THE MOHAKA RAID.

Southland Times, Issue 1538, 16 February 1872, Page 3

THE MOHAKA RAID.

k Under the above beading tbe Haioke's * Bay Herald publishes the following comr tnunication from Mr Dolbel, whose wool- } shed, as we were informed by telegraph, had been burned down by hostile natives : — I On arriving at Maungaharuru, and finding the wool-shed burnt, I concluded ' at first that the causo of the fire had been accidental, but having ascertained that the homestead bad also been destroyed, I concluded tliat it was the work of hostile ' natives, tbe wool-shed being ] | miles from the homestead, and the fire bad not r. spread between the two places. Having examined the remains, I found several L articles missing, among them two rifles, which, had they not been taken away, we would have found in the remains. >It not being safe to remain there that night, we went to Kakeriki, Mr Bilfour's station, and arrived there about nine o'clock p.m. Mr Balfour started with a letter informing tbe authorities of what had taken place, and reached Mohaka at daylight, just in time for the Napier mail. On Tuesday, the 16th January, I received a despatch fro n the Government, authorising an expedition o? the Mohaka natives to go to Maungaharuru to examine that locality. A party of fourteen natives started from Mohaka on Wednesday, and six Mohaka Volunteers started also from Kakeriki. On arriving at Maungaharuru, we found Capt. Northcroft and eight Constabulary already there. No footprints could be seen on tbe main track ; a doubt, consequently, arose as to whether the fire was the work of incendiaries, although it did not shake tbe opinion I had previously formed. On the same evening, we found on the edge of the bush, about two chains from the house, four kits, three of them full of meat, and also children's clothing, &c. After this there was no doubt that the deed had been committed by a band of hostile natives. On Friday, the 19th, the expedition under Capt. Northcroft started for Kakerenu, a track leading to Putere ; retired the same evening, but found no tracks. On Saturday the expedition started for Ngatapa ; found footprints about four miles from the homestead on ' an old Maori track. We descended the hill to the bed of the Mohaka River, and found a, spot where they tad made a fire ; also, remains of old straps and strips of calico, which we identified as having been taken from the house. No returning tracks were seen further than this place, but several tracks were seen from thence to Ngatapa, indicating the road they came. It appeared they were very careful not to step on soft ground where their footprints could be seen, and avoided, where it was possible, all tbe tracks we generally i use. It was with considerable difficulty ] that we succeeded in finding them at all. ! They approached the house through a bush li miles loug, and could cot have been seen before they were twenty yards from tbe house. No doubt the attack on the house was made in such a manner that it" there had been any one there tbey would have lost their lives. On Sunday, the 2 1st, Capt. Nortbcroft ascertained tbe place where they crossed the river and went up a papa creek, but no tracks could be seen further. I omitted to* mention that Major Camming, from Wairoa, also sent four of the Constabulary to assist us if necessary. I may state that the G-ovemment did not lose any time in sending an expedition to ascertain the facts ; and no hardships were spared, both by Euro- / peans and natives, all through the expedition. It is evident that the Hau haus did not come there without a good guide. There is no doubt that the wretched woman Pokarau, who joined Te Kooti at the time of the Mohaka massacre, was there with them s as tbe track of a woman was plainly detected, and being the only one left of tbe Maungaharuru tribe witb Te Kooti, she must have been their guide. She has a great knowledge of the tracks in that locality. There is a difference of opinion as to the number of Hauhaus that took part at the raid at Maungaharuru ; some suppose six, others eight. In my opinion they must have numbered from twelve to fifteen ; the kits of meat we found were sufficient to supply food for that number. They have carried away with them potatoes and goods to the amount of 12 cwt., so I will leave the public to judge what number is required to carry that weight through a rough country. The value of the wool and wool shed is over £200. But it would be difficult for me to estimate the loss at the homestead ; it has cost tbe work of years, and will take years to restore it to its former state. Tbe difficulty of working the station without confidence is also a loss which ia difficult to estimate. However, lam thankful that there have been no lives lost. Had the two men that had resided there for the last twelve months not been employed to drive Btock from Springfield to the station, they would have lost their lives, or if we had been two days sooner on the road, we would have met a like fate, as we were not prepared to encounter such foes.