The Tarawera Disater.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1739, 21 June 1886, Page 3

The Tarawera Disater.

EXPEDITION TO WAIROA.

: ' ■' : -'■'*'' RotobuA, Last Night. 7 Artfiur iTaszard, brother of the, late C. . Haszard, and Messrs Percy and Leonard : Robinson,, returned .from the . expedition vfa Kaitorinea, bringing back the clothing of tile' Haszard family; Settlers' bullocks, and the natives' cattle. They took three horses and a packhorse, With shovels to die out the horses when bogged or to clear land -slips. They fo«ni Kaiteriria track as bad as that by Tiiitapu.landshps and avalanches bf mud threatening to precipitate tliem off the narrow track alongside Lake Notokakahi info the Lake. They slept m the Runanga House at Wairoa on Friday night, but owing to violent earthquakes they got little sleep, running outside at every shdek. They had a terrible journey, f taking 12 hours to reach Rotgrua, Fortunately the rain clouds did not break .over Wairoa but were carried northward, or they would abandon houses and find their way -on foot' to save their lives. As it was they had to dig out the horses twice, the suction of the m.iid being such that, the ..bories^ could lift their feet. ;Thev^ h\ve nb^inten"tioii of returning fsr'ir.ore gobds, v as the experiment, after yesterday's experience, is 'too dangerous. The cattle brought oat would have died m a day or two, as they only lived by gnawing boughs of trees. The party report that strange: natives from the inland settlements had come down lake Rotokakahi m canoes, and wjere.H plundering'/ Mcßa'e's and Humphries' stores, clearing out blankets, clothing, eic. Mcßae has received m formation that £2pOQ worth is gone, and that comparatively little is left, save sonic quantity of tins bf salmon and sardin^s. £100 worth of hotel linen is cone. Some of the plunder, it 'is etate'd, is being carried away to Upper Taupo. Haszard's party found two natives lying drunk m Mcßae's wrecked hotel; having broken into the spirit cellar ; other natives had seized the remainder of the stock of liquor and carried jt away. Constable Cavanagh' left; today tor Kaikerira to intercept plunderers as they come'ljack from Wairoa by Lake Rotokakahi. He recovered £40 worth of goods at Kaiteriria, the natives bolting. Heavy north-easterly gale with heavy rain "-yesterday",' and the Te Puki route is almost impassable. Mr reports that he had a hard iobtoget here from Tauranga by that | line; The >tench along the line at intervals from carcases of cattle and horses j killed by starvation ar^i BtUUying unburied is something feaTfuU| >| 7