WAIKATO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 714, 2 September 1869, Page 3

WAIKATO.

TE KOOTI ATTACKS THE FRIENDLY NATIVES NEAR TAUPO. (From the New Zealand Herald, 26th August.) Information' wa<» received from Te Kooti by the King at Tokangamutu on Thursday last that lie, Te Kooti, who was then near Taupo, had fallen upon the friendly natives and defeated thfiin, killing full one hundred. Te Kooti did not state what was his own loss, but it is supposed to have been between twenty and thirty. Though said to be near Taupo, he may at any moment be again at Tokangamutu, since he was not, when at the lake, more than two and a-half days journey from Alexandra. Louis llettit, who seems to bo strangely in Te Kooti's and Rewi's confidence, sends word to Mr Searaneke, that Te Kooti is near Taupo, and as a consequence the armed constabulary are ordered down from Te Awamutu — where their preserce is a safeguard to the settlers —to Ngaruawahia, where for all purposes of active defence, they are little more useful than they would be in Auckland. If the country is to bo saddled with the expense of an armed constabulary — and we do not see how this can be avoided —let us, at any rate, keep them where their services will be of value, and not follow the Imperial regulation of keeping them stationed in the centres of population, if they are to keep back the horrors of war from tiie Waikato, to prevent war, in fact, they must be stationed at Alexandra, ICihikihi, and To Awamutu. If it is merely intended that they shall drive Te Kooti out of the Waikato after he has ravaged and plundered it, why then Ngaruawahia will be the place for them. If To Kooti makes Taupo and the East Coast too hot for him, he will doubtless return to Tokangamutu, and if when there he finds no force ready to prevent an attack, who can say that he may not make a raid upon the settlements ? Chat he did not do so when near Tokangamutu lately is owing, we believe, entirely to our preparedness to resist him. lie did not deem it advisable to join issue with an armed force of three hundred constabulary, then stationed on our frontier. Such a force posted at the stations we have mentioned would, so long as there is no general war, preserve the peace in Waikato ; and if tha? force is to be maintained in the district we may as well retain it where it will best serve to make sure ill.; end aiund at —security to life and property.