NATIVE INTELLIGENCE. [From May 2 to June 2.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3394, 2 June 1868, Page 5

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE. [From May 2 to June 2.]

Our Tauranga correspondent write* :— *'Hakop», a chief belonging to the Paengaroa settlement, Lm gone to the King to ask him whether a survey whiah is approachiug that place should be allowed to proceed. The surveyors have been already framed off, but force has not been resorted to. It jb to ba hoped that the peace of Tauranga -will not b« disturbed. It is said that the Hauhaus of Whakatano hare captured four men of the Ng»tiawa tribe, and that Wo Hauhaus have been killed in a fight." Captain Franer lately vißited Katikati with a view of taking up a large, extensive tract of country for his Victorian friends, and is now in treaty with the natives to that effect. Shortly before the steamer 'Lord Ashley lefo Tauranga, news arrived at I c Papa thit a son of T« Moananui Marake, a chief of Katikati, had been, killed in a drunken scuffle which had taken place there. The man had died from the in j Mies ha received, and had been buried quietly. On the news reaching Te Papa, persons were sent to exhume- tho body, and apprehend the suspected offenders. Our Raglan correspondent writes on MayS-:— " The aukati is still in force between this place an* Kawhia. Information arrived this morning of three horses belonging to the friendly Maoris being s»Jzed by the Kingitea on the south side of the aukati line. Two horses belonging to the Kingites, having strayed on the north- side of the line, were taken as payment by the sufferers. A native having brought in the intelligence of a large quartz reef being on the Hakarimata range, about 12 inilet from i the township, a prospecting party, consisting of fifteen of the settle™, will start on Wednesday, the 6bh instant, to test the locality." < ' Some lots of the con6scated land at Mangera having been advertised for sale, the natives living there, and elsewhere in the vicinity, have got ori a petition urging that the Und should no* be sold, but be kept for the natives who may come in from the Hauhaus, and for the Waikatos who may come down to Auckland. The land i» part of that granted to the Potatau family, and was confiscated on the flight of Tamati Ngapora and the others to Waikato at the outbreak of the war.- The petition has also been signed by several European residents at Mangere, Otahnhu, and Auckland. Jt was sent to the Superintendent, who would .probably transmit it to Mr. J. 0. Richmond., We haye been placed in possession of later intelligence from ;the East Coast. Active preparations were being made, at the date of last advices, for an expedition to leave Whakatane to strike into the interior, and attack the Maoris in the rear of their settlements. An ample supply of provisions was being provided for several days' absence. After leaving Whakatane, the force would proceed "alongtheßangitaekiValley.asfarasTeWhaiti Valley; and sanguine expectations appear to have been l «nter. tamed that the rebellious Urewera would- ,*e met with near the last-named place..- . Whether this will prove to be the case or not time alone will show, but it is much to be feared thatl greater evil than good will result from the expedition* In traversing the extensive district of country over which it is proposed the force shall- go, the «#ttlaments occupied by native tribes at present peaceable —or at' any rate passive— will be necessarily passed, and a conflict will, 1 in every likelihood, •nsuo. Should thiß,however, not take place, from the native* 'having timely warning of the approach of otwaorcet, the presence of the expedition on a warlike errand will assuredly be looked upon as another declaration of a wish on our part to renew hostilities and it-i* hard to say, therefore, where the matter wiH end. Theinati»es residing in a wide belt of country -will thua be again in arms againat v", and raids upon out* settlers may be expected to be the order of the'day for some time to come. Mx A fatal affray is reported by our Taur»ng» correM pondent to have .taken place on. the last day of April amongst the natives of the Ngaiterangi tribe wddeb „ at Oiionui, near Matapihi, whereby Ham»er»^ta Heu was deprived of life, from the evidence taken at an inquest held on the body on the 4th M« F »i Tauraaca, before Colonel Harin K toni it would appear that .toe Maoris at Oponui had by some means ,pto« cured a large quantity of rum, and almost ttu > whol , were intoxicated. A general fight took P^m» » '{ the native abo»e named w" beaten abgut Oelwha with a stone by Kerete. He died the »nw night. A warrant for the apprehension of Kerete has bee* issued, but he was still at Jarge^at la«t advices. >> We lean,, by the arrival qf the Mhopner 'fleraW from the Bay of .Islands,** May .20. that the .ctyefi M»r«h Brown ha» held hi* apuu»l meeting of chief* ' and their tribes. Ihe ,gasering ,*% said tq have b«pov very large, all those who were, not engaged in hostility having assembled. , J *■'«■_ The Maoris resident at Coromandel have .presented a highly flittering farewell addreaf to Mr. I^wto^ R.M., on anticipation of the near, approaqtajjOlj.ijtae departure of that gentleman from tiw.diatnot. .-, t ,<\ Mr. Maokay, Native domm4B»pner, left foi v^he on M*y 30 in her #*j*tj't ,«.,,' Bwk,' •PQPJB* . i it i'm f I! ,'»^Ol4

. paxit-.t by tite >ull w«ng chiefs, in unier to mediate between the Ni?»i>nhi »nd Karawa tribe*:— Wi te Whforo. Hori Tauroa, Hakiriwhi, Nioi Kukut»i, W. H. Taipari, Honaoa, Piniha, Nakape Whanaunga. Mr. Maokay's own personal influenoe, supported and strengthened by that of the abovementioned ohiefi, ought to have considerable weight with the nativei. We understand tbat the party will land at the Bay of Islands, and proceed northward to Hokianga to endeavour to induce the Kara was to surrender Te Whaka to be tried by our Court. The •attempt it one which promi«es to be attended with .'enormous difficulty, but none would more cordially rejoice at ita terminating successfully than ourselves. .At all events we an glad to see that the Government have at last reoogoised their responsibility, and :taken iom« decisive step in the matter. • A Bay of Islands correspondent > writing on May 15, says ;—"; — " I tend you the lut on dit regarding Hokianga, though not (placing muoh faith in it. The new* ii too Sod to be true. The native anooubt (derived, I ink, from the Hokianga postman) is that Te Wake (the murderer) is killed— shot through both sides by Te Rougo Hira, a Waimate native, who ia himself badly hurt. Te Bongo is said to deolare that the man who fell is either Te Wake, or his brother, who closely resembles him. Now I have myself a letter, idated May 13, from a friend at Hokiauga, who evidently ii not aware of this. I give an extraot 2— * Yesterday some boys went out from my plaoe a fishing net, ftnd, having caught some fish, landed at the Karaka Point ; where soon after a "party of the Rarawas appeared, and a remarkably •interesting skirmish took place. Some two or three of the Rarawas got hurt, and one of our friends— a very nice young fellow— in, I hear, speared. We are jdoing the best for him: he is from the Waimate. Xet bis friends know.' " 1 On the 2nd May, Tukukino, Hoepa, and Tareranui returned to the Upper Thames from tTokangamota. They report that all the -road* are closed against anyone returning from iTokanganratu, by the King's orders; and also that : Tana te'Waharoa was on his way to that place, anJ 'was stopped byhia Majesty's roadkeepers. He told ' them he was going to I'okanqmnutu, and then pro'pofted returning to hit tribe. The road aukati guard "thereupon stripped* him of hisolothes and horae,bumt ■'the oldthea/ and sent him back to his settlement and -people!. This was Tawhiao's orders to the roadkeepers.. -Te Hira, Takukino, Tareranui, and Hoepa have 'been at poua'for the people, that is, head men, to collect them together by hia Majesty's orders. : Hauraki is to remiiin peaceful and quiet whilst the contemplated rebelliona movement on the Waikato goins; on j this U also Tawhiao's orders.