MORE ABOUT THE MASSACRES.

Colonist, Issue 1165, 4 December 1868, Page 6

MORE ABOUT THE MASSACRES.

The Hawlces Bay Herald of Tuesday, November I7tl), says:— The St. Kilda arrived from Wairoa early on Saturday morning, having on board a number of women and children. The same day the St. Kilda steamed for Mohaka, where the settlers hare resolved, in case of attack, to defend themselves in the stockade. Landed ammunition and brought away Mrs. Pierce and family, and Mrs. Sim and family. Keturned to the. anchorage soon after midnight. Our correspondent's letter is dated tho 13th; through some mischance his letter containing later intelligence has not reached us. We have, however, been kindly permitted to see a private letter, written by a gentleman residing there, whose sources of information are among the best. Ho says :—" Te Kooti has gone as far as Owcta, and burnt all the settler's houses in the neighborhood. He went on Saturday and told the people whom he found there that if they would not join him he would have them all shot. Renata Whakaari was shot af once, and seven others were put under arrest, probably for the same purpose. Kooti, it is said, burnt the guns he found at Oweta, because they had contracted a " hara," in that th-n----were used at Wacrcnnahika, where the Hauhaus were defeated. They would consider them, I suppose, unlucky • it is all the better, as he will have so many fewer than he might have had. They say he is going lo have three pahs—ono at Ivobangfi Ivarearia anotheratPukeamionga, and a third up the Okahuatia valley, at the back of Patutahi. The latter place is where his women and children are. If this is correct, he means to stand his ground. From another source of information wo learn that three were killed instead of ono, as abore mentioned. "All tho houses left standing were burnt down on Saturday night. Tho enemy is said to be in great force, consisting of the original party, greatly reinforced by Uriweras, and ex-friendlies, well armed, from Wairoa and elsewhere. It is estimated that hi» fighting men are 500, and that they have in their possession 300 rifles. They are led by Te Warn, IV Kooti, Namu, Harewera, and others. They are trongly posted at Pukeamionga and Captain West upp's, and have been seen in tho distance carting jfcores and apparently making preparations to romair.

