued to Waikato - did not hear particulars but Falloon who has looked over it hastily thinks it will soothe the 'Native Mind' . . .

Su 26 May . . . Saw the Proclamation to Waikato, 26 substantially right I think . . .

Tu 28 May... Heard the Airedale was in & in the eveng. James, Domett & Bessie Domett appeared. Conducted Dom. up to C.W.R . . . Charles Brown has been elected Superintendent, J.C.R. being the rejected one - 167 to 98 (Little Cutty & Clocky Woods ... did not go to the poll.) The Nelson grievance, & greater activity on the other side determined it. It may make a good deal of difference to our 'mob' (if the war continues) by unsettling James. Of the firing for the Coll. prizes the best on the 1st day (yesterday) was Ed. Marshall 18 . . .

Th 30 May Went to the N.O. Among others saw a letter from Parris saying that Hapurona (who now has charge of the Matarikoriko blockhouse) had applied for a rifle 'the same as the militia have.' 'The one he took from the soldier he shot in the Peach Grove is damaged and moreover they have a superstitious objection against using it as it has been used in the cause against which they are now fighting' (or rather going to fight) . . .

F 31 May Heard good news for the colony - that M'clean has this day resigned his office of Native Secretary, retaining the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner's.

v 32

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, W 5 Jun 1861

. . . Saw a satisfactory letter from Parris. Archdeacon Govett went down to Moutote to perform 'Divine' Service for the Taranakis, but they caught hold of him and would not let him do it, and set up one of their own expounders of Scripture. This is schism in the church . . .

Th 13 Jun Went to the N.O. translated a little, went about with White. J.C.R. & old Dom. made some good hits in the House at Auckland & Wellington claptrap mongers. Mao[ri] Dic in evg.

F 14 Jun Walked to the N.O. with White, both ways, absorbing and assimilating.

[Image of page 709]

In evg. wrote down my words while Annie [Smith] read Froude Vol. V. In the House the Wellington men were again throwing mud about - of their own making.

S 15 Jun ... By the overland mail, the answer from Waikato to the Governor's proclamation came in. It is from W. Tamihana Tarapipipi (the real king). 27 We underlings had only just time to look thro the letters hurriedly, but they evidently mean war tho' they are not uncivil.

M 17 Jun . . Great fermentation going on in the political world. In the evg. went to the Mech. Inst. & heard White read a lecture on Maori 'Mana' &c, came home with him.

v 33

E. Lugard to J. C. Richmond - - - War Office, 5 Jun 1861

090/135

I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th Feby. last in reference to the present disturbances in New Zealand, and the arrangements which you conceive it is advisable to make for the conduct of the war.

In conveying to you the thanks of Lord Herbert for your very interesting letter; I am at the same time to acquaint you that it appears to him to contain so much information which may be of value to the Officer Commanding the Troops, that His Lordship has taken the liberty of communicating a copy of it to Lieutenant General Cameron.

1861/22

J. Flight R.M. to C. W. Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 6 Jun 1861

(Private )

As I believe you are aware of my pecuniary circumstances I feel assured you will not consider me intrusive when I beg the favour of your giving my connexion with the Government (now within a month of nine years continuance) your kind attention with a view to an increase of my salary. The duties of sub-Treasurer in this Province are very considerable and the responsibility great, and though I willingly undertook those duties and have no reason to alter my views on the impropriety of uniting two offices . . . and rather than they should be so united would continue to do the duties of sub-treasurer without a salary, yet I cannot but feel that my services are inadequately remunerated.

By the last Mail I forwarded to you a Memorial for presentation to the House of Representatives praying for an enquiry into the losses I have sustained through the late Native Insurrection. I hope in this matter you may be able to do something for me as I have no other resources enabling me to replace a dwelling than such as I can save out of my salary which . . . you may well believe must be very trifling.

v 5, p 59

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Governor Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - [Auckland], 15 Jun [1861]

It has occurred to me that it might be advisable that I shd. send Thomson's reply to our declaration (on Tuesday) in a message to the House inviting an expression of opinion.

This wd. bring the question to a distinct issue and Ministers might inform the House that unless I receive the full support of the Assembly, I shall decline to proceed further in the business & shall recommend H.M. Govt, to abandon it altogether. Many consequences are likely to ensue but those we may talk over if you think of adopting my suggestion.

v 5, p 60

H. A. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson

. . . Mrs Col Warre is to present us our colors on Tuesday, so the Major is going to give us a good rubbing up tomorrow both morning and afternoon ... I have . . . determined to come out for the Assembly and there is I believe no doubt about my return. Horne came to me the other day and asked whether I was going to stand, I told him that if I got a requisition I should. He said that he had been asked by some of Stafford's friends to come forward but that if I was coming he should retire and support me. and if I did not come forward of course I should support him. On Saturday when I had made up my mind to stand I went to tell him, but he said his friends had been so hard at work canvassing for him that he could not say whether he should retire. I laughed and said all right.

Nobody that I can find knows who his friends are ... I don't like at all having to come up now but we cannot find a man who is fit who can come. Crompton is willing to come and would have been brought forward by Gledhill & company if I had not consented to stand. I quite agree with you that it would never do to let him sit for us again. If I am returned Taranaki will certainly be a family borough for this session at least. 28 . . .

v 5, p 61

Governor Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - 17 Jun [1861]

Confidential

Would it be of any use to you to put Pollen 29 in the Legislative Council? I only suggest it in case he wd. be of use & might conciliate that party.

I do hope you and Whitaker will let your party bring you back if they desire it.

v 5, p 62

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Tu 18 Jun 1861

Went to the N.O. Saw W. Nero Te Awaitaia. Heard a little about the reception of the Govrs. Proc. at Ngaruawahia. In the evg. Domett came in & read Browning & Shelley.

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W 19 Jun Went to C.W.R's and read W. Tamihana letter with him as the youngsters weren't ready for a writing lesson. Went to the N.O. with White. Smith's translation of the [tau?] of Tamihana's letter is very free but it is published as the official one without his consulting anyone else. Just before 5 p.m. went down to the House, after a little squeeze got in. The 'attraction' of the eveng. of course was Weld's resolution in favor of suppressing the King movement - by force if necessary. He made about the best speech I have heard in the House. The Wellington men were ominously silent & the resolutions were carried unanimously.

v 33

Charles Brown and Officers of Militia and Volunteers to the Committee of the Taranaki Ladies who subscribed for the Colours - - - New Plymouth, 19 Jun 1861

A minority of the Officers of the Militia and Volunteers, under Major Herbert having determined to give a ball, on the occasion of the presentation of the colours by the ladies of Taranaki in which we feel unable to join; we think it due to you and to ourselves, to state the reasons for our seeming inhospitality. The subject was discussed at two meetings of the officers ... at both of which we expressed our opinion against the proposal . . . believing that the present time when a large proportion of our fellow settlers are reduced to seek relief in England and elsewhere, when so many are absent from the settlement, and others would be prevented by various misfortunes from attending, is quite inappropriate for anything purporting to be a public rejoicing.

We wish to take this opportunity of expressing to the ladies of Taranaki our sense of the honour they have conferred upon us, and our hope that whenever we may have occasion to carry our colours before an enemy, we may remember in whose defence we have to fight.

At the restoration of peace when the families now absent have rejoined their friends, we hope to have the pleasure of entertaining the ladies of Taranaki.

[Signed by]

Charles Brown Captn., George Rutt Burton Captn., H. R. Richmond Capt., H. A. Atkinson Capt., A. McKellar, Lieut., J. S. McKellar Ens., T. E. Rawson, M.D., M. Jonas 2nd Lieut., W. B. Messenger, Ensign, Robert Greenwood, James Hirst 2nd T.R.V., J. H. Armstrong Lt., Thomas Good, Ensign.

v 5, p 63

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A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Tu 20 Jun 1861

. . . In evg. the lay brother & sister 30 came. We discussed the Maori language and the war question . . .

29 Jun . . . The Airedale came in but alas no Harry. Four days out from Nelson and had to pass without calling, weather being so rough. Affairs have come to a point at which one vote may make a great difference in the future of the country. The Airedale brings up about 30 Taranaki people on their road home from Nelson, among them Kate Hursthouse and Marion Ronalds.

