NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 21 April 1870, Page 5

NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

The. latest news from the Front are given in the following Napier telegram^ contained in the " D.aily Times :" — Further particulars received from. Opo.tiki state, that Te, Kooti's band is at last all but annihilated.. Numerous sections of of the Uriweras ha.y,e surrendered themselves prisoners., They state> that Te Kooti has only 20 men \y;ith him. The AYhakatoheas, who lately gav.e Te Kooti 20 kegs of powder, in order to prove their sincerity in, surrendering^ told where tho powder was, buried. A party hav,ing been, sent to ascertain if the information was correct^ found, the; powder, and sent it to, Auckland in the^ Stuart. The prisoners taken of Te Kopti's. people state that he has now no ammuni---tion, haying, completely gutted all the Hauhau. settlements, as well as those of the Uriweras, of this article. A Native meeting was held by Mr., M'Lean, when it was arranged that Ropata and 3QO fresh men should start on Monday to scour the Waikarempana country. Their i-ntentioix is to capture the outlying Uriweras and-, Te Waru's force, Mr. Locke, wJio returned by the, Rangatira, says that the effect of the late success on the East Coast has been very great. That our alljcs lpolc upon Te Kooti's influence as gone, while the doubtful, natives, like the Whakatoheas, are thoroughly crushed. Maraetai, the. pah taken by Ropata, was Te Kooti's chosen resting place ; he had large cultivations there as well as great natiye houses, t and a church.. A fewr days before lie was attacked, he told the people that the plage could nqyer be reached by our forces.. There aretonly six of the Chatham Island, prisoners left ; 14 were killed at Maraetai. The number of men who escaped with Te Kooti is : 19.

The report of the kjlling of Kereopa at Ohineniuri was not correct. Kereopa is with Te Kooti. It was Te Waru, the prisoner* say, that w.as shot at Ohinemuri. He and Kereopa were dressed alike. Te Waru had his leg broken, and crawled into the bush, where, he is supposed to have died.

The Whakatoheas (the 140 whom Te Kooti was said to have taken prisoners) were certainly willing prisoners of Te Kooti's. They gav.e him 20^ casks of powder and' a lot of bullets, which he removed from Opape, and hid near Maraetai. After Ropata's success, the Whakatoheas gave information regarding the hidden powder, all of which was found; and taken to Auckland by the Sturt.

Ropata's men are described as having suffered much from- their march through the Uriwera country. Their feet are swollen and cut, and' they are quite unfit to march back through thesame country. Ropata is now-organising a fresh expedition, taking new men from his tribe, and leaving the tired ones to rest. He4s to leave the Ngatiporou settlement on Monday for • Poverty Bay, with about 300 men. He- will' take his force, mounted. He makes in from Poverty Bay to a place near Lake Waikaremoana, where the prisoners inform him the rest of the Uriweras are. He intends to call upon the Uriweras to surrender themselves, and expects they will do so, in which case he will bring them to-. Poverty Bay as prisoners. Tf they do not submit, he will attack them at once.

It is believed that Te Kooti will be with the Uriweras, but- this is not certain. Ropata has recommended the Uriweras to kill' Te Kooti, and" bring in his head, as the best way of saving themselves. The prisoners report that all the Uriweras' powder is exhausted; and I gather that there is every probability of their submitting, or if not, of Ropata finishing them. I'am sending to Wairoa, to advise , the native there of ' Ropata's movements, which will spur them on to act in concert.