TE PUNA NATIVE OUTRAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5494, 26 June 1879, Page 5

TE PUNA NATIVE OUTRAGES.

We extract the following from the Bay of Plenty Times of Saturday : —By the courtesy of Mr. Dobbyn, contractor for the construction of the Te Puna Road, we have been furnished, with an account of the circumstances under which he and his men were obliged to abandon the work. He states that on Monday last a party of natives cnme up to his men while they were engaged at work, and ordered them to leave the place and remove their implements. The labourers replied that they would continue until ordered to stop by the Government, whereupon the Maoris threatened to carry off the tools and destroy them. Mr. Dohbyn at this stage arrived on the scene, and learning what had transpired, remonstrated with the natives on their conduct, but apparently without any effect. A horse and plough which he had engaged were observed by the party, who threatened to seize the horse and tase away the plough, After consulting with his employes, Mr. Dobbyn decided on abandoning the work, believing that the Maorie had fully made up their minds to carry their threat 3 into execution. The hostile appearance of the party was most alarming, Mr. Dobbyn says that he observed a reserve force of Maori auxiliaries stationed in the bush, about three hundred yards distant. He is fully persaaded that, had he and his men offend the slightest opposition, they would have been set on by the Hauhaus, and the results might have been serious. We understand that, in their interview with Major Roberta and Jtulge Wilson, the natives made no secret of their purpose, asserting boldly that they were the rightful owners of the land and were determined to prevent its occupation by strangers. We have learned, on what we believe to be good authority, that the natives have erected a new pa at Whakatnarama, near Tβ Puna, and that the bush in the neighbourhood is filled with small settlements. A few weeks ago about three hundred Maoris were seen at the place. Major Roberts, accompanied by a mounted trooper, visited Te Puna yesterday, with the view of interviewing the disaffected natives, but we understand his mission was fruitless, so far as influencing them to riesiat from tbeir avowed was concerned.