NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 220, 19 November 1866, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

The following items are from papers of the latest dates : —

At Tauranga, about 300 Maoris were within 10 miles of the township of Te Papa, and had threatened to attack it. A collision was imminent. The Militia and Volunteers had been called out, and every preparation was being made to give the Hau Haus a warm reception. The Imperial troops had encamped outside the town, so as to be prepared for any emergency.

At Napier, the Volunteers and Militia were called out to muster at 7 o'clock on Thursday morning last ; for the purpose of inspection, and also to see that every man had his arms and accoutrements in readiness, preparatory to marching out to meet the enemy. A party of Maoris, supposed to be from Wairarapa, had approached within 12 miles of Napier, and again threaten to attack that town.

The Tauranga correspondent of the New Zealand Herald confirms the account published by the Southern Cross as to the state of affairs in that district. He writes : — The disaffected kingites, partisans of the great kiugmaker William Thompson, and upholders of the Maori royalty, who are residing on the extreme boundary line of the Puna block, have at length thrown down the gauntlet and are prepared not simply to murder, but to cut into mince meat our respected and indefatigable Chief-Commissioner Mr. James Mackay, jun., or any surveyor, or any person (European) who may chance to move on the block which has been honorably and unanimously ceded over by the Ngae Te Rangi chiefs, the substance of which I communicated in my last letter.

At a recent meeting Mr. Mackay, on being informed by some of the natives that they would oppose the survey, rejoined that be had no other course left but to declare his ultimatum, which inasmuch as their old and venerable chief Te Manga Kowatu, the real claimant of the soil, and voluntarily without fear or restraint, signed the Ngaetirangi agreement, transferring the land to the Government, was, that he (Mr. Mackay) should on Thursday next, the Bth instant, at once march the surveyors to cut the boundary lines aud otherwise proceed to survey the block, and, as they talked of open hostility to us, he should request that 200 of the force at Te Papa be sent on the land to protect the surveyors. At this statement of Mr.'

Mackay's they sneered at and ridiculed him, at the same time retiring into their habitations. Shortly afterwards Mr. Mackay went into one of their houses, when he was met by a mob of determined villians who jeeringly asked him . various questions, such as was he not going at once to Auckland to bring the' surveyors ? concluding by siaying that if he (Mr. M.) came with the surveyors, they would kill him and afterwards cut him up to. mince-meat. This threat was not made in a menacing attitude, but in a cool positive manner, and was responded to by all present.

The Thames correspondent of the S. Cross states, that some of " the twelve apostles " are now at Matahaura, aud that they wanted the Ngatiporou on the East Coast to proceed to attack Tauranga, but they would not consent to do so, as they did not wish to fight. These sanguinary apostles say, if they meet with auj* European magistrates, or any other pakeha who is not a trader, they will murder them. On the Ist, three Europeans, who had wandered up from Nepia, had their guns taken from them.

Another correspondent writes : — Since my last communication the rebels, consisting, it is said, of 400, have written to Opotiki a letter to the effect that they contemplate making an attack upon this settlement ; 2QO to come from one direction, and 200 from another. Whether to accept of such a threat as truth or not, time will tell ; but come what may, the militia here, with the gallant Major St. John and his officers ut their head, are sufficiently strong for the Hau-Haus, and I db not fear the result.

The natives from Aucklaud to the North Cape are said to be peaceably disposed. At several runangas held lately, the elder chiefs, those having the highest authority, declare that they are determined, as far as they possibly can, that their several tribes and hapus shall continue to live on good terms with the pakeha.

The Cambridge correspondent of the Herald states, that Mr. Mainwaring, R.M., being in search of a notorious horse-stealer, named Tepanui, fouud and took possession of three stolen horses, whereupon he was attacked by the natives at Matamata, pulled off his horse and maltreated. The natives also attacked Sam, the native policeman, nud tore his clothes in a most violent manner. Mr. Mainwaring, however, contrived to escape.