ANOTHER DEFEAT OF TE KOOTI. THIRTY-SEVEN DEAD BODIES OF THE REBELS FOUND. TWENTY-ONE PRISONERS TAKEN. TE HEUHEU AND TRIBE ABOUT TO SURRENDER. Camp Poton, October, 5.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3803, 27 October 1869, Page 8

ANOTHER DEFEAT OF TE KOOTI. THIRTY-SEVEN DEAD BODIES OF THE REBELS FOUND. TWENTY-ONE PRISONERS TAKEN. TE HEUHEU AND TRIBE ABOUT TO SURRENDER. Camp Poton, October, 5.

»ir,-— i nave cue Honour to state for the in« armation of the Government that on Satura«y, the Ist inet»nt, I left this post, acooiW • panied by the mounted constabulary uridei! Captains Richardson and Handley^to join thri * A»*wa knd JTo, 2 Division Armed Constabulary

at Kotukohutu, leaving intitruotions with Major Kemp, Captain MoDonnel), and the other ohiefß, to march from here on Sunday nifjht and join ire at Papakai. On Monday morning tho two forces joined at Papakai. The enemy were plainly viable about two miles further on, having built a redoubt on the edge of the bush, in a strong commanding position. At Papakai the force halted for breakfast. But a short time was allowed for this necessary meal, as word was brought in from our outlying sentries that the enemy was moving out to attack. On receipt of this intelligence I ordered jLieutenant-Colonel Herrick, with No. 2 A.C.; Major Kemp, with Captains McDonnell and Wirihana.and Hare Tauteka s men, to advance and take possessiou of the ran^e on the left flank, whilst I move! out with the Ngatikahunga and drew up on the right, the mounted division bringing up the rear. The whole force advanced in this order for about a mile. . Kemps party came into contact with the enemy's skirmishers, who were now in position about half a-mile in front of tbe redoubt, aad quickly dislodged them, following them up wildly, and driving them back on their main position in confusion, and with some loss. The Ngatikahunga and the Arawas were also successful in forcing the enemy to evacuate a small earthwork, used most probably as a picket statioD, and some broken ground on the opposite bank of the Whanganui, where several of the enemy fell. Our natives, stimulated with jealousy of each other, were ripe for anything, and advanced with a steadiness and deliberation such as I have never seen equalled. The Whanganuis set the example, by charging up the face of the hill on which stood the redoubt, closely followed by the Ngatikahunga and Arawns. Though exposed to the galling fire of | the enemy, who fought well, they had in a short time taken the trenches by the front and right of the r-edoubt-, undermining the parapet, jumping up and tiring into it. I deeply regret to state that Captain St. George was killed within a short distance of the redoubt whilst charging with No. 2 Division, aud the Arawas shortly afterwards charged ; the redoubt was taken by storm, in which we lo3t three men killed and three wounded. Twenty-seven bodies of the enemy were found inside the redoubt and in the trench, and ten more bodies were found in the field, making a total loss on their side of thirty-seven as seen by us. Over twenty women and children were taken prisoners, and one man belonging to Taupo. I regret to say that Te Kooti escaped, as I know for certain that he was in the pa. Some of the women are severely wounded. I have much pleasure in testifying to the gallantry displayed by No. 2 Division Armed Constabulary, under the command of Sub-Inspectors Scuinell and Northcrofr, and a'so to Major Kemp and Captains McDonnell andWirihana, and tho Whanganui natives under their command, who in this, as on every other occasion, behaved admirably. My thanks are also due to Renata and Hare Tomoana, of Ngatikahunga, and Hohepa, Tamana Paora Hapi, and Kepa, of the Arawas, for the courage displayed by them in leading on their men. My thauks are more especially due to Lieutenant-Colonel Herrick, for the able assistance which he ren dered to me during the day in the furtherance of my plans. The cavalry succeeded in recapturing a large number of the horses taken by Te Kooti from Henare TomoaDa at Tauranga some time since. I aent a force out this morning under Henare Tomoana to try and hr>d out the present position of the enemy. I have brought No. 2 Division here, as our rear is O|'en,and I fear that Te Kooti may attempt to escape in that direction. I have also come down myself for the purpose of getting more ammunition, and intend returning to Papakai to-morrow. I append a list of our killed aud wounded. Te Ileuheu and Matuaha have sent me word to-day that they have had enough of it, and have left Te Kooti nnd will surrender themsel ves to-morrow. —I have, &c , Thomas McDonnell.

List of Killed and Wounded at Pourere, 4th October. Captain St. George : Gunshot wound through the head. " . Ensign Winiatu : Gunshot wound through the head (Whanganui Contingent). Ensign Komene : Gunshot wound through the chest (Ehaua Contingent). Private Tape : Gunshot wound through the head (Whanganui Contingent). Lieutenant Turei (Whanganui Contingent); Gunshot wound through chest— dangerous. J'enafca (chief N»atikahunga): Injured eye. Hori (Ns-atikahunga): Gunshot wound in ear— slight. Ngatikahunga: Gunshot wound in arm, severe. Total killed, four ; wounded, four. J Murray Gibbs.

Wellington, October 11. Hamiora, one of the East Coast rebels, was to-day sentenced to be hung, beheaded, and quartered. The Judge held out no hopes of commutation of sentence. All the hulk prisoners hava been similarly sentenced. Turoa, the head chief of them, pleided for two and a half hours. The Judge bold them that, after imprisonment for some bime, they would probably be liberated if they behaved well.

