Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 762, 17 February 1870, Page 2

Interprovincial Items.

IMPORTANT NEWS. FIGHT WITH TE KOOTI, [Southern Cross, 10th February.] By the arrival of the the p.s. Sturt, we have important news from the East Coast. An engagement has taken place between Te Kooti and our forces. Te Kooti was passing Rotorua, having asked permission from Gilbert Mair, who is stationed there with 60 men, to pass, that way alleging that they were friendlies returning home. It was found out that it was Te Kooti's party. A fight ensued, in which three of our men were dangerously wounded. The enemy lost 10 killed and 15 wounded. Kereopa himself was wounded, and another, a half-caste of notorious character, who acted as Te.Kooti's in« terpreter, was killed when talking to Mair. A Maori, coming up to him, said, "0, we have had enough of you," and shot the miscreant dead. Great credit is due to Mair for his vigilance and courage. Te Kooti and the remainder of his party fled towards the Uriwera country, and M'Donnell and his forces are hard in pursuit. We learn from a gentleman who came up in the Sturt that the fight between Lieut. Mair's forces and the Hauhaus took place near a pass situate between Ohinemutu and Paparata, in the mountainous country a few miles north of Lake Rotorua. The pass, it appears, was held by a body of Arawas, to whom Kereopa's followers represented themselves to be friendly natives. In order to aid this trick, a letter was written by Te Kooti, as though from Hauraki, and which, it seems, was dropped by design where it would be picked up by the Arawas, The natives defending the pass, however, seem to have had some misgivings as to the party under Kereopa, and accordingly engaged them in parley while Lieut. Mair, who was in the neighborhood, was being communicated with. Lieut.' Mair was in command of some sixty natives, and, suspecting the true state of affairs, he placed himself at the head of his men, and set off after the enemy, whom he d@fea.ted in th@

manner described. Colonel M‘Donnell happened to be in the neighborhood at the time, but was almost alone, having left his men at their former position, and come over to communicate with Major Fraser, The Colonel, however, hastened back to Tapapa, and is probably by thistime in pursuit of TeKooti. Major Mair has also collected a force, and proceeded in pursuit of the Hau« haus, who are in full retreat for the Uriwera country. It is doubtful, however, whether or not they will succeed in reaching it. Hakaraia, it is known, is with the party, which includes the whole gang of Maori desperadoes who inhabited the country about Tapapa and the ranges behind Tauranga.

LATEST FROM WAIKATO.

pProm the Thames Advertiser’s Correspondent. J Hamilton, Feb. 5. Although rumors of all sorts have been flying about here for some days, nothing whatever is known as to the whereabouts of Te Kooti or our own forces. Te Kooti has disappeared into the bush, and we presume that MT)onnell and his allies are doing their best to track him. That is all we know of the matter up here. The conduct and attitude of the . King party are giving rise to very serious apprehensions. A reverse sustained by our forces might at once convert them into open enemies. 7 p.m. 1 have just learned that a general arming is going on amongst the disafnatives ; the arms are coming up in large quantities from Auckland, but by what route I am unable to tell. I do not wish to create any unnecessary alarm, but from all I can see I am convinced that the kiogites are prepared for a concerted movement, should they see their way clear. The engagement between Te Kooti and M'Donnell has been magnified by the former into a victory for him, which of course there are only too many Maoris ready to believe. Tawhiao and his chiefs may protest as much as they like, they cannot withstand either their own sympathies or the expressed wish of a majority of their followers, and that there is an understanding between them and Te Kooti seems now to be placed beyond A doubt. Messengers between them are frequent. All sorts of rumors as to the movements of Te Kooti and M'Donnell are plentiful here, also as to engagements. It is needless to say that none of them are true in any respect.

