THE MAORI WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2579, 12 April 1869, Page 3

THE MAORI WAR.

AUCKLAND. The following, dated April 3, is from the Auckland correspondence of the Wellington Independent: — The s.s. Tauranga returned from the East Coast, at 4 p.m. to-day, with his Honor the Superintendent. She brings news from Tauranga up to the 2nd inst. Te Kooti is said to be hard pressed for ammunition. On Wednesday he despatched two of his men to Kaiterere, a place about twenty miles fiom Ohinemutu, in order to get ammunition from the natives there. They, however, immediately took the two emissaries prisoners, and forwarded them to Maketu. Te Kooti is still in the neighbourhood of Rangitaike. The excitement at Tauranga is somewhat subsiding. The women and children no longer sleep in the redoubt at night, although the aspect of affairs has in no way altered. The cutter Providence arrived at Tauranga from Onotiki on the morning of the 2nd inst., bringing three Hauhau prisoners. Two of them are referred to above assaying been taken prisoners by the loyal-natives while endeavouring to procure ammunition, and named respectively Timona and Coffin ; the other, Tenuti, was taken prisoner a few days ago. It is said that this man was once in the Auckland police, and belongs to the Ngatiporau tribe; the other two belong to the Ngatiawa. An examination of these prisoners took place on the afternoon of their arrival at Tauranga, before Colonel Harrington and Mr Clarke, Civil Commissioner, but the result is not known. It is supposed they will be forwarded on to Auckland.

It is quite clear that Te Kooti must be very hard up for ammunition. It is well known that when he first made bis appearance at Ohiwa he was short. At Whakatane he obtained three kegs of powder at the mill, and an approximation to the quantity of ammunition, arms, &c., acquired by him from Bakuraku and other traitors can possibly be arrived at by the authorities who supplied them, —bis great want appears to be caps. Major Mair arrived at Tauranga from Opotiki on the 2nd. There is no news of importance from that quarter. It is reported in town to-day that the cutter Mary Ann, Scott, master, has been seized by the Customs authorities at the Thames for smuggling spirits. It is also rumoured that the same vessel has been employed carrying powder to the natives. Another vessel of larger tonnage is also implicated in the matter, she having brought the powder from New Caledonia and landed it on the coast. Further particulars will no doubt be elicited in a few days.

WANGANUI. A correspondent of the Wanganui Times writes as follows from the front:— In my last I told you that Ahitana was nearly caught napping at Ngaere, and there is some queer talk about the reason that he wasn’t. The Ngaere is one of the settlements in the Tangahoi district through which the Patea river winds its way, and I only mention it now to say that in my opinion Titokowaru is in one of those settlements not far from Ngaere, and not at Ngutu o te manu. It is certain that the man Pepi that the force met near that place is Tito’s fighting chief, and whenever he is seen the old miscreant is not far off. As Itana told Col. Whitmore that Tito,with only 80 followers, had gone to The Ngutu o te manu, he was anxious to follow him there, but Kemp refused to go. He was also asked if he would go to the East Coast, but he said no. There were other differences, and so the parties went to Wellington and came back again. Colonel Whitmore, shortly after reaching Patea, started in the Sturt for Oponaki, and report at once said that he was going to leave these districts until he hunts up Titoko. That’s all moonshine. Wirehana has been to Wanganui, and returned to-day with Aparaniko. He says that bis people, the Taupo natives, are coming down to Aramoho to tangi over his brother-in-law, who was killed near the Waitotara, and also to have tangi about the old native chief Hori who died at Futiki, so the Wanganui natives must go down to help them. I don’t know what Colonel Whitmore will say to that. He has hard work to manage these fellows. I am told that the cavalry is for Wanganui at oncel It is reported to-day that Colonel Whitmore is to command the guard of honour that is to receive the Duke of Edinburgh, and that Kemp is also to go to Wellington. We will know to-morrow. This may be only a ruse, but you will shortly see, as if there is a move they must move at once. I don’t think that Werihana and his men will come back again. He says that Tauranga, where the East Coast rebels were ten days ago, is only about twelve miles from his place at Taupo, but how true this is I don’t know. There is a general move from the outposts, and we expect a complete flitting in a day or two. The Patea and also the Wairoa Volunteer Rifles have hastily gone off to Wereroa; no doubt you will hear of them. It is said they go to hunt up the Waitotara rebels that have returned to that place. The Wanganui Chronicle has the following regarding the Waitotara Natives: These rebels have been found on Wanganui territory. They are at present being harboured, or have sought refuge, in the pah of a friendly chief, near Pipiriki, They are there to the number of 60 fighting men, and are desirous of returning to their so-called and professed allegiance, and for this end are instigating friendly chiefs to act as go-betweens. It now seems clear that it was upon this question that Mr Woon was requested to proceed up the river last week, but with what result, it is premature to state. Meanwhile, Major Noake and his force have been in the. bush four days op their trail, and have not yet emerged; very likely they are following a blind trail, but should they now or soon happen upon those Waitotaras at Pipiriki, we hope the salutations will be warm and comprehensive.

