The War on the East Coast.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 13, 1 April 1867, Page 74

The War on the East Coast.

taß&V‘ an#. •■; {jpFjt j Vl \ ; -BA;Br,jH^v^R^;^s., l ' : :; i ; l /7J -(Froth tlie, .the ;', f CIW .,;. ~.„ ..Souther a/Cross'j‘‘ '"'./" “ " -• /!/ ,* ... jonmfeni[ftu}'Xafceß6tdTOr{* ,;::,,< - r: 'I ' B £: ' : .T i y- IL 'l ///, March''3rd. 1 * I apiflojf rf "kg say that I feaiinot'-give eo defic.Tiption ' 'ofthri WndtfioVi-’bf was Sir ; George 9 Grejr.iu. fes * famous | letter to Mr - -J 4akoS<^ ii ’Th’B,' ]^t*oplp ; '‘o , f'‘ JPuhiraa 1 Pa refuse 3 to tgjt£ , j'(^ath"^fJaUegl4 ! n(^ > ' ; t»>- gitfe’-'- up £ theijrarqiai/Dr ‘off their' ; .Hauhaii * fa ith// The/NgatiwHakariea' hare occupied 4 : the J pa.a l 6f i Pm , ali:u , 'arid Ohapaiiga, driving . the t jlauliaas/ into the 1 bush, 'and taking u two^pfiwmeitt : '!’/‘V : ' J ‘/ : ; " l tip T e'WahaTPa at Roto- c ■hop)(|. r peaeainthat distrioi. Thishas ° now'beenJircjkea.". ' r '. '•' / 0 I. ,left ( .Tauranga on ; Tuesday, Feb. 26 § in t)je Stipart,. ,'C’ap'tara Fairchild, for Ma- 0 ket.u. . About 150* 'Arawaa were on board,' ® who were going bapk Rotoiti arid Ro-* * torda. Sirafceraent:9“ha : d i been brought to' 4 Tauranga that the Hauhaus,. at the upper J encf of Lake BotOTua to ’ take advantage ofliho abseiicp of the men, 11 aad h-id efon—out 'of anger at their going 4 to war,' and’ at the seizure of P. Grant—: 4 destroyed' a quantity - of their crops.; This f wasjtHa/cause of the retiirn of so many 0 fronji Tauranga ! to their'own district. A ‘ goqd knany of the natives had,' partaken *3 ratp.es. freely before starting,'but Captain v Faircliild easily' managed' to keep tlierh :V all/ ,in "order. ’ Two of the natives who ! weje. wounded were dn board, and it wa« ’ gratifying't'o see (hb care taken of them by 4 their friends, the chiefs of their respective 1 hapus taking/ them in their arms while v wero . being' landed. The Maoris 4 •were anxious 'that'the 'large Hauhau flag J tak«a from Hakaraiaishould be hoisted on 1 thf Sturt.; andthis was'done. On coming near Maketu, ' a rough feu de-joie vrs 1 fired. , .Thelanding was effected with some 4 difficulty, , as bhe tide wa's too low to al- 4 low the .’Sturt; to go into the river. On * ‘Wednesday, r.yisited the localities about c Maketu, and also' the school, but I cannot. 3 narrate.what 1 saw of them.' 'On' Thurs- 4 day (X Rotorua, in' Company with 1 Philip/and 'Hans Taps el!’ (twt> stalwart 1 half-castes,, who have "done the Govern- 4 ment good service), Wi Maihi, Kiharoa ts “ Koha, and several ‘other natives: The 4 way is Very good;for somo seven or eight ' miles from Malcetu, roads having been I made across the swamps bythri natives, at c the ; Gbvernment exuensb. '' After'that, the * road, leads through the mountainous 2 country "with belts of forest; 1 'Amongst. 4 the hills' we were met by a messenger 4 . with a letter for Marsh from the people-of 4 the Puhirua pa, to say that they did not ( want'to, fight, but were willing, to have a 4 talk, with iuin. ' ! may say that the people J at! Puhirua are at /the’ Ngafirangiwewehi 1 hapu of the. Arawas, a*d Marsh and sere- 4 ral other " influential men amongst the 4 friendlies are connected with -them ' by 1 bipod.* It was determined that we should 4 go tp a settlement named Kiaikaitahuna, 4 abnut a mile and a'half frotia : Puhirua, and ‘ go on to that phice next'dayV We reached 4 Kaikaitahuita far on in' the afternoon; 1 ■when a Ipng tangi took place; followed by 4 pretty lengthy'' speeches, and a feast of. po- 1 tatoes, kumeras, and koura—>a small draw- 4 fith from Rptprua.' I tak’bii the pre- ‘ caution, bp. take a little'tear,‘sugar, and salt; 1 would strongly recommend persons 4 trjayelling.in native districts nbt to forget 1 the, laßt : mentioned article. A family be- 1 longing to Puhirua lives close to the settle- 4 oiient, and on seeing Marth, Kiharoa, and niyself ride in,, theyleft "their House and 1 qran.offto the pa,:'' I may mention that- the 1 reatf oXthe pai-ty had struck'off for Rotoiti ■ and Ohinem tltu, which is* oh the opposite ’ side'of the iake from Eaikaitahuna. On : the morning of Friday, not long after : dpwn,. a woman came into' my whare, and J said.thut a messenger had coine from Pu- 1 hirua to’warh mb hot' to come to the p». ] Aftcr’thtit three ', or four women eama- to the whare, saying -that'T* 'should* not- go. 1 1 have a great respect for Maori messages i pf that sort, and also of; advice from, fe- : made up ihy mind to' lefcPui i hirua ialbhei _ "When the canoe • was start- . ihg, one of the’hieh said tliat as I was not connected the Government; • but with tjie’press, ,which had frequently; -opposed and the Gbvemrhent,- that-I would be. qunp Bafe'to ?< P qqite .'heiibyb fhat'-■but- ! wiehihgL ; to'be on thbyate si«p , ( go'. Luring the day, ! the-river m a canoe to see which are three immense springs, o whence’ tHS*watbr* conies*’in volumes. The river is - the clearest I ever *a ! w : .''' :, ''At ti the “rfe'tUfum'Df; the partyi frpm PdHirua;T learned; that the talk .had:, been mixed. :r: Sbme of the! principal. ,p.eople_ had gohe to’ the "bush; but a 9 they have a.settlemeht' th fere;-' this may'not . moapi that jihey, SSVB gone %&»«<fighti > Ones,chief,,.naqied £Hotdp l very fierce, but.the-,toias£i..Baid tVey. wouTd'-* remain quiet discourse of Mayshhhd'vHiharoa' wafl:direpted.not, so faubh to' urging dhem; to. take V.he path of 1 <£•*&> leave;off;their xeliglop, which thby /: knfew would . falk, ;but“ l Urgiug . 4o"'with i Vhe v'fighting..<at. Tp c ßewl“hndrKere6pa { Jiad■‘"'(ihniay mentipg- Jbatjjhq geittle*DaeTft'sitwhich J was; Jwifffthe their jigkt ■; gp^;.frbta.-;^Jkarui^Bjplace,.; , at; Te Puki, th* Ake-

