THE EAST COAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 553, 21 August 1865, Page 5

THE EAST COAST.

AKKIVAL OF Till' SKA SHELL AND ZILLAH. THREATENING ASPECT OP AFFAIRS AT POVERTY BAY. THE SETTLE!,S GOING TO LEAVE. MORE FIGHTING AT THE EAST CAPE. DEFEAT OF THE HAD HAUS, WITH i:w KILLED AND 30 PR ISONERS. A TA CAPTURED 1?Y THE MILITARY SETTLERS, 35 KILLED AND 28 PRISONERS. TROOPS FOR THE EAST COAST TO ASSIST MORGAN. DEATH OF THE NOTED PA T J/A RTRF CHIEF 111 AR AIR A PORORANG I. KEREOPA AT OPOTIKT AGAIN. WTTH REINFORCEMENTS FROM TAUPO AND TARANAKI. FX H TP IT lON S BY THE HEAD OF MR. VOLKNER. AND DISGUSTING PAI MARIRF. BITES. FLIGHT OF THE SETTLERS FROM TENEPAROA. rKK.r.ARATIONS OF THE FRIENDLY NATIVES TO ATTACK THE REBELS. 13 PAS CAPTURED AND DESTROYED BY MORGAN'S PARTY AND SO PRISONERS TAKEN. VESSELS PROHIBITED BY FRIENDLY NATIVES FROM TOUCHING ON THE COAST BETWEEN TOKOMAROA AND WARAKIKA. MORGAN GOING TO WAKATANE WITH kW MEN TO REVENGE FULLOON'S MURDKK. LOUIS JOSEPH DRIVEN FROM HIS RESIDENCE BY KEREOPA, WITH LOSS OF GOODS, .to. B\ the arriv.il of the ketch Sea Shell from Foverty Bav. and schooler ZilUh from the Hast Coast, we have 'he following most important information : — The Sen >heil left Poverty Buy o-i the 11th inst., and up to that time most of the 11 itives resilient tliere ha.i all turned l'ai Marire, and those remaining were in a very unsettled state. The settlers living there were anxiously awaitim; the arrival of the Tawyra, to remove their families to An kiand. Mr S. Williams was ;:oint; to ser.d the missionary school to the K.-.wau. where suitable buildings have lately been erected for their accommodation Mr. Harris's and Mr. Bloomfield's families are also coming up by til- Tuwera. The s.s. St. Kilda was at anchor at Waiapu. She had been cjiiuol' aloim the coast as %r as Hick's ]s.iv lar.diuJ arms and ammunition for the friendly natives, and was abou: to have lor Napier for reinforcements. The Sea Shell was boardel off Tukaroa by an armed boat, the inmates of which reported thai Morion and the Hauhaus were hotly engaged just beyond Hick's Bay. A settler who was in the boat also stand that all tile white men living in the districts near had assembled at Tubiroi fa' fear of the natives, and that they were hourly expeetinj th arrival oI a man-of-war with troops, according to threport given bv the s.s St. KiMa. He also spoke in the highest term? of the loyal chief Morgan, stating that h- wa- determined on revenge, and that after h< had finished ar Hicks' Hay he was goim; to akatane with 100U met- to revenge Fulloon's murder. The schooner Zillah, which arrived yesterday, has the following further particulars : — Whilst the Zilltih was nearmg Tokonriroa Bay sh was boarded by an armed boat, who w.iriied the cap tain not to put in there as it wa~ not s ife, so he proceeded on to the next point, where cnmtiHi'dca-ion was had with the shore, when it was reported that fighting would soon commence in that district, as th>loyal chief had almost finished his imm- nse war pa. and upon completion was going to lead his tribe of 200 men against the rebels. The Zillah then proceeded on to Auatira and Kawakawa, and whilst she was lying at the latter place on the 9th instant, a party of 90 friendh natives were seen to march past in a most soldierlike manner, with colours Hying, Arc. I hey were bound inland to reinforce Morgan in order to atta< k an immense Uauhau pa next which the\ did effectually, for upon the Ziilah reaching Hick's Bay, it was reported that the pa had been taken on Thursday last, with 130 killed and wounded on th<rebel side, and about 3-5 of the friendly natives. HO of the enemy's dead bodies were counted on the field, amongst whom were several influential chiefs and Taranaki natives. It wa.- in this fight th if the nr.ted Fai Marire chief of the Awanui tribe, named Ih-iraira Pororangi, was killed ; he took refuge in a whare, and was afterwards shot in the back b> one of the friendlies, and then fell mortally wounded 111 the abdomen from a shot fired by one of Morgan s treTierals. Be was a great man amongst the rebels, looked upon almost as a king, and his death is expected to excite them to further atrocities. From Waipt-Ta as far us Hick s Bay the Hauhaus j have all been routed by Morgan's men, their pas burnt, and everything belonging to them destroyed ; thos- that esc ped being compelled to take shelter 111 the bush. The only pa that now remains in these districts, is a fortified one named Pohikiranga, and this would also soon be attacked. , , -d Up to the time of the Zillah's leaving Hick s Bay Morgan had captured 17 pas, as also an immense number of ihgs, arms, ic., killed about 200 men. and taken 100 prisoners, with the loss of only 80 on hi" »ide. Reinforcements were daily arriving from ail parts of the coast, and he was recruiting in order to aise 1000 men to march to_ V\ akatane to have revenge, for the murder of the Kate's crew and Mr. i'ulloon. , On Friday last at 6 a.m., the military settlers took a pa at Haratapa at the point of the bavonet, liil.Ud V-,ine 35 men aud captured 30 prisoners who were ir.side the pa. The friendly natives who Assisted them, lost 18 killed. There were a number of wounded on both sides, and tlie s s. Queen, whi' h arrived yesterday, reports that when f-'ie left Hick - Bay, on Friday last, there were two houses full of wounded natives. The Tologu Bav natives are busy throwing up an immense pa to protect themselves after which the_\ will pro-eed, to ihe number ot 1/0, inland to attack any party of Uauhauß they meet, or in case of need tj assist -Morgan. All vessels are prohibited from touching 011 the coast between Tokomaroa and Warakika, boats containing friendlv natives being constantly on the alevl to warn anv stranger that may come within sight. Tne captain of the Zill >h 1 that every native boat un th- coast now i- fully manned and armed even those that are shipping produce on hoard, every man carrying h s rifle, hayonet, cartouch-box, and belts. The settlers at Wa:apu stated that they were da ly expecting 7'JO troops from Wellington to reinforce our natives, and after routing the rebels in that dis trie they woie to proceed on to Opotiki, to have revenge for Yr. Volknor's murder. It was thought •hat they would not meet with mucli opposition between Waiapu and Opotiki. Amongst the passengers by the Zillah is a settler named Louis Joseph (better known as French Loui-), who has been compelled to lea-e his place at Teneparoa. Kere -pa, who had been to Opotiki and collected a reinf. rcement from Taupo came to Louis's place, which is about ten miles north-ea~t of Opotiki and expressed his determination of murderinsr him, as -.Iso all the settlers residing in the surrounding districts. Louis Joseph held a con-ultation with the friendly natives, in whom he placed the g.eafest confidence, and they wished htm to remain, the chief Willi m King stating that if Louis was killed he would die too. F'inully Joseph made up his mind to leave the se'tl- ment, and started off at once upon horseback ; u'ter riding for two nights and two days he reached Omahio, whero lie purchased a wlialcboat from the aatives for Sis, and proceeded on to Warn-

