TAURANGA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 819, 19 January 1867, Page 5

TAURANGA.

. ATTACK AND PLUNDER OF THE SURp VEYORS' CAMP BY HAU HAUS. , The Southern Cross, of, the Bth instant, ■ gives the following, account of an attack 1 upon the Surveyors' Camp, near Tauranga. i The information was communicated to that I journal by a correspondent :— . ' ' On Saturday, December 29, the District 1 Surveyor, Mr. PI. L. Skeet, went, to Oropi r to Mr. Graham's camp, situated about half : a mile at the back of the native settlement. ; The. afternoon of that day was spent in inspecting roads, lines, &c, in the bush. i All was quiet, and the natives seemed very . friendly. On Sunday morning, early, some . natives came and brought to the survey ? camp some potatoes and honey. Mr. Skeet, i about 11 a.m., went out towards Waoku, on his way passing at the Oropi Pa two Europeans on horseback. On his return, about 12*45, he found these Europeans dis- ■ mounted, at the pa Oropi. They did not speak to him. He returned to Mr. Graham's camp, and waited till dinner was ready. About two o'clock, whilst at dinner, Uopata, a native of Oropi, and Hariana, a native labourer of Mr. Graham's party, came up to the camp leading two horses, and stating in great excitement, that the Hau Haus, the Te Kaumaaua, were close, and wishing the surveyors immediately to leave the spot. The District Surveyor, Mr. Skeet, believing it to be only a ruse to get possession of the stores, &c., belonging to Mr. Graham, told the natives it was all nonsense, and that he should uot move. The natives, however, pressing the matter, , he wished James Woolley, the only European except Mr. Graham and himself pre- . sent, to take his (Mr. Skeet's) horse and f ride to Hireni, Te Ranapia's place, and ' state the facts as far as he knew. The natives would 'not allow this. Woolley therefore started on foot. Mr. Skeet then wished Mr. Graham to start on horseback, and ride on to meet the pack-horse coming from the Waimapu ford, he himself to remain. Having asked the natives if the Hau Haus would hurt him, Ropata replied that he could not even defend property — therefore, of course, not lives. Mr. Graham then remarked that he considered there' must be something. wrong from the excited manner of the natives, one woman having violently seized Mr. Skeet's arm in endeavouring to persuade him to go ; and also stated his intention of remaining if the District Surveyor did. They then both retired on horseback. The events that occurred subsequently are detailed from the information of Hariana, a native labourer, belonging to Mr. Graham's party, who remained behind, . being left by Mr. Graham and Mr. Skeet, in charge of the stores, instruments, &c. . I3efore going, Mr. Graham had placed his theodolite in charge of Ropata, instructing him to hide it, if necessary, from the Hau Haus— Mr. Skeet, before getting upon his horse, insisting upon having a written notice to go away given him. This, after some demur, was written, on the theodolite box, in Mr. Skeet's pocket-book, and signed by Ropata. He (Haviatta) says the surveyors had just left, aud got a little way over a hill (about 300 yards), when the Hau Haus arrived to the number of 24, all armed with double guns, and having a flag in front ; they were marching in single file. They fired one gun, Having reached the caoap of the surveyors they surrounded it, and then proceeded •to ransack all the bundles and swags. They found a little powder and shot in a bag. They asked for the gun. Ropata said the pakehas had* taken the gun away. Hariana asked them to give him back his own things. This they refused, contemptuously showing him a piece of soap, telling him he might have that. They then returned to the native village, and had a korero. Tauaora, a native belonging to Oropi, said, "This ground is peaceable ; let us have no disturbance here. Give me the things belonging to the surveyors, that I may return them." The old Hau Haus refused to do so, stating that their god Merekihereka had ordered them to seize everything in the morning. Meanwhile, Ropata had secreted Mr. Graham's theodolite, and given it in charge of his wife. She, early on Monday morning, being in fear of the Hau Haus, went to Hariana, and stated she was afraid to keep the " glass " auy longer. Hariana took it, and also a plan, and hid them in the fern. In the morning, the natives having gone through their religious ceremonies, seized all the things, and asked for the theodolite. Hariana said it was gone. He again asked for his own things,, when a Hau Hau got up and proposed that as he (Hariana) was working for the surveyors he should be killed. This, however, was negatived, and he was asked to point out his own things. He immediately claimed an opossum rug and carpet-bag — (neither was his own, but he thought them valuable) — and accordingly they were hande J over to him. They then, with the goods, started to go away, but one of the bags of biscuits having burst, they had a revelation from their god that they were to leave all the provisions behind. The truth is these goods were too heavy. They accordingly took all the clothing, blankets, chains, fernhooks, axes, and tomahawks, and leaving the heavy goods started 1 for Canaan to Hakaraia. This chief, we believe, stated they were bad men, and he would have nothing to do with them, i Meanwhile, Mr. Skeet, on his way down, had requested Te Rauapia, of Hirene, to go to Oropi and report the state of affairs, and look after the things. This was done, and his report in detail is similar to that made by Hariana. On Mr, Skeet's arrival at Te Papa, as Mr. Clarke, the Civil Commissioner, was absent, he reported tho state of affairs both to Colonel Hamilton and Lieutenant-Colonel Harrington, and also sent amounted messenger to Mr. Beero's survey, near Paengaroa, to which place he had on the Friday previous sent Mr. John' Mitchell, and one man to do some work, to tell them to be on the ■ alert. On Tuesday morning, at 6 a.m., some natives from Taumoto went to their camp and ordered them off". Mr. Mitchell declined to move without a written order. This, after some delay, was given in the shape of a Maori letter to Mr. Clarke. They then left, and on their way, at Mr. Wilkinson's camp, some six miles near Te Papa, told him of the circumstance. He (Mr. Wilkinson), however declined to move. These natives, consisting of Ngatiporous, Pirirakau, and a few Ngaiterangis, are scouring the country, rendering it unsafe for any surveyors to work, unless protected, either on the confiscated block, or on the recently purchased block at Katikati. We beliove His Excellency the Governor has a

great objection to any military demonstrations, but when we consider these same natives are the very men who gave Mr. Commissioner Mackay so .much .trouble some time ago, we think it high time something should be done to either arrest or prevent ' mischief from their incursions, i. Surveyors cannot be expected to risk their lives foolishly, and if the Government decline providing European covering parties, why not employ our allies, the Arawas, who are only too anxious to extirpate this marauding band, and who would, at a short notice, provide 200 or 300 men for the purpose ? It is to be borne in mind that by employing Arawas the enormous Commissariat expenditure consequent on sending out regular troops is saved, besides the fact of meeting the rebels even-handed, native to native. In this instance great praise is due to the natives at Oropi ,• Hariana (the native laborer), and Te Ranapia, . who did each and, all whatever could be done in saving both the surveyors and their property. The following paragraph appears in the Southern Cross. t of the same date : — We are informed by the officers of H.M.s. Challenger, which arrived yesterday from Tauranga, that some of their number made an expedition to the settlement of Uropi (Europe) on Saturday last on learning the news respecting the presence of Hau Haus in the neighborhood, and their threats to murder the survey party. The expedition were warned against attempting the journey by Mr. Clarke, the Resident Magistrate, but nevertheless proceeded on horseback well armed for the occasion. The party re-? turned in the evening, without having seen anything affording the least cause for alarm.