Hawkes's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1870. NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1125, 8 February 1870, Page 3

Hawkes's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1870. NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

i'HßJiifceiiig^nce.bf ought by the Wellington j if, that Te^Kpoti is still at large, in the extensive forest situate between Patetere and tTaoranga,. ?• O,ur; forces are daily bunting the forest, and have; on several occasions, ? iij>ptt parties : of the enemy, who at foiiee^dispers^d. From prisoners taken, we learn t&afc the tactics of the enemy are to disperse at.; once on being attacked, and flnake for a rendezvous, which is generally ifUed af, some, place . mites away. These itactics,: theimo3|, t difflcult of any for us to deal wiio\ Have as yet frustrated any efforts i?f our d||rces to engage the enemy. We i have ''taken some half dozen prisoners, a^d shot an old man or two, but no definite resul^i^'^rriyjeji ; at. ; Te Kooti's force is known to be: not much less, than 300 strong, and^here appears every reason, to conclude that they receive covert assistance from all the neighbouring tribes. Te Hira, the obstructive to the opening of Ohihe- • muri to the diggers, is said to have lately supplied several casks of ammunition to -TeEobti. «- Of course, evidence of this is difficult ■ to \- obtain, but ifc is currently beHeved at Auckland. V.^.^he' attitude of the King party is by no means .assuring. Their line of action, at any rate, shows that they are holding themselves in readiness for whatever may bappen; their.' women and children are sent away, to the interior, and they are congregating, by tbe King's orders, at Tokangainutu. By some they are believed to dread Te Kooti's presence among them; but, . rshould be go to them, there is every reason $<) believe they will protect him. _. The; Wanganui natives, under Topia and Kemp, have behaved admirably -throughout, and daily scour the forest with their men. Mr. Preece, whose activity and zeal are well known, is serving with a party of Arawas in Kemp and Topia's division, land gives a; most satisfactory account of' : their ; efforts to find and engage the '^njsmy;,' Tppia is said to have received a "message from.- the -King,, ordering him, .should Te Kooti escape to Tokangarautu, not to, follow; him. there ; but it is confidently believed that Topia is thoroughly in : earnest in what he undertook with Mr. Fox to do, and will not notice the King's order. The state of the natives near Te Kooti can scarcely be imagined. Taua Waharoa, . the representative of the celebrated William Thompson, was actually on his way, '4t few days'- since, to visit Mr. M'Lean* at Auckland, when he was recalled by some •of his people, lest in his absence the tribe anight join Te Kooti. Those best able to form a correct judgment of the state of tbe natives believe that the principal chiefs of the King' party, including the King himself, desire peace, and see the certain destruction war will be to. them and their race, whatever injuries they may meantime inflict upon- us ; but that their own position is full of difficulty. A large number of their followers sympathise with Te Kooti, and would willingly join him ; and the chiefs have as much as they can do to prevent it. A singular corroboration as to the Maori "King's desire, for peace has, we hear, reached the Government lately from the Middle Island. Tairoa, the principal chief of the Middle Island natives, has received a letter ; from the King, urging him to visit him and use. his influence with us (the ;V?hite.|Je.ople),for .peace. ; . ,:. - - On the3rd inst., ■ Lieut-Colonel . Fraser, when advancing, fell into an ambuscade enemy at Paengaroa, 17 miles from Tauranga. One European and two natives were killed ; none wounded. There can be no doubt, of its being portion of Te Kooti's force, as breech-loading and Enfield ammunition were discovered in the whares which they had vacated.