THE EAST COAST CAMPAIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1753, 5 July 1869, Page 8

THE EAST COAST CAMPAIGN.

LATEST FROM THE EAST COAST. IMPORTANT NEWS "FEOM TAUPO. A PARTY OF YOLUNTEEKS SURPRISED, AND NINE MEN KILLED. REBEL PARTY SUPPOSED TO BE LKD BY TE KOOTI IN PERSON. We have been favored by the agent for the General Government with the following disastrous intelligence, which we hasten to place before our readers : — Despatches have been telegraphed from Col. St. John this forcn on, dated the Bth and Oth June. The news is to the following effect :— The Cavalry escort (Bay of Plenty Yolunteers), under Cornet Smith, left at Opipi by Col. St. John, while he proceeded on a reconnoitring expedition, was surprised on the morning of the Sth, and nine men killed. Numerous tracks were seen leading to Waitahanui, on the Tnupo Lnkf, about 15 miles distant fromTapueharuru, as if a strong party had been moving from the rriwera to Tauno Lake. The first intelligence was conveyed to Colonel St. John by the brothers Hallett, who were on their way to Nnpicr. On arriving at Opipi, on the forenoon of the Bth, they discovered two dead bodies of Kuropcans, who had been stripped, and seeing no traces of the cavalry, they instantly returned to Tapueharuru, to acquaint Colonel St. John. That officer started with Captain St. George during the night of the Bth, and reached Opipi abcut daylight of yesterday. Nothing was seen of the Hauhaus but their tracks. They found altogether nine dead bodies, none of them mutilated. The names of the poor fellows who have fallen victims to this surprise are as follows : — Hector Gillies Ross. ~) Subalterns of Ernest Lawson 3 Militia. Sergeant Slattery, Trooper Charles Johnston, ~ Charles Benton, ~ Joseph Bedois. „ John Cook, Frederick Gill. Trumpeter McGillop Colonel St. John proceeded with Captain St. George to Fort Galatea yesterday. There is reason to suppose that To Eooti's band, led by himself in person, committed this surprise in their retreat to the Upper Taupo district.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

4 p.m. There are some grounds for supposing that the surprise at Opipi has been done by the Tauranga Taupo natives in revenge for the death of their chief Wirihaun, who was killed in the attack on the Aruwa pn at Whakatane some months ago. The circumstance of the perpetrators, whoever they wore, making ostentatious attempts to have it appear, by leaving a letter to that effect at Opipi, that To Kooti himself had been there and done it, is very suspicious. It is well known that these Upper Taupo Lake Hauhaus, though not more than 100 in number, are exceedingly ill-disposed, both to us and the friendly natires.— Hatokc's Bay Times, Juno IC.

We learn from Lieut. Featon, A.N.V. Artillery that the report published by us recently, as taken from the Hawkc's Bay Times, is not a'ltok'e'.hcr correct in reference to the whole of the men who wero killed being Bay of Plenty Volnntcers. Ernest Lawson was an Ensign in the Auck land Militia, and was acting as a trooper in tlio Tauranga Cavalry A r olunteers. Ho left Auckland on the 25th March.

Sergeant SbUtery »lso belonged to the Tan., ranga Cavalry. He was a married man, »nd leares a wife and family at Tauranga. Charles Johnxon and Joseph Bedois, halfcastes, wero members of the Tauranga Cavalry Volunteers. They w»*e both young men, and their parei.ts are residing at Tauranga. Frederick Gill is a son of Mr. Gill, clerk to the Commissioner at Tauranga. He was a young man about 18 years of age, and was much respected in the district.

FURTHER PART ICULARS. '« .

Cornet Smith, suppoosed to have been tilled at Opipi, has turned up at Fort Galatea. His escapes, or rather series of escapes, appear to have been most ruiraculons. The Hawkes Bay Herald furnishes tho following brief description of them: — Cornet -imitb, who commanded the Hoy of Plenty Volunteers, has at last reached l r <irt Gahitea after undergoing almost unheard of d'ingersand privationc, during t-n luyt of moat inclement weather. He escaped, wiili four otli»r9, fr m tlie fato of his oOrnpmiiona, anrl was trying to make his way to Colonel 9t. John, at Tiipueh:'ruru, when he vt»i di-covored by tliroo natives at some distance from Opipi, and tied with flu t-> a tree, rift r they had stripped him of ttin great, r p-irt of lih clothing. In this miserable p miti-in h<- re-iiaitied f tr four ii:iy«, when tho swollinir in hi" litindd having eubsidad, and the liar becoming softened with heavy ruin, he raati!ig.-d V> oitricuto one hhnd and then released hitnsel'. Shitting fur Kort G.ilatea, ho had to Mih.Mst, in that desola'o country, ahunsi entirely on grass, At tho Ifnrewiwi pu h") found the skins of a few potatoo* which had been rousted in the a"hes. Nobo ly was titer.-, and he proi M.ied on his journey. .At tho last cr-).»sii!:r of the Knngitiki, he was discover.d by I'line of the enemy's scouts, just about dark, and plung.d into tho jivcr and swam across. Tho ►tream is hem very rapid, an'l bis cap waß floated oil his hoad. lie reached the bink, and scrambled into sumo long raupo, where ho lay bid for some titnn The enemy, seeing tho cap floating down iho riv.r. Cted a: it /- is arrival at Kort Galatea was mn.»t miracL-lous, atid ho was warmly welcomed by his companions in arms there, as one for whoie e-ifty all hopo hid baen e.iven up.

Cornet Smith 13 an I'potiki ?et'.ler, and has a wife and family. Mrs had never dispairo.f of hitn. It is sratifjin? to be ablo, to stito that, although extremely redui-ed, he is doing well and likely t) recover. 9