ARRIVAL OF THE AIREDALE, WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 2, 10 July 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

ARRIVAL OF THE AIREDALE, WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

RISING OV THTE WAIKATOS WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS FROM JTARANAKI. HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AT PORT CHALMERS, TWELVE LIVES L OST. " Ikvercargill Times 1 ' Office, Thursday, 5 a.m. The g.s. Airedale from the Northern Provinces arrived at the Bluff yesterday j morning with mails and seventeen passengers. She brings the latest in- ! telligence from the disturbed districts' of which the following are the particulars :-< The TaranaJd H.rald of Saturday writes : — The Eclipse arrived this morning from Manukau with important news from the North, the particulars of which we have not been able to learn, but the Waikatos are said to have risen. That something serious has occurred may be judged by the fact that instead of General Cameron coming back here, the Eclipse returns to Auckland to-night with the 70th — and w« hear that Captain Mercer and the Mounted Artillery, the 40th and the 6. r )th are 'to follow. "We suppose Tataraimaka will now be temporarily abandoned, and we hope Oakura and Poutoko too, as the natives will Lien be emiboldened to come within reach. Four hundred Volunteers for (t active service* 1 are wanted by the Government for the Ist division of the Auckland Militia. They are to receive ■2b. <6d. per day and rations. The Eclipse has brought no mail. <(iFrora a Correspondent of the Nelson Colonist. ) New Plymouth, June IS, 1863. Since the affair of the 4th instant nothing of importance occurred here until the departure of General Cameron for Auckland in the Eclipse, with the object, it is understood, of meeting the new G neral (Dupuis). Fears are entertained by 6ome that Cameron will not return, while others hope that he will, and be permitted to work out what he has so well begun. However, the settlers seem all determined to memorialise the Government to keep him in the country. His conduct to civilian soldiers is conspicuous for kind consideration, and it is quite refreshing to witness with what good will they perform the duties demanded of them, though these are much heavier than formerly. Oq Thursday, Hapurona, William King's fighting chief, who was paid £100 per anumn by the Government for keeping possession of the Redoubt at Waitara, sent uo a formal challenge, addressed to the Governor, the General,, Mr Bell, and Mr Parris, with a verbal message that if they did not come and fight him in the light of the sun, he should march in from Mataitawa to the Bell Blocks, driving before him all living things that might come in his way. By the "light of the sua," he means pknly, without ambuscade, but he forgets to name the day on which our troops are to meet them, or the place. Yesterday, the Eclipse returned from Auckland without the General, for the purpose of taking away troops, as the Wakatos have risen. This is all I could learn. About 300 were sent away by her at onee — about 100 of the 70th, the remainder made up of the 65th and 40th. 100 mounted artillery are expected to leave by another steamer, probably by the Claud Hamilton or the Harrier. The Airedale has arrived on her way j to Nelson. She brings no confirmation of the Waikato disturbance that I can hear of. Regarding Hapurona the Herald says — Hapurona has not been in town since the 35th Jauuary, 1862, when he was arrested by the police for riotous and disorderly conduct in^ the public streets. He was then, we believe, in receipt of £100 per annum as commandant of the Matarikbriko, blockhouse, whiclr he threw up in consequence of his having been'made a " slave" of by the police. He has been residing with his followers at Te Arei, and in daily communication •T- with the Mataitawa natives, whose leader .';.' l he will ■;be\in£fig.hting against the Pake- % has^ as^herwas in the last war. Many kofcour readers will remember that Hapu■roha was said to have beeu the chief

officer of euginecrs at Puketakauere and Huirangi, and w;is in command of the 70 men who repulsed the 1200 at the latter place. We are informed that a few Taranaki natives have come down from "Waikato with six kegs of gunpowder, which they intended taking round the mountain. They brought messages to the Mataitawa people. r l'he Bell Blockhouse garrison is to be reinforced to-morrow by men from No. 1 Volunteers and No 1 Militia* A QUEER MAORI AMBASSADOR TO SIR GEORGE GREY. The Auckland papers state that an ambassador extraordinary presented himself at the Government House on Monday. A bare-legged and ugly specimen of the native race announced himself as a herald from King Potatau IT. His message from his master was to the effect that his copper-colored majesty was of opinion that the Taranaki murders were perfectly right and in accordance with Maori usages ! Further, if any person was to blame, it was the Governor himself, who had no business at Taranaki. Whether the herald had any further intimations or overtures to make, it is now impossible to mzike out, inasmuch as his Excellency intimated, in unmistakable terms, that unless he wished to find himself in the Auckland prison, he had better be out of the city in an hour.