[From the N. Z. Herald’s Correspondent.] Alexandra, Feb. 10. The King has been holding this last week a large meeting at Tokangamutu, and great sympathy has been expressed with Te Kooti. Numbers are armed, and ready to join Kooti at a moment’s notice. Manuwhiri and Rewi say that as long as Te Kooti is on their territory we have no business to follow him. Regular communication is kept up with Te Kooti. It would appear that a regular game of “ hide and seek ” is being carried on betweeen Te Kooti and our forces, and not likely soon to end, I fear. It is lieved that Te Kooti will gradually work his way round to Tokangamutu. Then, what are our forces to do ? The Government alone can answer that question. I really think, with the Herald that, the best, cheapest, and simplest way would be to build a chain of redoubts from Tauranga to Kawhia, on the same principle as the Ngaruawahia one, but not so large. Let us form aukatis, and isolate all natives who will not live on friendly terms with us make roads through the country, and then, and not till then, will the Waikato settlers be secure.

A narrow escape from fire occurred in the dwelling-house of Mr Perham, Wanganui, on the 9th inst. The Flying Squadron sailed from Auckland for Japan on the 9th inst. A report that the Admiral’s ship touched the hot* tom in going out is contradicted by the New Zealand Herald. Several of the blue jackets have deserted in Auckland, The Morning Advertiser has learned upon excellent authority that “ there is every probability of the Seat of Government being removed from Wellington to Auckland. The next step will be the .alteration of the place of sitting of the*General Assembly; and then will be finally accomplished the destination of a revolution in our administration which should peyer bay® taken place.”

Mr M'Neil, the contractor for the Wanganui bridge, has made a commencement, and anticipates if all goes well, finishing the work in about 15 months. _. An Auckland paper states on good an-' thority that Colonel Fraser, who for some time past has been in command of the Tauranga district, has been placed under arrest. Our contemporary is not in possession of the facta of the case, and therefore abstains from commenting upon it. The Tuapeka Times says that the man Doigh and his wife, who were arrested on j the charge of attempting to poison some of Mr Cameron's family at Schlotel's station, Tapanui, have been discharged, Mr Wood, R.M., considering that, however suspicious the case might appear, he had not sufficient evidence before him to justify a committal. He commented severely on Mr Cameron's Carelessness in allowing such a dangerous poison as that of arsenic to roraain eo openly exposed that it could be tampered with by any person about the station. While the steamer Lord Ashley was lying in Wellington harbor previous to her last passage down to Dunedin, a child playing on the gangway of a steamer lying alongside the wharf there, slipped and fell into the water. Mr Austin, third officer of the Lord Ashley, at once sprang overboard, and at the risk of his own life succeeded in saving the child. It was determined that so gallant an act should not pass unnoticed; and accordingly a testimonial, subscribed for by the passengers and officers, was presented to him on his arrival at Dunsdin. The testimonial consisted of a very powerful field-glass and a silver pencil case, the former of which bears the following inscription : " Presented by the passengers and officers of the s.s. Lord Ashley, to Mr Arthur Austin, third officer, as a mark of their appreciation of his gallantry in rescuing a child from drowning in Wellington harbor." We learn from the Evening Post, 10th February, that " the result of the petition to the Governor on behalf of Walter Tricker has been forwarded to the committee appointed by the Rangitikei settlers to use the best means for obtaining the prisoner's release. Mr J. Q-. Allan, who is acting for the committee, will, we understand, wait for their instructions before taking steps to demand from the Government that the half-caste Hamilton should be at once placed on his trial for perjury ; or, if the Government decline to prosecute, at all events to find Hamilton, and so put the Kangitikei Committee in a position to proceed against him themselves. Very ira portant evidence in Tricker's favor may be elicited at this trial. Meanwhile, it is in contemplation to convene a public meeting in Wellington to ascertain the views of the general public on this matter, and if, as is commonly supposed, they are in favor of Tricker's release, to ask them to express their opinions to that effect, and to assist the Eangitikei Committee in 1 heir efforts. It is also intended that, if it s ould bu found impossible to find Hamilton, to re fer the whole matter to the Queen ol England.