kilo where tho Zillah was lying, and !io took passage bv her for this p rt. I ouis, who hiia boon a number ot yo .rx amongst. tho natives and a great favourite was compelled to leave behind liim all his stock-in-trade, but in all probability it will bn su:o, as it is in the bunds ot tin- friendly chief, \V. King. Before he loft Teneporoa Willi-nn King told LouU to return again from Atickland with a vessel to t ike his goo,ls away, and so that- lie should know his arrival, tin, vessel was to fly tho British ensign, when a mitiro boat would come oil' and convey tho things on hoard, the flaa; being tirst taken on shore and flown from W. Ki g's flag-staff, during whieh if a->y of the rebels should approach they would pay for it with their live?. Kereopa said that ho was troina to carry tho whole coast from Tenepuroa ti 'tiki, murdering tho settlers n< he went. The wretch oven had the coolness to deser be to Louis the way in which he intended to murder him and afterwards decapitate his body. Kpardiana, Wihiraha, lTeremila, and others of the murderers of Mr. Volkn r, are with Kereopa at Opoliki, to whii'h place they have brought four heads of friendly natives killed in recent engagements. These heads, together with (hat of the N»'v. Mr. Volkner, have been dried and cured in the old Maori fashion, and are stuck up on poles in a raupo whare, tupued to the Hauhau god. The natives believe that these hea.ls will act as talis t ans in preventing the soldiers from i fleeting a landin .' at Opotiki, though at the same time they insolently declare that they believe we are too frightened to molest them. Our neglect to avenge the murder of Mr. Volkner has naturally led them to this belief, and so strong is their faith in the protection of the Ilauhau god that they have built 110 defensive pas. A short time since a disgusting exhibition of cruelty and barbarism took place. Blocks and tack'o were procured, as in the murder of Mr. Volkner, and two live pigs were brought forward—one as representing the Governor, the other General Cameron. The ropes were placed round their necks, they were hoisted in the air, and then let down to a short distance from the ground, when tho wretches standing round gouged out their eves, while yet alive, and ate them ; then ripped open their bodies, and pulled out their intestines. This barbarous act they executed with fiendish g!'^ l and excitement, declaring that it was the counterpart of what they intended to do to General Cameron and the Governor if both, or either, ever fell into their hands. Scenes like these are constantly occurring among them. They have heard of the intended withdrawal of lhe troops, and say that the influences of tho Hauhau god is inclining our rulers to this step as a means of throwing the lives of tho European settlers into their hands, for that as soon as the troops are gone they will fal tirst upon the outsettlements and then upon the chief towns themselves, as utu for the lives of tiles-* Maoris who have been killed since the war commenced. Tin, native Missionary Hota and his family have al o arrived bv t're Zillah, being obliged to fly from his station at Warakika, through the threats of tho rebels. The s. s. I.adv Bird was to leave Wellington lor War.ganui on Saturday last, for the ot taking on board o'OO troops for Waiapu, East Co St. 11 M s Brisk was also -aid to he under orders to eonvev reinforcements from Wellington to Poverty Bay." The schooner Tawera, which was entering Poverty 1 Bav as the S .1 Shell left, may be hourly looked f>r from that pi ice, when we may expect further tidings concernin.j the East Coast strife.