ARRIVAL OF THE 'STURT,' FROM TAURANGA. IMPORTANT NEWS. FIGHT WITH TE KOOTI. THREE EUROPEANS WOUNDED. TEN OF THE ENEMY KILLED, AND FIFTEEN WOUNDED. OFFICIAL INFORMATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3891, 10 February 1870, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE 'STURT,' FROM TAURANGA. IMPORTANT NEWS. FIGHT WITH TE KOOTI. THREE EUROPEANS WOUNDED. TEN OF THE ENEMY KILLED, AND FIFTEEN WOUNDED.

OFFICIAL INFORMATION.

By the arrival of the p.s. 'Sturt' we have important news from the East Coast. An engagement has taken place between Te Kooti and our forces. Te Kooti was passing Kotorua, having asked permission from Gilbert Mair, who is stationed there with 60 men, to pass that way, alleging that they were friendties returning home. It was found out that it was Te Kooti's party. A fight ensued, in which three of our men were dangerously wounded. The enemy lost 10 killed and 15 wounded. Keieopa himself was wounded, and another, a half-caste of notorious character, who ha 3 acted as Te Kooti's interpreter, was killed when talking to Mair. A Maori, coming up to him, said, "Oh, we have had enough of you, " and shot the miscreant dead. Great credit is due to Mair for his vigilance and courage. Te Kooti an<l the remainder of his party fled towards the Urewera country, and McDonnell and his forces are hard in peusuit. # We learn from a gentleman who came up mthe 'Sturt' that the fight between Lieutenant Mairs forces and the Hauhaus took place near a pasa situate between Ohinemutu and Paparata, in the mountainous country a few miles north of Lake Kotorua. The pass, it appears, was held by a body of Arawa, to whom Kereopa's followers represented themselves to be friendly natives. In order to aid this trick, a letter was written by Te Kooti, as though from Hauraki, and which, it seems, was dropped by design where it would be picked up by the Arawa. The natives guarding the pass, however, seem to have had some misgivings as to the party tinder Kereopa, and accordingly engaged them in parley while Lieutenant Mair, who was in the neighbourhood, was being communicated with. Lieutenant Mair was in command of some 60 natives, and, suspecting the true state of affairs, he put himself at the head of his men, and set off after the enemy, whom he defeated in the manner described. Colonel McDonnell happened to be in the neighbourhood at the time, but was almost alone, having left his men at their former position, and come over to communicate with Major Fraser. The Colonel, however, hastened back to Tapapa, and is probably by this time in pursuit of Te Kooti. Major Mair hag also collected a force, and proceeded in pursuit of the Hauhaus, who are m full retreat for the Urewera country. It is doubtful, however, whether or not they will succeed in reaching it. Hakaraia, it is known, is with the party, which includes the whole gang of Maori desperadoes who inhabited the country about Tapapa and the ranges behind Tauranga.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Tauranga, February 8. It is only by accident that I have just learned that the 'Edith,' Government surveying schooner, is just on the point of starting from here for Auckland, and I shall not be able to send any lengthened despatch, as there is mt time to prepare oue. Yesterday intelligence was received that Te Kooti had amved at Rotorua, and a messenger was at once despatched by Mr. Commissioner Clarke to inform Colonel Fraser of the fact, desiring him, with as little delay as possible, to take the force through the inland track, wh'ch is about eight hours' march, m order to furnish protection to tlie Arawa settlements, now, with the women and children, left defenceless. The communication to Colonel Fraser also contained information of the murder of an Arawa chief tainesa and child at a place called Paparata, one of the Arawa settlements, on reception of which intelligence Colonel Fraser thought it most piudent to send the forces by the sea to Maketu, and thence to Rotoraa, in place of following iip on Te Kooti's heels by the overland track, which is shorter than the route adopted by fully three days' march. If, however, the time likely to be consumed were to be judged of by the late movements of the troops no correct estimate can be formed, as on the last march from Maketu it took three days for the foi'ces to reach Rotorua. Great excitement was caused to-day by the arrival, by the road from Ovopi,' of a large force of natives, niimbering over 400 men, who marched into the township headed by Colonel Fraser, with flags flying, and, halting in front of the Durham Redoubt, vented the effervescence of their spirits in an enthusiastic war-dance. There was no speechifying, but theAiawas expressed in undisguised language a very bitter feeling against the ISTgaiterangi, who, they sa} r , are acting a double part, and are not to be trusted, At fcho conclusion of the wardance, they wero ordered at once to prepare themselves to embark on board the ' Sturt ' for Rotorua by way of Maketu. The opinion of the Arawa, openly expressed, is that Te Kooti has escaped for good, the opportunity for hia capture again lost, and all their unprotected settlements at Botorua and the neighbourhood exposed to attack from him, with the extreme probab ility that he will again murder and destroy all before him.

We are indebted for the following to the courtesy of the Hon. the Native and Defence Minister :— " The ' Sturt ' arrived from Tauranga yesterday afternoon,bringingintelligence that an encounter has taken place between a body of Arawa, under Lieutenant Gilbert Mair, and a party of Te Kooti's followers, commanded by Kereopa. Lieutenant Mair, hearing that Te Kooti was in advance, made a forced inarch -with such of his men as were able to follow him. After marching many miles without any breakfast they came up with the enemy, who continued hisretreat, occasionally chargingthe pursuers. Lieutenant Mair, with only 130 Arawaa, followed as long aa he was able to do so. The enemy's loss ia stated to be 10 killed and 15 wounded. Among the latter, it is reported that Kereopa ia included. Three of the Hauhaus killed were recognised as Chatham Island prisoners. A half-caste named Baker, also from the Chatham Islands, died of his wounds. The loss on our side was three wounded, one, it is supposed, mortally."