IMPORTANT NEWS FROM AWANUI, POVERTY BAY. THE PAI MARIRE REBEL, PATARA, SHOT. ENEMY'S LOSS—EIGHTEEN KILLED, NINE WOUNDED. OUR LOSS—ONE NATIVE, FIVE VOLUNTEERS WOUNDED. (FROM THE AUCKLAND HERALD, 24TH JULY.)

Evening Post, Issue 153, 4 August 1865, Page 2

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM AWANUI, POVERTY BAY. THE PAI MARIRE REBEL, PATARA, SHOT. ENEMY'S LOSS—EIGHTEEN KILLED, NINE WOUNDED. OUR LOSS— ONE NATIVE, FIVE VOLUNTEERS WOUNDED. (FROM THE AUCKLAND HERALD, 24TH JULY.)

Ii.M.S.S. Eclipse, Capt. Freemantle, arrived last evening from the East Coast, bringing most important news. She is last from Waiapu, Poverty Bay, where she landed 54 volunteers, in command of Capt. Praser, and reports that immediately after landing them, fighting commenced between the Hau Haus and the loyal natives. The Volunteers were landed at Waiapu to assist Morgan's party, and it appears that they arrived just in time, as hard fighting took place on the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the enemy losing eighteen killed, and nine wounded. One native was shot dead, and five volunteers were wounded on our side. The behaviour of the loyal natives is highly spoken of by the officers of the Eclipse, who state that no men could have fought better. On the 19th instant, Mr. M'Lean, Superintendent of Napier, who was on board, received a letter from a friendly chief on shore, stating that the Pai-Marir c

priest Patara (Butler), had been shofrby Captain Fraser during the fight, and was found dead ; the letter also gave the above detail of the killed and wounded of the of the enemy. The same day the Eclipse shelled the rebel pah at Awanui, causing great destruction, and it is supposed Joss of life, but the weather prevailing was most disadvantageous, causing the vessel to roll heavily. The Eclipse and St. Kilda landed some 300 stand of arms, besides ammunition, on the East Coast, for the protection of the loyal natives against the Pai Marires. The St. Kilda left Waiapu on Wednesday last with Mr. M'Lean, to land some arms and ammunition at a native settlement about twenty miles south of Poverty Bay, in order to protect themselves against the Hau Haus, and, as they were going to join Morgan's party, the rebels in that district would be completely surrounded. The place at Awanui where the Eclipse landed the volunteers, is now in possession of the Hau Haus, so that no more forces can be landed there, and the only communication will be through the heavy surf which prevails at the Waiapu. At Hicks' Bay, Mutakaurawa, the point is said to be entirely surrounded by Pai Marire natives, and only 1M) loyal natives reside iij the district, so the TEclipse landed seventy stand of arms and some ammunition for their protection. At Wangaproa, the natives have all turned Pai Marires, and, upon the Eclipse's arrival, it was discovered that Mr. Turner (a resident there) had gone although his boat and house remained * As no natives were seen it is supposed that they have taken him away inland. The Eclipse remained there two days, but still no tidings were heard of the missing man, Turner, and it was more especially suspected that foul play had been at work, inasmuch that he was married to a native woman. The Eclipse struck on a rock in Awanui Bay (not marked down in the chart), and has since been leaking considerably, which was the cause of her coming into this port. _ : #