Su 30 Jun Read in a desultory way. In afn. went a short walk with J.C.R., C.W.R. and old Domett, up to Newmarket through Khyber pass to Town, & home. We tried to impress on him (Dom) that he ought to exert himself a little in the common cause. His answer is 'What's the use?'

W 3 Jul . . . Look'd over the store of Maori Messenger and took a copy of each number or of as many as I could find. At 4.30 went along to the House - there was a great crush at the door. About 6.30 Fox brought on his motion of want of confidence ... His speech was, for him, rather flat . . . Stafford answered him very fairly, & for Stafford very well because he kept clear of Fox's style, which he is too apt to imitate. But the grand feature of the evening was old Cracroft Wilson's speech. Fox & his friends are in the habit of talking of the outsettlers as 'trembling under the tomahawk' & this made the old boy warm, & he gave us one of the freshest, naivest, & most excellent speeches I ever heard. It was altogether 'sui generis' . . .

Th 4 Jul ... In the evg. J.C.R. spoke - spoke very well having got warm on the war question ... he said . . . that 'Col. Gold having resolutely determined to keep his own tail between his legs was equally determined to make the civilians imitate him in his curious performance,' &c. He served Fox himself equally well . . .

F 5 Jul Wrote out claims for compensation with James & took them to old Sewell's office 31 . . . After some minor luminaries, C.W.R spoke at some length, but he was so weak (in health) that he did not . . . speak nearly as forcibly as he generally does, but the pervading honesty & reality told more than arguments. . . . About 4.15 the division bell rang. The result was better than we expected: for the motion 24, against it 23 - so they are out by a majority of one. It is a curious fact that if the debate had lasted an hour & a half longer it would have gone the other way, for Harry (Memb for Grey & Bell) landed at Onehunga about 4 and came straight in - a horse being there ready for him. His vote would have made it even & Monro would have given

[Image of page 713]

his casting vote for Ministers. ... It is a pretty significant fact that neither Featherston or Fitzherbert spoke during the debate ... 32

v 33

R. H. Hutton to C. W. Richmond - - - 2 Brick Court, Temple E.C. [1861]

. . . there is some chance, (much chance I fear) of the Opposition turning out your Government. In England, there is but one opinion amongst any who understand the question on the ability, high principles, & just prudence which you have displayed throughout your difficult reign. The only paper (except the ultra-radical organs) that has assailed you here has been the Saturday Review, which is I believe connected through Mr Selwyn with the Bishop of New Zealand. In all the other papers there has been no difference of opinion & it has been an easy task here to defend you. . . .

You have been very unfortunate in your military leaders, & the colonists, little as they perhaps know it, are crying out for provincialism mainly no doubt because your war has not reflected a general halo of credit on the government.

I am going to give up the editing of the Economist to Bagehot, . . . though I shall still write a little for it. I am going to buy a half share in the Spectator & try to redeem the neglect of many years, ever since Rintoul's death, & make it once more if possible a good paper. Not that I like editing & literary brainspinning but ... I can no longer choose in the matter, for it's the only thing people will let me do with profit.

... I read almost all the N.Z. letters as well as the newspapers with deep interest & have felt a kind of exultation in seeing the great ability you have shown in New Zealand. It is the only colony with a popular government ably ruled. All our colonies are fast tending to democracy & vulgarism & even in England . . . there is no intelligent study of the means of averting a mere democracy without relapsing into stupid Conservatism.

v 5, p 1

Jane Maria Atkinson to Margaret Taylor - - - Parnell, Auckland, 7 Jul 1861

We have been living in the greatest political excitement for a fortnight past. I have spent a good deal of time listening to the debates in the House of Representatives, and have felt it almost impossible to sit down to letter writing until the ministerial crisis was over . . . Had the division been delayed an hour, the result would have been different, as Harry, who has been elected as member ... in place of poor young W. C. King, murdered by the Maoris last February, arrived in town immediately after. His vote would have made the parties even, and the Speaker's casting vote would have been given in favour of the Government. However we all feel that it is much better as it is. It would have been unsatisfactory to retain office with half the House voting against them, but it is glorious to fall by only a majority of one after five years of office. To judge from the speeches the best brains were on our side. It is very doubtful whether Mr Fox, the Leader of the Opposition, who was called on yesterday

[Image of page 714]

by the Governor to form a cabinet, will be able to do so ... I hope in any case William will not be recalled to office; in fact I am almost afraid his life might fall a sacrifice to a continuance of such wear and tear as he has gone through of late . . .

I must give you a notion of why we distrust Mr Fox and his followers. Although formerly he and his cleverest supporter, Dr Featherston, Superintendent of Wellington, were generally at loggerheads with the Church Missionary party, yet last year . . . they took up the cry of Bishop Selwyn and the C.M. party as to the 'unjust and unholy war' at Taranaki, and represented Wiremu Kingi as an injured saint driven to rebellion by . . . Governor Browne and his advisers. Some special and personal insinuations were accorded William as a Taranaki man supposed to be deeply interested in the aggrandisement of that province, to make it appear that the war was commenced solely to extend the boundaries of Taranaki, instead of being the result of the sound policy which this Governor was determined generally to adopt to check the encroaching domineering spirit amongst some of the chiefs forming the Land League throughout New Zealand, a League calculated to injure the natives quite as much as it retarded the progress of the European settlements . . . When the general elections came on they a good deal modified their tone, finding the temper of the country quite at variance with the views they professed to adopt in the House last session. As the southern provinces, owing to imperfect newspaper reports, were much worse informed than the Aucklanders as to all that really went on in the Assembly, . . . most of the Peace or Philo-Maori party got returned again in the south, but three or more were unseated in this province. Almost every member throughout the Colony was returned on the understanding that he pledged himself to support the Governor in his firm policy towards the natives, and in the prosecution of the war if other means failed in bringing them to submission. The answer to the Governor's Address, and various resolutions relating to the management of the Maoris . . . have passed the House without a voice being raised against them, and by indeed unanimous votes, Fox holding his peace . . . The question now is, how will he and his colleagues in office act - will they hamper the Governor in his attempt to establish British rule? . . . Will they endeavour to conciliate and humour the natives, thus delaying the evil day for a while . . . and leading the Colony into greater difficulty and danger, for unless law and order are to be established at once we shall not have the aid of the Imperial Government, and with a smaller force at some future day, we shall further have to contend with the natives emboldened by our timid bearing ... I cannot guess what the end is to be. Meanwhile all our private plans for the future remain necessarily quite uncertain.

2 August ... A great change has come over the aspect of public affairs . . . Our Governor, Colonel Gore Browne, is to be removed to Tasmania, and we are to have Sir George Grey again from the Cape . . . No party seems to know what to expect from the change. The Bishop's party, . . . would gladly draw the inference that the Home Government endorse their censures, but all the dispatches . . . praise his [Browne's] policy and that of his advisers, and never impute any blame either respecting the origin or conduct of war to him or to them; this joined to the fact that the force here

[Image of page 715]

is to be further augmented, favour the belief that Governor Grey is meant to bring our difficulties to a final close and not patch them up temporarily . . .

There will be a complete breaking up of the Auckland society in the course of the next two or three months. Mrs Gore Browne's going will be an immense loss socially; she is so exactly what a Governor's wife ought to be and has made Government House a centre where all ranks have met sociably and with enjoyment and benefit. She is quite without snobbishness and though she must be quite aware that both by education and natural ability she is much superior to almost all the women she meets, she never makes anyone conscious of the fact and has the art of drawing out the best each has to give in society. She has been also very charitable, sparing no time or trouble in enquiring out the truth about any tales of trouble and distress laid before her. I believe she leaves New Zealand with genuine regret for she has entered most heartily into the interests of the Colony and has been consulted by the Governor on every important public matter as he has great reliance on her judgement. She told me that though the Governor could not help feeling lightened and as though an immense burden was off his mind on finding he was to be removed, and that pecuniarily it would be a great advantage to their family to leave, that with their own free choice they would not have quitted New Zealand till the present troubles were past. Her regrets at the change are accompanied too by fears that Sir G. Grey may represent his predecessor's acts in as unfavourable a light as he can in order to enhance his own difficulties and the credit he may hope to gain by restoring peace and prosperity. On a former occasion he has the discredit of having so acted, but whether justly or unjustly accused I know not.

v 38, pp 493-8 (t.s.)

