LATEST FROM WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 79, 13 July 1868, Page 170

LATEST FROM WANGANUI.

The; Times of the BOtH June, says : ■rrOur readers may rest assured that up-: to 10 o’clock: yesterday, no fight had . taken place at Patea, add that Colonel M'Donnell, after a ;; hard and fatiguingiride of three days to enrol a few men of the Native Contingent — whose, services are absolutely necessary, not only as guides, but for other most important purposes—rode post-haste, for Patea yesterday morning. Of the firing heard near Waihi, as mentioned by the Herald last evening, we have the following authentic account from a correspondent, whose letter was brought in by two troopers whose riding briskly into town at nightfall yesterday, created some alarm. The facts are these:—On Saturday night, garrison sergeant-major Scannell and some men came in from Waihi, where they had a bit of a skirmish before they left. Our correspondent says— The Maoris thought to surprise a party that was out cutting firewood, under Sub Inspector M‘Donnell, but Sergt. Bassett happening to spy a Maori in the act of covering him with his rifle, he instantly popped behind a stump and had the first crack at the Maori. Scannel imra mediately called for the volunteers, and with them rushed to the front. Some sharp firing ensued, but none of our men were hit, and the woodcutters returned to the redoubt. The enemy is being reiuforced by a lot of fellows ready to fight for the fun of it, but our men will soon give a good account of them. The Sturt has not yet arrived with Major Yon Tempsky and his men, but we expect him tomorrow.

The Evening Herald of the Ist in9t. adds:—The news received from Mr Cuban about the firing at the Ketema rae on Friday last we have received some details of. It appears that a wood party of twelve men, under the command of Sergeant Scannell, went out about two miles from Waihi, and one of the men observed some Maoris crouching along in tbe grass, when he at once fired. The Maoris, to the number of fifteen or twenty men sprang to their feet and fired a volley, neither killing nor wounding a man, They then retired into the bush, followed up by the little force. Some troopers were communicated with, and they followed tbe natives up to Ma whitiwbiti, where firing took place. Strange to say no one was killed, and, as far as is known, neither was there any wounded. So began and ended the first little episode in the campaign of 1868; . The Times of the 2nd inst. contains the following:—The natives in the Waitotara district have cautioned their European fellow-settlers against unduly indulging in fancied secuiity. They say that the tactics of the Ngatiruanuis are, to retreat towards Taranaki before Col. M‘Donnell’s force, and thus draw them off whilst a reserve division of the Ngatiruanuis and their allies from the Waikato sweep round in M’Dontiell’s rear and destroy all befor them, from Waihi to the Waitotara. How the Waitotara chiefs have obtained their information, we know not, unless it be through relatives and friends living amongst or near the Ngatiruanuis. Should they attempt anything of that kind, we trust the Patea aud Waitotara settlers will be prepared for them. We give the report as communicated to us yesterday by a man thoroughly acquainted with, and -living -in close proximity to, the Waitotara natives.