October 12. Telegrams from Napier state that: our forces are following Te Kooti up on tiie Wh»Dgauui river. Pc Heuheu ia nob yet come iD. No doubt exists that it is the original Te Kooti, nnd the women say that Te 'Warn is with him. Fie had evidently intended to remain at Taupo, as he had commenced ploughing for potatoes close to where the fi^ht took plac, and had carts and horses there. Fifty-two dead bodies have been actually got in the three engagements. The whole force did not exceed 250 men at first. There must have been many wounded, and he must now be where both food and ammunition will be scarce. Our forces have gone after Te Kooti, and hope we may have an account of him very shortly. The Hakaraia referred to ia, I conclude, the troublesome Upper Waikato maa.

Ormond. The following is Te Heuheu'a speech in answer to the chiefs of Ngatituwharetoa : " I have little to say. Bad tribe, ifc was you who msde the raid into the Urewera country, and afterwards left me as food for Te Kooti, 1 was left alone and forsaken by you. When I got to Tauranga T heard of the man who was killed. I then got frightened. Te Kooti came when I got back, and I was taken prisoner, I have been such e»er since, I have fought against you, but what was I to da ? I was a prisoner. I blame you for my misfortune. However, I have nothing more to say. Te Kooti ia here in the bush ; go and find him." In answer to Major Kemp, Te Heuheu said :— " I agree with most of what you have said. If you wish to send me to gaol, or the Chatham Islands, well and good. All you have done is fair, and I have nothing to say against you. But Ido blame Hohepa Tamautu, and had he led the charge, on my power I should have aimed at him and shot j him, as he is the sole cause of my misfortune. I have nothing more to say. Your words are good." Te Heuheu gives fche following information : — That Te Kooti stopped in the pa till just before it was t»ken, when, as he was putting hie hand into his waistcoat pooket for caps, he was struck by a bullet which wounded his thumb and second finger, and cutting the third finger completely off, and also passing through the fleshy part of his sitfe, and that, if we had followed them up ia the creek instead of the track, he would have been oaught, ■ as he had no gun, and was going slowly owing ' to the pain of his hand. Kereki, Te Heu-. heu'a uncle, left the pa with Te Kooti, who has with him forty or fifty Chatham people, ; and fifty Dreweras, including most of thei Urewera chiefs j namely -— Te Waruwaru, ; Paerau Hopurano, Kook, Haniora (chief of Ahekereru), Te Makariru, Jiakukau, Kakua, and Te Kireru. He also lays that Waenu-* anui was left with Te Warus men and the rest o£ Te Urewera to defend Waikaremoanaj —that this is the total of Te Kooti'a force now, i The Chatham , Island men suffered severely m the late fight. J^akuka, has gons towards' Tuhua for the purpose of collecting bis womrn and children. Heuheu thinks Te Kooti is. at Whakipapu. JBUkaraia and the Pataure people are said to bo on their way to' , join him. He ana Te Kooti received » lefter

to that effect. - This is all the information ! worth anythingk

Thomas McDonnell. Whakatanb, October 14. T .°?£ h he,, c , mornin q of 13bh instant, Mr. 0. • Litohfield, a storekeeper of this place, having lost some horses, started up the Whakatane gorge in search of them, accompanied by three natives. Having arrived within b*lf-a mile of the old village of Opomu, they suddenly observed an armed mounted native about 500 yards in advance of them. Mr. Litchfield then fired, and apparently wounded the horse, as it was observed to rear and plunge, and become almost, unmanageable. Immediately another native made his appearance from behind some cabbage-trees, and the two turned and rode slowly away, not, however, without getting two more Bhots from Litohfield, who now, on consultation with his natives, deemed it advisable to return to Wbakatane, as they had two very deep fording- places to cross in the river. Scarcely had they started back when they observed a party of the Hauhaus all mounted and riding at full speed in a parallel course on the other aid" of the river, evidently with the intention of cutting them off at the crossing. Mr. Litchfield and his party then increased their speed, when unfortunately one of the horses belonging to a native named Hoani Parau became quite exhausted and fell. The native, however, immediately jumped up behind another one, and abandoned his own to the pursuers. The party then made all possible haste for the mouth of the Gorge, and on arriving on the banks of the river took the wiae precaution of swimming across there instead of venturing across the fords. Thus they arrived at Whakatane early in the evening, and gave the alarm. This event has put every one on the alert. Captain G-ascoigne, our worthy commanding officer, is busy fortifying and strengthening his redoubt, and the natives are also repairing the fence and deepening the ditch around the pa. Fires are Been almost daily up the Gorge, and we are expecting an immediate attack. All the cultivations which havebeen recently commenced by the friendly natives are suspended for the present ; indeed the natives seem quite disheartened about it, and talk of giving up this nlace and removing to more peaceable quarters.

Taukanga, October 12. I have just time to arid a scrap of information, which, if true, -will show what the Kingites are after, and that the indignation which they profess at Te Kooti is all a farce. I am in receipt of a letter from Tanpo, wherein it is stated that Lieutenant Preece has intercepted a letter from Te Hira, of Ohinenmri, addressed to Te Kooti, expressing great sympathy with him in his present conflict to exterminate the Europeans, and concluding by encouraging him to persevere in his righteous cause, &o.

Napier, Ootober 13. A despatch received from Colonel McDonnell, dated 9fch October, reports the surrender of Te Heuheu, with his uncle and a few followers. Information obtained from Te Heuheu ia attached. I have already directed McDonnell to send Te Heuheu down here, and he ia probably on his way by this time. £ shall send word now to McDonnell to nccept of course the surrender of Natuaaka and the rest of the Tnupo people, and to inform them that the Government are disposed to deal leniently with them, but must ■ have a pledge of their good faith in the future.