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, F 12 Jul 1861

. . . Stafford, Weld and C.W.R. still at the Ministerial table. Fox informed the House that he had formed a ministry, but as he had not seen His Excelly. since he had done it, he could not divulge the names & proposed an adjournment till Tuesday. This was objected to & the House adjourned till 1.30 to give Fox & Co an opportunity of seeing the Gov. so accordingly we saw them with umbrellas & waterproofs march over to Govt. House. I went into Town & when I got back, Fox had taken possession of 'the Treasury benches.' . . .

S 13 Jul . . . With White & up to his father's smithy, discussed Maori prospects... In afn. went to White's and planed a bit of manuka, to make a hani as a paper-knife for Alice. In evg. old Dom[ett] came in & read the Bothie of Toper na Fuosich.

Th 18 Jul ... A letter from W. Tamihana (brought by W. Maihi) to say that he is willing to come to Auckland to talk with the Governor. What is to come of this I wonder?

F 19 Jul Went to the N.O. progressed a little. In evg. James read Milton to us.

Su 21 Jul ... In evg. went to C.W.R's. Old Dom[ett] came in & we had an evening with the poets.

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Governor Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - 19 Jul 1861

In reply to your letter of yesterday's date I must commence by observing that when I went to Taranaki in March 1859, I was determined at all risks to put an end to the bloody feuds at that place which had so long disgraced the Government.

I considered the acceptance of Teire's offer (on behalf of his people) likely to effect this object and was therefore anxious that the title should be investigated with as little delay as possible.

Five months having elapsed, without my receiving any conclusive report on the subject, I instructed Mr Smith to write to Mr Parris, desiring him to hasten the negotiations, as much as was compatible with proper care and due caution. I remember your then telling me, you thought it scarcely prudent to write officially to Mr Parris, lest he should be induced to hurry more than would be wise in an enquiry needing so much care: You added that, if I pleased, you would write privately to him on the subject, to which I assented.

Mr Parris' reply, (printed) dated Sept 21 and addressed to you was referred to me and I find a minute, written upon it in my own hand writing, as follows, dated Septemr. 27. The word 'satisfied' being underlined.

'If Mr Parris is satisfied that Teira and the others who offer to sell have an indisputable title to the land, an advance should be made to them at once in part payment for it. They should, however, be told that the purchase will not be completed until Mr McLean reaches Taranaki. This should be done by first mail'.

Soon after this Mr McLean fell ill.

In justice to you I must say that, during the five years it has been my good fortune to have you in my executive Council, 33 the affairs of Taranaki have come very often under consideration between us and I have observed, in discussing them, that you have always been more than usually careful and guarded: you have invariably treated them as impartially as if you had been an inhabitant of the middle Island, altogether unconnected with New Plymouth.

v 5. 67

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, M 22 Jul 1861

... To Mechanics Institute to hear a lecture by old Cracroft Wilson 34 on the Indian Mutiny. It was very interesting of course as it was a personal narrative. At the time it broke out he was 'Judge & sessions Judge' at Moradabad. He made some seasonable allusions to the present state of N.Z. & the general attitude of the 'croakers' now at the head of affairs. His sympathy was on the other side. He considered the relaxation of regimental discipline ... as the chief cause of the mutiny . . . The

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greased cartridges merely accelerated the outbreak. He mentioned . . . that in 1857 little cakes or biscuits ('about the size of a gingerbread nut') were distributed all over India ... He thinks the intention of these was to show that the English meant to destroy their 'caste' by making them eat food of which they did not know whether it had been prepared by 'clean' or 'unclean' persons. Though judge, he seems very soon to have got to the head of the executive at Moradabad as soon as mutiny occurred - & it is certainly not to be wondered at . . .

Tu 23 Jul ... As I was going thro the Town ... I saw a Maori in a new blanket... & lo it was Haiminia. In a few minutes Mohi came up. They were rather shy of seeing me at first, but talked freely afterwards. Haiminia says he was not in any of the fighting. Mohi was at Mahoetahi & thro the Huirangi campaign. He was one of the few who got away unhurt from Mahoetahi, & he had to throw away his gun, ammunition & most of his clothing & make a clean run. Seeing that he had a new bit in his hand, a smooth snaffle, I said I approved of that for my horses as it would not hurt their mouths & I told him if he could spare me one of them (my horses) it would be useful to me just now. He said that his people (at Waipa) had not any of them, but that they were mostly at Kawhia (& I think) Mokau. Poor old Beauty he says is dead, leaving a foal. Prima Donna is there & alive. He has not seen any of mine or any of the others. I asked him how it was he went to Taranaki to fight? He said 'Well, his kinsmen went, & so he went, 'Kia mate tahi' 'that they might die together.' They both expressed disapproval of the war, said it was the chiefs' doing, but when I said that tho the chiefs were the head they were the hands, they only smiled. I told them that if we went to war again & they chose to come back to Taranaki they would find everything ready for them as we had got . . . the right man at the head. I asked them when they were going back to Waikato? They said to morrow, but in the evening . . . with Harry we called in at the hostelry & found they were already gone. I suppose they were afraid I should turn informer, which is a pity.

S 27 Jul After breakfast about 9.30, walked up the road to call on Bishop Selwyn. Met him coming from Church, introduced myself & my subject, the getting some books in the different languages of Polynesia. Went with him to his library & he gave me some & lent me others. M'lean is back. He has seen W. Thomson (Tarapipipi), but from the account of Tamaihengia . . . Thomson would say nothing but that the Queen was for us & the King for him. He was not unwilling to come to Auckland but some of his people threatened to shoot him if he did. In the evg. went ... to hear old Cracroft Wilson's second lecture ... He is a venerable looking old gentleman, hair quite white but plenty of it, & a long grey beard & moustache, high rather retreating forehead & grey eyes. 35 He has been I should think a strong man in his day & is hale & hearty now . . .

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A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Th 1 Aug 1861

... At 12 adjourned to the House. It was there announced that Crosbie Ward & Sewell had joined the Ministry (the latter as Atty Genl) & that Featherston & Williamson had retired from it. In consequence of this C.W.R. put off his motion [want of confidence] till the evg . . . They divided at 12 (midnight): For Ministers 26, against them 25. The only man at all doubtful was M'cGlashan, ... He told us . . . that he thought C.W.R. one of the foremost men if not the foremost man of the Colony or perhaps of the Australian colonies. His effort had been to form a coalition Ministry from the two sides of the House but when he found that the Opposition made it a sine qua non that C.W.R. should have a seat in the cabinet he determined to vote with Ministers, which he did & so turned the scale. This is very curious for it is evident [he] is not altogether a fool from his thinking so highly of William, but his reasoning certainly is rather inconsequential.

F 2 Aug . . . When at home discussed plans - Auckland, Otakou or Taranaki - the Law or the Bush. In evg. wrote (copying my dictionary for White) . . .

S 3 Aug ... I was gratified to hear that the Lege. Council had thrown out the Land Sixth App[ropriation] Bill, this is the third time they have done it - twice last session & once now. I hope they will continue to do it as long as it does not bring them into disrepute with the people. Our nominee house may yet be the salvation of the country, if it can only [be] respected.

Th 8 Aug ... In evg. old Domett came & read Shelly & Tennyson, but they turned him out soon after ten, just as the evg. was beginning.

M 12 Aug ... In the evg. Parris came in . . . Parris told us a story about our old friend Gold worth preserving. His farewell advice was: 'Parris, I have seen you do a great many imprudent things. You ought to remember you are a family man.' These imprudent things were just what any man of courage would do in war, but there is no doubt they did appear 'very imprudent' to Col. Gold.

W 14 Aug . . . Found two old friends - to wit Haurangi & Hapimana . . . They were both in the pa at Puketakauere but they did not fight as they had no guns. They say they only lost 5 killed - 1 died of his wounds afterward ... I am afraid it must be true. They say also in their opinion there were not two hundred altogether who took part in the fight . . . They say Waikato is determined to stick to their King & they (Waikato) approve of Sir G. Grey's return because he will not put the King down.

