NATIVE INTELLIGENCE. [From April 1 to May 3]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3961, 3 May 1870, Page 7

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE . [From April 1 to May 3]

FT is Fxrellency theGovpniorandthp Hon. Native and I'efenee Minister returned from the iN'orth on May i. A large native meetinghas been held atWaiuiatt>,at which 500 natives were present. A number of speeches were made, and his l«xcellency, as well as the Hon. D. McLean, replied. The burden of the Maori speeches was a request that the war in Waikato might be terminated, and that both races might dwell in pence. One speech was singularly brief. It was this : '• Heoi ano taku korero, Ida pula te paora." "All I have to pay is, let the powder come forth; relax the restrictions on the sale of powder." '1 he speech delivered bv his Excellency produced a very great impression upon the minds of the natives, and his firmness and open bearing have earned the admiration of all the native* of this part of the counlry. The screw steamer • Star of the South' arrived on Saturday, April 2, fr< m Napier and Opotiki. While she was at the latter place, the Native and Defence Minister (the Hon. D. McLean) came on board, ; and chartered the steamer to convey t to Wellington some of the prisoners recently captured by the Wgatiporous under Kopata, subsequently aided by Kemp and his Whanganuis. The account brought up by some passengers on board the ' Star of the South' is to the effect that the more violent of the prisoners had made several attempts to escape, necessitating the employment of additional guards ; and that some of the prisoners had been shot. There was recently held on the West Coast a meeting of a considerable portion of the Ngatimaniapoto tribe. The chief Honi Puniha, a m?n of some importance, expressed himself in veiy friendly terms towards the Government ; and there are evidences that, at present, the feeling of the King natives is of a very pacific character. A native named Mita Kerekaipuke (or Ti -a) lias arrived in Auckland from Tokangamutu, bearing letters from the King to 0. O. Davis, and also to the Ngapuhis. He says that Te Kooti is expected at Tokangamutu, and has to lay down his sword to the King, who has promised to protect him as long as he remains with him at Tokangamutu, and wiU not allow him to be molested by either natives or Europeans. Mita also says it is quite true that Te Kooti has met with great losses, by a number of his followers leaving him, and others being killed or taken prisoners. It is ascertained that of his own immediate followers Te Kooti has not above twenty left. Everywhere he lost. At Tatahoat-i, twenty of Te Wharu's men wei - e killed, and } at every engagement in Taupo his numbers I decreased, till at last he was fairly chased ' eat of the Patetere country, having himself wonderful escapes. In the last action at Roturua, Te Wharu, wounded, disappeared into the bush, and has not since been seen. Te Kooti pluckily stayed with the rear guard ; but wherever they made a, stand i some two or three would fall, Eventually j he r-ache I the Urewera, with about a third j of the members he had set out with. The I Ureweras have all left for Waimana and ' Huatahnna, and it is doubtful whether ha would be welcomed amongst them a^ain. A go )d many of the Mariotahi Whakatoheas ' are either killed or taken prisoners, and all their women and children are in our hands ; so that nest of Hauhaus i« fairly broken up. In short, this campaign hag proved a great success, and the utmost credit is due to both Kepa aud Uopata. The latter's march ii the finest which has ever been made in New Zealand ; and the activity and alacrity displayed form a marked cqu* trast with former native expeditions,. The Government may congratulate themselves on seeing the policy of employing native troops bring about such, satisfactory results.