THE OPEPE MASSACRE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1060, 25 June 1869, Page 2

THE OPEPE MASSACRE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

(From the Correspondent of tho ■'" Daily Southern Cross.")

..,..'.- -, Tauranga, 14th June. The, following narrative has teen supplied me. it is the latest account, and direct from the scene.

On •Sunday, 6th June, the expedition started, i under command of Colonel. St. John r about 20 men, to escort him to Taupo. On their arrival at Qpepe, as they had been, informed by Captain St. George/that they. could stop in the, village with ,as much safety as they, could do in Maketu — ttey did not take ordinary pre- '. cautions,, but slept that night in the whares as if at home. In the morning the officer, with four men, went out to reconnoitre, and during their absence a number of Maoris, supposed to Be friendly, visited them, shook hands with young Mr, Gill, and had a talk with the half % caste, boys. They had not. been there^ long before another native came up, wearing a belt or shoulder-knot with a. black star on, who immediately ordered the others, to fire upon our men, which they did. _ .-/All pur poor fellows were shot do^rn but no^b. 'killed. Lieutenant lloss fell dead* . and Ensign Lawson.was shot while asleep, and their bodies therefore were not dis^ figured with tomahawks. Young Mr." Gill nearly escaped into the bush, but was discovered, dragged out, tomahawked, " and more frightfully disfigured than any of the others. Bugler M'Gillop, of the Opotiki troop, suspecting from the first the designs of the visitors, and believing that they were Hauhaus, and not loyal natives, ran into the bush, but afterwards returned, and induced his friend Lock-;, wood rto escape, with him, which friendly act cost tho.poor fellow his life, for Lockwood* escaped, and poor M'Gillop was shot.down in the bush.

Next day the officers returned and found all our men killed, with a note, Jeft in a conspicuous place, stating that the Hau Haus had killed nine men at that place and' one at Hereiwi, and that they had saved one. The letter was signed " Te. . JCooti." The bodies were then buried.

My. informant, Mr. Fairfax Johnson, just returned from Matata,. the father, of one of the dead, insists warmly that but for the assurance of an officer who was an old resident in the district, and one whose assurance might be entirely relied on, the men vroiild not have been, thrown off their guard, and would never have permitted a party ,.of natives to approach unchallenged, Ever since the receipt here of this terrible news, the track has been remarkably thronged with natives day after day. I have repeatedly counted over twenty canoes and Maori boats, the crews of which would, number several hundred. As may be guessed, the intelligence appears to be received by them with exultation. Only to-day one was over-heard to say, with reference to the massacre, "Kapai te Hau Hau." .* ' - .

The body of Johnson had two cuts — one under, the arm, and one on the side of the head.' The face of poor young Gill was cut nearly off. ItJis^supposed that the reference in the letter of Te Kooti to one man killed at He^eiwijs either^ to~A.lexander Black or D^na.ld'M'Donriell, both members of the OpoEiki Cavalry, aijd both missing, as well as,.. Cornet Angus Smith, of the same force, also missing. ' . . The bodies were bui;ied in three graves —five in one, three in another, any two in the third. Capt. Moorsom and Mr. S. Clarke (lieutenant of cavalry) arrived here on Saturday, night. It is said that men are wanted for the' cavalry in place of the 105t.,,". . A rumour came through an influential quarter .last week that Hakaraia, with a number of followers, was in the neighbourhood of Tauranga, in consequence of which rumour the inhabitants requested the commander of H>M.S. Virago to moor abreast the, town. The attempt was made, but was not successful, owing to low tides. It will bo renewed on Thursday. In the letter found with the bodies of the slain at Opope was a notification that To Kooii intended, to march towards the Waikato via Tauranga. .. Two gentlemen, whose dwellings are in an isolated part. of this district, which/for supposed safety, they had left for some tinie, but returned to within the last few days, are by no means so comfortable as they expected. One of them is said to have remarked that he did not sloep: ; a wink last night. I learn that Captain Moorsom, whim leavipg with the reconnoitring party, left beh|ud him his sword, worth £14,, which was; consequently lost. . . I have this morning received a letter from Fort Galatea, dated 10th June. It states the number of cavalry who started as 12,. while wo have the names of 10 killed, 1 missing, 4 escaped, and 4 with the officers, making 19.