Th 15 Aug . . . Saw Haurangi and Hapimana again . . . Most of the horses taken from Taranaki are at Hangatiki & some of ours among them. I instructed them to write & tell me which of ours were there with a description of the last foals. They have no intention of fighting even if there is war in Waikato, & are quite willing to come down to Taranaki now if Bill 36 desires it - kei a ia te tikanga . . .

W 21 Aug ... At the 'Settlers Inn' at Otahuhu saw Halse & Parris but did not stop ... In the eveng. was held here the first meeting of the 'Maori & English mutual

[Image of page 719]

instruction class.' The members of it are ist. President & Professor of English - the present editor. 2nd. Professors of Maori - Wirihana Matene & Rawiri Taiwhanga -

S 24 Aug ... In the evg. went down with James & Annie to ist performance of the Nl. & My. Choral & Histrionic Society. The pieces were The Swiss Cottage (a 'musical vaudeville') & The Unfinished Gentleman. The last was a decided success. Little Major Whitmore was the 'humble hero' & played his part very creditably. About the middle of this piece some of the upper part of the stage furniture got alight & it was very commendable in the actors that they made no fuss ... It was quietly put out & no interruption caused.

F 30 Aug Went to the Native Office and did my first day's work as a hireling. I come under the head of 'extra clerical assistance' my pay is eight shillings a day & my work 'entering' vapid letters in the office books . . .

v 33

D. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson (Auckland) - - - Taranaki, 27 Aug 1861

I have nothing of interest to tell you except that the fistic art progresses well. I have some fine younger pupils who will take it out of you Aucklanders when you come back. . . . The southern natives have brought back some of the horses. They are nearly all lame and in dreadful condition - there are none of ours. We have just commenced to play cricket and expect a challenge from the 57th every day. . . . Tell Hal to bring down some cricketing things for the club.

1861/23

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, M 9 Sep 1861

Went to the N.O at 10 wrote eight shillings' worth of letters & came home at 4. In the evg. the Revd. J. Wilson came ... He is not at [all] inclined to take the poetical 'half-fledged angel' view of Maori character & does not believe very much in their Christianity, but he owns himself surprised at the progress they have made towards civilization in the 30 years he has known them . . . On one occasion when the present Bishop Williams went across to the West coast (to Kawhia or Whaingaroa) one old gentleman took hold of his hand, which was a plump soft one, & said, 'Ah then, they told me lies. They said pakehas' hands were so hard they could not be eaten, 37 but yours is soft enough - therefore I see they told lies.' I asked him how it was the Bishop (Selwyn) took such a romantic view of Maori character? He said it was because he had never lived among them, never seen them except in their holiday clothes! . . .

W 18 Sep . . . Ahipene came into the office with a tokotoko in his hand whereupon White said, Is it not for me? This alarmed Ahipene & he said he could not give it, it was an 'oha' Te Rangitake had given it him it belonged formerly to Reretawhangawhanga & if he parted with it he should die. 'Ka mate au, kei tohe koe' . . ;

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F 20 Sep ... At 7 went down to the Oddfellows Hall to hear a lecture from Maunsell 38 on the 'Civilization of the Maories'. His story is very much the same as Mr Wilson's ... To civilize them thoroughly he says four things are necessary: 1st The Bible supplying the motive power. 2nd A good Government. 3rd Ministers & teachers, & 4th Christian settlers . . . His stories of the loves of his pupils and monitors were rather ludicrous (though they appeared to end generally in the death of one or both parties) - the heathen or unlearned kinsmen seeming to have an inveterate objection to their marriage.

v 33

Th 26 Sep About b.30 a.m. . . . saw signal up for a steamer - about 7 a.m. she came to anchor with Sir George Grey on board ... He landed on the Queen St Wharf at 2.30 p.m. I went with Pirikawau & Fulloon to Fort Brittomart while the saluting was going on & then came & had a look at him as he passed in a carriage with Govr. Browne . . . His reception was friendly but not enthusiastic perhaps.

S 28 Sep . . . met Charles Brown . . . went with him & James to Gov. House as a deputation to present the farewell address from the Taranaki people. It is signed by over 600 people or almost to a man allowing for absentees. The Gov. himself was ill in bed but we saw Mrs Browne, who said it was very noble of the N.P. people to keep true to the end, in spite of their suffering - that there was no doubt they were true steel. C.B. told her the Militia & Volunteers were going to subscribe a day's pay to the Governor's testimonial, which excited another remark on their nobility. Mrs Browne told us that Sir G. Grey expects (or hopes) to get away in six months ... At N.P. all quiet. The Ngatiruanui warn people not to go on the land south of Waireka Hill, as it is theirs by right of conquest, & the pigs are still said to be digging up thistles & eating the roots.

v 33

Governor Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - 29 Sep [.1861j

I was very glad to receive your letter but am so annoyed with Lord Grey for his rubbishy speech that I do not like to write to him again privately and I cannot do so officially. It would, however, answer the same purpose if you send him a copy of the minutes & report of the Committee with your compliments. 39

Before I received your letter I urged on Sewell the importance of providing for the probable wants of the diggers and told him that I did not think Crosbie Ward alone would be able to do the needful . . .

I shewed that part of your letter to Sir G. Grey who seemed much interested in it . . .

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Sir George Grey keeps his own counsel but is extremely agreeable. I am almost amazed at his ability and his entire independence of all authority. As far as I can judge he is not at all inclined to adopt the Church views and will make a permanent settlement by fair means or by foul. He is instructed to do so.

Brown has brought up the Taranaki address to me, and I want words to express my feelings towards the settlers of that place. Their conduct to me has been noble in the extreme. Pray give my very kind regards to Whittaker and believe that wherever I go I shall ever retain most agreeable recollections of our relations & strong personal regard for yourself & Whittaker.

We hope to go in the Fernie on Tuesday to Sydney, there to await orders.

v 5, p 77

C. W. Richmond to Earl Grey [Draft] - - - 29 Sep 1861

By this mail I have forwarded to Yr. Lordship's address a printed copy of the Report of a select committee of the New Zealand House of Rep. appointed to investigate a charge relative to the purchase of the Waitara Block preferred against me by Dr Featherston member for the City of Wellington. I wish to draw your Lordship's attention to this Report which only occupies three lines of print, & if you should be able to extend your attention to the somewhat voluminous evidence on which the Report is founded I shall be all the better satisfied.

Your Lordship will not have forgotten that in the Debate in the House of Lords on the 2nd Reading of the New Provinces Act (New Zealand) 40 you expressed yourself to the effect that 'it was impossible that I, as member for the Town of New Plymouth, could be a trustworthy adviser of the Governor of N.Z. on Native Affairs', & you appealed in support of this opinion to a passage in Mr Fox's pamphlet on the Taranaki Question which insinuates a doubt as to my good faith. I trust sufficiently to Your Lordship's sense of fairness to feel sure that should you, on perusal of the document I have forwarded to you, see reason to reverse or modify the opinion you have expressed you will not neglect any fitting opportunity to do me justice,

I should not have troubled Your Lordship or myself by writing this letter upon any private ground. But I confess that I am jealous of the honor of the Ministry to which I belonged & am desirous that it should stand as well in the opinion of Your Lordship (whose intelligent interest in the affairs of the Colonies & of N.Z. in particular is so well known) as it does in that of many other distinguished statesman of the Mother Country. It is apparent that your Lordship's views as to the Waitara purchase have been greatly influenced by the conviction that a Colonial Ministry must necessarily be so much swayed by local interest & passions as wholly to disregard the interests of the Empire & the honor of the Crown. I hope that in the present case Your Lordship will be satisfied that your suspicions of the integrity of the Colonial Ministry were unfounded. This prejudice being removed I am sanguine that Your Lordship will perceive the weight of testimony & argument to be on the side of the Colonial Government.

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The evidence establishes that the purchase of the block was the act of the Governor himself, done under the advice of the permanent officers of the Land purchase Depart, who are irremovable by the Ministry, & that the Ministry strictly confined themselves to giving advice when asked, & did not put any kind of pressure or ask any kind of urgency either in the case of H.E. or of the officers of the L.P. Dept. but that their influence was exerted on the side of caution.

