OPOTIKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 501, 19 August 1867, Page 2

OPOTIKI.

I (From the Tauranga Record, August 10.) The news Irom Opotiki is distressing, nay heartbreaking, jn fact Providence alone knows what is to become of this, the garden of the Pay of Plenty, but more recently ill-fated settlement. Day after day, and week after week has it become our painful and distressing du y to record the barbarous and brutal murders of our fellow settlers, and what is more lamentable is the fact that these outrages are all being committed within a few miles of a renowned military settlement. Dy the arrival of the s.s. Tauranga we receive the painful rumour of another cold-blooded murder having been committed near the spot where poor Bennett White met his fate. It appears c- ,r. from a respectaolo settler, who was a passenger from Opotiki. that before leaving the river, messengers arrived at Opotiki, staling that a butcher of the name of Cannon, who had about ten days previous left Opotiki for the purpose of bringing cattle from Whakatane, whilst on his return was waylaid and brutally murdered. Cannon was a butcher, formerly in the employ of Mr Kelly, the contractor, and is spoken of as a respectable settler, who for some time past has been living (here. Ihe horse on which Cannon was riding was found shot, but nothing could be found, or heard ryf him. The only conelusion being that he was shot in the same manner as Mr White.

It appears that tlie TJriwsra tribe, who hold the back part of the country, outside the confiscated block, have joined issue with the Ngatewhakatoheas, and for that purpose have drafted out of their tribe luO oi their picked men, whose duties are to attack or intercept in any way they may thick best, Europeans or friendly natives.

The friendly chief, Wiremu Kingi, who resides at Torere, a settlement about fifteen miles to the eastward of Opotiki, was warned some two or three weeks ago that he might expect an attack from this marauding party, consequently ha set to work in good earnest, and built a pah, which is considered to bo impregnable- A.t the time William King received this news, there were living with him about fifty of the Opotiki natives—Ngatawhak*,toheas~ who instantly fled, and are supposed to have joined the Hauhaus. A very large pah has been built by these fanatic savages, some thirty miles inland of Opotiki, in the neighbourhood of which are extensive cultivations. The Gorge has been carefully reconnoitered by oup forces, there is no reason to believe that there are any secret lurking parties in that direction.