TARANAKI. The Taranaki Herald of March 27th says:— A mounted native rode into town yesterday morning, and was the bearer of a despatch from Colonel Whitmore to Major Brown, in which he requested that a force might be sent from this district to assist in cutting off the retreat of Titokowaru. We are informed that in his despatch Colonel Whitmore states that he has Titokowaru nearly surrounded, and that with a reinforcement from this direction, he will succeed in entirely crushing him. The Colonel also states that the rebel forces were never before so entirely at his mercy ; that they are without provisions or ammunition, and from their position he believes the rebels cannot escape, if their retreat is cut off on this side by our forces. The present position of Titokowaru, as far as we can gather, is by the side of a large swamp—at a place called Te Ngahere or Te Ngaire—which lies between the Patea and Waingongoro rivers (about twelve or fourteen miles inland, northward from the coast). The rebels, therefore, cannot escape, unless Colonel Whitmore is mistaken as to their whereabouts, or Titokowaru manages to give him the slip and get to the Ngatiawa country. Major Brown, the officer commanding, has accordingly collected as large a force as possible, which will leave early this morning, under the command of Major Stapp, and will consist of four companies. The Armed Constabulary, under the command of Captain Gudgeon, and Lieutenant Davis ; Militia, under the command of Captain M’Kellar and Ensign Carrick; the Cavalry Volunteers, under the command of Captain Wilson, Lieut. M'Guinness, and Cornet Bayly; and the Bush party, under the command of Captain Kelly, and Lieut. Hursthouse. From the well-known efficiency of the Taranaki corps, and the bravery of

the officers who gt with them* we may expect to bear shortly of some decisive action being taken against Titokowaru, if he is in that part of the country which Colonel Whitmore has stated. The only fear we have is that Colonel Whitmore will spoil ail by his unbearable temper. It is no secret that he is trying the patience of all who are in any way connected with him, by his intolerant conduct. He might be a strict disciplinarian, in fact a martinet, and no one could And fault; but we believe that Colonel Whitmore goes beyond this, and censures his officers and men when there is no necessity for it—or the blame rests solely with himself. The Wanganui papers assert that there are numbers of people who make out that the fight at Otoia was neither so decisive, nor so well managed as it was represented; but whether it was so or not, there can be little doubt that Titokowaru’s force is now broken up, and that he is attempting to make h's way by the back of the mountain to the Mokau ranges, to join Te Wetere. We understand that Colonel Whitmore, after the fight at Otoia, offered a reward of £IOOO for Titokowaru’s headj £ls for any of his chiefs; and £5 for any of the rebel Maoris’ heads. Major Kemp, and several from the native force, together with some Europeans belonging to the Armed Constabulary, volunteered to go on an expedition and to bring in, on these terms, as many prisoners —or their heads—as they could get. They started accordingly, and succeeded in securing three chiefs’ heads. More would have been brought in, but the Europeans who accompanied Major Kemp, not being equal to the task, the force had to return sooner than they otherwise would have done. Colonel Gorton arrived here on Tuesday last, to make arrangements with the officer commanding for provisioning any force that may be sent from this district to assist Colonel Whitmore. Having accomplished that object, he again took his departure for Fatea on Thursday. The Wellington Independent of April 8, has the following

