Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, MAY 22, 1863. TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 117, 22 May 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, MAY 22, 1863.

TARANAKI.

[Our leading article and other matters now in typo stand over until our next issue.]

[The following appeared in an Extra, on Wednesday last immediately after the arrival of tho Kauri, from Auckland.] HOSTILITIES. MURDEROUS ATTACK BY THE NATIVES. (From the Tai'anaki News, May".) A murderous attack was made on Monday last upon a military escort proceeding along the beach on its way between Tataraimaka and Oraata, by a body of natives lying in ambush, in which two officers, two color-ser-geants, and four men were killed—one man the single survivor in this fatal affair escaping wounded, and with difficulty. Early in the forenoon rumours came into town that some obstruction had been offered to an escort, which was at first understood to have been confined to turning it back. Shortly afterwards one of the mounted troop rode in with orders for the whole body to move down to Omata and they were immediately recalled from the practice ground where they were, and proceeding at once to the camp at Poutoko. The serious character of the affair now became to seme extent known. An escort had been fired upon and officers and men shot down ; and names were mentioned, and yet there was but little certainty either about the individuals or the extent of the calamity. Ills Excellency and Capt. Bulkeley left town for Omata immediately, and measures were instantly taken to call in tho outlying settlers without occasioning unnecessary panic.

As the day advanced, 2 guns from Marsland Hill, the signal for all to come in were fired ; and a notice calling the Militia and Volunteers out was posted about the town. In the afternoon something like a reliable account of the cause of ail this disturbance arrived. It appears that a party of the 57th llegt., 7 in number, were escorting a, dray and a prisoner from Tataraimaka towards Omata, and that Lieut. Tragett and Asst.Surgeon Hope were riding towards town in the same direction. Before arriving at the Oakum, a short distance beyond which coming from Tataraimaka there is a precipitous rise from the beach, they were fired upon by a body of natives who lay concealed in the scrub above, and the whole party wounded and many no doubt hilled outright by the first discharge. The miscreants finding their victims wounded and helpless, then made an onslaught on them with their tomahawks and spears, despatching tire wounded, and mangling all with their accustomed brutality. One man only succeeded in making Lis escape and conveyed the melancholy tidings to the camp at Tataraimaka.

The victims of this treacherous attack arc Asst.-Surgeon Hope, Lieut. Tragett, colorsergeant S. Ellis, color-sergeant S. Hill and privates John Elynn, Edward Kelley, William Banks and Patrick Byan, all of the 57Lit Begiment. Tho body of Dr. Hope was stripped, and the valuables of the whole party, consisting of rings, &c., bad been violently taken away. Medals, the rewards of past services, bad been violently wrenched from their uniforms. While these atrocities were enacting, another dray was approaching from Poutoko, at the Omata end with an escort and drivers to the number of ten, who beard the volley, and soon after came in sight of the scene of the murders. They saw the bodies on the beach, and observing the number of assailants, left the dray and returned to Poutoko, from whence a force was immediately sent to recover the and take possesion of the position ; and there is now a strong redoubt in course of construction on the spot. The bodies were removed to Poutoko and arrived in town at the Military Hospital the same evening after dark. The waggon left behind by the Poutoko escort containing bread and some cases of bran-

dy was driven away and was afterwards observed proceeding on the road to the pa on the slopes. An Inquest was held on the bodies at the Military Hospital on Tuesday but did not proceed for want of evidence, and was adjourned to this day (Thursday) at 10 o’clock at the Council Chamber. The bodies will be interred to-day at 11 a.m.