IMPORTANT NEWS FROM TAURANGA.

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

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM TAURANGA.

T K KOOTI AGAIN: lit THE" FIELD. RAKURAKU AND FIFTY' FOLLCwifiS CAPTURED. .-« Mil. PITOAIKN MUUDERED. (From tho " Southern Cross." March 9.) „..^ At a late hour last night we were placed in possession of intelligence 6f-a character which shows that, notwithstandingtbo reverse experienced at Njgatapa, TeKObifci is still bent on mischief, andean muster a sufficient number of desperadoes id aid him in his murderous designs. ; .; I; V f Late last evening a Tauranga settler, named Butt, arrived in Auckland, having travelled overland irom that-place t> j ujwy of Waiho and Ohinemuri.:.> fcDe leffc.Tauranga at 8 o'clock. on Friday night last. He brings intelligence that on the sth. inst. (Friday) a native messenger arrived at Tauranga with a letter "forwarded«by the native magistrate at Whakatane r to the authorities , at that place. The letter states that Pitcairn, the surveyor, had been murdered at Ohiwa, ~ a harbour situate about midway between,Whaiatane and Opotiki, and that Eakurakii, chief of theUrewera tribe,had been taken prisoner with 60 of his' followers". JHo letter states that Te Kooti;> who has for some time past been hovering in pj£ noighbourhoo4_.of Whakatan'e and |opotiki, has, been joined ,hv the. whole of 4fte Hauhau portion ibf tne-Xfrewera tribe, and by the 'murderer of- j&tr. Benhelt White. i-rC^TT^'V.'.. s Eakuraku'spirty v^ere, it is stated, at &^ place called W&imua, at the back ofOjpfr tiki, and while asleep in -thejfHSNßW^nlent were surrounded by T$ ILogtj'irpSrty and taken prisoners. It is notsStated what fate befel them afterward^lJl^^A 1 ffie event of their refusing & j6M*J^SCo6u-~ who has shown as. much fejjppityvitewardß his own countrymen: as .^w^^'|j|^9-pearis-4-it is pretty certain that they be massacred. They are sai^tjOv ha/sfe been quietly and effectually sur/r^wded by Te Kooti's party, undeV coVer. of the darkness. Mr. Pitcairn; the letfceri states, was killed on the island of TJritari, Ohiwa harbour, and that Te ICooti has sent warning to Wiremu Maihi, Te Eangikaiheke, of the Ngatiwhakauwhi tribe, that he would attack them at an early date. (From tho ".Evening News," March 9.) . Fj v Intelligence has been received from Opotiki via Tauranga and,Shortland r by>'a messenger who came overland, that ; Mr. Pitcairn, and it is said others also' h&ve been murdered by Te Kooti and his party at Opotiki, and that the place is surrounded by hostile natives. A party of Arawas has been surrounded and taken prisoners by To Kooti's people, at a place called Ohiwa, nine miles this side~of @pqtiki. There was also to be , a .general* attack made on the settlements around oh Friday night last. - : - <: *j- ( - i > The Eesident Minister informs us that he has received a letter from Colonel Harrington, stating that it was reported Mi*. Pitcairn had been murdered as described, but not mentioning that there were, any others killed. The letter does not state Mr. Pitcairn's murder as a fact, but merely that it was' reported, to be as described. There is too much reason, how : ever, to believe that the report is substantially true. The s.s. Taurangai, leaves at 12 o'clock to-night for Tauranga, will take down a supply of arms and ammunition.