RAGLAN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 334, 21 December 1865, Page 1

RAGLAN.

(Prom the Correspondent of the New Zealand Herald.) December 11. From Kawhia we have some startling news. Mr Mackay has returned from, that place, and report says he has not met with the reception he expected. Wiremu Patene, who accompanied him there, crossed to the south side of Kawhia harbor and saw the redoubtable Rewi himself, who was very indignant at that Pakeba coming, and wanted to know the object of bis mission. If he wanted peace, he (Rewi) would listen to him whan all the white men had evacuated the Waikato but not till then; and on the assemblage of all the tribes, which is to take place in February, the Maoris would shew the Pakehas what they would do One old savage, whose residence in the hulk has not improved his manners, came to prevent Mr Mackay from crossing beyond Aotea, and but for the intervention of an influential white person residing there, would have maintained his purpose. The short and the long of the matter is that this mission has made affairs assume a very serious aspect. TheKupapas are to be

armed and munitioned and are to build redoubts, and it is said that Mr Mackay intends pressing the Government to send an armed vessel into Kawhia harbor. The sooner this is done the better, and if this nest of rebels were cleared out and the large cultivations there destroyed, a step would be taken in the right direction. Neither Raglan nor the now scattered settlers on the Waikato frontier line are safe from an inroad at any moment, and Government must be blind not to see the dangerous proximity of such turbulent eneimies. Rewi is excessively indignant at his brother’s capture at the White Cliffs, and will naturally seek utii somewhere. The friendly natives are assembled in considerable numbers, and it is said they are to be armed, and those having them already are to present their guns for inspection. News arrived here last night that a whaleboatwith aname painted on ithad come ashore at the Makaka to the north of Aotea harbor, and that the trunk of a woman dressed in mourning had also come ashore near it, and a little further on, the head of a man. The head, arms, and legs of the female had probably been taken off by the sharks. Another boat, reported to be a small cutter, has come ashore at Euapuke, a little to the north of the Makaka. Our Resident Magistrate, and Dr Harsant, Coroner, proceed to-morrow to the scene. It is more than likely that this isolated place will be subjected to another of those panics which have on previous occasions so cheeked its growth. As long as the rebels were living quietly on the south side of Kawhia harbor, we were inclined to run all risks, and live in hope of their not molesting us; but now since Mr Mackay, has judiciously, I will not say throw down the gauntlet by inducing the friendly natives to build repoubts on the north side of Kawhia and at Aotea, a challenge is at once given to the rebels which itisraost likely they will embrace. Our fears are also enhanced by the fact that we have rebels in our own quarter, and they, it seems, have written to Kawhia to the kingites to attack Raglan at cnce, as now there will be plenty of arms and amunition, to loot, I will sent you in my next the particulars of the bodies found and the names on the boats cast ashore. I may mention that it is generally supposed that they belong to some vessel which is reported to have been wrecked off Kaipara. As a report is current that signal guns were heard near entrance, and that the strong north-west gale had set them down this way, when the meeting of the tides off Gannet Island had checked their further progress, and they have drifted ashore.