A NATIVE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT AT TAURANGA (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Camp Te Papa, December 5.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2305, 9 December 1864, Page 5

A NATIVE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT AT TAURANGA (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Camp Te Papa, December 5.

I had made up my muni not to write you uulil next mail; however, as circumstances have occuirerl likely to create alarm, I have thought it my duty to pen you a few hasty lines About 3 p m this afternoon llie whole camp was tin own into a kind of frenzy, nppioaching to madness. The al.irm of the appioach of thu enemy in the days of w.\r anci liunouis of war was nothing to coinpale to the excitement which wa-. manifested on this occasion. What tendered the matter still more serious to rcflict upjn, was the f.ict of the camp being ciammed with the Maons. As I passed along the main stieet from the beach I attempted several times to asccitain fiom the natives what w.is the matter, but all my entreaties were in vain. I at last saw a gioup of women together bawling (I mean cvjiiii), ihe nnuical times of which I shall not fOlf 01 get for some time. It was from one of this party that I learned that a native had been bhot by a private of the Colonial Defence Corps, and that the wounded native had been tilccn up to the hospital I was moving hastily away when I was called back by several bystanders (natives), who said it was useless for me to go up expecting to see the man alive, as he was dead— in I ict, mnideied, and that they weie nob mourning for the 10-^ of this one native, but were waiting the auival of the soldiers to complete the trcachdroiw woik which had just commenced by murdering the whole body of them, which could not at the lea«t have been less than six or seven hundred. I, however, reached the hospital and inquired for paiticulars, wheu I soon learned the real facts of the story, which I believe to le as follow :— Abontonid-day two natives went up to the camp belonging to the Defence Corps, and seeing a man named Murphy cleaning, or rather sweeping his tent, asked him for sotnek.ulcai (meaning biead), which was instantly given to them. They afterwaids saw some old cards outside, which they picked up, and entieated Murphy to play with them, which, iv good temper, he did. He soon, however, became tired, and went to clean his sword, which having some stains of blood upon it, he tued in the best manner he could to explain the cause to them, which, he said, pioceeded fiom the engagement at To Ranga. The natives then minutely examined his carbine, and actually took it to pieces, observing something about Orakau and Waikato, which Muiphy could not undei stand. They then asked Murphy to reach down and show them a revolver which w<is hanging up, which he did ; and thinking that the piece ,wa=T not loaded, he began to turn tho baa el, when it went off, shooting one of the natives, the ball pissing through the fleshy pait of the right arm and penetrating into his side. On the accident occuning Murphy called out for assistance, and on iv becoming known, the wounded native was escorted up to the hospital, and Dr. Applin, with the assistance of one of the Waikato medical staff, immediately extracted tho ball from his side, and rendered every assistance which the patient lequired. Mr ftice was early by the bide of the wounded man, affording overy assistance which lay iv his power. The wounded man is doing well, and is out of all danger, but he and his chum aie wanting to make a ca.se ol it, iv order, no doubt, to make a fresh demand upon the tieasury. 9 p.m. Another mishap has just taken place a few minutes ago As 1 was wilting the foicgoing remarks the sound of a icport has pioceedmg iiom a gun was heard through the e.mp iv the direction of the Transi ort Coips. I immediately proceeded to the rfpot, and saw a man belonging to the camp who was a.aid to liavu been fch'it They weio temoving him at tho tnn9 to the liO3|ntal, but it is thought; that nothing seiions h.i.s taken place. A» the authotitws are doing every thing to aiftout'wlio the aMa^siu, is" ; it would be imyri&o.

n my part to prejudge the case by .making at pre- , sent any further remark?. *"I will write you hither particulars iv my nexrl , •' • < - December 6, 4 a.m.

I forgot to state that Colonel GreeU caused Murphy to bo taken piiFonor, awaiting further insti actions from Auckland. Mr. Eice was diligently searching "long with piquets llw whole n^lifc, but; nothing lias been dhoovotod as yet that is satisfactory with, respect to thominoiued approach of the enemy.