It was a principle of our action as a Ministry not to interfere with the Governor's initiative & power of final decision in matters of Native policy. We always recognized that Native policy must continually involve questions of peace & war, which the Colony could not reasonably expect to be permitted to decide. In this we have been opposed to the party known as the Wellington Party comprising Mr Fox, Dr Featherston & others who have constantly demanded the entire surrender of Native affairs to the Colonial Ministry.

The Committee were unanimous in declaring my vindication to be complete, Mr Cracroft Wilson's dissent being limited to the passage acquitting my accuser Dr Featherston of blame, & the House adopted the Report nem con.

v 5, p 77

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Tu 2 Oct 1861

... At 2 went with James to Govt. House to Gov. Browne's farewell levee. After this was over went with Emily, Sewell, Tancred & others onto the Queen St Wharf (being in respectable company the guards took me for a gentleman). Soon after we got there, there was a great cheering and the Govr. & Mrs Browne appeared, the carriage being drawn by men (Maori & pakeha). They went off in the Pelorus boat under a salute from the battery & the Pelorus. It was done very creditably, the people being really warm in it . . .

v 33

Mrs Harriet Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - 2 Oct [1861]

I think you will be glad to hear of my impressions before we leave . . .

Sir George is the most wonderfully agreeable man I ever met - his conversation is charming and he evidently prides himself upon his power of using it to raryfy those with whom he talks. I have no doubt that before the next session the present ministry will find that they possess & exercise just about the same amount of power & influence that Messrs Swainson, Sinclair & Shepherd did in olden times. The want of union of the atoms forming the present ministry will of course assist this retrograde movement.

Sir George appears to agree perfectly with Col Browne's views both upon military & civil matters & if he writes as he speaks the fame of the past Government is safe enough & their policy carried out. Sir George has not been visited by Pomate Ngapera 41 , which is significant of the Waikatos determination not to come to terms. Sir G. called Col Browne's attention to a letter of his to Governor Eyre, in which he declares war

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at Taranaki inevitable if King was allowed to return there with arms & ammunition. This looks well for his opinion on the war.

v 5, p 77

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, S 5 Oct 1861

. . . Charles Brown was here about 8 a.m. on his way to breakfast with Sir George Grey. Afterwards saw him in Town. Grey had asked him among other things whether he thought the feeling of the colony would be with him if [he] were to deport the whole of Ngatiruanui to the Chatham Islds. One curious thing he said. He thought that if the soldiers had never gone to Taranaki but the settlers had been left to fight it out for themselves there would have been less loss of life & less destruction of property. The truth of this hardly lessens its oddity as coming from such a quarter.

Tu 8 Oct . . . Helped Mary entertain Mrs Bell. We got a lively description of some of the effects of the earthquake at Wellington in 1855. The most interesting were the cones of sand which were raised up thro the surface of the black soil - they afterwards disappeared gradually. . . .

F 11 Oct . . . Te Rangikaheke who has just returned reports Waikato firm & unyielding (pakeke). Of Grey's plans nothing whatever is known, being a Maori scholar he does his own correspondence & the N.O. knows nothing of it.

S 12 Oct . . . Last Tuesday Bell was offered the Native Secretaryship & declined it. Today he is doing the Nat. Minr's. work, Mantell having gone to the South. This looks as if the enemy were encompassing him.

Tu 15 Oct . . . Today Tamati Waka had his silver cup given him . . . They have made a rather laughable mistake in the inscription. 'From Victoria &c to her faithful subject Na Tamati Waka Nene'. They have evidently taken the last line in his letter to be his name in full. It is to [be] regretted they did not put in naku, na to hoa &c. I saw Hapimana again ... Of our horses Beauty's foal is the only one he could find ...

v 33

Mrs Harriet Gore Browne to Emily E. Richmond - - - Henry Fernie, near Sydney, 16 Oct [1861]

... It was not till I awoke on Thursday morning that I realized that we had really left N Zealand & all its hopes & anxieties behind us, and no words can tell the blank feeling of despondency which came over us. It was like a dead man looking back on his past life over which he has no longer any influence & for which there is no longer any hope. We cannot as yet feel the same interest in our own future that we do in New Zealand's - and all our talks & all our thoughts go into the old groove of what is there in store for New Zealand.

. . . Sydney, October 26th . . . Here we found a letter awaiting us from the Duke [of Newcastle] telling us to possess our souls in patience & stay here till our commission arrived . . . Col Browne & I are staying at Govt. House while Miss Greenwood, the children, & the servants, are in lodgings close at hand . . .

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The melancholy fact is very evident that numbers & not intelligence govern the destiny of this colony. Babbage's prophecy is literally fulfilled here, as with the extension of the franchise, the expenditure has encreased while the men who impose the taxes are not those who have to pay them; the repeal of the gold duty & the attempt to do away with all duty on tea & sugar prove how great the tendency is to relieve the lower orders from all taxation . . . Here as in New Zealand, the best men seem driven out of politics, but I hope the best man is not driven out in N. Zealand . . .

Sir John Young 42 is a man of strong common sense & acuteness & he takes precisely the view taken by my husband of responsible Govt. He believes that saving in questions affecting imperial interests the power & the responsibility must & ought to rest with the Ministers, only modified by such influence as the ability & impartiality of the Governor may indirectly exert . . . There is much less reality & heartiness here than in N. Zealand. People are gorgeously arrayed, & spend £1000 instead of £100. They have had no such vital question as the Native one to sound their depths & politics seem rather to have marred than made them as petty self interests predominate over great principles. With all this there is much kindness, and I have learned a good deal in many ways. . . .

Lady Young (a handsome fair woman) has a reception today. This means that everyone may come who likes between 4 and 5. Sometimes there are 200 people, all in smart bonnets and dresses, and after staying an hour and talking they go off again. This takes the place of morning visits, but it never can allow of the intimacy that I found so charming in N Zealand. I should not have had much idea of your character if I had only seen you at a 'reception'.

We are going to commit an act of great extravagance and have our three boys modelled. There is a Dane here who does it beautifully, and I think an artistic group for the centre of the table will be very charming.

v 5, p 79

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, F 18 Oct 1861

. . . [James] afterwards had an interview with old Sewell who wishes him to join in Grey's scheme for regenerating the Maories, & become a 'Civil Commissioner' . . .

Tu 22 Oct . . . Had the much coveted Darwin on the Origin of Species given me by Lely, Emily & Annie.

W 23 Oct . . . Saw a good & very interesting sketch of Heaphy's of the crater of Wakari (White Isd.). Rather an idle day at the office relieved by getting two or three new words from Wirihana coming home . . .

W 30 Oct . . . Saw Weld, talked with him about Sir G. Grey. He thinks Grey is inclined to fight shy of Waikato; but that he may try & punish Ngatiruanui . . .

Th 31 Oct . . . William has decided to remain at Otago. He will take the registrarship on his own terms and has authorised Whitaker to treat [with] the Govt. If not he will practise. They have been speculating a good deal . . .

v 33

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H. A. Atkinson to A. S. Atkinson - - - Taranaki, 29 Oct 1861

. . . Herbert has been acting very foolishly of late. He has refused to take several men on the strength of the Militia because he says he has orders not to increase the force, and yet these men can be compelled to come out at a moment's notice and most of them under the Mutiny Act & Articles of War, having been sworn into the Militia and never discharged. Job Harrison (sergt) was struck off pay and rations (not discharged) because he has had the rheumatism too long. Priske has been struck off because he did not challenge the field officer when he was on sentry. Lieut Armstrong he gave leave for a month and directly he had started for Auckland he was struck off pay . . .

Now I quite think that non-effective men should not be rationed in the Militia but then they should be discharged in a proper manner and not by fits and starts when the commanding officer is a little out of sorts or cross with his officers . . .

