EAST COAST.

New Zealander, Volume XXIII, Issue 2553, 16 October 1865, Page 3

EAST COAST.

ARRIVAL OF THE ‘JAKE.’ .LATER NEWS FROM WHAKATANE FIGHT AT VVAIO'IIKA. TWENTY-FIVE HAU HA US KILLED. THREE BAS TAKEN. THREE SOLDIERS SHOT. ESCAPE OF KBREOPA AND PATAKA. i'HK schooner ‘ Jane,’ Captain Faulkner, wrived from Opotiki, Taonnga, and Mercury Bav yesterday, and brings important news from the former district. On 'he sth instant, Captain MDonald teamed that at Waiohika the H m Hau were assembled in a large pa, about 9 miles inland ;rom Opotiki. He iraraeuiately, with a number of Maoris, went to cut off their retreat to ■mother pa that was a short distance off, and arriving there he ordered two natives on horseback to Opotiki with despatches for reinf .moments, and upon their arrival the rebels fred a volley upon them, and fortunately it fell . ljr t of the distance. Capt. M'Donald and his ~,en marched upon them and fired a deadly volj .y at the i>a. The Hau Hans exchanged fire for He but without any harm. The flag of truce then hoisted at the pa, and Capt. M'Donald ,-nnl the soldiers marched to the pa in a very cautious way. The Maoris in the pa were in ■m- at confusion, and seemed like madmen, and w : ; ile there were some of the natives in conversation the others were making their escape through holes that were in the walls of the pa When the soldiers noticed them escaping, they (mrsuid them, and while so doing the others made their escape to the next pa. After the natives had zone it was ascertained that there were ten killed lying on the ground, and also a Maori boy severely wounded He prayed for Tcy from the soldiers, and said that if they would spar him he would tell them the murderers of lr. Ful oon and Capt. Pringle. He was at once removed, where madical aid could be procur d. The soldiers discovered a large juan'ity • f Mr. Volkner’s furniture, books, and other | roperty, in a corner of the pa. Captain M‘ Donald and the soldiers marched to the second pa, and upon arriving hoisted the flag of truce, and the natives came out of the pa to hear what were the intentions of our forces. Captain M'Donald informed them that he would allow them one hour to surrender up their arms and take the oaih of allegiance ; if aiot then done, ho would fire upon them The Maoris returned to their stronghold without •giving an answer, and after the >ime elapsed ■Captain M'Donald ordered the flag to be taken down, and the rebels also took theirs down. After a few minutes the soldiers marched close to the pa. and the Hau Haus at once fired upon them. The soldiers returned the fire, and the Maoris retreated to the pa that was situated about half a mile from the one they had taken. They marched to the pa, and found they had Idled filtjen of the enemy. They took one native prisoner, who, it was afterwards learned, was implicated in the murder of Mr. Fulloon.

The troops then inarched to the thir.‘. stronghold, an I found that the pa was empty, the rebels having made their escape. It was ru mored that Kereopa and Patara were in the •three engagements, and that they had gone to Cape Runaway The soldiers took an immense number of #q.’S, also a large quantity of potatoes, &c., that the rebels had left behind them. The prisoner that was taken in the second qia was sent on board the schooner ‘ Mavis ’ to be taken to Whakatan •. and while on the passage they noticed a small waterman’s boai, and they immediately went to pick it up, and when they got alongside they found that there were six Europeans in it, two of whom w re soldiers and four bushmen. And upon inquiry they learned that they had stolen the boat from Mr. Q. Strong of Mercury Bay, and were going to Napier, hut the natives took th m eo VVlmtakane, where they were to be tried. There were two soldiers killed in the taking o( Ahe fiist pa, also one wounded in the thigh, and he died before medical aid could be got.