WAIKATO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 428, 11 October 1866, Page 2

WAIKATO.

IMPORTANT NATIVE INTELLIGENCE. (From tlie New Zealand Herald, Ist October.) It was reported in town on Saturday last that the friendly natives in the Waikato districts had suddenly and secretely left their cultivations to join the rebels. On hearing this report, we made enquiries, and were favored with the following particulars by a gentleman just arrived in Auckland from the disaffected districts;— From information recently received from Tauranga, Hawke’s Buy, and Waikato districts there is reason to believe the natives are contemplatin'* mischief. This conclusion has reluctantly been come to from the fact that a portion of the Ngaiterangis at Taurauga. who are under the sway and dominion of Wi Tamiiiana To Waharoa, have, at his command, taken feloniously the survey instruments from these parties who were engaged in surveying the confiscated block of land ceded over to Government in April last, and who the day after collected together ail their seed potatoes and other effects and deliberately bade adieu to their old homesteads and civilisation, and then left the district to join the disaffected portions of the great Kingmaker’s tribe, the Waikatos. Thompson having been unsuccessful in obtainin'* the lands which had been guaranteed to him° by a certain member of the Legislature at the lime ho consented to terms of peace, that is, that the lands which had been confiscated on the Waikato should be returned to him, and having on his recent visit to Wellington been thus disappointed, now it would seem, joins issue with those who have’ali along held out to tight and die for their lands It is credibly asserted, that there U searceiy to be seen a native in the Waikato; even those who have recently been professing firm friendship and good will towards us, have joined the ranks of the enemy, and are at this very moment inarms against us. it has not been us vet ascertained correctly where the enemy intend concentrating their f -rces ; some say at the Thames, others, that the Hawke’s Bay district will be tne point of attack. Most probably the latter will be the place, inasmuch, us letters have been received in town from Hawke’s Bay, dated September 15th, stating that 400 fighting men of the Waikato were lxpected very shortly at Butane, a settlement near Napier, win re, on their arrival, they would at once make an attack on the town. Tim letter containing this information was received in town last weeff but was looked upon at the time as simply a Maori yarn. Events, however, from recent intelligence irom the Waikato, go to prove that a dee , Ues.gning plot is being laid, culling for instant and decisive action on tho part ot the Government. A native named Mold, a Maori policeman belonging to the Waikato, was last week in town receiving hi» pay. On his leavingtown he told his Iriends that this would bo his last draw upon the Government, inasmuch us he, with the rest of the Waikato tribe, vvero about to lake up arms against us. The same journal, in its issue of the 2nd, thus refers to the foregoing intelligence;—

Yesterday, in our allusion to the rumor prevalent ia town on Saturday that the friendly natives resident m VV aikato had cleared out of the district and bad gone over to the rebels, wo published the very idariuiug particulars furnished to us bv a gentleman just arrived from the disuliected districts. We are to-day in a position to slate that the information afforded to us is but 100 correct in every particular. Yv illiam Thompson it is who has, through Ins lieutenant leira, obstructed the survey of the Government lauds at Tauratma, and who, having raised the natives into rebehiu’n, is now at the head of the iusiuTectionox-y party. There is every reaspa to believe that Jfapicr, tae capital town of the Province of Hawke’s Bay, is the position most in danger of immediate attack, .this is the more likely, as there is not at the present time, we believe, any military force stationed in that towu. *’ Xaihoct; wait till the soldiers are gone,” were the warning words used by many a friendly Northern native during tiie past twelve niontiis, whenever an expression of sanguine belief in the final termination of the war was expressed by a iiuropcaa. it seems that Thompson pad lus followe.s are scarcely willing to wait for thy departure of the last regiment. \Vo understand that a general return of the arms and ammunition which eaeli tribe would be able to atlord, in the case of a general rising, had been called lor and received by Thompson, and that instead of there belli l ' 1 any deficiency in this matter, the stock- of warlike implements and ammunition amongst the natives Was never greater than at tins present moment. .Large sums in money, as compensation for confiscated lands, have ueeu paid over to them during the last year or two by the Government, and doubtless the greater portion of this and other monies, have been expended in the purchase of arms and ammunition 'furnished to them by such unprincipled characters as the man Priestly, lately convicted of such offence and and seiueneed to imprisonment lor three years. We’ are glad to see that Uieefibrts of Mr Commissioner itlackay to bring this man to justice, have not been rendered unavailing by the interposition of legal (finable. . 'J-he judge yesterday confirmed tfie Sentence of the jviauve Court.