The thistles are all being attended to by the pigs. I don't think they will spread so as to hurt us much in Hurworth. I would not come down ... so long as you can get your 8/- a day up there.

v 5, p 82

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, S 2 Nov 1861

Went to the N.O. At 2 came back with James who had been to see Grey (presenting address from Taranaki) . . . Among other things he asked James if he knew Maori? Jas. said not much but he had a brother in law in Auckland who took a scientific interest in the language & who had got what he knew without going thro' the mud for it. 'Indeed,' says Grey 'how can I get at him? What is he doing?' 'Oh he is doing much as I am; picking up scraps till he can get back again to Taranaki. He is an extra clerk in your Native Office' &c. . . .

v 33

Maria Richmond to Margaret Taylor - - - Auckland, 4 Nov 1861

James took his wife and family there [to Taranaki] about ten days ago, he rents a small house for them till January when he proposes to remove them to Nelson, having undertaken the editorship of a newspaper in that province. . . . William was on his way to Otago . . . There is an opening for a great practice at Dunedin, but I am afraid he cannot stand the toil, and wish he would make up his mind to try his fortune in Nelson, where an honest lawyer is much wanted. There he would be near James and his family, and though there is not so much money to be made, there are advantages in being with his own people which gold cannot replace . . .

Wm. is offered the place of registrar-general, an office of great trust, and for which only one or two men in the Colony are competent. He has not resolved yet finally whether to accept or reject it.

1861/24

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Mrs H. Gore Browne to J. C. Richmond - - - Sydney, 16 Nov 1861

It may be sending coals to Newcastle, but I must tell you what reaches us from New Zealand in case you may be too near to hear it. Sir George and Mr Fox are one, therefore for the first time in his life the latter will have legitimate access to the ear of the Secretary of State and be able to vilify the late Govt, as much as he likes. I can tell you that the point of attack he has selected is the management of the King movement which he not only declares to have been originally a Godsend but to be still capable of being turned into the salvation of the race. If this be true the opposition to it was certainly kicking against Providence and deserves all the obloquy he bestows on it . . .

I think the plan proposed by the new Government for the better govt, of the natives seems to be much the same as Col. Browne's which the House approved, the difference being that whereas Col Browne talks of introducing his system 'when the mischievous elements of the King movement are destroyed', Sir G. intends, I believe, to inaugurate his in December, and an answer of his to Mr McLean is significant. Mr McLean said 'the natives should be made to acknowledge the Queen's supremacy', upon which Sir George asked him 'how many of his own ancestors had done so'. I suppose the sequitur was that what the Highlanders had not done the Maoris need not do. The relations between the Governor and his responsible Ministers seems possible under the present exceptional circumstances but not in a usual state of things. 'Ministers must be responsible for native matters as much as for others. If they do not approve of his plan they must resign and he will try and get others who do, but the carrying out of the plan will rest entirely with them'. Now what would happen if the House chose to support its Ministers notwithstanding their not approving of the Governor's plan? Whose ministry would hold? the men chosen by the House or the men who approve of the Governor's plan?

We are still waiting for Col Browne's commission, watching all that goes on here with much interest. Education and an infusion of kindly feeling seem to me the only hope for this country, as it is clear numbers are to rule and if the numbers are not educated and if they retain old class animosities no good can come of all this material prosperity. I must say a great deal is being done in the way of education.

Give my love to your wife and all the members of the Athol club. New Zealand must always be the first country in our thoughts. We talk of it more than ever and are always longing for news. I dread a hasty healing of the wound and I dread the selfishness of men who consider their own success a primary object . . .

1861/25

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, M 18 Nov 1861

... A deputation of Waikato chiefs waited on Grey . . . they asked him what the Queen's orders to him were? He answered that there was to be no more fighting, & was going on to explain how things were to be brought about, but they interrupted him - 'We will stick to what you have just told us; never mind the rest.' And when he

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thought it their turn to speak 'they had nothing whatever to say.' Whereupon some one of the Ministers (I think Fox) exclaimed 'Why they are beating us,' which was nearer the truth than most of what he says. I am glad of it. Our main hope now is that Waikato will ask an unconditional surrender on our part of all the points in dispute, which I suppose may be considered reductio ad absurdum & we shall have to fight for it. What other hope is there with such egregious quacks at the head of affairs? . . .

Tu 19 Nov . . . The Waikato deputation returned home to day with food & 10 lbs of tobacco among the 18 43 . . . We are rapidly relapsing into the glories of 'Flour & sugar' . . .

F 22 Nov . . . From Hawkes Bay curiously we get details of Grey's plan of Native Government or management rather. There are to be 15 or 20 districts (each having its civil commissioner) which are to be divided into hundreds presided over by a rdt. mte. each . . .

M 25 Nov . . . Saw Wi Nero Te Awaitaia & talked to him to get at the Governor's & Waikato's notions. He says the King party will not give up the Flag nor allow roads to be made thro' their country nor accept the new runanga system - that is, not positively but as his opinion. I said supposing war arises between the Governor & Ngatiruanui what will the King people do? 'Ko reira ano' - 'They will be there too.' On the whole satisfactory.

W 27 Nov ... In the afn. [F.D] Fenton, the man who is to save New Zealand started for Waikato . . .

F 29 Nov Walked to Town carrying two kanae - as 'koha.' 44 In afn. White came over from Govt. House & told me Grey was thinking of setting going a dictionary. White is to contribute all he knows, the Govr. also. White asks me to help him put his into shape, his notions of English being somewhat vague. This is good news . . .

S 30 Nov Went to Town royally in my carriage & four, taking my Dict, which White took over & left for Grey to look at . . .

v 33

C. W. Richmond to Maria Richmond - - - Dunedin, 18 Nov 1861

It is clear that we are not going to settle in Auckland. I am much drawn to the Nelson plan because I am afraid of the winter climate of Dunedin and I have still enough sense left to see that if I am continually ill here it will be a bad thing, in every point of view, for my family and myself.

It is, however, useless to talk to me of Family love. I am become a worshipper of the golden calf of Tuapeka. The fact is I think my best and only plan for the next few months is to stick to business here. I have by no means decided to remain here.

I am truly thankful to hear of Maria's safe confinement. She must not let little

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Gorst draw too hard 45 . . . Stafford found me wheezing away at a great rate - for the first time since I left the Club. I am now all right again.

1861/27

Mary Richmond to J. C. Richmond - - - Onehunga, 24 Nov 1861

I wish some way could be opened for them to come to Nelson. If William would only make up his mind to practice there for a time we could all be together. Arthur could be with William. They would like to come but cannot unless there is some employment for them. Will you talk with Mr Domett and see if there is anything open to them? Do not forget about the College when you get to Nelson and see what can be done. You know I do not want you to undertake too much but I want you to make some money now and I think teaching drawing would be congenial work to you. . . .

1861/28

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 26 Nov 1861

Kate is not looking her best - I think she is not quite content in her way of life. She works hard, at times in a dress studied from 'the Marchioness' in Dickens's book and then emerges in a large hoop or on a horse. I think the habit in our set of mocking at the soldier officers is not fortunate for Kate, who likes attention I dare say but certainly likes gaiety and feels somewhat at war with those round her. Not that anyone blames her for going with her young friends, but as we most of us keep aloof there is a sort of vague implied censure. This perhaps makes Kate a little 'curst'. . . .

Richmond is here and seems a fine industrious good lad. Aunt wants him to return to Nelson and have a year at the College if we can let him live with us. What do you think of this? I like it. You know he is not a child . . . and he is plain and honest and has taken a religious turn from his friends the ----- at Motueka he is almost a Plymouth brother . . . Poor boy, he has had little opportunity 46 . . . Hal and Jane go on as usual, seeking little sympathy and not fretting if you don't seek theirs, but always hospitable and cheerful and active . . .

Burton's hill party consisted of Henry, Annie and me and was the greatest treat that I have had for a long time. I am surprised at my dullness not to have guessed at the glory of this prospect before . . . The clearings are a great credit to Burton and wonderfully free of logs and thistles, but the view from Tataraimaka to Tongariro I won't talk about. You know the mountain view and if this has much less extent it is more of a picture because there are more objects near at hand. It has a great deal of the charm of that first peep from the cypress tops as we were emerging from the upper edge of the bush going up the mountain . . .

You will be glad to hear that I have let the little house on Mt Eliot to the Bank for a year at £25. This is the most satisfactory stroke of business I have done for a

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long time. I have taken 50 Bank shares . . . they are £10 each but only £5 is likely to be called for and that in four instalments reaching over 9 months . . .

