FURTEER NEWS FROM POVERTY BAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2055, 5 September 1868, Page 6

FURTEER NEWS FROM POVERTY BAY.

A correspondent of the New Zealafid Herald writes from Poverty. Bay :—An engagement took place yesterday on the ranges. The Hauhaus advanced from the bush, took aU the stores from ns that had just arrived, as weU as the troopers' horses and saddles (who were at the time dismounted), and after a great deal of firing we were repulsed, the loss on our side being a Volunteer named William Wood, who fell mort&Uy wounded, being shot through the head, and a Native also mortaUy wounded, along with six Volunteers slightly wounded. No idea can be formed of the numbers kiUed on the Hauhauside.

•S^ B*^ ai Para arrived from Napier* Jphto Natives, and left again foi Opotiki to bring up Major Fraser and his .mounted Constabulary Force. The rebels are stiUin the same posttion, and busy at work, evidently preparing themselves to make a stand against us. ' * Friday, July 24th. _Nothmg further done as yet. Colonel Whitmore has proclaimed the district under martial law, and no person caa therefore leave the district. The settler* are aU, I believe, to show up at the front when caUed upon. KILLED AND WOTODED. July 27th, 1868. F. Hilbon, gunshot wound in mouth., slight. * F. Evans, gunshot wound in shoulder. slight. . ■ ■ - * Charles Ferris, gunshot wound in face, slight. * Robert Goldsmith, gunshot wound ia arm and side, severe. John Pilbrow, gunshot wound in -arm, slight. * Thomaß Wren, gunshot wound in. arm., slight. WiUiam Wood, gunshot wound, dead. Wi Koaro, gunshot wound, dead Lockey FarreU, gunshot wound ia shoulder, not expected to live. (Signed) William Bitows*, Assistant Surgeon, P.B.M, Rifle Volunteers

; In addition to the news from our cosrespondent, we have received the foUowing particulars, which have reached us through other sources:—"At the HtSrmish of Paparatu the Hauhaus succeeded in capturing about seventy horses, with saddles arid bridles, belonging to the settlers of the district. The whole lot stolen are estimated to be worth LIOOOV The s.s. Waipara not having arrived from. Opotiki with reinforcements, CoL Whffcmore had decided to advance without them. On Sunday last he was about six mUes beyond Weßtrupp's place. An attack would, in aU probabiUty, be made about Monday or Tuesday.

LATEST FKOM PATEA. Monday, 3rd of August. Immediately on the receipt of intelligence here of the attack upon the escort, Colonel M'DonneU arid Mr Booth started for Waihi. Evans, the only man who waa severely wounded, is in a precarious state; so much so that Dr Brewster has but little hope of Ms recovery. Two of the men. who were wounded at Turo Turo Mokai were brought in to Patea on Saturday last. Dr Brewster accompanied them, arid as the party could only move along with the wounded men at a slow walk, had a. tedious march of it.

