NORTHERN NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 943, 1 May 1868, Page 5

NORTHERN NEWS.

THE EAST COAST CAMPAIGN. By the Ahuriri, we ("Daily Times ") have Auckland papers up to the 4th inst. They contain particulars of a movement against a rebel party in the neighbor? hood of Opotiki. , Information had been received that the rebel natives had attacked the friendly natives at Punawai, and brutally murdered one of them. A force was despatched, under Major St John, to the place, and the murdered native was found lying outside his whare. The deed Had been evidently the work of no novice at the art. The breast was cut down and then across in quite a systematic manner, and the heart taken out, leaving the other parts unmutilated. The force went in pursuit of the rebels, and on the 11th came in sight of the pah, which, being in an unfinished state, the rebels abandoned. Books belonging to Mr Vplkner, ;> and other property belonging to poor Moore and the surveyors who were driven in some time ago, were found. A scouting party of the Arawas had been attacked, but on the Constabulary coming up^the enemy disappeared. A rebel was shot, by the Arawas. He hod no less than seven bullet wounds J in him. A spectator of the skirmish says : — „ :;; i " About one o'clock bn ; the morhingiof the 10th March we held a council of war, and the Arawas told Major, St. John, that they would take the lead next time. About 3 o'clock we started, 1 and two miles from the first pah we came upon Pongakarau, another pah. They, began, $o fire from the top ,of the hill ..upon us,, a very heavy fire. When we got half way, one of our poepe, named Hbpapa^ "was wounded. When the Arawas' saw 1 this man wounded, they were very angry, charged upon the pah, ; which;, they-tfojind to be deserted. They went about pa quarter of a mile beyond, firing into the bush, without seeing any' more 6t tKe Hauhaus. The Major then came up antd wanted to go right on to Maungapohatu, the principal pah of the ; Uriwera, said to contain about 400, men. P .The Aarawas did not like this, so the chief ordered them to come back. Just after we left, the Hau-haus came on and fired at the Militia, who. were about seventy or eighty, the Uriweras doing 3 s war. dance. After stepping there a quarter, of an hour we saw a Hau-Thau coining, , so about twenty of us went down' to mcct 1 nim, and called to him to come on; He said I am ; one of Kereopa's men, -and Kereopa is bring' up the - i forces. .• ; He said he was frightened to advance, because he had got the war paint. We said " Don't be frightened, we belong to the Uriwera." But he knew we belonged to Arawa, fired at us, threw his gun away, and bolted. We followed him; he jumped the cliff down to the river ; then we fired at him in the river, and killed Kir n; brought him to the camp ; arid our guide, belonging to the Uriwera, told' us ; he waß Hoani Koratanga,. a great chief;, of the Uriwera, belonging to jßuatahunga. ., then we had a war dance, in .consequence of this man that we had shot. : About five minutes after Major St; John and the Constablary came. up. If the Arawas had I their own way, they would soon clear out the Uriwera. Let the Europeans take one road, and us take anothe-, because the Arawas cannot do anything with the Europeans, for they have too much order, and the Arawas do not like that. And then the Arawas ,ge^:yeryji,ttle, pay.. The price ought to be raised." •