King Matekatea, against the wishes of other natives (but with the assistance of Te Whiti, who was then a young chief of no distinction) sent all the passengers of the Lord Worsley to New Plymouth in bullock carts. In con sideration of this act of forbearance a portion of the confiscated land north and south of Opunake was given to these chiefs for the benefit of their people. About this time reserves were laid off by the Civil Commissioner (Mr Parris) for the natives in those open coast lands given to the military settlers south of "Waingongoro, and north of Stoney River. These surveys of reserves and military settlers' lands occupied the interval be tween the close of the rebellion in 1865, and commencement of Titokowaru's rebellion in 1868. When Titokowaru's commenced Honi Pihama was requested by the Stafford Government to remove the Tangahoihapu, a section of his tribe, who were then residing on a reserve awarded to them near Hawera. Honi Pihama removed these people to where he was himself residing, at a place called Oeo, a distance of twenty miles from Hawera. When these people were re moved, at the request of the Government, it was on the. understanding that they ■were to return to their reserve on the close of Titokowaru's rebellion. At the close of this rebellion the Stafford Go vernment were out of office, and the Fox-Vogel Ministry succeeded. Imme diately after their accession to office, Mr Fox the Premier, visited the Patea and Hawera districts, where he found the settlers very much incensed against the natives, in consequence of the heavy losses they had sustained. There was a strong feeling of animosity against the whole race, hostile or friendly, and they strongly urged on the Premier their desire that no natives be permitted to return to the district. It is doubtful if Sir William Fox was aware at the time of the cir cumstances of the case; certainly it would not have been politic to have allowed the friendly natives to return to the district while the feeling of the settlers who had lost so heavily was so strong and bitter against the whole race. Bir William Fox acceded to the wishes of the settlers, and told them no natives would 1 be allowed to light their fires between Waitotara on the south and Waingongoro on the north. 