"aha br 'it Was been—asoertained . - that- —niost :jdf ctkese 9 h^T,o {i |gpqe .Fatcd:ere, ( „In rniilee/ut/KaikhTtahuiia; .and tV-cbdijirete ypiind- of ‘ >f Thp;; l . shhjedfe jyasr.aboutlj the; young? itneni; going, .*4ftwn to', Taurnng^.; ; Hext day .{Saturday^, March the,2pd, and hjiyaeff .left fpr'Oiiindmutu.' - ilh taß‘'way. r '\Ve‘ liaidJtb' ■pas^ 1 thb Puhirua 1 'Phh'; :; which been j a.very 'sfcrpiigipne, ahd would need four times : -Uie inumber, of;men ncyW(,in : jit.to ipaa it proptjrly, .rpunji jyithout seeing, any;one,.and ; at the otnef end fwo natives were, waiting'for' ua from OhinefnUtu. Marsh 'and Kiharoa here went inside the pah, while I was- directed:to remain outside. I, amused myself; with looking, at - the niu, or Hauhau pole, \vhich is .outside the pah, arid enclosed,'andiii the enclosure : is fitted three hot badly formed Gothic windowa. • I then wont up to the gate of * the pah, and, on peering over, saw a man ! with a musket slung across , his back. I 1 did not like the’loot"of iliat, and trotted off on to Ohmemutu.. As I .was [ going along, a canoe from Puhirua came 4 dose ih shore, and a-man stood up calling 4 out “Tena koe. pakeha,” which the na- ] tives here say was a' good sign of showing 1 tile -disposition of the people of 'Puhirua. 4 The others shortly came up; and when we 4 were abdut half way on tho road to Ohinemutu; we met a woman, who told us that 1 the i.’Jgatiwhakanee had gone'that morning to the-Purakii Pah, and. had driven the ' people into the bush; indeed the people 1 of Puhirua' had heard the'firing, and'had old Kiharoa about it. We rode as ! quickly' as possible’ to Puraku, and just as 4 we • got to the pah, five or six muskets were fired* from the bush at the pah, which .was ! occupied by the Ngatiwhakanes. What a Hubbub there was I every man talking at the pitch of hig|voice. T got I inside the pah, while Marsh’ and Kiharoa 1 went on into the bush to negotiate with the fugitives. I learned here that Hans 1 Tagsell had started from Ohinemutu on ■ the previous day with thirty-five Ngatiraubawas, who are under his immediate command. Sfgatiwhakane would not start that night! Tapsall’s party was too small ; to surround the two pahs, and next day, * when the.'main body of Ngatiwhakane came up', the pah3 were found deserted, and the people gone to the-edge of the bush. Twice they, fired volleys at the pah, but no harm was done; and twice messages were sent to them, telling them to come back and give iip tlieir arms. This they positively refused; I am afraid that intelligence' of the intended attack was given by some of the Ohinemutu people, as we found nearly everything carried out of tlie pah to the bush. Well, “ blood is thicker than wiiter,” as the Scotch say. Marsh returned m about an . hour,, also unsuccessful, but suid he Pad hopes tllaf next day he would get on better. Then we had the war dance splendidly done, followed by the usual speechifying. I cannot give any idea of the jumping and grimacing, or the highly poetic language used by the orators ; but. I cau give the substance of the talk. Wi Kepa said he would keep up the war till a chief of the Hauhau?, named Wi Teatuaherangi, is seized. Ngahuru said he would take the land from the Hauhau, and would go oii’to Waikato, getting the pakehas to help. him. Pan go said said that this was the first time since the compact that there had been war at Rotorua,' but that now it must go ou. He would not go to Rotorua, but would await the War Minister. ’ If an answer to go on wove received, the Arawas would sweep the' whole -country till they got Eereopa. Okiwi; Paora,-Amohau, and several other speakers said that the pakehas should come and help them if they,, were going into'Waikato. Marsh, Kiharoa',' and several others, having addressed the men, I was called on, and . asked tb take notice of- the' word* of-the Arawas, thW the' pakehas might know 1 the natives are doing all the negotiating-and fighting. There is no European/officer . here. I have not 1 seen a European since leaving Maketu; It was decided-to leave the pah aud the food. Tapsell, hbwever, took an axe, and soon levelled 1 the -nur Tlie Hauhaiis’have destroyed the planta- ■ tions of the following men, -which were , near the pa':—Paora Amphaa, Wi Kepa, Hernl Tupara, Ngahaua,' Kima, Timati, . Pefa,Puru, Hakaraia, and OkiwL ; I. must . )iot omit, to mention that ! was introduced ; iii the pah to the joint editors of- the t Rotorua Gazette, Ngahaua and Te Wavihi, ; who welcomed me very cordially to Roto- ; rua. ‘ They" have suspended their editorial i labours in the meantime. - T -left the Arat was‘.there, /and" camo on • to' Ohinemutu, , amongst the wotiderful :; boiling springs.- , It is 'a' beautiful'‘plh'ie, and convenient , b'Bsideo, ad you have waterdrom cold'up to j hoilitigy : ;aiid' 'all 'tlie • cooking is -done in , oyeiis'inado by :hature.‘ 1 ' 1 j , .' I 'hear' that messaged have-heen sent { from J ltere i to Patetara asking 4 ’-assistance, [ and the Arawas 1 . Haultifin' to know'if : they may -goon -to ; Waikat'o'.""-'/ ; ;' i [ '! (Correspondeat of the New Zealand Herald.) ) ;. u , ~.' 4 ■* ' " ' Mari'h"T6. > FiGHTiN&'has. ceased in our district for fth 4 p^e^eht.'.'' Npne of the yarous parties ’ .^n’o. ; . been out durin'g' the week have r heien havVbeeh able to ’get 'sight of any of > the Hau-haus, who without Question are > cpngregating. in large‘nfirhljeM in the' vici- > ni^ i ,6f,!Xptbrua; ‘wiieiß‘ J liostilities have cpnnnehced^ ( hut*, £ei>m K jmudti'' plaoe f ne t^s.'u6r.f !cphj||o£mg. l-eporV states ■; of! the Xrkwa.B' had b'een captuVed i, 4 .'And;jhne’ o ’6f T;hehi; t? jhutpiieredj'y'this' 0 cohfe-irratibh'j ■! Tfiii "pis. 'FaircMld, -Bailed , to-day for Maketu, crowded with Arawas, - e» route for Rptorum

