REPORTED MURDER OF FOUR EUROPEANS AND FOUR MAORIS, BY THE HAUHAUS:

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 497, 5 August 1867, Page 2

REPORTED MURDER OF FOUR EUROPEANS AND FOUR MAORIS, BY THE HAUHAUS:

[From tils Daily Southern Cross, 29t’a July.] Ox Saturday, letters wm-e received in (own stating that Our Europeans and four natives, who were engaged driving a herd of about 300 head of cattle from Napier to Mr Firth's run at Matamaia, bad been murdered on the road. The place at which this is said to have occurred is Te Turanga, about half way between Napier and Taupo, and where the mountains of the Uriwera country come into the Kaingaroa plain. The letters are written from Maketu, by Mohaka, a native who has been in charge for some time of Mr Auckland's cattle at Taupo. The following are the letters ;

Maketu, July 21, 18G7. To Josiah Firth. Friend, salutations. Listen! I have heard the t .Ik relative to the cattle-drivers. They have been killed by the Hauhaus, by llie Uri'.vcraa. Tuey were the tribe who killed them. They were killed at Hunanga. There were four Europeans and lour Maoris. The principal reason why we suspect they were killed wa% as they did not arrive at Taupo. It occurred about fifty miles from Taupo. I will make farther enquiries into the matter ; but the people here say that the statement is correct, that the people have been killed, and the cattle taken away by the Hau« hau?—by the Uriweras. It is also said that, if they had attempted to come, on they could not have got so far as Matamats on account of the roads beingstopped. -ManiheiM said the roads were open, and he nearly got killed for having said so. Maketu, July 21, ISG7. To Mr Lackland. O father, salutations. This is the news that I heard ; That the drivers of Firth’s cattle have been killed. They were killed by the Hauhaus at a place called Te Runanga, near the mouth of the creek, where the road bends towards the Uriwera country. They did not arrive in Taupo during (lie three we.-ka that the persou was waiting for them who left them at .Mohaka ; therefore wo are sure they have been killed. Also we sent a messenger belonging to Xarawera to inquire. The Haahau came down and guarded the passes of the road, and they were killed tiicre. One of the men who went down to drive Mr Firth’s cattle up was a son of the §ev. Mr Grace. Another was

Lieutenant Owen, from Waikato; the others, Europeans and Maoris, were engaged at Napier. It is supposed that the person alluded to in the letter was young Grace, as his duty was to go on belore the rest anil prepare the natives at Taupo to receive the cattle if the road from thence to Matamatu was closed. The above are all the -facts that are known in reference to the matter, and vjq shall probably have to wait for rlorro lir.f.-.vn or^ntro. diction or confirmation can be received. We learn by the steamer Tauranga, which arrived from Tauranga yesterday, that the people there were inclined to believe that the report was not true. For ourselves, we are bound to say that we can see nothing at all •improbable in it. The killing of Moore and Beggs, and of Bennett White and Wi Popata, show the temper of the Uriwcra, who would bo informed from Napier, and possibly from Waikato, that the cattle were coming over. We know that there is nothing at all to hinder them from reaching the place where the affair is said to have taken place. Most of the country in that neighbourhood belongs to different hapus of the Arawas, but they have all cleared out of it. Even the kainga of the Tuhourangi at the Rotomuhana has been deserted for some time. It is worth mentioning that b was it was in this neighbourhood that Adam Clarke encountered Kereopa and his band, returning to Y/aikato from Opotiki, after the murder of Mr Yolkuer, ami where live of the Arawas were killed and eaten.

It is impossible for any one to say positively whether the killing of those men, ami the stoppage uf Mr Firth’s cattle, was in any way connected with] the notice given to Mr Firth to quitj Lis run at Mutaraata. It is probable] enough that, when the orders were j given that Mr Firth should be warned J the Uriwera had been informed of what had been done, and instructed to prevent these cattle coming over. Taking this view of the matter, it would almost seem too much to ex pect that Mr Firth will be able U>] maintain his place at Matamau. Mr Firth was expecuu to arave at | Mataraata yesterday, and, if these I murders had really taken place would probably learn t'ne fac s from the natives there. At all events, he was telegraphed to on S..'ur.Ly evening so that he would receive the news from Auckland in that way.