SUPPOSED MURDER OE MR. C. BROUGHTON, INTERPRETER TO THE FORCES.

There is no*- but little doubt that the rumour brought down by the Storm Bird of the murder of Mr. Charles Broughton is too true, On Saturday, a gentleman m this city received private letters from Wanganm which were evidently written in the belief that the unfortunate gentleman was no more. Hie Wanganui Chronicle of the oth inst., also with reference to the reported tragedy says :- Last week Mr. C. W. Broughton, uho has of late been acting as interpreter to the L orces was sent out to Patea by Brigadier-General Waddy in consequence of a letter sent in from Kakaramea, that had been found stuck on a pole near that camp, and winch was signed by six Hau Haus who asked an interview. He left by the Gundagai on * nday taking with him a native named AVi 1 uka. They arrived at Patea at 4 p.m., on that day and started off at 5 p.m., to Kakaramea, where they slept. About 11 a.m., on Sa urday, they saw a man come out from a bush about a mile distant with a white flag. They went to meet the man, being accompanied by an officer They met on a hill on the other side of a bridge over the Makaka, a tributary ofthcPatca.andhad a conversation, lhe natWsuamewasAtonika.andMr.Broughton was acquainted with him, having apprehended him some time ago in connection with the stealing of a horse. Mr. Broughton asked him to bring a native named Euka, an old friend of Mr. Broughton's who used to bo at Eangitikei. Meanwhile in his abscence, they returned to the pa, and had some food, and on the two Maories coming to the place of meeting went out and held another conversation, the same oiheer accompanying them. The pa from which the two natives came, is named Hoewaka, and is on the south side of the Patea, about three miles distant from Kakaramea; on a high ground midway a white flag was hoisted Mr. Broughton gave Euka some brandy tobacco, and biscuits, and Euka asked him to go to the pa. He said he wished first to know what was the meaning of the words they had written—" Kanohi kanohi, aman^ai, amangai— (face to face voice to voice)." Euka replied that they were written because of the Governor's proclamation of peace, Wi Puka objected to Mr. Broughton's going, on the ground that these natives now worshipped a strange god, and had no compunction in killing any one. Mr. Broughton said, " Return to-morrow, and let me hear what you have to say to my conversation." They returned to Kakaramea, and remained there all night. Next day (Sunday), at nine a.m., the officer, Mr. Broughton, and "Wi Puka, again went out and met Atonika, who came, accompanied by a young man whom [they did not know. Atonika again invited them to the pa, but they objected to go, as Euka had not conic. The young man was sent to bring Euka, and the others returned at Kakaramea. At eleven a.m., the youth returned and said that Euka would meet them at a small clump of bush a little further away from Kakaramea. Wi Puka objected ; but the officer and Mr. Broughton went forward with the young man ; and Wi Puka followed at a little distance, and on a different track, and saw another native named Enoka, also_ known to Mr. Broughton, come down and join the party. Euka was not there but Enoka, who as well 33 his companion had Maori arras, but no guns, said that he was at a place farther on, and asked them to go forward. J Wi Puka again objected to go further, his suspicions having been excited. At twelve o'clock Euka came down. They remained talking till 2 o'clock when Mr. Broughton pulled out his watch and said, " Well, I shall go, I am now convinced that there is no- danger." Wi Puka- said, "No! You will be killed." Mr. Broughton said to the officer and Wi Puka. "You had better return and I will go on." Wi Puka said, " Well Euka, I leave Broughton in your hands, you will be answerable for him." " All right," said Ituka, and they went away to Hoewaka. the officer and Wi Puka re- • turning to Kakaramea. Next morning Wi Puka rose at four o'clock and saw some fives ' about three miles distant. At 7 a.m. three shots were fired in rapid succession at Hoewaka, and immediately afterwards a red flag was hoisted. It was the King s flag. At 9 a.m. the white flag on the high point was taken down. Wi Puka has no doubt that Mr. Broughton has been murdered ; but it 38 quite possible that he may only have been made a prisoner. The firing of the three

