TAURANGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1361, 27 March 1868, Page 3

TAURANGA.

(fboiioub own coebespondest.) March 23. Yesterday, by the Ahuriri, I told you that t should possibly send you a lesaer head and a more particular account of Opotiki matters, since when our local paper has published an extra, containing some detail of accounts in the campaign which I enclose. This account must be received cautiously, sb it is avowedly a communication from a h&lf*caste of tho Arawa tnbe, Hans Tapsel l by name, and of course is their version of the story. I may odd that he stages in addition, that the Opape natives, since the plunder of their village by the Haubaus, are bo frightened that they are ci>ming to Opotiki for safety, and the Whakatane natives are proposing to go over to Whale Island for the same purpose. The following is from the Extra of the lauranga Record Maketu, March 19, 1868. By intelligence through native sources, received by way of Maketu, we learn that the Opotiki campaign is at an end for this season, owing to the rainy season, and the almost impassable state of the country. . Although the results have not been very important, the force engaged has been considerable, consisting of 80 of the Mounted Constabulary, 150 Militia (belonging to Opotiki), 280 Arawaa, and 32 Volunteers from Tauranga, including 7 Ngapuhia, under command of Mr. Gundry, making up a force of all ranks of 542 men. .. After a passage of much hardship for many miles, durimg which the commissariat was at a very ebb, as rations could not be sent after them om °g to the impracticable nature of the country, the P»"y were obliged ta slaughter two bo«es, which. ey found excellent food. My informant states tnat U was in this condition that the force came g; a formidable pah at one of the bonds of the river.

He said their legs wero bare and bleeding from contusions received against the rocks, they were shivering from cold, hunger, and exposure, when they received the first volley from tho Uriweras in the pa. According to my informant, the Arawas rushed on against o ders and took the pa by storm, tho European force remaining behind. The desertions from the Europeans numbered about 30. The mountod constabulary wero very intractable, as many as 12 out of the 80 being in tho guirdroom at one time through intoxication. The conduct of Mr. Gundry and Lieutenant Hunter was plucky in tho extreme. But I had better let my informant toll his story in his own words :— On Thursday, March 10, wo marched about midnight, saw a fire and went towards it. but could see nothing, so camped. About 10 o'clock tho lioxt night we s'.arted and made our way to Waimans. "When wo got there Major St. John and Major Mair were there waiting for us. About livo o'clock in the evening we marched, and about five o'clock in tho morning wo saw the pah called Otala. We surrounded it. Tho Major ordered us to stop behind, and he would tako tho front. So all the people waited for tho bugle to sound, and when we charged ■up tho hill we could not find any one; they were gone. Our informant remarks: —l think it is very bad management waiting for the buglo, for had tho Arawas not waited, they would have captured or havo killed every ono in tho pa. About ono o'clock in the morning we hold a council of war, and the Arawas told Major St. John that they would take tho lead next time. About -3 o'clock we started, and two miles from the first pah we csmo upon Pongakareau, another pah. They begau to fire from the top of the hill upon us, a very heavy fire. When wo got half way, one of ou: people, named Hohapa, was wounded. When tho Arawas Baw this man wounded, they wero very angry, and charged up tho pah, which they found deserted. They went about a quarter of a mile beyond, firing into the bush, without seeing anything moro of the Hauhaus Tho Major then came up and wanted us to go right on to Maungapohatu, tho principal pah of tho Uriwera. "aid to •!)»« <>Oi> mon. 'i'ho Arawas did not like this, so the chief ordered them to come back. Just after we left, tin? Hauhaus came oil and fired at the Militia, who were about seventy or eighty, the Uriweras doing a war dance. After stopping there a quarter of an hour, wa saw a Hauhau coming, sa about twsnty of us went down to moot him and called to him to come on. He said I am one of .Kereopa's men, and Kereopa is bringing up the forces. Ho said he ■was frightened to advance, because we had got the war paint. Wo said *' don't be frightened, ■we belong to the Uriwera." But ho knew we belonged to the Armva, firsd at us, threw his gun away, and bolted. Wo followed him; lie jumped the cliff down to tho river, then wo fired at him iu the river and killed him, brought him to the camp, and our guide belonging to the Oriwcra, told us he was Uoani Korctangn, a gre:it chief of the Uriwera, belonging to Huatahuua. So then we had a war dance in consequence of this man that we had shot. About five minutes after Major St. John and tho constabulary came up.

My informant remarks, Tf the Arawas had their own way they wou'd soon clear out the Uriwera. Xetthe Europeans take one road, and us take another, because tho Arawas cannot do anything with the Europeans, for they havo too much order, and the Arawa* do not like that. And then the Arawa get very little pay. The price ou»ht to be raised. Mari o Tetumu, cbi;f of the Arawa, was the first in the pah.

My informant contiuues—The (iovernment gave the Arawas little pay and bad rations. Seme days ■without and seme days with rations. I think they ought to pi"" us ' r ■ a day for going through the TTriwerft country. They are giving to the militia, same 45., some (is., and some 10s., and they are giving the Arawa 2s. Some of the militi i lire very good, and some not worth paying for fighting, and some of the officers too. Now tho Arawas have been fighting sis years for the Government. There was Alatata, where they took thirty prisoners, including Te Hui; and they never got any benefit from the Government who got all the land. 'J hen there was Kotorua, •where six ifauhaus were killed, and two taken prisoners, Tauransa, Tipuki, Opotiki, To Tapiri, and nonfighting the Uriwera.

My informant states that the troops are now building which will be garrisoned by Arawa?, tho volunteers will be disbanded, and operations suspended until Dext summer.