TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 35, 27 February 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

TARANAKI.

(l<rom an occasioned Correspondent.) New Plymouth, Jan. 28, 18G2. An occurrence has happened here within the last few days which caused a little excitement and relieved the monotony of tho place for a time. Hapurona, the great fighting native general in the war, and who accepted Governor .Browne’s terms, and who since has been in charge of Matarokoriko blockhouse I believe, under Government pay, came into town on Saturday last with his son, Horopa-

pera. During the afternoon they went up to an officer’s quarters in company with some women. While there, it appears, they all, more o'ftless, got liquor, and being, I suppose, rather noisy, were ordered away by an officer of the 57th. Horopapera refused, whereupon the officer got his horsewhip and struck him repeatedly overtire shoulders. Hapurona, the father who at the best of times is a perfect savage, and of a violent temper, and who had taken enough liquor to make him worse, took the matter up, and with his son immediately .left the place and came down to the square, where, with a long stick in his hand (a native weapon of some sort), he danced about in a perfect fury, using the most abusive and threatening language against the pakehas. Opposite Black’s shop he held forth in the usual Maori style, running to and fro, working himself up into a perfect madness of brandishing his weapon, rolling his eyes, putting out his tongue, &c. The majority of the persons present little understood the meaning of his expressions, until Mr. Woon arrived on the spot, and understanding the Maori language, intimated that he was saying that he should have revenge for the insult offered to his son. Mr. Woon went up to him and endeavoured to pacify him, and urged him to go to the authorities if he had any grievance. Hapurona pushed him away, and said he wouldn’t, and threatened to shoot him if he found him at Waitara. A crowd, having collected, and Hapurona’s appearance and conduct being such as to warrant the apprehension that some violence would be commited on the spot, the police interfered and carried him off to the lock-up after a violent struggle on his part to get away from them X have been told since that his expressions opposite Black’s were to this effect; he should go back to Matarokiriko, burn it down and go inland, and would consider the insult his son had received a cause for war against the paheha; that he would have the officers up for payment, &c. &c. When he was put into the gaol, he pulled off his shirt, tore it up, set up a dismal howl, cr3 T ing with his son, and singing a song, in which I am told he spoke of the degradation he had received ; that it would be told to the other tribes that he had been put into gaol by the pakeha after joining them ; that he was now made a slave, he was no longer a chief, and would rather he was hanged at once. After the lapse of an hour’, Hapurona was liberated, onjpromising to appear on Monday, when he would he permitted to make his complaint. He went away, sullen, and with a countenance expressive of the deepest revenge. Monday morning came, but no Hapurona. A military inquiry was to be instituted, X hear, hut Hapurona was not forthcoming. The last news wc have is, that he has vacated ]\latarikoriko (not burnt it down as he threatened), and gone inland to the Arei, and sent a letter in to say tire he won’t come unless the government writes for him. It was reported he had gone to Waikato, hut I hear to-day he is at Te Arei, or in its vicinity.

We all approved the conduct of the police, and couciemn the act of the authorities in liberating Ilapnrona before jhe was sober. JTe was riotous anp disorderly, and chief or no chief, lie should have been kept in gaol till Monday. Hcpurona has great and absurd ideas of his own importance, and the burden of his complaint was, that he, a chief, had been insulted in the person of his son. The saying “ when the wine is in, the wit is out,” was exemplified in his case. The real feelings of his heart towards the pakcha came out, for he not only said he would burn the stockade, but would kill any pakeha he found there. Yet in the face of this he was allowed to bo at liberty, and go home in the evening when scores of pakehas were about the country. —Southern Cross, Feb. 4.