NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 943, 14 February 1871, Page 2

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

The following items, extracted from the Daily Southern Cross, will throw some light on the telegraphic news from Auckland published during the last few days : Alexandra, January 31. Tapihana, since his arrival in the vicinity of Alexandra, has never ceased urging Whitiora and the other Hauturn natives to join him in making a raid on some of our outsettlers; and failing in this, expressed his determination to kill a pakeha himself if.hu should find one near Pirongia. He has only some seven men with him, and they were to start from Pekanui, near Hituturu, on January 30, for Pirongia. Whether this is merely an empty threat, and that they have returned to their homes at Kawhia, or that they are really in Pirongia, I have not yet heard, but expect reliable news before the mail closes, so will leave this open to the last minute. 9 n.m.

This morning, after concluding the above written, I heard 14 or 15 shots fired in Pirongia. On reaching camp this evening, 1 heard that two men, named John Curley and Alfred Crew, who had proceeded to Pirongia for the purpose oi shooting pigeons, had been fired at by natives there. I sought them out, and received the following account from Crew (who I may state is a thoroughly reliable person): —" We left camp early in the morning, not having heard I hat there were natives in the bush. We were some hours in the bush, and had fired several times ; but, finding the pigeons were high up iu the bush, we determined to return. After reaching the cross roads, close to where Todd was shot, near the edge of the bush, we suddenly heard a noise like the snapping of a cap. Curley remarked this, and said, 4 There are no white men here but you aud me, so let's clear on;,' We were about 15 yards distaut from the place whence the report seemed to come. I sang out, ' Who goes tiiere ? ' but received no answer, and commenced running ; I then heard another cap snapped ; and, after that, I heard two shots fired in quick succession, and several afterwards. My gun was unloaded, but 1 had some cartridges in my breast-pocket. I called out to Cuiley to stop aud have a shot at them, but he continued running. While tiyiug to get at my ammunition in my breast pocket I fell, and, at the same time, another shot went oft", passing close to me. I saw it richochet close behiud Curley, who was in advance, I then got up and loaded my rifle, looked round, and saw three natives. I dropped on my knee and fired at the stoutest of them ; one of the others also fired at me as I was taking aim. 1 fancy I saw him stagger after receiving my fire. They then returned into the scrub. Garmonsway, a settler who vyas at work on his farm, came out on the road with his rifle on hearing the firing. He met Curley, and on turning round they also saw the natives, and fired two shots each at them at long range." These are the facts of the case, and, as you wijl see, confirm exactly the information received from Whitiora yesterday, which I wrote to you this morning. I see now 1 have not mentioned the exact locality, but yesterday's information was that they " intended to proceed to Todd's camp, and if any pakehas were there they intended to

shoot them." It was a fortunate thing for Garinonsway that these men were in the bush, or no doubt he would have been shot, as his farm is situate close to the bush. What all persons are asking here is, " What steps (government mean to take to put an end to this state of affairs ? Are a great many industrious settlers to leave their homes because a few natives are allowed to prowl about unmolested ? " A great many who have farms round Pirongia have to leave their homes, at great expense and inconvenience, every night, or run the risk of their lives by staying at their homes. If Government will not take it up till more lives are sacrificed,, the settlers must act for themselves, and a war of extermination will be the result.

Kaglan, January 30. A great meeting of the Hauhaua has been held the past week at Te Kuiti, to discuss the question as to whether Todd's murderers should be surrendered to the Government or not, Rewi and Whitiora (Wiremu Kumete) are the leaders of the party advocating a surrender. This is only what might be expected, for Kewi's land at Te Wai Harakeke, and Kutnete's land at Te Maika, would be the first blocks in danger if the Government entered Kawhia in hostility. Maneha, by the-by, brother chief with Kumete of the Kawhia Ngatimahutas, has said that in the event of an outbreak he intended to take Raglan himself, commencing at Ruapuke and going on to the Whaingaroa river. Some 300 men of the Thames tribes were at the runanga at Te Kuiti, Letters for the Hon. the Native Minister and for Mr Searancke reached Alexandra on the 2Gth, and the. latest report is that the murderers are not to be given up. There must have been a strong party for the surrender, or there would have been no runanga on the subject at all; and I am still hopeful that, with firmness on the part of the authorities, the Kingites will give in. I have just received the enclosed letter (of which I have obtained translation) from one of principal chieis here, with a request that, it may be forwarded to the papers. The writer is the well-known friendly chief of Aotea :—- <; Matakatako [Aotta]. January 28, 1871. —To Jacob and others. —Friends, salutations, This is a proclamation [a making known] of the laws of the Hauhaus, i.e., of the Kingites. All friendly natives who assist in the work of the Europeans will be killed. The work spoken of is selling or leasing land, surr veying land, making-roads, or working in connection with the telegraph. Also any' Hauhaus joining in these works shall be killed. Tapihnna proposes murder [in opposition to open war] as a means of death for the friendly Maoris and the Europeans. Perhaps it is only talk, Another word [piece of news] is that the lighting is to commence at Taupo, because Te Poihipi is at work on the road and telegraph from Auckland to Napier. One hundred Maoris are making the road at Taupo. It is said that the fighting is to commence at once. This is all I have heard. Publish it [make it public], Enough, —Hone te one [John Jones]. —To Jacob, at Aroaro, Whaingaroa [Raglan].