The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1869.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 94, 23 April 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1869.

The native news from the East Coast is anything but re-assuring, Te Kooti's band being constantly on the move, and harassing and murdering the settlers and friendly natives whenever an opportunity offers itself. A report has again gained ground that the scoundrel who has caused us so much trouble, and loss of life and money, was killed at the Huke pa, but we have already bad sufficient evidence of his cat-like tenacity to life, fio cause us io receive such reports with considerable suspicion, and we shall require strong proof of the fact to induce na to believe that so welcome an event has happened, although At the-' same time there is sufficient prima facie evidence before us to lead us to hope that there may be some truth in tlie report,

as a letter from the friendlies who inhabited the pa to which he gained entrance by stratagem, contains the following words: — "Te Kooti deceived Rutene, and by that means got entrance. Te Kooti is quite dead ; we saw him fall, but he was taken away by them, there were so few of us."

It appears that the Hauhaus have formed themselves into three divisions, and are spread over the country, their orders apparently being to "kill, burn, and destroy " wbomsever and whatsoever comes within their reach, the Settlers naturally enough are alarmed at the existing state of things, aud are crowding into Napier. Twenty carts, says the Hawkes Bay Herald, entered the town on the eveniug of Monday, the 12th inst., laden with timid women and tender children, who had been takeu from their warm beds into the close, unwholesome atmosphere of the uight, information having been conveyed to the out-settlers by a friendly scout that the enemy were hovering about in their neighbourhood. Our men, however, are ou the alert, and appear to be under the command of vigilant officers ; they are not all working in one large body, but are in subdivisions,, each of which is following up the enemy wherever he is to be heard ef, at the same time keepiug open their communications in the event of a combination of forces being necessary. Although undergoing great hardships they appear to be in excellent spirits, officers and men working well together. A correspondent of the Herald who is with the expeditionary force writes : — " Scarcely a man here has a change of clothing with him; indeed it would be impossible to carry extra clothing over the country proposed to be traversed, aud should bad weather set iu, the men will be compelled (o lie in wet garments, to the manifest injury of their health, but no one cousiders the commanding, or other officers to blame. There is not the slightest difference betweeen the officers and their men; the former, from the highest to the lowest, do everything that is in their power to promote the comfort of those placed under them." We shall anxiously look for further news from this quarter, and we trust that we shall soon hear that the unceasing efforts of these noble fellows to come up with and attack the enemy have been crowned with the success they so richly deserve.