I was awake a large part of last night thinking over the deceit of Grey and the treason (I call it no less) of a Ministry which has got in on false pretences and is countenancing this fatal policy of pure concession which I fear is sufficiently pronounced now. My tactics here in Taranaki will still be to countenance patience and good temper. If a good future is not in immediate prospect we must struggle to get all the indemnity we can for the past and not quarrel with our bread and butter.

1861/29

Annie Smith to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 26 Nov 1861

[James] is I think decidedly better in his general health than when he left Onehunga, but he is so dreadfully blue and melancholy on account of his being away from his family, that I cannot find it in my heart to let him go by himself ... I will get all I can done towards getting a house with some few things straight in it and if possible a domestic before you come which will make things more comfortable . . .

You could not possibly have lived at his house - it is utterly unsuitable as a dwelling house especially with children, it stands by itself on the hill without a scrap of fence or inch of ground of its own around it. The people here are all most anxious to see you and trust that you will land as you pass . . .

As to housekeeping here . . . the chief difficulties seem to be house rent and servants. Houses are very dear, this one of Harry's is £80, and very scarce, they don't know of a good one to let, they consider James would have to build one if he came. Servants seem to be not so dear as so bad . . . Butter is 1/6 a pound, milk 4d. a qt., bread 1s. a qt. loaf, meat 6 1/2d. a pound, vegetables scarce now, but Jane thinks they will not be - gooseberries were 6d. but are 1s. a qt. Wearing apparel I think is dreadfully dear here, and almost everything except food . . .

You must not worry nor fidget about little things, Mary darling. One must be philosophical and rise above little things or there is no peace for us in this life - and the being careful and troubled about many things is our great bane. It seems to me . . . most important that we should determinately struggle and fight against it before it becomes part and parcel of our lives.

1861/30

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 27 Nov 1861

... To tell you of our excursion to Hurworth yesterday . . . We went first to our house. Little trace remains of gardening but a soft green turf has crept all over the garden and it looks very pretty, a few foxgloves and some relics of the English trees relieving it. There are lots of fine sleek cattle about and the thistles are less advanced than we had expected, in fact not desperately so. ... The general effect of the visit was rather to make me desire to be at work restoring, than to make me gloomy. But then the means of living out of the place are not immediate and it requires expenditure

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to make it habitable. I do not like this going to Nelson at all, but we must not chop and change too often, and it is the best for the present . . .

You think I know more than I do of the outward stimulants to right and at times in the last few weeks, seeing how Godless and dark all has looked, I have been inclined to fancy perhaps I was wrong and that there are appointed means, these excitements of the old civilised nations, to raise and support us. But it cannot be so, darling, it must be within that the warmth must spring. All indeed that comes to mortals is appointed to their education and our unhistoric hills and the base struggles of our politics and general want of culture and development may, must be as much means as the hoary ruins and seething struggles of Europe and its nations. The intense reality of the life above us comes upon me the more forcibly from the unreality and want of beauty within and around me. We must join dearest Mary in renewed struggle not to let the spark be quenched ... I earnestly and truly believe there is a Father over us whom it pains to see our baseness and that to keep the thought more before us is to get more of his help. I cannot be content in a Godless life and I know it is no vague dissatisfaction but a deep clear sense of my wrong in wasting and poisoning the precious hours.

1861/31

Mrs Harriet Gore Browne to C. W. Richmond - - - Government House, Sydney, 27 Nov [1856]

... It will have grieved you as much as it has done me to see the turn the press has taken at home - the folly of a Governor who expends £2,000,000 to exterminate a race he might have rescued by merely assisting in their own efforts after good is the cry - and when you know, as I do, that Sir George chimes in with that tone & rides triumphantly to shore on the very wave that wrecked us, pointing eagerly to the fruitless expenditure, you will see to what danger the fame of the last Government is exposed . . .

Mr Blackett says that during the next session of the House of Commons there will be an enquiry into the origin of the war & that Col Browne will be summoned before a committee. I have spoken to Sir John Young on the subject as he has great experience in parliamentary matters & he says it is not impossible that it may be so, and that at anyrate it would be wise to make every preparation in the way of searching documents and preparing a defence . . . There is no one so fit as yourself to prepare a defence ... So you must forgive me for once more asking you to arm in the old cause & prepare to fight the fight over again. If there should be a committee we must come out of it with honor; it would not be bearable to go down to posterity as fools & murderers and it is worth any labor to effect this end. ... Do not let me beg of you to think how the enquiry may be best met . . . Will you kindly write to me in Tasmania as soon as you receive this & tell me what you think. You know my husband thinks as I do about your being the best able to grasp a thing of this sort, but he has not time to write. Mr Spain backs your policy all over.

v 5, p 84

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J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 29 Nov 1861

In my last I told you of our visit to Hurworth, and how the sight of the place and the urgency of Hal, Henry and the rest shook me and half inclined me to abandon Nelson. I was greatly distressed all the next day and had to work hard at looking over, stowing and packing before I got quiet. Then yesterday I had a consultation with dear Annie which has set my mind at rest and she will tell you I dare say that on the whole the decision to go on with the Nelson plan is satisfactory to her mind.

1861/32

Annie Smith to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 29 Nov 1861

We went first to your house, it seemed very wrong that you should not be with me the first time of my seeing it. The roof and all the solid part of the house are in perfectly good condition but all inside looked so horribly desolate, I felt tremendously oppressed and depressed by it. I was . . . completely flattened by the sight of the little child's cot standing unhurt amongst the wreck of the sofa with every bit of stuffing torn out, wool in every direction, and the foot of the round table, bits of music and of paper torn from the walls. The bookshelves are lying with their faces on the ground but I don't think they are much hurt.

It must be terribly trying to all of you to have this ruin and desolation. One hardly knows which is the worse off - poor Arthur and Maria and Henry and Blanche without a vestige of anything but their chimneys left - or you and Harry who for the present look more desolate because the standing houses bring before you more vividly all that ought to have been, but no doubt on the whole it is better to have the houses left standing, for one can't help fearing that there will be no adequate compensation. I thought your house looked very pretty - I like the shape of the roof and the verandah very much ... To me the intense quiet and uninhabitedness of the place - no life anywhere except in the cattle (which are very numerous) was most oppressive. . . .

James gathered me 20 green gooseberries, the first he says that have grown in your garden, and some alpine strawberries and one real one which were in Arthur's garden and I was made to consume them all - we gathered some rhubarb too out of Ar's garden.

1861/33

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, Su 1 Dec 1861

. . . In afn. went with Maria to the T. H. Smith's ... Mr Smith saw the Bishop yesterday who came up in the steamer. He got down as far as Patea. Our particular friends the Ngatiruanui are wishing for 'institutions,' they would have returned the plunder but are afraid they may be asked to account for the missing. 'The Warea people are sore & sulky at their pa having been burnt.' Poor fellows . . . The Bishop got a rather unfriendly reception at Taranaki but it was overdone by the rabble & so spoiled . . .

M 9 Dec ... A regular clear out of the N.O. On my way in met White & Monro

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on their way to Waikato to attend on the Governor. Power leaves by the Airedale for Otago today. T. H. Smith, alias Mete, & Fulloon go to the Bay of Plenty this week 'I only am escaped alone to tell thee'... As I went into Town I saw a sort of parhelion on the road, of all places in the world. The road for some distance was closely spread over with gossamers & the sun shining on the dew on these produced the parhelion of which my feet were on the circumference & my head in the centre.

Tu 10 Dec . . . Had some talk with Bell. He wants to know if I will take a permanent place in the N.O. I say no. Is there anything he could do for me while he has the power? 'Yes - if there is a Maori dictionary to be made I should like you to have a finger in the pie'. He thinks it may be managed but what on earth is the good of it to me? He also made some political confessions of faith. He has made up his mind that he can never work as member of the same ministry with C.W.R, nor will he (Bell) support a ministry of which [words expunged here]. 'He admires & respects almost venerates him' but they took different views as to the amount of allegiance due from private members to the leader of opposition.

F 13 Dec . . . The captain of the schooner Thistle . . . tells me the Natives at Kawhia demand harbour dues (£2 per vessel), also customs duties. The customhouse authorities tell him he is not to pay. He wants to know if he resists & his vessel is seized will the Govt, get it back again? I tell him his vessel will want new rigging by the time he gets [it] again.

v 33

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - New Plymouth, 6 Dec 1861

... I have been much perplexed and my usual feebleness over an awkward job greatly increased by unwillingness to break away even for a time from Taranaki and our dear ones here. I have been frightfully dilatory therefore over the packing . . .

