NATIVE OUTRAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 2927, 1 September 1879, Page 3

NATIVE OUTRAGE.

(BY TELEGRAPH.)

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The statement given of this affair in our Saturday's issue was substantially correct. The facts were very accurately set out in Mr Cashel's account. Mr Bayldon was employed to make a survey of the block of land known as Akahukoro on account of the JJgatikohe, an influential tribe who had taken advances upon the block from the Government, and on Tuesday last, in company with Mr Crump, Mr Bayldon arrived at Paeroa en route to the block. Having engaged Messrs Williams and Powdereil as assistants, the work of surveying was commenced on Wednesday morning, no suspicion being entertained that the proceeding was viewed with particular disfavour by any section of the natives in the district. A rumour that such a feeling existed, bowever, was abroad, but was of so vague and uncertain a character that very little heed appears to have been paid to it. The survey party cairied on their operations during Wednesday and Thursday without being disquieted by any hostile demonstration. On Friday the four men were just resuming work, after discussing the mid-day repast, when a voice called out from the dense scrub, " Ko mata koe pakeha " (V ou will be killed, pakeha). Before there was time to make any remark, a, volley of seven shots was fired, and McWilharns fell wounded, the others making off as speedily as possible. The wounded man feigned death, and the natives therefore hurried oft" in pursuit of the others. After some time McWilliams crawled out of the bush, where he found Powdereil waiting for birn. He says ho saw about fifteen natives. They were within ten yards of him before he saw them. One of them said, "Pakeha, you must die." He immediately fired a shot out of a double-barrel gun ; the bullet, took off the tops of two of his fingers. He then turned to run away, when the Maori again iired, the bullet entering his hip and coming out at the groin. He then fell ou the ground, face downwards. The native that fired the shot came up, took off McWilliams' hat, took a knife out of his pocket, cut off some of his hair, and put it in his mouth. That means revenge. McWilliams pretended to be dead, and lay in a motionless state for about ten minutes, suffering great pain. His mate ran away, ani they all fired a vnlley after him. They then reloaded the guns and followed. Me Williams then crawled up, but was barely able to walk. When he got out of the bush he saw his mate at a distance. He called to him to go and get some people to help him home. His brother John, Clem Comes, and a halfcaste woman named Kate Watson came and carried him away to the house of Mr .Bartholomew Brown. Thomas Powdereil says :—There were four of us in the party. We did not see the Maori who cried out, owing to the dense bush with which we were surrounded. The words were instantly followed by the firing of peven shots upon us. I immediately ran away on to the open ground, and waited to see if any of the others would come out. I waited on top of a hill about two hours, aud then I saw William McWilliams come out of the bush, and wave his hat to me. I callei to him, "What was the matter?" and he replied that he was shot. I went up to him and asked ■where he was shot, and he told me in the right thigh, in the right hand, and that his breast was grazed. The wounds were caused by bullets. He wanted to lie down, but I told him he had better go as far down the hill as possible, or the natives might come on him again. We went down the hill together some distance, and then I said I would go on to Mack&ytown to get assistance. I left McWilliams in a safe place. He was very ranch exhausted with loss of blood. I then want on to Mackaytown. A party of volunteers, in charge of Sargeant itussell, immediately started for the scene of the outrage, and I went wjth them as cuide. On the road out we met Messrs. Bayldon and Crump, with Constable Menzies, who had been out to give the settlers of Kotokohu warning. We theu returned to Paeora. The block on which we were engaged surveying is called Okahukoro. We we're surveying it for the Ngatikoe—a large and influential tribe of Maoris. Mr Puckey is buvin" the land I believe, It had not passed through the Court. McWilliams was brought down to Shortland in the Te Aroha °Tne attacking party were the Ncatihako. There were about ten of them •who attacked us. It was a portion of the same tribe who stopped the snagging some few months ago.

MESSES BAYLDON AND CRUMP.

It seems that after the volley Messrs Bay'don and Crump ran off in a different direction from the others, and then struck a bee-line for the camp, which they succeeded in reaching in safety. They remained there until the arrival of Constable Menzies, who informed them of the wounding of Me"Williams. They at once set out with Constable Menzies on his return to Paeroa. • vhev were met by a search party, headed b y "Sergeant fcussell, and guided by tw-derail, which was on its way to the t" ue of the outrage. They all returned to Paeroa In tue iaterira the neWS had :"T"i Shortland, and Sub ■ Inspector Kennv w/'t'i Dr. Andrews, had just come from that P^ce to ascertain the exact posTtio of aWrs. Sergeant Collins, the officer in chWe of the Paeroa contingent of Thames Scot.^f n Volunteers -tendered thP Rprvices of 200 men, while Majoi M^r™dto the Government his read, ness to supply 200 men M once, and 400 oi 500 at the expiration of a /ew hours.