Hawke's Bay Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1868. THE GREAT TRAGEDY AT POVERTY BAY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIV, Issue 629, 12 November 1868, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1868. THE GREAT TRAGEDY AT POVERTY BAY.

Mm addict us jurare in verba magistri.

A FORESHADOWING of ill wus felt by ourselves, in common with many of our fellow-townsmen, when, on the afternoon of Saturday last, we witnessed the disembarkation of the Native Contingent, and learnt that the rebels were left in their position, and that all {attempts to attack them and destroy or drive them away had been abandoned. We could not but feel that whatever the reason might have been for that step in the mind of the officer in command, it was exceedingly ill-advised, and likely to be productive of most serious consequences to our outlying settlements. The rebels would of course look upon it as a retreat on our part, and as a cause of glorification on their own, and they would, we felt, become bold to commit more aggressive movements. Of course we did not imagine that in so brief a period we should be called on to chronicle such a tale of horror as that which is this morning given to our readers; but our forebodings were gloomy enough, as we felt, and still feel, that our retreat would be the signal for them to commence a series of outrages, the end of which cannot to fores**** l '* The criminal neglect of the Hew Zealand Government which permitted the escape of these wretches £iom their Chatham Island prison has at length brought about this terrible result; and it would seem that every circumstance that has ocJ /ICOO VI (\ ll o n *->£ ULIiiCU biUVO vuuv udo Ut,OJl vi such a character as to confirm them in, their diabolical fanaticism. They have been met on our part by a series of miserably feeble attempts to

said of the intention of these fanatics. Their programme was to sack Poverty Bay first, then to fall on Wairoa, and, with success there, to take Napier in its turn. How they have fulfilled the first part of this threat the awful narrative we give will show; and it is to be feared that their success has been such as to inflame their passion for blood, and send them on to seek for further means of its gratification.

What steps the Government will feel called upon to take in this emergency we are at a loss to divine. Relief—it is to be feared all too late—must be sent to the poor fellows cooped up in the Turangauui redoubt, and protection to the scarcely less exposed settlers of the Wairoa. And as the attacks of those wretches are made at dead of night, we suggest that, for the protection of this town itself, a picket be told off to patrol the streets of Napier—at least until the prevalent feeling of alarm has subsided, or the rebels are destroyed.

check or capture them, each of which in succession has proved a greater failure than the last, and each of which failures have necessarily tended to add to their boldness, while it has given them more reason for hatred of us, and greater desire for revenge. The prisoner brought to Napier on Saturday in the St. Hilda—an old woman—made no secret, it is