; .// ’ate---" March-17.,- - and this'mbrmng again the - at 6 .pJiH.,' starting again- -dutfing ;th'e ! night, foi; the Baime ;de.Btitiation,.haying,-,pnjbpard all the avallahle.meu, of the! lkt Regiment ’ana" about'! 66 ' Volunteers^’’''T think 'this bampaigu will, be a' short’bufdecisive one. The hieii' receive - one shilling*; extra' per dienii for UhiaVservioe.’' The [promptitude dnd. liberality, evinced by Colonel Haultain in this instance, is praiseworthy in the extreme,and was responded to by 'the officer and'nien’ with ' the' spirit 4 ; It deserved Several- ofi-the men. had marched in from Omanawa during the 4ay!. . i f Major St. John has command of the Europeans, and I believe Major M‘Donnell heads the -Arawas, 1 so*that something sharp and decisive may soon be anticipated. I regret'that by this opportunity £ have not time to reply- to the letter in your paper of the 6th instant signed Augustus G. Merett, M.D. - ‘ I find ic reported in* Auckland that Pe»' ter Grant had again made 4 his escape; such is not the case', -.nor has. he made the attempt. He has been, tried by court martial for desertion and escaping from prison, and was sentenced to receive 50lashes, aiid to he 'imprisoned for two years with hard labor.- The first portion of thb sentence he underwent on Saturday, apparently with the greatest .indifference.; the punishment was inflicted with more than ordinary ser verity. By some the sentence is considered an extremely hfrah one, but it should be remembered that if he -was not actually taken flagrante hello >' it was next door to it; that he was a co-habitant with the enemy during hostilities is beyond doubt. His beliuviour 6inCe hia capture has been remarkably good.' - ! A requisition to Mr John Williamson to become a candidate for. the Superintend deney has been numerously signed, and as those who intend to vote for him are urged seriously by the Argus of Saturday to give him a plumper, the presumption is they will do so.