On Tuesday night a report was circulated throughout this town, to the effect that the 'Hauhaus had attacked Waihi, kiUed fifty of our men, bat suffered severe loss on their side. The facts of the -, case are these : On Tuesday morning*, about eight o'clock, we left Patea, and tip to that hour Colonel J^'DonneU had received no intelligence of any attack upcfk Waihi; On reaching Sherwood's, at -thfe? '"'* Waitotara, our party had to wait nearly three hours to.hit the tide. We thea .:; started, and having gone about half, a mile one of the party said he hacl forgotten his revolver at Sherwood's, and returned for it. Oa again coming up, he said that a Maori had just arrived at Sherwood's with a ... report as to our defeat at Waihi We cautioned him to say nothing of it, as if correct inteUigence must come to hand m. a few hours. On reaching town, however, the report .w as. circulated ; and aa two troppers were of the party, the report was said to have been brought in by them. That we believe to be incorrect -. The Maori seems to have reached town iri a state of inebriation, and circulated, the report. He was taken into custody^, arid yesterday morning fined 5s for being drunk and disorderly. We mention thia for the special purpose of exonerating tha two troopers from having circulated the report. Whether true or false, they* had nothing to do with it, nor was it knowit in Patea, at eight o'clock on Tuesday, morning.— Wanganui Times, August Bth« PATEA FIELD FORCE. On Monday last, the Patea Field Force numbered 720 men and 24 officers, wiih. reinforcements still going -forward. That is the largest Colonial force that has ever yet taken the field, but when we deduct from that the number of men required ta be left to defend Patea and the outlying posts, it would not leave Colonel M'DoifcneUriaore than 300 effective fighting merit -for an attack. We say effective fightingmen, because many of the men sent tothe front did not know how to load at rifle. Others were so physicaUy unfit for service that Dr Brewster rejected a huskber of them. AU things considered it ia necessary to patiently await the current of events. Of one thing we feel certain, and thatis, that the moment CoL M'Donnell feels confident that his arrangements are ; complete he wiU make a dash forward,, but not before. A few days hence we may hear more upon the subject. Correspondence from the Front con- - tinues to reach us:—Colonel M'Donnell and Major Hunter are spoken of in anything but complimentary terms. Major Vori Tempsky and Captain Buck are very , popular; the latter officer's men are styled. " Buck's Bruisers !" Numbers of mtsa_" want to join the Bruisers. (From the Wellington Independent o£ the 18th.) - . The Herald of the 18th instant remarks:— No further communication has been received from Colonel Wliitmore, and nothing is known of the engagement of the Bth, beyond what was published by us on Thursday as an "Extra," and which was telegraphed to Wellington. Although what is known of the circumstances tells greatly in favor of the endurance and pluck of Colonel Whitmore and the men under his command ; it is feared, that the enemy, consisting of a large body of veteran fighting men, with.; full knowledge of the ground, and i well suppUed in every respect, have again succeeded in repulsing., the Colonial forces. This idea -ia^f strengthened by the news received of the lamented death of Capt. Carr and Mr Davis Canning—-news which, accompanied by inteUigence of a decided victory^ would still have shed a gloom over the community. Should such idea prove tobe well-founded, the fact wiU, we trust* prove an incentive (if such be wanting to. the Stafford Ministry) to put. forth fresh exertions to arrest the progress of the band of dangerous fanatics let loose upon the borders of this Province, by the ovei> confidence (to use a very imid term), or men in power ; at aU events, to preserve any portion of the settled districts feosn. being subject to the ravages of the wd& animals (for they are Uttle better) who* are now running at large. NEWS FROM orOHKI. By the cutter Whitby, which arrived: yesterday, we have news from Opotiki to*

:© 6th ingt. »Tt. is h«!ie7ed b 1* those who mow the situation of Opotiki, and the 3Satives who hold the country at the hack, that the return of the Hauhau frisoners from the Chatham Islands wiU aye a bad effect, by encouraging the TTriweraa to make incursions on the settlement of Opotiki. This has not yet taken place, for two reasons probably— ihe prisoners had riot, at the latest dates, succeeded in making thoir escape to the Imsh, where they are almost certain to associate with the Uriweras; and also because there are no scattered settlers about Opotiki to attack, the whole population l>eing. concentrated in the township. We learn, however, from Captain Doughty, that considerable alarm was felt atOpotiki. A large number of men were upon pay. Hauhau fires were seen on the ranges, l>ut no rebels had ventured near town. We learn that a great many of the settlers of Opotiki are leaving the place. Seventeen came up in the Whitby, many oi whom are to proceed to the Thames.— Southern Cross, Aug. 12. REPORTED DISCOVERY OF GOLD AI WAITAKBEJB. We stated in yesterday's paper that some quartz had been brought down a few *lay 3 ago from Waitakere, by Mr Hewaon, a settler there, and had been submitted to Dr Aickin, who was quite satisfied that it would pay well for crushing. Mr Hewson came into town again yester- * day, bringing with him as much quartz as 3ie could carry. There cannot be any doubt that this quartz was got at Waitaiere, and we believe there is as Uttle doubt that it is richly auriferousr Dr Aickin will superintend the crushing and thorough testing of the quartz. We may add that it is expected to yield fully ten ounces to the ton.— lbid.

