THE WAR ON THE EAST COAST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1512, 17 October 1865, Page 3

THE WAR ON THE EAST COAST.

By the steamer Auckland wo have received flics to the 7th instant. THE WIIAKATANE SURRENDER CONFIRMED. STRONG ENTRENCHMENT OF THE HAU-HAUS. ARTILLERY SENT FOR. (From the Auckland Herald, Oct. 7.) H.M.S.S. Brisk left Napier on Saturday last, with reinforcements of Colonial Defence Corps and Forest Rangers. She lunded the first-named detachment at Poverty Buy on Sunday, and the last-named, Forest Rangers, at Wftiapu, on Monday. Whilst there, the Rev. Rota Waitoa and Morgan came on board, remaining about two hours, and informed them that they intended next day to attack the Tukemaire pah, and whilst the Brisk was lying there, Morgan's party was strengthened by the arrival of 200 friendly natives from Taparoa. From Poverty Bay she proceeded to Hick's Bay, where Mr. Baker (interpreter) landed, and learnt from the loyal natives there that, on the Friday previous, they had attempted to get some provisions, &c., from the old mission station at the Kawa Kawa, and in doing so, they were fired upon by the Hau-liaus ; the fire was returned, and the loyals saw one man fall. The natives there were very anxious to be reinforced by some means or other. The Brisk then went on to Opotiki, arrived there on Wednesday morning. Mr. Baker went on shore, and there heard that 150 of the Whakatanes had surrendered, &c.

Military operations remain at a standstill for the present at Opotiki. Lieut.-Colonel Fraser does not seem to be so ready to rush pahs as Captain Fraser was. Representations have been sent to Wellington, stating that the rebels are entrenched in three strong pahs about six miles distant from the camp, one of which is commanded by Kereopa, and another by Patara, and great guns have been asked for to assist in their capture. Where is Sir George Grey—the hero of the Wereroa —that these pahs remain occupied by the rebels in defiance of our men ? Surely it cannot be the want of the moral support of British bayonets that is preventing the capture of three pahs and all the old women they may be found to contain. We felt quite confident that the best ''great guns "the war department could dispatch to Opotiki would be Sir George Grey himself, and that one of the "gentlemen" of the present "government team," who was " born to organise an army," and whose large and liberal mind is overflowing with " ability and administrative talent."

The Opotiki natives, we are informed, distinctly refuse to give up the murderers of poor Volktier. Tliey say Ills butchery was no murder, but a righteous punishment for acting as a spy-of the Government. If this excuse be admitted, what Civil Commissioner in native districts would be safe, when Mr. FitzGerald has himself admitted that the chief usefulness of those officers was their acting as spies for the Government ? We trust that the surrender of Mr. Volkner's murderers will be insisted upon—the penalty of refusal being the confiscation of the entire district. The reason assigned for the Whakatanes leaving the Hau-hau faith is on account of the murder of Mr. Fulloon—an act of which they totally disapprove. The Brisk left Opotiki on Wednesday night last. The p.s. Huntress had been to Tauranga, Maketu, and Te Awa-ote-Atua, where she picked up several Arawa chiefs, who wanted to confer with the Hau-haus oil the terms of peace. When the Brisk left they were await ing an opportunity to return, and it was expected tlmt the schooner Jtne would convey tliera.

The Herald states :—lt is reported that all the confiscated land in Waikato and Tauranga will be handed over to this province, subject 10 certain stipulations, one of which will be, that the province will repay the £180,000, the portion of the debt allocated to it, for the introduction and location of immigrants, &c. The possession of this territory will, if the land is profitably turned to account, tend greatly to advance the prosperity of Auckland. The same journal says:—The 65th Regiment, we must state, leaves iiere immediately, one portion in a day or two, the head-quarters in about ten days.

