THE KAWAU FUGITIVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 280, 5 October 1864, Page 4

THE KAWAU FUGITIVES.

These interesting favourites of tiie powers that be are at present strongly entrenched on the Otaniahua mountain. They have built a pah and stroinrly fortified it. They announce their intention ol holding their position against all intrusion, whether on the part of the authorities or others. They are leading a jovial lite, "being plentifully supplied with creature comforts, and even luxuries most grateful to barbarian tastes. They have recently spent upwards of £lUO i i provisions, the funds being found by the _£ort.l- - chief Tawhiti. Other, chiefs, among the .i Parata Mate and lioinene had furnished the n with additional supples. They have not co umitted any outrages upon the settlers in t.~. e

-jicWibouriiood, t>nt tho settlers feel exceedingly uncomfortable at flic proximity of ho many ( | ou btful neighbours. Some idea of the reinforcements they have received, botli in arms Ynd numbers. may be formed from the circumstance that. when they left the Kawau. they had <nilv twenty-live stand of arms—perhaps Sir George Grev will state how they became possessed even of these—now. it is stated by themthat they have upwards of 250 ! This last statement we give upon the authority of a settler at present staying in Auckland, who was informed by one of their chiefs themselves. Asjinmns 'I'° information to be false, the only object's they could have in so misleading (he settlers would be to overawe them if their armament should be really short ; or to conceal their real strength should they be really in greater force. They also slate that thev have abundance of ammunition, in short, that they do not want vr anvthing. They are inspired with the meir.orv of the person and the fate of Euarangi. The accounts of their number vary. A cotempiirary. on the authority of two frieiully jet's just returned from the I'a. states it at ::;o ; the settler, who is our informant, estimates it at 5(1*1. They have not made any liostile demonstration, but no man can for a moment donbr that such an attitude is. to say the least, threatening. It. can hardly be crcJ.icd. hut we state it on the authority of the •.eiders who have been so informed by the rebels themselves, that the Governor has sent them 10 >:u-ks of potatoes. 7!■ sacks of b-.scuits, tea, sugar, slid tlonr.

It cannot be allowed that such a force should be permitted to gather strength, until it bursts in an overwhelming torrent on the peaceful North. The season is approaching when, at any moment, the slightest misadventure will kindle ablaze by which settler and Maori alike mav be consumed. Will the Go* ei-nor take no steps to extinguish this incipient revolt? "What lemlenicss is due to the Maoris that Englisnien ami £ns;iishw cnu n. and little children too, shall have no thought taken for l/uir lives ? We regret that we diHer from the " Czar" of jN'cw Zealand in thinking that the life of a European is ilie more valuable of the two. The settlers themselves must prepare for the emergency.— mtt.-t be prepared for sudden onslaught and the de:nilv l'ash of the glittering tomahawk. The (ir-t .-'hot tired, and General Cameron himself, who is a gentleman and a Christian, will doubtless march his men to their rescue. He will not serins countrymen and countrywomen butchered unavenged, lest interference may exasperate natives not yet committed to the insurrection. Put ere the rescue car. arrive how much of mischief and misery maybe indicted it is hard to saw unless vigorous measures to insure the sifetv of lite settlers are at oneetakeu.