We went to Tataraimaka on Wednesday . . . The ride is through scenery so charming that no dullness can quite spoil it ... I forget if you ever got as far as the Tapuae, a stream a mile beyond Omata. The road crosses it in a semicircular sweep which forms an amphitheatre of lovely trees, rata in perfect form and heath and other lower bush, then the beach beyond Oakura with its little undercliff full of karaka, toetoe, cape gooseberry, white flax (linum) and convolvolus besides a hundred other shining plants and its splendid little gushing streams. These are independant of blue skies.

At the pa just this side of Tataraimaka, the Hauranga pa, we found a large party of the hostile natives in runanga or korero with the people of the place. The pa is on a ridge with curious old spreading ake ake trees and is remarkably picturesque . . . The natives squatting in front and the fires cooking food . . . were a wonderful Maori picture. Komene, Hone and the treacherous Minarapa were of the party but being on horses we were not put to the pain of shaking hands or refusing.

1861/34

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J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Taranaki, 9 Dec 1861

I am still far from rejoicing in the [Nelson] arrangement though it is probably for the best . . . Woon has agreed to give £150 for the work of the little Herald and that is evidently better in proportion than the other. And I might scrape up another hundred here in one way or another . . .

Yesterday we went to the sap and Pukerangiora . . . We did not start till after dinner as Annie had been to a ball the night before at Mr Sharland's and got home at four in the morning. The view from Pukerangiora is equal to its reputation: the site of the Te Arei pa is about three or four hundred feet above the Waitara which is running at the foot of the cliff . . . The look out seaward wants a finer day. The thistles are a draw back - they are rampant all over, and you can find few places free enough to sit down in ease: the horses too getting among them fidget and leap . . .

I forgot to tell you in my last that I had found the missing pictures, so now all are recovered except my father's portrait, 'Lady fair' and the Canterbury Pilgrims. The frame of Lamlash Island is injured much by the damp, but the painting has not taken harm. Among the rest is my first present to Mary Smith once my sweetheart, a white cottage in Arran where I used to live trying in vain to forget her clear grey eyes and soft ensnaring ways and arts. But the old moth could not manage it and so he flew back again and after another flutter or two in he dropped . . .

The public health is good, no more signs of fever or diphtheria. Large parties are out cutting thistles and recovering cattle. The militia are relieved from all drill and duty for the month to do the thistle work . . . The grass in the bush is very fine, but hawk weed makes great progress round town and in fern land that has been cropped ...

1861/35

J. C. Richmond to Mary Richmond - - - Nelson, 13 Dec 1861

The night we arrived Domett and Mantell called and we all went out to the nursery garden in the Maitai valley. It was teaming with beautiful flowers and the hills looked grave and mellow in the evening light. Annie seems much pleased with Nelson so far but the delight cannot be so durable as in the more open and extensive country about Auckland and N. Plymo ...

I may be said to have decided to try the Examiner but I am very doubtful of pleasing anyone and certain of disgusting myself. Unless C.W.R. would come, and then by setting him and Domett to talk I might get an idea twice a week . . .

I suppose you read the note from Calvert asking for the circumferenter. It just strikes me that if we are quite unequal to the Examiner the old business may answer and I shall not agree to do more than lend the instrument. This gives me some satisfaction to think of, for I should not like to take a house at a heavy rent on the mere chance that I should continue to satisfy the expectations of Elliott and his readers.

The pattering of the water that leaks out of the aqueduct has a soft soothing sound as good as a fountain in a garden of terraces and statues, and the aqueduct has a

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primitive old world look that makes me regret to hear the progress of improvement and of the Dun mountain railway is soon to remove it.

1861/36

C. W. Richmond to Maria Richmond - - - Dunedin, 15 Dec 1861

I want to reassure you a little about Dunedin. You have got an erroneous notion about the effect of the diggings upon society here. First as far as external orderliness and tranquility are concerned there is more of these than before the diggings 'broke out'. The police is highly efficient. It has been imported, all ready made, from Melbourne and is fully equal to the London Metropolitan. A drunken man in the street is an exceedingly rare sight. No such thing as burglary has been committed in Dunedin. In one case a shop was broken into and some fire-arms stolen. But I don't believe that the averages of crime in Dunedin would be found higher than in Auckland. The 'sticking up' cases you have heard of occurred on the road to Tuapeka which is between 60 and 70 miles from Dunedin. When people are known to be carrying large quantities of the precious metal it is to be expected that occasional attempts will be made to relieve them of it, but we used not to sleep less quietly in London because a bag man was occasionally robbed of his cash box in the days of gig travelling. Your ideas about Dunedin are just like Aunt Wright's about London - just like the Stockton notion that death by fire was the ultimate fate of every Cockney.

My own doubts about settling in Dunedin are two. First, I don't like even the temporary isolation from the other members of the family. Secondly, I am still uncertain about the effects of the climate on my own health. As to the separation I mean, God willing, that it should be very short. I trust that I am going soon to derive some income from Idaburn, which is going on very well. Therefore if I can but keep my head above water for the next two or three years I may be able to retire, at least, to choose my own residence. As to the climate, I confess I am afraid of the fogs. There is also a miasma from the head of the Bay which seems to have a specific effect upon me. It is possible, however, by residing on the hills to keep out of the reach of this except occasionally during the day when the wind brings it down upon the town.

The effects of the gold diggings on society here I think has stirred up the good as well as the bad. There are excellent elements among the old Scotch population. Many minds are, I think aroused to a sense of the duties which this enormous and sudden accession of wealth and influence has brought along with it. For my own part I hold that it is a man's own fault if he does not find worthy people and make good friends wherever he goes. In many ways I am disposed to prefer society in Dunedin to what it is in Auckland - understand that by society I do not mean evening parties.

In my last to Emily I told her of my agreement to go into partnership with Gillies. This agreement is, however, dependent, of course, upon my health.

I am very comfortable here as regards my externals. I have my private sitting

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room which serves for bedroom also. Stafford and I are sitting together writing at the table, and behind me is my little iron bedstead with a Maori flax mat for counterpane. My guests generally take my bed for a sofa and sit down upon it.

1861/37

A. S. Atkinson, journal - - - Auckland, W 18 Dec 1861

. . . Letters from Wi Nera te Awaitaia, apologising for not having met the Governor. In speaking of the King people he says: Ko te Kingi ko te kara e kore e hoki ki raro. Otiia he kupu kau pea. Coming home met two Maories from Mangatawhiri. They say the Govr. is coming back tomorrow & I am afraid he will not bring the Flag with him. 47

F 20 Dec . . . Grey is back from Waikato. He met the Maories at Taupari, a few Kingites among them . . . They asked, what about Taranaki? He said he advised them as a friend to tell the Taranaki and Ngatiruanui they must return all plunder, 48 make compensation in land for the harm they had done & then they might come to talk with him . . .

S 28 Dec . . . called at White's & went with him to Govt. House to see Grey about the dictionary. We agree to give him what we have got, if he supplies a clerk to copy. Accordingly he instructs me to copy it in office hours. As to the method of it, he talked rather beside the matter, so I shall do it my own way. After we had done with the Dict. I said I had another thing I wished to speak to him about ... As a Taranaki settler ... I wished to know if it was safe for us to return to our kaingas, but he only evaded it. When he was assured that none of the other tribes would interfere in what he did at Taranaki he should be able to advise me, &c.

Tu 31 Dec . . . [Bell] said it was Sewell's wish to keep me on temporarily till some opening should occur where I might be better employed (as R.M. or otherwise). In the mean time I was to be retained with special reference to the Dictionary which I was to do in my own way. I told him that tho here I really belonged to Taranaki, that unless our 'mob' were broken up & the place made unhabitable I was not at all likely to remain permanently in the Native service and that therefore they must not make me any better offer under that expectation ... As to pay Sewell would agree to anything he (Bell) & I agreed upon, but it ought to be with reference to the other salaries of the Office. . . . By the way, in Grey's justification it should be noted that he has positive instructions not to fight the King movement . . .