We have some very strange intelligence from Taranaki concerning the war. It seems that a hitch has arisen between the Taranaki friendly natives and the local authorities. Colonel Whitmore had followed up Titokowaru, and wished to surround him completely, so as to cut off all chances of escape. Wepresurae this intelligence, as given in the Auckland and Taranaki papers, refers to the position lately occupied by Titokowaru, as we have information that Colonel Whitmore had come up with him again. At all events, we learn from the Auckland Herald that Colonel Whitmore, requiring more troops to invest Titoko’s position, sent messengers to New Plymouth for assistance, and that a force turned out under the command of Major Brown. Then arose the hitch. It appears, according to the Herald, “ that the Taranaki friendly natives have entered into a treaty with the rebels that the people of one district shall not pass over into another to fight,” so that when the force is about to start to Colonel Whitmore’s assistance, “ the aforesaid friendly natives come forward, make known the treaty between Titoko and themselves, and declare that they consider it equally binding on Europeans as on themselves, and finally threaten that if the Taranaki forces go to Whitmore’s arsistaace, they will go to that of Titokowaru. The authorities, whoever they may be, decide that it is unwise to run counter to the wishes of these friendly natives, and the force, actually in marching order, is called back and dismissed. The consequence of this is Titokowaru again escapes from Colonel Whitmore, and is now, it is said, endeavouring to get round by the'mountain to effect a junction with Wetere—the White. Cliffs murderer—and his band in the Mokau ranges. Thus is the West Coast campaign, in the moment of fruition, rendered abortive by the threatening attitude and treachery of these so-called friendly natives and the imbecility of a Government whose responsible officers allow the whole of the fruits of a protracted and expensive campaign to glide from them in the very moment of victory. Were Colonel Whitmore an Edwardes or a Napier, he could not, hampered as he is, contend against such odds as these.” It appears that this affair has created a feeling of much indignation in Taranaki, and a correspondent of the Auckland Herald writes:—

“An indignation meeting was held on Saturday last, at which his Honor the Superintendent was present. He stated that the reason of the forces not being permitted to go was because it might have caused th e friendly natives to the south of this province (Te Witi tribe) rising. Some agreement, it appears, had been made between Titikowaru and the friendly natives previous to hostilities commencing, that one tribe would not interfere with the other, but let each district fight its own battles. The Native Department has just discovered that the Europeans have been mixed up in this treaty by the natives; and, therefore, if our forces had gone to assist Colonel Whitmore, the friendly natives considered that they were at liberty to go and assist Titokowaru. The following resolutions were passed at the meeting : —Resolved; “ That an application for assistance having been made to Major Brown, the officer commanding the Taranaki Militia, by Colonel Whitmore, who stated that with such assistance it might be possible to effectually crush Titokowaru, we, the settlers of Taranaki, most indignantly protest against withholding such assistance by those in authority, particularly .as it does not represent either the wishes of the men detached for the service or the views of the settlers themselves.” Resolved: ‘ That this meeting is of opinion that the present system of divided authority in this province in native and military matters is prejudicial to the attainment of peace, is productive of indecision in action, and will it is feared, interfere with the willing efforts of the settlers in future.”

We think it was a great blunder not to send off the force, whether the so-called friendly natives objected or not. It is very bad policy even to truckle or make concessions to natives, because they simply regard such acts as a confession of weakness. Moreover, it is humiliating in the last degree to think that our policy with respect to this war should be influenced by any natives whatsoever. We almost blush to think that we dare not send out a force of our men to fight the enemy, because our so-called Maori allies object. When it has come to this, our glorious British flag is but a sorry piece of bunting after ail.