A NATIVE'S ACCOUNT OF THE FIGHT.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2125, 12 May 1864, Page 4

A NATIVE'S ACCOUNT OF THE FIGHT.

Thisi^ an account of th* fight between the Arawa and the lubes of the Uahili. On tbe 27th of Apiil the iight was commenced by the steamers, and the enemy dispeit.ee!. The soldieis came outside of the ledoubt, followed by Keieiu, Neuukopako, Tuhoulangi,, Tuwhaietoa, Pikiao, and the other tubes) of the Aiawa. When they approached, the Uahui Ngati-keiei-u lushed at the pa with a yell — not; a man to be seen, the steameishad dispersed them — they weie then followed tip by 100 of the Aiawa; the steamer followed as far as Pukehina, wheie one man was killed from the fiie of the big guns. The Aiawa followed the enemy until they reached Otatnaiakau, when tho fighting com meuced which lasted till evening. Dining the night 300 inoie of the Aiawa aruveil ; in the morning they took the pa at Otamaiakau, but theie was no one id it. Then all the chiefs of the Aiawa said, let us leturn, but Kereiu and Nenukopako insisted on gciincj on ; they went on to the Kuatamwlia. This pa also fell. They started ajiun and leached Kaoluioioa, About dinner time one of the natives of that ipnit of the country came out to draw the Aiawa on. When luili ai uh l (Lazaius. a native assessor of tbe Umuhika) and Winiata Pekamu saw him they went to Jiear what the enemy had to s.iy. As fclipy went, the Rmtuku Te Puehu (tliis is a son of Te Puehu, a native chief of Ngatipikiao leceiving pay from Government) approached from the side of the enemy and said, Te Am a (the principal chief of the Awaoteatua, and native assessor in Government pay) wishes to know if it would not be good for the wai paity to ictuin' To which Winiata lephed, that rests with the w hole warjjiuty ' He then leturned and told what lie had heaid, aud what was the wish of Te Hina, when Matenga Te Whatauni Te Emu (a chief of the Ngatinenukopaku tribe) heard tins he was very angiy, and said he must fight ; they then got up -and advanced on the enemy, and in five minutes the enemy dispersed ; they followed and took four pas, the name of the fust was, Te A.wa o te AUia, the second, To Mutata; the thud, Ko Eanga a tai. I don't know the name of the foiuth. The following aie the names of some of the men who fell in the battle field ■ — Rangiinatoi u. Tins man was a chief of the W.ikatohea, the son of Tatai.uoiangi te Batamaiti. He was shot by Matenga te Wahaioa (Ngatikeieru tiibe), who took fiom him his gun, cartridge box, and gieenBtone eairmg. The caning is in my possession ;it is but a veiy pool cjieciuieii of a qieenstone eai orna inent, but it was given to me to keep in reniembiance of the fight. Aporotanga, a chief of the Whakatohea, an old mini. Hiratepapa, a chief, also of the Whakatohes. Makehu, a chief of Tuhourangi. liangip.ua, a chief of the Ngatihikakino. Thebo aie the only names I know. Fifty men fell in this battle; their bodies weie seen. Many otheis fell, and their bodies were concealed in the bush ; but fifty were seen. This is all I have to say about i.t.