The Timaru Herald of Saturday contains the following letter from a resident in the Chatham Islands to a friend in Timaru, concerning the escapeof theprisoners :—" When 1 sat down to write my present bundle of letters, it was on the 4th instant, and I did not intend writing to you. as I had not any news to impart. How Uttle do we know what an hour may bring forth ? Whilst I was in the middle of them, two men rushed franticaUy into my room for firearms, saying Hie redoubt was taken by the Hauhaus, Tve were in their hands. For one minute, 1 thought we should aU be kiUed, and loaded any piece to seU my life as dearly as might be; l>ut I had presence of mind to hide my arms, and go out with my pipe in my mouth, endeavoring to look calm, and to reconnoitre. It was providential I did so, for on leaving *ny door I found it was covered by half a dozen rifles. 1 stood and looked at them, and then spoke to some passing, who were •unarmed; about a dozen or two came ud, and locked myself and four others in tfie *"Cells, where we remained for an hour in great suspense; for I then believed they had tasted Wood. One poor feUow was kiUed in the redoubt endeavoring to resist them. So w;ell lad aU been planned and carried out that in about one hour and a half they had taken the xedoubt, captured the vessels lying in harbor , —the ketch Florence, Captain Priest, arid ygfSjßffflreQ* masted schooner Rifleman, Cap1^ Christian— got all on board the latter, ■-...«*r' tamed the former adrift to go ashore, which she did. WeU, you wiU naturally say how has aU this come about, and what were the guard doing ? To answer this I must go back; when the first prisoners were sent down they came with a guard of about 24 file—the prisoners behaved so weU -that the guard was sent back, except the commissariat butcher, the orderly clerk, and two commissariat issuers ; then another hatch of prisoners came (indeed two), and She guard wa? made up to 10 white men and 10 friendly native boys, who had all more or less relations — uncles and cousins — amongst the prisoners. Very wise this of the CJovernment ! . About twelve months ago we had Major Edwards down on a visit of inspection, and he had the native guard •done away with, and the guard made up to 24 fighting men. Another fit of change— -economy or experimentabsm—seized the GoTernment, and these were graduaUy reduced to about 18. Then came the last'grand stroke. Mr RoUeston came down at the l>eginning of this year, and he had the guard done away with in toto, and replaced by nine armed constabulary, the sentries abolished, and the duty done in such a manner that— I speak advisedly—half a - dozen white anen could have taken the redoubt any time during the last three months, I knew it, a^d have remonstrated in vain. In tiie redoubt was a magazine with about f24 rifbs and. ammunition in which, a chUd ien years old cuuld open ! Is it to be wondered that .168 fighting men, and most of them fine fellows—with wives worse in war than thoy are—shouid take the place and go ? The commissariat issuer has had the charge of them si> ca they have been on the island,' and had he exercised the smallest amount of judgment Jie might havo seen they were disaffected ; and had he used discretion it might «yen then havo been avoided. But what did le do ? Contrary to aU rule he allowed the rredoubt to be filled by prisoners carrying in stores and to remain there, telling the men fnot to interfere with them. He nearly lost his liis through his blind folly, for they fired on him, and he was in such" .a panic that he took: to tho bush and was not seen until next attorning. One noble defender of the people gallantly tried to hide in a chimney, but the smoke was too much for him—and he an officer— he how goes hy the name of Chimney Sweep. One thing must be said in favour of ths Hauhaus, or at least of some few who had authority over the rest. When the place was taken they hurt neither man, woman, nor -child, though the latter were utterly at their ■mercy. Asa matter of course they ransacked the plaoe for money and arms."