shots is the circumstance most difficult to account for on the supposition that ho is alive. The same journal of the 7th says: — "There has been no further intelligence regarding our uufortunate townsman Attempts hare been made at communication with the Maoris by meaas of a white flag, but in vain, and since the news of the M'.T.C. man being killed, the most sanguine are beginning to fear that the opinion of the natives that Mr. Broughton is murdered may turn out correct. Lieut.-Colonel Gorton lias offered to head a volunteer expedition to ascertain the truth ; but Brigadier-General Waddy is so fettered by his instructions that he cannot move in the matter. The natives would also form a party for the same purpose. Would it not be a graceful thing in the Government to put Major Von Tempsky at their head, if he would undertake the duty ?" Our contemporary also says : — bare particulars of another atrocity perpetrated by the rebels :— " On Wednesday, one of the Military Train Corps, whose name is not yet known here, was out on horseback near the Patea redoubt. A party of Maoris came upon him and shot his horse, and before he could get himself disentangled they came on him and tomahawked him. His body was afterwards found by Mr. Fislc. Beneath the head was a Maori letter, dated the 9th January; addressed to Te TJa from the Weraroa pa. There was nothing particular in the letter, which seemed to have been dropped by one of the Maoris. One side is disfigured with gore." Our own correspondent writes from Wanganui on the 7th inst : — Another interpreter has fallen into the hands of the rebels, and although a week has elapsed since the melancholy occurrence took place, no intelligence can be obtained ns to his fate, and this too almost in the presence of an overwhelming force of British troops. Last week the nalives from a village a little beyond Kakaramia had come towards that post, and left a white Hag on a stick with a letter attached to it, in consequence of which, the Brigadier General asked Mr. C. Bronghton to go up to Patea, and see about it. lie went up there on Friday last, and on Saturday morning accompanied by an officer, and a friendly native assessor, Wi Puka Puka of Rangifikei, lie went to where the flag was flying, and met four natives who wanted him to go on with them to their village. This he would not consent to, but promised to meet them at the samo spot the next day. Accordingly on the morrow (Sunday last) he went to the place again and was met by three natives, who again n* on the day before asked him to return with them to the Pa. This he refused to do and asked for Puka (a native with whom lie was well acquainted, a*d who with another well known native Enoka had been of the party with whom he conversed the day before.) Euka came to him, and at last succeeded in persuading him to go with him, as there was not the least danger. Poor Broughton deluded by Ruka's assurance consented to go and requested the officer and Wi Puka Puka, to return to Kakaramia. They begged and entreated Broughton not to go, but. it was of no avail, so they returned to camp leaving him to proceed with lluka to tl>e rebel quarters. Nothing has since been heard of him, the next day, the white (lag flying at the village was hauled down, and the red war flag hoisted, and during this week a mounted orderly was Bhot down, and tomahawked in the same vicinity. These actions andKereti's murder are quite sufficient indications of the native mind, and I think it would not be out of place if the House were to pass a resolution to the effect " that after this all peace or amnesty proclamations should be carried to the natives by His 'Excellency or Hie Native Minister in propria persona only. Public feeling runs rather high here against the Government just now with regard to the Native question. It is felt that the natives have carried the war to a point at which the atrocities committed by them of all rights of belligerents and there is an almost universal feeling that instead of the Government issuing peace proclamations, they should get tho llouso to pass an Act, by which every Maori taken prisoner on rebel territory should bo hanged on the first tree. There seems to be nothing much doing in the Separation question just at present, but there is not tho least chance of the petition being granted, for without a single name being withdrawn from it, there is by no means anything near the number required' by law. I find out that this was well-known, but that it was published merely in order to deter the House of Representatives from passing any mcasui'cs that might interfere