Others who were to take part in gold-mining negotiations were: John Thorp (the son of the pre-1840 settler Joshua Thorp), T B Gillies (who succeeded Willamson as superintendent of Auckland province), and Donald McLean, Native Minister from June 1869.

Puckey visited the Thames district in August 1869. Ropata Te Arakai told Puckey about ‘opposition on the part of Taipari, Riwai Te Kiore, and Te Moananui … which added much to the opposition made by Te Hira and others’.³⁴ The nature of this ‘opposition’ remains obscure. In June, the New Zealand Herald reported that ‘The Shortland natives are helping those natives, who are hard up, and advising them not to open Ohinemuri. It will interfere with their income, they fear.’³⁵ But the lending of material aid to kin did not necessarily imply a selfish motive.

In mid-October, Puckey attended a meeting at which the great majority were in favour of opening the land to mining, Te Moananui having called for a vote. Te Hira remained adamant in his opposition. In Puckey’s words:

The chief argument made use of by those opposed to ceding the land to [the] Government was, that that course would eventuate in the loss of their land – the mana of the Queen would light down upon the land – their mana would be gone, and they would lose the land. This was replied to by Ropata’s people, by saying that the benefits that would result from leasing the land would be substantial, and would be enjoyed by themselves and their children for many years, whilst they were gaining no advantage whatever.³⁶

All this while Te Kooti remained at large and the Government had to be careful not to act provocatively in Ohinemuri. In August 1869, emissaries of Te Kooti were reported by Thorp to have visited Te Hira, taught him karakia, and may have been supplied with munitions.³⁷

In October 1869, the anticipated arrival of McLean encouraged the hopes of miners, but Tukukino declared that he would resist any attempts to alienate Ohinemuri. Supporters of Ropata Te Arakai asked Thorp to appeal to the Government on their behalf for arms for, wrote Thorp, ‘they are menaced by the hauhaus for taking sides with us’.³⁸

In November 1869, tempers flared at a runanga called to discuss land leasing. Te Hira was reported to have challenged his opponents to fight without the help of Pakeha. Te Hira’s opponents replied that they would fight side by side with Pakeha against all Hauhau comers.³⁹ These challenges might have been rhetorical. But around this time Te Hira was seeking weapons from the suspected Fenian, O’Connor, reported as living at Ohinemuri in August 1869 ‘on terms of the greatest intimacy and friendship’ with Te Hira.⁴⁰ In September

34. Puckey to McLean, 1 October 1869, AJHR, 1870, a-19, pp 1–2 (doc o6, p 175)

35. New Zealand Herald, 15 June 1869 (doc o6, p 175)

36. Puckey to McLean, 19 October 1869, AJHR, 1870, A-19, p 4 (doc o6, p 178)

37. Thorp to Cooper, 2 August 1869, Donald McLean papers, ms papers 32, ATL (Monin, p 218)

38. Thorp to McLean, 27 October 1869, ms-papers 32, folder 603, ATL (doc o6, p 179)

39. New Zealand Herald, 30 November 1869 (doc o6, p 182)

40. Ibid, 25 August 1869 (p 194)