Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1869. THE NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 662, 8 March 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1869. THE NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

The s.s. Ahuriri, which arrived yesterday, brings us news from the "Waikato and Opotiki districts via Auckland. At Opotiki affairs remain in much the same state as they were at the date of our last advices. Te Kooti still remains entrenched at Makararu, and is believed to have to have about 100 men with him, having been joined by some of the Uriwera and also some of the Ngatiporou, from Tokangamutu, It is now stated that he is waiting for a " sign from Heaven " before attackins the East Coast settlements. The Resident Magistrate in Auckland had placed the s.s. Tauranga at the service of any of the inhabitants of Opotiki who might wish to leave that settlement for Auckland on account of the danger, but no persons had done so as yet,

Very considerable alarm, had been felt for some days in Auckland, owing to a threatened incursion into the Waikato of a party of natives under Reihana. Some of the king natives had given the settlers notice of the intended raid, and warned them to be on the alert. The latest news appears to be of a more reassur- ' character than that previously received, and tending to allay much of the excitement which had been felt. The women and children had been taken for safety to the Kihikihi redoubt; but the Herald suggested that they should be brought to Auckland, as the safest course. In recommending the formation of volunteer frontier corps for service in the Waikato, the Herald says :

Something we trust will be done and that speedily, that when the blow is struck—and we have had full warning that it is intended —we may be prepared to avert its force. That war in the Waikato will be heralded in a massacre, those who know the Maoris best have little doubt. It is for us to provide that such measures be taken as shall render the first blow as light a one as possible. In July, 18G3, we had exactly similar warnings to to those we have now received, and as we all know, these warnings were followed by a series of bloodthirsty murders, for which the colonists have yet to settle with the Maoris. If we go into war now, we enter upon it untrammelled by Imperial interference. The rebel Maoris have shown themselves neither more nor less than wild beasts, As such they must be treated at our hands. Referring to the "White Cliffs massacre, the same paper observes : The King has shown both great sorrow and regret at these murders, as they have been commit: ted in direct defiance of his authority and expressed wishes, and has, again stated that he would retire from Tokangamutu with the Waikatos, and leave the Ngatimaniapolo to carry on as they please, since they ppeuly defy Jjis authority aud commands,

It is believed that these murders are intended to ha a challenge to the Europeans, and that there is a strong fueling among the more violent section of the natives to attack our frontier settlements in the Waikato. lieihana and a party of armed men were turned back some days ago from the neigh: borhood of Alexandra by Tawhiao, and weie ordered to remain at Kawhia. The order has, however, been disobeyed, for he has been at Te Kopua. Some of the Kopua natives say they are much frightened, aud fear an attack by the Ngatimaniapoto. This latter information referring to "Waikato is confirmatory of what has been previously published. There seems no doubt but that there are now opposite parties among the kingites —one headed by the King and Tamati, really desirous for peace, and a violent party headed by Rewi, Lieihana, and others who are ardently desirous of war. What the eud may be it is impossible to say.

A correspondent of the Herald,; writing from Hamilton on the 3rd, represents the alarm as got up by interested parties—hotel and storekeepers --because the troopers had been drafted off to Wanganui and Opotiki. He however adds:—" Lieut. Col. Moule, when he received the report, at once took the best measures he could to meet the supposed, danger by forwarding all his avail-] able force to the front, and by enrolling as many volunteer militia as he could obtain at. the various places." The Daily Southern Cross ofi the sth inst, contains the particu-j lars of the melancholy death of Mr James Allan, of the Evening ISTews,] iby drovning. They will be found in another column.