1869, O’Connor was reported to have visited King Tawhiao on business for Te Hira.⁴¹ Sometime during the year, he may have promised Te Hira to supply guns in exchange for the right to work gold. But O’Connor failed to supply the arms and Te Hira broke with him. Thorp reported these dealings to McLean in April 1870.⁴² However, Te Hira remained supportive of Te Kooti, invited him to Ohinemuri in January 1870, and gifted him powder and ammunition via emissaries.⁴³

Te Hira’s connections with O’Connor, the Kingitanga at Te Kuiti and Te Kooti caused dissatisfaction within Ngati Tamatera, sensitive concerning their tribal autonomy. The damage was compounded in March 1870 when Puckey received a letter from Tana Te Waharoa of Ngati Haua on behalf of the King stating that Ohinemuri would be opened.⁴⁴ This revelation and the inference that Te Hira had permitted Te Waharoa to speak for Ohinemuri led to the disaffection of several of Te Hira’s supporters.⁴⁵ Te Hira was censured at a meeting held in April 1870.⁴⁶

In June, senior leaders of the Kingitanga washed their hands of the matter. According to Wi Te Wheoro, Tawhiao himself said that he ‘will have no voice in the matter, but that he will send a message to Te Hira recommending him to let go the land to the Europeans to be worked’.⁴⁷ Te Wheoro’s next letter to McLean relayed the words of Te Paea Tiaho, sister of Tawhiao:

What you say is right. I agree to it [removing the Kingitanga’s objections to mining]. I myself will send a message to Te Hira and Mere Kuru. Manuwhiri and myself have already written to Te Hira to say that if he were willing to open up Ohinemuri, he should do so without reference to us. But Te Hira was not willing to let it go – even on those terms.⁴⁸

The decision to agree to mining was for Te Hira and his sister Mere Kuru to make.

10.1.4 A different Crown agenda

After Mackay’s resignation, there was little pressure from the Government to secure cession agreements. Puckey did not actively seek signatures in the way that Mackay had done. Donald McLean was by now very sensitive to strategic considerations and engaged in diplomatic approaches to the Kingitanga. He had not attended the October 1869 meeting at

41. New Zealand Herald, 10 September 1869 (p 194)

42. Thorp to McLean, 18 April 1870, ms papers 32, folder 603, ATL (doc o6, p 194)

43. Binney, p 201

44. New Zealand Herald, 30 March 1870 (doc o6, p 190)

45. Puckey to McLean, 11 April 1870, ms papers 32, folder 1022, ATL (doc o6, p 191)

46. Thorp to McLean, 29 April 1870, ms papers 32, folder 603, ATL (doc o6, pp 191–192)

47. Wi Te Wheoro to McLean, 9 June 1870, AJHR, 1870, a-21, p 25 (doc o6, pp 192–193)

48. Wi Te Wheoro to McLean, 11 June 1870, AJHR, 1870, a-21, p 26 (doc o6, p 193)