A SETTLER SHOT BY THE NATIVES NEAR PAPAKURA. THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND. LATEST NEWS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1877, 23 July 1863, Page 3

A SETTLER SHOT BY THE NATIVES NEAR PAPAKURA.

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND. LATEST NEWS.

We received the following intelligence last night : — To-day, Mr. Greenasre and three men Trent into the bush, beyond Mr. Hay's house, which lies midway between Papakura and Drury, and just behind the ranges. They were cutting wood for some purpose or other, when about 40 natives rushed out of the gulley close by, and fired a volley upon them. Greenacre thought that no one was hurt by the first volley, but was not sure. Two of the men were outside a little way from the bush, and Greenacre and the other man who was shot, were just on the edge of the bush. On the natives firing all four men fled, and had the greatest possible difficulty in keeping a-head of the Maoris who were firing at them while pursuing. When they got half way towards Mr. Hay's house, the man who had been with Greenacre, and whose name is James Hunt, fell down and shouted out to Greenacre " for God's sake don't leave me," but as Greenacre saw the natives were within a few yards of him he did not stop as it would have been certain death, but rushed on as hard as he could to evade pursuit ; he succeeded in getting away together with the other two men who being outside the bush had the start of him. The alarm was immediately given by mounted men both to Drury and Papakura. From Drury a party of the 65th started at once under the guidance of some settlers and went straight to the spot where the man had been shot. They found the body, and upon examining it saw that the man had been shot through the back and heart, by a gun which must have been held within a few feet of him, as his blue shirt was burnt. He had not been tomahawked The 65th" then went on and skirmished into the bush but owing to the caution with which they advanced, the settlers who were leading them told them that there was no hope of their catching the Maoris, and the result of their endeavours afterwards was not known, but it was believed that they did not succeed in overtaking them. The alarm had been given at the same time or almost sooner at Papakura, and two companies of the 18th started in pursuit. They moved up in the hollow behind the ranges that they might cut off the retreat of the natives, who were supposed to be in front of them. It was believed that they did fall in with them,for a good deal of firing was heard, and it was reported that one soldier was killed and two or three wounded, but it was not known for certain, as the soldiers had not returned to camp. It was reported at Papakura that a considerable body of natives had arrived in the vicinity of the settled district of the Wairoa, but that they had not yet made any movement against the settlers.