LATEST FROM THE WAIKATO

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1030, 13 March 1869, Page 2

LATEST FROM THE WAIKATO

REPORTED MASSACRE OF FIVE EUROPEANS. The following is from the Thames Times of the Bth insfc., and we (Evening News March 9,) hope is untrue. We cannot hear that it has been confirmed by any telegram received in town to-day ; on the contrary the latest news from Waikato appears pacific: — The report of another outrage perpetrated upon white men by the Hauhau3 reached us at a late hour last night, and greatly fear there is too inuoh reason to believe in its authenticity. The news was brought to us by two gentlemen who arrived from the head waters of the Piako, where they had been engaged in recovering some lost property that had fallen into the hands of the natives. On their return they stopped to breakfast at a Maori settlement, and whilst there two Maoris mounted on horseback arrived, and in an excited manner began a conversation with the other natives, who comprised a few old men only, all the younger members of the tribe being absent. One of our informants happened to understand the lan.-* guage, and, to his horror, he heardssis| new arrivals state that five white men" had been massacred at Waikato, either on Saturday or Friday last, and further staled that one of them had his throat cut. Nothing was said of the manner in which the others had been disposed of. A regular korero ensued, and one of the Piako men significantly remarked to the effect, that now it would be seen whether the Government would accept the challenge, and declare war. We may remark that our informants are men upon whom we can place the most unreserved reliance. Before leaving the settlement they ascertained that the absent members of the Piako tribe had gone to the Waikato.