“EXPRESS” TELEGRAMS.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 163, 13 March 1869, Page 3

“ EXPRESS” TELEGRAMS.

(From our own Correspondent),

Opotiki besieged by Te Kooti with the Uriweras! More butcheries !! Great Excitement The Maori King elects for Peace. Wellington, Friday, 6 p.m. Colonel Whitmore and 500 men are five miles into the bush after Tito Kowaru, who is said to be fortifying a place 8 miles inland.

A few changes in the disposition of Com panies completes the news from Wanganui,

The Government has received a most enigmatical letter from King Tawhaio, which no one can make head or tail of. Mete Kingi says it means peace, but no one knows.

An orderly has arrived at Wanganui from Napier, by way of the Forty-mile bush, to say that Te Kooti was coming in that direction to attack Manawatu and Rangitikei. Napier telegrams to-day state that Te Kooti, joined by the Uriweras, surrounded Opotiki on Wednesday. They murdered Mr. Pitcairn, surveyor, and it is believed others; captured a party of Fxdendlies, and threaten a general attack on the settlers. The St. Kilda, with 80 Ngataporou on board under the famous Ropata, en route for Wanganui, having called in at Napier, Mr. McLean has detained 60. Great alarm is felt in the extreme inland townships of Alexandra, Cambridge, &c, in the Waikato, consequent on the excited state of the natives.

H.M.s. Challenger left on Wednesday to meet the Prince at Sydney, but returned the same evening through stress of weather. She will now remain. The Blanche has gone to the Auckland islands. The Halswell (Canterbury) Flax Company have purchased a site for a mill at Manawata at the Land Sale to-day.