THE EAST COAST EXPEDITION. We take the following from the Nelson Colonist of the 11th inst. The correspondent of that journal writes : — Opotiki, Sept. 27, 1865. Captain Percy, of the Mounted Force, who was badly hit on the leg, is now going on well. We have done the Hau-haus a great deal of harm. lam happy to say we have taken cattle, horses, a vast number of pigs, a great quantity of potatoes, several carts and sets of harness. The rebels sent us in a message, a couple of days back, asking us what we meant by coming here, living on them,'and destroying their property, without the sanction of the Government; they advised us to be off quietly and at once, as they did not wish to kill us. We sent back to say that we had come here to avenge the murders of Volkner and Fulloon, and intended to do it; that it was true we had made free with some of their property, but we intended to ha e it all; we advised them to send in the white heads in their possession, and all, except the murderers, to come in aud give themselves up. We march to-night to attack a pah ; about 200 men and the Native C ontingent go ; if not hit you shall hear the result. Sept. 28. I told you, I think, an expedition was to have started this morning at three, to attack the Hau-hau pah, but last night this was countermanded —" pending negotiations" with the rebels. This afternoon our native messenger returned with a letter, and the gentlemen in the pah say they have written to Rewi and Thompson, and if they will make peace these fellows will do so too. It is reported in the camp (where there are always lots of " shaves," and therefore I give the rumour for what it is worth), that we should have gone last night but for the Native Contingent, who, it is said, did not like the mode of attack as it was laid down. Our native friends, it was arranged, were to have attacked in the rear, and we in front. But theia idea is to surround the pah and dry the rebels up for want of water, as the pah is on a lull, and no drink inside it. I will try and send you a plan, if I can get one done. It was a pity we did not go this morning, as yesterday and the day'before were both wet; this morning, being fine, a thick fog covered the plain, and would have hid us till we were close up to our affectionate friends, the Hau-haus. Oct. 3.

Since last I wrote, though we have had no fighting, we have struck a strong blow and done some good work. I will tell you all about it, bat must go back a few days. Last Saturday, 30th Sept., bighty fighting men of the Apanuis (all that is left of them, I believe) cume into camp with a whole lot of women and children. Some of these "braves have, I hear, been fighting against us for the King ; they now see the error of their ways, and thinking Hau-hauism "no good "have taken the oath of allegiance, and now in end to fight, without pay, for our sovereign lady the Queen. The Native Contingent got themselves up in war paint, had no end of a war dance, and finished by giving a great dinner off enemy's pigs and potatoes, bunday, the Ist of October, was quiet enoughservice was read by Major Stapp. Some Hauhaus were seen hovering about the camp h the afternoon, but kept well out of reach. A t fc and 150 of the Native Contingent, went off to attack a pah, where it was supposed we should find Kereopa, a half-

caste, one of the chief instigators and murdercrs of Mr. Volkner. After marching a short distance, and doing some littlo wading, part of our force got, across the river which lay m our way in canoes; this took some nluftfr 0 ' ,lfter übM,t Hn hour » n, l a-half t was discovered than a couple of impassable lagoons lay in our route. Day was breaking, and as our object hnd been surprise we returned to camp. During tho day a foraging party went out; they brought buck lots of pigs, potatoes, &c.,and drove in a mob of horses—four good ones and the rest scrubbers. At 10 o'clock at night, nearly the same force fell in again—all, in fact, except one company—to have another slap at lvereopa ; this time, instead of going up the river we were to go down, cross at the mouth, and march along the beach. This was done, but there was no surprise after all, because when the pa was taken, nobody was at home the " wily foe " had skedaddled—only a short time though—from the burning ashes in some of the whares. The pah, a great quantity of wheat, in bran new sucks, about one ton of potatoes, large heaps of kumeras or sweet potatoes, the whares, were all burnt; some pigs killed, fishing nets, pots, pans, kettles and canoes, smashed up and ruined ; in fact, nothing was left whole or :>f use. This may appear wanton destruction of property, but we could not carry anything away with us, and certainly were not going to leave it behind us, in fact, the men would hot have done it. Though we have had no fighting, and have not caught the man we wanted, we have struck a great blow. Of course we intend to try again. Kereopa has, it is said, two white heads in his possession, those of Mr. Volkner ami' Mr. Hewitt. The expedition returned this morning in rain and wet. The schooner Jane, from Auckland, came to an anchor yesterday in the river. Mr. Simpson, with stores, is on board. From a private letter received in town, we are enabled to make the following extract :— " Major Mncdonnell was in command of the first expedition, that of Sunday night; some think he is to blame for turning back. Ido not think so. My opinion is he was quite right. At the very most, the severest criticism that could be made is, that he ought to have made himself better acquainted with the line of march. But there are many difficulties in the way of doing this, and having found out that he was wrong, it was best to come back. Major Strapp, a fine old fellow, commanded this morning." Mr. C. W. Broughton.—The last news regarding our unfortunate townsman is that he was tomahawked by the rebels on Sunday afternoon before he arrived at the pah for which he was bound. This information was given by a native who is allowed to visit the Manawapou redoubt, and there is too much reason to fear that it is correct. There is no sign of any natives being about the pah, and they seem to have cleared out shortly after the murder was committed. Mr. E. Broughton, the brother of the murdered gentleman, went out at the end of last week, anxious to go up to the pah, but was advised not to do so by the officer in command at Kakaramea, and up to the date of last accounts had not proceeded.— Wanganui Chronicle, Oct. 11.