with the present New Provinces Act. The majority of the settlers hero will bo very glad to sec Mr. Macandrew's bill become law. Th.c Government have acted very wisely in dismissing Col. Kookes. It would have been useless to pass new and good volunteer acts, if! such men as the Colonel were to have the working of them. The only thing that astonished me was his presuming to ask for a Court of Enquiry after his repeated refusals to commissioned officers of this district to grant them the same. His dismissal is looked upon up here as an act of retributive justice. The ketch "Julia," of Lyttelton, which left here for Patea, eomc time ago, and had never been heard of, has at last turned up, at least pome of her timbers have. On the beach at Rangitikci some of her timbers have come ashore, including part of her stern, with her name painted in full on it. The Gundagai is stuck on a snag up the vivcr, and will have to wait for a " fresh " to get off. Cutting off a Witch's Head. — We clip the following from the New Zealand Herald of the 30th Sept. : — "From Kawhia we hear of war and rumors of wars, instigated probably by tho desire of the somi-friendly nalives there, to bo put on rations and receive pay. Hone Wctcro (John Wesley) , late Native Magistrate there, who was deposed from his office four years ago, for the abduction of a native woman, the wife of a sawyer of the name of Wright, has been adding to _ the interest of native proceedings at tho present time, by the commission of a most brutal and horrid murder. It seems that this late learned interpreter of the law had, with a zeal worthy of Matthew Hopkins, condemned an old Maori woman of " maketu " or witchcraft., and punished her by his own hands, cutting off her head on the spot. This may appear to philo-Maovis as something startling and out of the way, but to us here, it is no extraordinary event. It is only a few years since two natives in our own district murdered a man nnd woman for the panic reason, and cooked them in a copper. Much about tho same time al; Kawhin, a native and his wife pulled the heart out of (heir living child, under the impression that it was bewitched. Such is theellbct of thirty yoai-3 of civilisation and missionary effort on this noble race ! " The Waxgaxui River.— Wo learn by the Wanyanni Times thai; another post is to be established at Tawhitemii, a commanding situation opposite to London (llanana), and that 150 of the GBth started up the river in the Gundagai for tho purpose of erecting a redoubt thore. As soon as that is complet ed 50 of tho men "will return leaving 100 to garrison it.

Tub MuitDEiiEits of Fulloon. — The following is an extract from a private letter printed in the New Zealand Herald, only now received from Maketu, though dated as far back as August 23rd : — " The party of natives "who went inland, to capture Fulloon'e murderers, came down the Famcnga-road (Tarawcva to Matata), they had a small brush at Parawai on the way, killing one aud wounding three of tho enemy. The Parawai Pa being too strong to attack, they continued their march to the ' Awa,' and effected a junction with the ether party of 250, who are all encamped opposite three pa's. Te Matapihi, Ohcu, and Omarupotiko, are distant from their extreme front, the first 700, the second 200, and tho third 500 yards. They are not very strong, but they are all islands in the great swamp, and nothing cnii be done without a gun and boats, the three contain about 50 or 60 men. Te Hura and all the principal of poor Fulloon's murderers arc there, and also Patara, who is recruiting for the East Cape war. They make a display of 12 or 13 flags, three of them, including a Union Jack, arc supposed to bo trophies brought by Patara from the East Cape. Kereopa is at Opotiki. A part of the Whakatohea are gone to the East Cape to assist the Hau Han." " Parawai contains about 40 men ; it is situated on the Tarawera river (the same as Te Awa and Te Atua), about 9 miles above the other, which is a mile from the sea." Native Movements. — It is reported in the Wanganui Chronicle of the 4th inst., that Takuira to Herekiekie, the friendly Taupo chief, is in Koriuiti, and reports that a large number of the hostile Taupo, Upper Waikato, and Taranaki natives have passed eastwards to join in the struggle nt Opotiki. It is also eaid that the Rangitikci rebels intend immediately to proceed to Taranaki, having had a message from Te Ua, requesting them to proceed tliither, that being now to be the place of fighting.