NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

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

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Our Hawke's Bay files are to the 16 th inst. We clip from them the following account of Te Kooti's proceedings at Mohaka: — Te Kooti, on the Saturday morning-, commenced his fiendish work about 6 a.m. by attacking simultaneously Arikanahi, a small pa up the Mohaka river, and the houses of Mr. Cooper, Mr. Lavin, and other Europeans. They killed Mr. and Mrs. Lavin and their three young sons, aged three to eleven; Mr. John Cooper, and Mr. Richard Wilkinson — the latter an old man, living at Mr. Stark's house. None ofthe bodies have been found except those of Mr. Lavin's three children; but this is accounted for through all the houses having been burned. No other Europeans are missed. The same day (Saturday) they attacked the pa Huke, which was garrisoned by Ruteoe, the policeman ; Heta, a very fine native ; Rupihana, a son of Paul Rerepu and three old men, besides women and children. They held out bravely against great odds. On Sunday morning a message came from Te Kooti, offering them their lives &c, if they would surrender. He was unfortunately believed and the pah opened to the enemy. On being admitted, one man stepped forward, anuouoced himself as Te Kooti, shook hands all round, and ordered all tbe guns to be handed over. All did so, with the exception of Heta. who said — " If I give you my gun you will kill me." Upon this Te Kooti pointed his own gun at him, which Heta knocked aside at the same time raising his own rifle and firing. The charge lodged in Te Kooti's body, and he fell instantly. His followers thereupon shot Heta, Rutene, and others. Rupihana was shot through tbe body and fell with the rest, close to the entrance to the pah ; but, during the confusion caused by Te Kooti being carried away, he managed to crawl aside, roll do^vn the cliff into the river, and hide on the banks till night, when he crawled to tbe big pah, into which he was admitted. He is now under the care of Dr. Russell, who has

hopes of his recovery. The above is the statement made by Rupihana, and by the women, examined separately.

That Te Kooti fell, shot, there can now be no doubt ; but it is just possible he may only have been severely wounded. The story, however goes that the Hauhaus took the Government whaleboat and carried a dead body out to sea, that it might not be seen and recognised, and fired a volley on their return. The quantity of ammunition in the pah Huke was three kegs, two of which had beeu opened and partly used in defence of the pah. Probably 2\ kegs fell into the hands of the Hauhaus, besides what they got in the up-river pa aud in the houses of the settlers.