[Image of page 318] IN October, 1862, a great national meeting,
to which allusion has been already made, was held at the
Ngatihaua village of Peria, to which invitations were issued
several months before. Sir George Grey himself was asked to
attend the meeting by several Waikato chiefs; but Wiremu
Tamihana did not join in the invitation. He and the principal
men of Ngatihaua did not wish the Governor to attend, because
Maories from distant places would be present, the language would
be very free, and things might be said in the Governor's
presence that would affront him, and put their hospitality to
shame. The meeting was a very large one, attended by the tribes
not only of Waikato, but of Tauranga, the East Coast, Napier,
Whanganui, and Taranaki. The subject which the meeting had been
specially called to discuss was the everlasting Waitara. The
general opinion of the Maories on this point was, that no
arbitration could take place so long as the troops remained in
possession of Waitara, and of those other plo