FURTHER PARTICULARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 541, 7 August 1865, Page 3

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

[JEOII OtTE OWN COP.HKsrONDENT.] Camp Tauranga, July 31. This evening, about six o'clock p.m., a messenger arrived from Maketu bringing the sad ancf-painful intelligence of the savage aud brutal murcler of Mr. James Fulloon, belonging to the Native Department, who was on a visit to his parental residence and estate at W hakatane, and the captain of the vessel Kate, with his mate, by the Patutatae tribe, and at the instigation of the chiefs Te Honiara and Te Hura, of the Mutata. sworn adherents and defenders of this new and murderous faith Te Hautiau, or Pai Mann. The Kate, cutter, Pringle, master, left Auckland on the Bth instant, having on board the captain, mate, and a youth of the name of Campbell, with Mr. Abraham Bennett Wiiite, the supercargo of the vessel, and two passcngers, Mr. Eobinson and Mr. TVarbnek. bound for Tauranga, Maketu, and Wakatane. On her arrival in Tauranga Mr. V> arbrick re mained behind, and Mr. James Fulloon arriving from Auckland in the steamer Uangatira, took passage in her to Whakatane. Some stress of weather setting in, the vessel did not reach , Maketu before the 20th instant, when she finally left on the 21st for Whakatane, which is situated 40 miles south of Maketu. The particulars which I learned from the ferryman, who brought the message ovtr, are few and concise, and from anotner authentic source received, I believe to be correctly the truth. They are simply these : -The cutter left Maketu on the 21st and arrived the same afternoon off Whakatane, there to await the morning's tide to enable her to take the bar. Whilst the vessel was at anchor communication was mode from shore, but no evil tidings or forebodings were ever dreamt of. A little boy belonging to Mr. White came on board and remained all night with his father. tlufollowing morning a canoe containing I rtimara, a chief of the Nga te Patutatae tribe, Hoani, a young scamp of many years note, with a gang of determined savages pulled off to tli. vessel They found Mr. White at breakfast and having gone through all the usual salutations, were desired to sit down and parta t of breakfast with them, to which there was no hesitation, which probably tended to stimulate and strengthen these base to expediate their treacherous plot, "Inch laj be fore them. I ought here to state that all the crew and passengers were on deck, except Mi. Fulloon, who was not well, and was at the time laving asleep in his berth; unknown to Mi. White, the native Hoani slyly crept down into the cabin to see whether there was any firearms, unfortunately, he fouud a loaded x-er0.,,-r laying alongside Mr. Fulloon, which lie immediately seized, and concealed on reaching the deck, and whilst partaking of Mr. Whites hospitality betrayed no unkind or auspicious symptoms ot daneer. The instant these men and devils had finished their repast, a signal was given,.and. in an instant each man was strugKhn witli h.s victim. Captain Pringle was the first man that was killed, afterwards the mate, then a stn.gg e ensued with Mr. White and his combatant, but Mr White's little boy, about nine years old, pleaded for mercy, and straHge to the.e hard-hearted devils became alarmed at the entreaties of this child, and they ceased auy mrther attempt either on Mr. W lute, Mr. Robm son. or Campbell ; but whilst thus engaged, Hoani sneaked to the companion-slide of the cabin and fired a shot from the revolver at Mr. Fulloon, whilst he was thus ignorant of what was so ng on on deck, being hard asleep the whole time. The ball entered lm arm, upon which he jumped up in his berth and began to feel for liis revolver: whilst he was doing this two or three balls were fired into his lungs, which soon put an end to his Ktwtrles. The vessel was then seized, and taken into the river. Mr. W ;ite and his companions being prisoners. The vessel, with all its valuable cargo, the property of Mr. White, was taken out of her. and then commenced the destruction of the vessel, which, after stripping her of every article that was movable, was set on fire, and totally destroyed. The vessel was the sole property of Mr. John Guilding. and was under charter to Mr. White for 12 months, commencing from the 6th inst. Through the interference of the principal chief, Te Keepa, who lives about four mih-U'rom the Whakatane Heads, W r. White's life,. V \ that of his friend s, were miraculously saved; they were taken on

by him, and left in the charge of that venerable ar>d much-respected chief, Apanui, whose _ heart yearned when he saw and heard the doing") of his tribe, which had. that day been committed to Mr. Fulloon and the other victims. Mr. White and his companions were accommodated witli a canoe from this chief, and reaelu d in safety Maketu last night, when information was at onco made before Mr. Commissioner Smith, who. no doubt, will represent the case in a forcible light to the Government at Wellington ; but when it will reach them is a question, and when it does reach them whether they will do anything more than they did when they heard of Mr. Volkner's murder by the same believers and promulgators of the same faith, is another question. Mr. Fulloon was (veil and favourably known by all the Auckland citizens, and also by yourself and your readers. I shall now leave the case in your hands.