ALARMING INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 September 1867, Page 234

ALARMING INTELLIGENCE.

OPOTIKI SURROUNDED BY THE REBELS.

PROJECTED SIMULTANEOUS ATTACK ON ALLTHE SETTLEMENTS OF THE BAY OF PLENTY. (From the Tauranga Argus, Aug. 31.)

We have been favored by Mr Gundry, who arrived overland a few days ago, with the particulars of important intelligence from Opotiki, which we give in nearly his own words :

News was received in Opotiki on the 24th that Raka Raka, a friendly chief of the Uriwera tribe, with a party of about fifteen were attacked by the Hauhaus at Horiera. Raka Raka who lives at Ohiwa, hearing rumours of an intended attack on the settlement, took his station with his party at the last named place, and posted sentries there, for the purpose of becoming early informed of the intended movement of the enemy. About daylight on the 34th, two vollies were fired on his party, without inflicting any injury. They escaped to a hut close by, and afterwards scattered in every direction. One of them, named Nathan, narrowly escaped ia time to give warning to Mr Keefe, and then went on to Ohiwa where Mr Gundry was' staying the night before, whom he warned to leave the place and go with him with the information to Opotiki. He was in a state of agitation at the time, and said it was very probable that Raka Raka and his party, and also Mr Keefe's of surveyors, were either taken or shot by the Hauhaus. Mr Gundry immediately started for Opotiki with the native, and between two or three hours after reached Opotiki and reported the information to Major St. John, who at the same time received intelligence that the Hauhaus were at Waioeke beside the Redoubt, and intended to attack Opotiki. About thirty cavalry and 130 militia assembled. The militia were sent to Waioeke to lay in ambuscade for the Hauhaus and also to protect the settlement, while the Major with the cavalry started for Ohiwa, which they reached about seven o’clock in the evening of the same day. When opposite the island of Hokiangai, called to the ferryman and enquired whether Mr Keefe’s party was there or not. Mr Keefe was the first to answer from the island that they were all right. He came over to the Major, and gave him an account of how he managed to escape. He said that that morning about seven o’clock the native, Nathan, rode down to camp and told him to leave aU his luggage and run, as the Hauhaus were within five minutes’ walk of him, and than Raka Raka’s party had been fired upon. Mr Keefe, not wishing to leave his baggage behind, had it packed up, and proceeded on Ins way to Ohiwa with his party of four men armed wnh rifles. They haa just fi ashed packing up when they perceived the Hauhaus within two or three launched yards of them advancing in single file. The Hauhaus seemed to be aware that the party had arms as they were very wary in following them up, and kept at a distance of abom two or three hundred yards all the way, and did not fire a shot till they reached Ohiwa, ou reaching which place the tide was in, and a canoe at the landing place. The natives of the place left all their things and fled to the island with Mr Keefe, the Hauhaus taking quiet possession. Mr Pitcairn who had been residing at Ohiwa, lost all his provisions, goods, and instruments, plundered by the Hauhaus. When the Major heard this he enquired where the Hauhaus were that evening. They were pointed out to him about two miles across the river, it being dark at the time, their lights aud Camp fires appeared quite distinctly. The cavalry were very eager to attack them, as they could be approached on horseback, but Major St. John thought it more prudent to retire to Opotiki as he fully expected it would be attacked that evening. The men expressed great dissatisfaction at this refusal. f l he Major ordered them to be quiet, that he had not gone out to attack the Hauhaus but merely to protect the survey party, whom he had heard were in danger at the time, and they then returned.

One or two of the Maori men and women who had been fired upon were still missing, when Mr Gundry left with the mailman for Tauranga ou the £stli.

From reliable information reoeined from native sources, Mr Gundry learned that the Hauhaus and rebel natives were going to make a general and simultaneous attack on all the line of posts on the European part of the coast.

There were over three hundred Hauhaus beeween Ohiwa and Opotiki. This estimate he believes to be correct, as lie heard it from the natives at Opotiki, and on the line of road to Tauranga, and also from different other parties who had not been in communication for some time,