THE NATIVE REBELLION.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 172, 24 April 1869, Page 5

THE NATIVE REBELLION.

SINGULAR AFFAIR AT OPOTIKI. Opoxtki has been placed in a state of defence, and an Armstrong gun placed in position. On April Ist a change of orders were given, and the women and children sent away to their own allotments, and the nightpatrols discontinued, notwithstanding that Te Kooti was still at large and no body of men to oppose him. A meeting has been held to enquire into the conduct of Messrs. Mair, who were in command of the forces

during the late expedition. A memorial was adopted praying that Captain Mair and his brother should be removed, and military men appointed in their place. On this coming to Captain Mair’s knowledge it was announced that all who signed it should be struck off pay. Consequently the committee desisted from obtaining signatures until the expected reduction had taken place, and before the news left all but 37 were thus struck off. LATEST FROST TAUPO. The H. B. Herald of the Sth says;- — “ We have later news from the Taupo district, and are glad to be able to report it as of a more satisfactory character. Te Kooti is said to have retreated to the Uriwera country, and we shall probably hear little of his movements for some time to come. We hear that Capt. St, George has returned to his station, and that Mr. Cox’s manager has likewise returned with a few hands to Rananga, where thoy are now shearing. Mr. Helyer is also at his place packing wool. THE LATE ATTACK OX THE EAST COAST. The details of this attack are not yet to hand ; the following is from the Auckland Herald “ A war party of Hauhaus attacked Mohaka on Saturday morning, before daylight; supposed to be a party of Te Kooti’s, making a rush for arms and ammunition that were in apa at the mouth of the river. Napier is in great excitement, and the whole of the militia and volunteers under arms. Colonel Lambert, with 400 men, left for Patene yesterday, and Tanner’s Cavalry pushed on to-day. Richardson’s 60 troopers (from Wanganui) will be at Patene to-day. All the settlers have Come in from Mokaka and Waikari. It is supposed that a number of old men with women and children were killed in the pa, the young men being out on an expedition. The Napier natives are very anxious to move out, and a few have been sent to Patene by water. Later intelligence reports Te Kooti in force at Mohaka. It is supposed that our strength is 800 men in the field. Rumors give the number of women and children killed as 40, and 12 Hauhaus.”

LATEST FROM TARANAKI. April loth. The forces that were brought here, as it was supposed, for the purpose of attacking Te Wet ere at Mokau have been removed to the East Coast. The Arawas have withdrawn from our forces. They object to lighting away from their own district. The Native Minister told them he was very “dark” about their proceedings. Colonel Whitmore went in the St. Kilda last week to reconnoitre the coast near Mokau. The Colonel fired four shells without any taking effect. Major Noakes with a force of 90 men are reported to be lost in the bush, but have turned up again ; they left with four days’ provisions, and had been absent over ten days. Titokowaru is supposed to be at Te Ngatiawa. THE WHEREABOUTS OF TITOKOWARU. The best informed natives say that Titokowaru is at one of Ahitana’s Tangahiri settlements, and that he was there when Colonel Whitmore was prevented by Mr. Booth, and persuaded by Kemp to retire from Ngaere. The rebel Ahitana, who told Colonel Whitmore that Tito, with only SO followers, had gone to Te Ngutu o-te manu, simply misled him, as was subsequently proved when the Arawas went there and found it without inhabitants. —Taranaki Herald. DESTRUCTION OF REBEL VILLAGES. From Wanganui we learn that a very successful raid, under the command of Major Noakes, had been made on the cultivations of the rebels for some distance up the Waitotara river. From a full account of the expedition in the Chronicle , of the 15th instant, we learn that the forces obtained considerable plunder, besides destroying a number of villages and cultivations, killing or shooting down large numbers of pigs, sheep, and cattle. The following are the names of places destroyed :—Te Rua Pounamu, about four miles from Weraroa by land, belonging to Hare Tipene ; Te Roa, a cultivation of Hare Tipene’s; Te Auroa, belonging to Teretia, about thi'ee above Te Rua Pounamu ; Pukewharariki (Rahira), about seven miles from Te Auroa; Poukai, (Tamihana Motomoto) ;■ Paihoa, (Hare Tipene’s), about miles above Pukewharariki ; Pukaku (Hare Tipene) ; Wharekowhiti (Wimreu Patene) ; Te Puao (Wi Patene) eel weir; Te Maire (Kirihipu) ;Te Eringa (Kirihipu), this pa is built on a flat beneath the old fighting pa called Maumanga, and is about nineteen miles above Whareko whiti. Piraunui (Pehimona), six miles above Te Eringa; Taupou (Tipene Taukiwha), eel weir a mile and a half above Piraunui.

The report adds—Piraunui is about fortyseven miles above Te Weraroa, and wc penetrated eight miles above this. I can-

not hear of any settlement of importance farther up, and as we have now destroyed all the weirs, cultivations, &c., below it will be a matter of anxious enquiry and speculation to us as to what the Ngarawui tribe will do. EEMOVAL OF COLONIAL FOKCES TO AUCKLAND. The St. Kilda, Captain Fox, arrived on Sunday (the 1Ifh), in the Manukau. The hon. J. C. Richmond, Captain Gundry, Captain Pitt, and about 150 men of the colonial forces, were passengers by her. It was reported in the Wanganui Chronicle of the 6th inst., a copy of which journal we received by the St. Kilda, that in consequence of its being reported that 300 Ngatimaniapotos had arrived in the district between New Plymouth and Waihi, the colonial forces would remain on the West Coast, instead of being despatched, as intended, to Tauranga via Auckland. The result of a reconnaisance showed, however that there was no such force of rebels in the district. The spot where it was said that a strong pa had been erected was found untenanted, and only one or two natives were seen at all by the expedition. It was therefore resolved at once to forward a portion of the forces by the St. Kilda to Auckland, en route for the East Coast, and to forward the remainder by the Sturt, which vessel may be expected in the Manukau during the course of the day. Colonel Whitmore shortly after arrived with 130 men of the Armed Constabulary. They will, along with the detachment which arrived on Sunday, proceed at once to the East Coast, and will, we understand, be shortly joined by an additional force of some 250 men, sent round by the other coast. Several gentlemen in Auckland have given a dinner to Colonel Whitmore at the Auckland Club on the occasion of his passing through this city en route to take the command of the East Coast campaign. Some forty persons sat down .to table, of whom a large proportion were military men. It may naturally be asked what Colonel Whitmore has .succeeded in doing that he should have -been thus publicly honored, but if his successes have not been that which could have been hoped for, it is worth while enquiring whose the fault really is. There are many men even now in Auckland who have served with Colonel Whitmore for some time, and generally they speak well of him, as a commander. It is said that on more than one occasion the Colonel both could and would have settled Titokowaru by a coup had he not been withheld from doing so by the officials of the Native Department, and that no expedition is undertaken without the presence of some Magistrate or Civil Commissioner —such as Mr. Paris or Mr.

Booth—and that just when the right thing is about to be done one of these interfere

for its prevention. One thing is very certain, that the colonial forces are in a fax better state of discipline than they were, and the Colonel and his officers are more in accord than they were. Doubtless the criticisms of the more moderate and respectable portions of the North Island press have had much to do in bringing this state of things about. — Herald.