SAMOA: THE NATIVE WAR. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Samoa, September 2.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4740, 2 November 1872, Page 3

SAMOA : THE NATIVE WAR. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Samoa, September 2.

Since my last very little fighting has been done between the natives, but the war is just starting afresh again amongst them. Persons who know the natives say it will not be long befoi c hostilities are terminaterl. Savaii and Aaua are at present at peace with each other, but whether new move ments are contemplated or not I cannot say. A good many think there are, and I have no doubt that auch will prove to be the case. A little time ago they had a sharp engagement. The concentrated forces of Atua and Savaii made a near attack on the forts of the small party, "Tuamasaga," situated at Matautu, and, I think, they caught a Tartar. The fighting was sharp while it lasted. It was scarcely possible tohearanyonespeakingfromthenoise, and to leave the friendly shelter of a house rendered one extremely liable to receive a passing shot. The big party got the worst of it owing to the Savaii party not knowing the bush tracks. They made a mistake and shot their own men in the dark. The Atua force had camped in the bush the night before, and made an attack at daylight on a village named Maaniani, where they took three heads. After burning the village they turned to the other forts and drove the Siauiri ; but as I have before mentioned the fruitless attempts of Savaii on the eastern side, they were forced to take to the bush and their own forts for shelter, with the loss of two heads and eight killed, also about 10 wounded. The Tuamasaga lost three heads, five or six killed, and a good many wounded. The shipping arrived lately are — •U.S. s. •Resaca;' North German brig 'Susannah,' guano, Maw; and the ' Alfred. ' Business is very dull on account of the war. We are sjadly in want of provisions here.