TARANAKI.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 79, 7 August 1863, Page 3

TARANAKI.

The Ih.rald gives a summary of the events of ihe week ending July 2."kh : — There is again not. much to report. It having for some time been reported in town tluit the natives were often seen ;it iluarat'ua (I'ig -Jack'-- pa), :md were supposed to be digging riiir- pits there, Coionel Warre ordered a reconnaissance in force for Thursday to explore the country in the dtroetion of Tatnruimaka. Accordingly on that morning foen after seven a.m., Captain Atkinson's and Captain Webster's party of bushrangers (the latter under Lieut. McKellar), inarched down to Poutoko, where they were joined by 140 men of the 57th and 70th [Regiments, the former under Capt. Itussell and Lieut. Thompson, and the latter nnder Gapt. Cay The united force then proceeded to the Oakum redoubt, whore they were joined by eighty men of the 57th under Captain By the courtesy of Colonel Warre, who had taken the command in person, the Volunteers were allowed to lead, the advanced guard being taken by Lieut. M'Kellar. The force proceeded to llauranga, but yaw no sign of any new work ; the Colonel and Stall ami a portion of the military went on Tataniinuika block at this end but could see nothing. The Volunteers went a short distance inland up the road leading from llauranga to Tc Ahuahu, the pa on the further end of the range. At the latter pla.ee a few of t ->c enemy were seen going up the spur of the hill towards the pa, but they showed no inclination to come down to try conclusions. The volunteers, wo are informed, left the following note stuck in a fern stalk in the middle of the road leading towards the pa : — '■ Wli.ai mal to, when) mat >'<i, hei tapalapahia to klrii tu manuka e tu hi Oa/oira ia. Ku ichai ie riri.' — -V« te Mii'iha." It is an oid chant of a Maori watchman in a pa, and is an invitation to the enemy to come on if he is not afraid: — "Come on here, come on but take care you do not scratch your skin with the manuka ihat grows by the Oakura. there, (I. c, the soldiers of the redoubt)'; (Signed.) The Militia.". Yesterday a native came with a report that Ilapurona had burnt the abandoned blockhouse at Puketakauere, and was about to burn that at Malioetahi. A force was immediately despatched from town, but when the advanced guard had just crossed the Waiwaliaiho, news was received that the enemy had retired without attempting more mischief, and the force returned to town. We hear from a Waitara Native this morning that the following arc the men who burnt tliu blockhmise : — lvemihan:!, litt.ie Paul, Hiiro, and other Mataitawa Natives, but that Ilapurona was the '• iiir/na iti'i," that is, that it was done by his orders, lhaia ami Tcira's people went out upon seeing the smoke, but the rebels had disappeared.