THE MAORI OUTBREAK.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 304, 22 July 1868, Page 3

THE MAORI OUTBREAK.

The Nelson Colonist of the 17th, has the following telegrams, whereby the serious state of affairs, can at a glance, be seen. Volunteers for Patea have been called for, and a far larger number will yet be required. The so-called prisoners at the Chatham Islands have thought fit to terminate their captivity, went on boardji whaler and landed comfortably at * Poverty

I Bay. A war of extermination is I before us, and however unpleasant the ■ prospect, it must be entered upon. Wellington, Thursday, i July 16, 4.13 p.m. There is no further news from the ; Front. The Government have not : received any further information. In the Assembly, yesterday, Colonel ■ Haultain said the only intelligence . received was a letter written by Colonel M'Donnell to Colonel Gorton, as follows: " 12th July. " A mounted orderly has just come in with intelligence from Taru- TaruMokai, that the redoubt bad been attacked in the night." Captain Buck is engaged in raising 200 Volunteers for the Front, to be despatched at once. There is no Parliamentary news. The Maori prisoners have escaped from the Chatham Islands. The s.s. Lord Ashley has arrived from Hawke's Bay with intelligence that all the escaped prisoners have landed in Poverty Bay. FURTHER PARTICULARS. 6. 50 p.m. The Government has received telegraphic intelligence from Napier that the whole of the Maori prisoners of war had escaped from the Chatham Islands, and had landed at Poverty Bay. Captain Biggs with a party of Volunteers had proceeded towards Poverty Bay for the purpose of recapturing them. Colonel Whitmore, who was raising Volunteers at Napier, would follow Captain Biggs when he had obtained a sufficient force. The Maori prisoners escaped in a whaler. In the House of Representatives to-day, Mr Travers asked the Defence Minister if there was any truth in the rumor that a number of prisoners had escaped from the Chatham Islands carrying arms, ammunition, &c. i Colonel Haultain said that a telegraphic message had been received stating that the escaped prisoners had landed to the north of Poverty Bay. It was doubtful whether they . had escaped fully armed, as there were only thirty-one stand of arms on the islands.