The want of accommodation is stil grievously felt; to meet this sixteen rooms are being added to the Masonic.- Notices are posted about town to the effect that, next month, bread will be sold at the two pound loaf- (present price 5d.) If this be intended for intimidation it has signally failed, as preparations for a new bakery are in rapid progreas.

Tuesday. . The ' wnole of the Surveyors came into camp yesterday, and are discharged, the Government not feeling, warranted iri keeping them on pay, and it would be sheer rnadnes their going on -with the res-pective-surveys without protection. intelligence of a startling character, has just beau received from Opotiki by the aturt, to the effect that the Whakatoneß had left for the bush with a view of joining the Hau-haus. They gave as.a reason tliat they are dissatisfied with the; decisions of Mr Commissioner Mair,in his adjudication of the compensation cases. Numbers of the Hau-haus are in the vicinity of the township. The Tauranga sails in a day or two for Auckland with 80 of the 12th Regt. I hare just heard that an engagement has taken place at Roturua.. Two Arawas killed, two Hau haus killed, and two taken prisoners.

LATER FROM TAURANGA. Bl the s.sl ‘Taranaki;’'which arrived this morning just after we had gone to press, we received a copy of the Tauranga Argus of Saturday last, from' which we clip the following important news : Mr Clarke came: in yesterday evening, and brings intelligence that .the Native Contingent, under Major MDonnell, at* tacked one of the Hau-hau paa on Thursday, about eight’miles from Roturua camp, and took it, killing numbers of the Hau-, haus, eight bodies of which were found on the field. Most of these infatuated men are natives from the Waikato. There were no Casualties, we : are happy to eay, on our side—not even! a scratch. This is glorious intelligence. , ;

Rangi Weia. : March 25; 1867/ A native woman arrived''hiere yesterday from-the Thames, -via Kati Kati, and reports that the . Ngatimaru are busily: employed in. conveying all their movable effects up. the Pinkos, and have, cr intend upon the arrival of Tupaia to join the Hau-haus,' and give the Arawas- a thrashing. A ; day J hn*'been-named'to attack the Waikato, settlements, Wanganui, Taranaki, Napier,/Tauranga, Rotorua, and Opotiki." The same woman reports that Mr Mackay endeavoured to forni the JSgatiuiaru tribe into 4 a hative contingent similar 1 to'the Arawas, hut that they would not listen to hie overtures,. and •j* l hd i.thpy would not fight agfrinst meaning any native wJip ha*' sympathy with the Hau-haus): . 'lf this riews i»" any good to youi'you are 'vrekorn* to make use of ;ik. i. ■,i . .... I am, yoprs;truly, F." Joitissoir.