THE NATIVE REBELLION.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 October 1869, Page 6

THE NATIVE REBELLION.

Rebels Defeated with heavy Loss. Captain St. George Killed. Napier, Wednesday, 9 55 p.m. By despatches received from Taupo, we learn that operations had been delayed by bad weather. On the morning of the 4th our forces engaged Te Kooti at Ivvitauroa, and de feated him with heavy loss. The Europeans and natives stormed his position gallantly. The loss of the enemy is 35 killed, some of them men of note. Our loss is Captain St. George and two Wanganui natives killed, and 'two wounded. Te Kooti had bolted. 'I bis is from a short account sent in. Particulars have not yet come to band.— Independent. Mr. Ormond has since telegraphed as follows : Colonel Herrick has come to Haroto. From him I gather the following particulars: —The fight did not take place at Iwilauroa, but on the west side of Tongeriro and on the west side of the Wanganui River, at a place called Poutere. The enemy were in a redoubt. Our force rushed it, led by the Ngatikansand Arawas, supported by No. 2 Constabulary and other natives. Killed of the enemy, 37. 20 women and children, and 1 man, belonging to Taupo, taken prisoners. It is not known where the enemy retreated to. The spot was dense bush, and it was raining hard when the engagement took place; and our natives did not follow up Renata, from here, had his eye gouged out by a Hau Hau woman. Te lieu Heu’s wife had come in to our camp, and Te Heu Heu, with his tribe, were to come in next day, and give themselves up. M‘Donnell would hear from them the position of the enemy, and follow him up. Evidently, the country is all bush, and very difficult. Poor St. George was killed ; his natives led the attack. The force has plenty of potatoes, and the natives are at a place called Papakai. Should the Taupo natives come in, as expected, Te Kooti’s force will be largely, and, from my instructions, I am sure M’Donnell and the natives will follow him, and account for him if possible. Our forces seem to have behaved splendidly, Kooti, it now seems, was in the redoubt, and escaped. M'Donnell’s despatch shall be telegraphed tomorrow. He and his force deserve every praise. LATEST FROM NAPIER. By the latest information from Napier we learn that we have narrowly escaped a considerable addition to our enemies in Taupo. It appears that Rewi Ngatimaniapoto, who is evidently not so mad as is reported, had visited Te Kooli for the purpose of ascertaining whether his pretentions to be a heaven sent warrior were well founded or not. Rewi had decided to frame his own action in accordance with his conviction, or otherwise, of Te Kooti’s powers, and had 300 men at band ready to join the rebels in case of his deciding in favor of Te Kooti. The two successive defeats of the Hauhau leader by the friendly natives convinced Rewi that he is a humbhg, and he accordingly withdrew himself and his men back into the Waikato country. Most of our readers aresowell awareofthe terrible consequences which would be likely to result from a junction of the Ngatimaniapotos with the rebels in arms, that it is hardly necessary for us to point out how great a catastrophe we have escaped.