TAUPO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 691, 14 June 1869, Page 3

TAUPO.

[Part of the following appeared in a Times Extra • on Thursday afternoon.] A Party of Volunteers Surprised.—Nine Men Killed. 10th June, 3.30 p.m. Despatches have been telegraphed from Col. St. John this forenoon, dated the Bth and 9th June. The Cavalry escort (Bay of Plenty Volunteers), under Cornet Smith, left at Opipi by Col. St. John, while he proceeded on a reconnoitring expedition, was surprised on the murning of the Bth, and nine men killed. Numerous tracks were seen leading to Waitahanui on the Taupo Lake, about 15 miles distant from Tapuebaruru, as if a strong party hud been moving from the Uriwera to Taupo Lake. The first intelligence was conveyed to Col. St. John by the brothers Haliett, who wer« on their way to Napier. On arriving at Opipi, on the forenoon of the Bth, they discovered two dead bodies of Europeans, who had been stripped, and seeing no traces of the cavalry, they instantly returned to Tapuehauru, to acquaint Col. St. John. That officer started with Capt. St. George during the night of the Bth, and reached Ouipi about daylight of yesterday. Nothing was seen of the Hauhaus but their tracks. They found altogether nine dead bodies, none of them mutilated.

The names of the poor fallows who have fallen victims to this surprise are as follows : Hector G Hies Ross and Ernest Lawson (both subalterns of Miiitia) Sergeants Slattery and Little Troopers Charles Johnston, Charles Bentier, Joseph Bedois, John Cook, and Frederick Gill Colonel St, John proceeded with Capt. St. George to Fort Galatea yesterday. There is reason to suppose that Te Kooti's band, led by himself in person, committed this atrocity in their retreat to the Upper Taupo district. LATER NEWS. There are some grounds for supposing that the surprise at Opipihas been d:ne by the Tauranga Taupo natives in revenge fjr the death of their chief Wirihaua, who was killed in the attack on the Arawa pa at Whakatane some months ago. The circumstance of the perpetrators, whoever they were, making ostentatious attempts to have it appear, by leaving a letter to that effect at Opipi, that Te Kooti himself had been there and done it, is very suspicious. It is well known that these Upper Taupo Lake Hauhaus, though not more than 100 in number, are exceedingly ill-disposed, both to us and the friendly natives. VEIIY LATEST. No further despatches have been received from Colonel St. John. A party of Armed Constabulary is at Haroto with the workmen to erect the stockade there. Reinforcements for this post will arrive per Sturt from Wellington to-day, and an officer will be sent up to take command.