THE WAIKATO,

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1073, 10 August 1869, Page 2

THE WAIKATO,

(Prom the "Southern Cross," ibgusfc/0.) . 5 No later telegrams have been, received from the frontier of Waikato since Monday last, and we believe the state of the tracks, between Alexandra and Tokangamutu has prevented any communication being held between the two places. Yesterday morning 76 men of No. 4 Division Armed Constabulary, under " the command of Captain Pitt, were conveyed to Mercer in four of Cobb's coaches [Messrs. Quick and Co.]. The party will be taken on in the steamer Rangiriri to-day as far as Newcastle, whence they will be marched to Te Awamutu, we believe. ; With reference to the doings of Te r Kooti in the Waikato, we have received the following letter from our own correspondent at Alexandra : — Alexandra, August 3. The native news of thia week has been of a more reassuring nature. Te Kooti has quite enough to do to take care of himself in the King's territory. By the latest accounts received from Tokangamutu yesterday evening, he was still at Pukerata, entrenching himself in a pa. He is surrounded by the King party led b y Wetere, of White Cliff notoriety, with 300 of the Ngatimaniapoto and Waikato tribes. A brother of Titokowaru and a small number of his: tribe are amongst the Kingitea. Kooti is; losing many of his men by desertion: hei has evidently made a false move in attempt-] ing to depose the present Maori potentate, as all now turning against him. No doubt there will be a great deal of talk before there is any actual collision, if any at all. The Thames Volunteers and Militia arrived here last week, and are daily drilled by their respective officers Capt. Finnerty and Lieut. Campbell. Our local militia have been' hard at work putting up a blockhouse and repairing the redoubt. There are 150 of the Armed Constabulary stationed at Te Awamutu, under command of Lieu. Col. Moule. The militia here are under the command of Capt. £. A. Rich, and Mr. J. D. Hill as subaltern. Capt. Rich commands the camp — tour total strength is now about 90. So you see, should Mr. Te Kooti be inclined to pay us a visit, we are well prepared to receive him. A great many families left their farms and came into the township last week, but most of them have returned to their homes. A good number of the Ist class militia now on pay here have requested leave from Col. Moule to return to their farms, guaranteeing in the event of any immediate danger of attack to return to their duty. They have not yet received any answer to their request, but I think Government should either accede to this or let a certain number away every day, they returning to camp at night. If this is not done, it will be a serious loss to the men, as they are anxious to get in their spring crops, and there is no timt to spare. As they attended so readily when called upon to defend our frontier, in a time of great danger, they are certainly entitled to some consideration.

Te Kooti had told his followers that there were two more wires ready waiting for him in Waikato. He tried to get them I am told, but lost one instead, as the Ngatiraaniapoto detained one from him that he had taken at Taupo. Rewi still remains with Te Kooti, and his tribe threaten to shoot him the first opportunity. The Ngatiteata mob, who went up some time ago with the sharks, returned on Friday last. I noticed most of the young men and women had remained behind. Having done all the loafing here they could, they proceeded to Ngaruawahia. (From the " Southern Cross," August 7.) If the latest intelligence from the front be correct there is some ground for hoping that the peace of the Waikato is secure, for the present at least. It will be remembered that on Te Kooti's departure from Tokangamutu he proceeded in the direction of Mokau, with the object, no doubt, of forming a junction with lleihana and others of the Ngatimaniopotos, whose support he may have calculated on securing from the. fact of his being accompanied by Rewi. Instead of being received with open arms, Te Kooti found the road barred against him by Te Kaokao, and was obliged to diverge towards Taupo. lie appears to have requested permission to go by way of Wharepapa, in order, as he alleged, to attack Tauranga. But, again, he was peremptorily ordered by the King party to return on the road by which he came. It was then reported that Te Kooti had commenced to build a pa at Wharearata, and that Rewi remained there in bis company ; but telegrams received in town yesterday stated that, though Te Kooti remained some time there, no pa was begun. During, the time Te Kooti was encamped at Wharearata there appear to have been considerable defections from his standard. A number of the Urewera deserted in a body to the King party; and, to add to the difficulties of his situation, both Waikato and Ngattmaniapoto reiterated their demands for his immediate departure by the Taupo road. Apparently still not without hope' that some circumstauce would turn the tide in his favour, Te Kooti still remained at Wharearata, until day by day the prospect of a collision between the two parties grew more imminent. At length, the Waikatos took action : 400 of them, under Manuhiri [Tamati Ngapora], taking up arms and concentrating at Te Kuiti, in order to watch Te Kooti's movements, and to cover the approaches to Waikato ; while another division of 250 Ngatimaniapoto, under Te Kaokao, moved up from Mokau, and concentrated at a point which commanded the road to Taranaki, These strategic movements, as they may be called, were sufficient to convince the miscreant that he had nothing to gain and everything to lose by remaining longer at Wharearata. The defections from the ranks of his followers increased, and hour by hour Waikato clamoured to be led on against him. In this extremity Te Kooti appears to have thought discretion the better part of valour, for according to a telegram received yesterday, he left Wharearata much dispirited, and proceeded towards Taupo, having sent on the women and children on the previous evening. If this intelligence is correct, its importance can hardly' be overestimated. We have good reason for believing that Te Kooti came to Tokangamutu at the invitation of the King party, to discuss propositions for a general peace. Instead of coming quietly, as no doubt was expected, he came with a large armed force of desperadoes, and assumed a swaggering air of insolence and authority, which to the Waikato King party and the Ngatimaniapoto was enough to arouse all the old war-

like £ejiings|jjf hereditary hostility to Te g Ure^ejra, andjother East Coast tribes, who m SrincipaUv^ptriposed Te Kooti's band, and logTyfejßnngs of utter contempt with whichflfl the flower of the New Zealand tribes, wtth^ their prestige and long line of illustrious .war.rio.r^fihie&,v,.nas^ "tutua'' like Te Kooti. „ Looked " at froiiC'^ this point of view, the altitude of Jrttaikito^J and.Hgfttimaniapftta £ appeara.toJajS4ifii&i(^y;v: intelligible and consistent. , :Xf-i v <r iWe do riofcHb r m& f that this 1 hostility to Te Kooti indicates any direct friendship for ourselves. On the contrary it is conceivable that, having expoHed : ; Te KdoCi, Waikato and Ngatimamapoto, in the event of a .disagreement arising, might cojnabinfe against us. On the other hand there can be no doubt that a strong party' exists wb,o'are £ opposed to war, seeing very clearly that a renewal of hostilities must only result in further defeats, and further loss of territory, if not jn/exterau'ttation. ;AA '■ I