TE KOOTI.

Kumara Times, Issue 437, 19 February 1878, Page 2

TE KOOTI.

A correspondent of the Star who was one of the crew qf the Rifleman, in which Te Kooti escaped from the Chatham Islands, furnishes the following : —“ On the Natives' talking possession of the Rifleman, the crew .on board were made prisoners.’ Te Kooti called them and told them that if they landed the Natives at or near Poverty Bay, he would pay them. He would not harm any and the} could take the vessel"to Wellington when they thought proper. After leaving the Chatham*} a few day* it fell dead calm, and then.the.crew became aware of their precarious position. Te Kooti’s father, with a few more Natives formed a conspiracy to kill the crew and mate ot the Rifleman, Their only chance was to keep well in Te Kooti’s favour. On the fourth morning of being becalmed, the disaffected Natives agreed to .murder the crew. It was not until things came to this crisis that Te Kooti was told hia father was to be put out of the road—not meaning drowning, but imprisonment or restraint. It waa explained that he intended to murder the crew, and that was the reason of their having no wind, Te Kooti. without giving time for another word, called two Natives, and the orders he gave them were soon carried into execution, for Te Koot*’a father, as he was represented to be by Natives on board, was cast into the deep. About two hours afterwards a breeze sprang up, but the vessel had a good passage to Poverty Bay, were the Natives dis*. embarked. Te Kooti kept his.word,, giving twelve months’ pay to each man in place of One, with this instruction—‘Return to Wellington with your - vessel# Tell the Government if they leave pie alone I will never trouble them anymore.’” J