THE TARANAKI AFFAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5496, 28 June 1879, Page 5

THE TARANAKI AFFAIR.

THE TURNING OFF AT OKURA. [BY TELEGRAPH, FROM OUE CORnESPONDENT.] New Plymouth, Friday. Major Tuke witH forty men of the Armed Constabulary, whs were unarmed, left camp at Oaknra this laorninp, at eleven o'clock, and were marched to Mr. Courtney's paddock, where the natives were ploughing, arriving there about noon. Major Take authorised Mr. Carrington (the interpreter) to tell the natives that they must leave the field, and not plough there, if they did not, he should have to take the ploughs and carts from them. Walter and Tukino were the only one 3 who spoke, the latter replying that there was no law to compel them to leave the ground, and that they wonld not give up their ploughs. Major Tuke then ordered six men to take possession of each of the ploughs, who at onoe commenced to unyoke the bullocks. The natives gave up the implements without farther demonstration. The ploughs were put into a cart, and the bullocks yoked up again, when the men drove them off the tand, and took them to the native village at Tapaihae. The " natives appeared 'very sulky, and, with the exception of the words mentioned above, would say nothing, and they were left iquatting on the ground. Large numbers of persons went out this morning to Tapue to see the law put in force. E-erything passed off very quietly. Major Tuke went prepared for a struggle with the natives, yet none was expected. AFFAIRS AT MOKATT. Information was brought into town this morning that Wetere had ordered Mr. Short and his family to immediately leave Mokau. Mr. J. Jones proceeded to Mokau, in the Hannah Mokau, to bring them back as soon as the steamer can get there. The natives who, in IS6S, were brought from the Chatham Islands and placed on the other eide of the Nannui, as a protection to the settlers from the Hauhaus, that were at Mokau, have long einco become fanatics and believers in Te Whiti. It is these natives who have commenced ploughing up Mr. Bayley's land at Waiti. They have eight bullocks and ploughs, and there are twenty-five at work. They are very impudent, and talk of stopping the road to the White Cliffs next week. They say that they will send men to plough Uμ Captain Wilson's and Mr. Morgan's property. Some natives told a storekeeper at Urenui to clear out at once, for ihey intended to have all that was there. One of the Constabulary men who has been in the habit of visiting Mokau occasionally, and has been usually received by the natives in a frieudly manner wont there last week, when he found the natives sullen, and they would not speak to him. THE WHITE CLIFFS AND WAITARA. The Armed Constabulary camp at White Cliffs is going to be largely reinforced. A native near Waitara being insolent to a European, the latter gave the Maori a severe shaking and threw him on the ground. The native picked himself up, and ran away without another word. On Wednesday, a native was conversing with a pakeha on Te Whiti's supernatural powers, and appeared to be quite confident that the bullets could not hurt him when he had the prophet's protection, whereupon the pakeha produced a revolver, and asked to try the experiment. The Maori most emphatically declined to exhibits the prophet's powers, and was doubtful if tho experiment would be successful. OPTTNAKE. The natives are ploughing at Optmake the Armed Constabulary paMock. They state that they will plough right through the middle of tho redoubt if they can got tho bullocks to go. There is a feeling here that the natives are determined on rising, and are doing everything to provoke hostilities, and that the Waikatos are concerned ia the affair. The action of the Government in preparing to put men on the railway meets with general approval here, and is considered to be the only true civiliser of the Maori. A NATIVE ARRESTED. A native named Tainake Kopokanui was arrested this afternoon at Hawera, charged with stealing clothing from a storekeeper named King. It was considered advisable to take him to Patea, where he will be tried, and, if convicted, he will be sent to Wanganai.