(Other accounts say that he will shortly return to his mountain home, Puketapu.) In addition to the men Bent from here, Weatrupp has been reinforced by old Iliaku and 40 men, who wore picked up at Mahia by the Ahuriri; but his force, all told, dees not exceed 280 men, and with this number he could not at once hold the redoubt and take the field. He is anxious for reinforcements. Tho Star of the South was despatched last evening, with the twenty-two men who arrived yesterday in the steamer from Wellington, and with the few stand of arms that can be spared, as well as such medicines as might be useful to the wounded. TmuNGANUi Redoubt, Nov. 11. Thanks to Captain Read's energetic -proceedings, nil tlie ladies ani-children this, side of the Waipawa river, with the exception-of a few who would not lwive, were shipped en route for Auckland and Napier. Their passage across the bay w.as illumined by the bbizeof burning homesteads. At 9 p.m. five houses wore in flames—by midnight they were totally consumed. *' _ ■ 10 a.m. —Mr. Newnham and his wife, two aged settler*, have been murdered about nn hour ago, and their houso is now burning. The work of destruction continues. Many houses in flames are visable from this redoubt. Lieut. Gascdigne and party of scouts have returned, after cleverly evading tho enemy. Lieut. Gascoigne is the only officer left alive in Poverty Bay. Capt. Westrupp, finding himself cut off from Xl*, has very wisely collected the fugitves upon the south side of the Waipnwa, and retreated upon Wairoa. There being many women and children with Capt. Westrupp, we are very anxious to heiir of their safe arrival. 4 p.m. —Messrs. Poyntcr, Evans, Kempthorne and Scott, have safely arrived j it was feared they were killed. Tho enemy are ascertained to number 500; ii reinforcement of 300 is expected to join them, and we look to hear that most of the Poverty Bay natives hnvo joined Te Kooti, Tumihana's tribe I believe are m'tiiin to do so. The number of Europeans known to be killed at present is 30, friendly natives 5. November 12. Tho stpamer's arrival appears to have quickened tho H.iuhau movements ; all this morning flames are ascending from houses in all directions. By night fe<v of tho beautiful homes of Poverty Bay will be left. Tho Bplendid and costly mansioa belonging to fie Into dipt. Eloomficld Read i 3 in flames whilst I write; also the residences of Messrs. Uliren, Dodd nnd PeprmrJ, Parker, Walsh and Padbury, Mr. Tarr, Mrs. 11. Uhren, anp many others, nre burning. f; p. ril . —A. letter from ffapi, a trustworthy native, has arrived ; he thinks Te Kooti will not attack us, but intends to retire. Tho letter states that the bodies of Major Biggs, his lady and child, and those of Captain Wilson and his family, havo been devoured by pig?. Many authentic details connected with the late dismal tragedy are to hand. The following may be relied upon ns true : — Major Biggs was awakened at 3 a.m. on the 10th, by the tramp of horsemen surrounding his house. Rousing his family and servants, he told them the Hauhtvus were upon them, at tho same time warning his servant lad to look to his rifle. Then going to his i": out door, he demanded of the wretches what they !.v.-uit< sd. He was answered by a volley. Running 1) ick into tho house, he exclaimed, " Oh! Emily, lam done for; savo yourself and the baby." Tho poor lady would not desert her husband, but remained and died, with her child, by his side. Their female servant, Mrs. Farrell, died with her mistress, to whom she was inuoh attached. Capt. Wilson fired at throe of hi» murderers, and fell by a bullet from the fourth. His laiy and five children were killed ; their man sorvant was burnt and cut into three pieces. A shearer, going to the station of Messrs. Dodd and Peppnrd, at daylight on tho 10th, found those gentlemen lying dead in their shirts upon their own threshold. Their man servant was killed. Lieut. Walsh, his wifp, child, and partner, were murdered inside their own dwelling—all mutilated. Mr. Ciidle fell dead upon his face, in front of Cudlo and Blair's store. Mrs. M'Culloch was murdered, with her infant— her littlo brother standing by her side. The poor little fellow escaped. Major Biggs' servant lad escaped by a miracle, and by timely warning, saved the family of the late Capt. Bloomfield Read, with the daughter and infant of Mr. Parker, formerly of Napier, who were on a visit to Mrs. Bloomfield Read. The ladies and children barely escaped in their night-dresses. A stockman of Capt. .Read's, hearing shots, rode off to ascertain the cause. At Mr. Man :'s ho found two of the murderers burning the body of Mrs. Mann in front of the house. One of them snatched at his 'u-idle, but", the horse swerveiug, saved his rider's life, who galloped off, hotly pursued ; but he effected his escape. Mr. Munn in like manner found himself suddenly surrounded and fired at by the nauhaus. Though desperately wounded, he got away. Mr. Miinn had a severe struggle with To Kooti. He had nearly succeeded in strangling tho villain, but, being nnirmed, was shot by another Huuhau. Mr. M'Culloch was killed whilst climbing his stock-yard rails. Such are a very few of the details connected with this shocking massacre ; some particulars untold are horrible in the extreme. November 13. 4 p.m. —A deputation of natives from Parateni, the chief of a loyal tribe across he bay, to request assistance in the shape of a hundred guns, and the presence of Hari, a native minister, in order that they may not have to turn Hauhaus. All the houses south the Waipawa aro said to be destroyed, but not yet burnt. We copy tho following from the Haivlce's Bay Herald of Monday, November 23 : — Redoubt, Turanganui, November IR. Astonishing to relate, one of the late Captain Wilson's boys (Jemmy) has just arrived, after ifc boing considered certain that the whole- family had beenslaughtered. The child stated bis mother was still nlive. She had written a few lines on a card, asking for holy, and Jemmy brought it with him. The following is a copy : — " Could some kind friend come to our help, for God's sake. lam very much wounded, lying in a littlo house at our place. My poor son James is with mo. Come quick. Aiice WttsON. "We have little or no clothing, and are in dreadful suffering." Little Jemmy, her son, is a brave little lad. He came towards the Bloomfield's when the Hauhaus were killing his father, and slept in the verandah, possibly before the Bloomfields left. In the day ho wandered about, not having the least idea that his mother or anyone belonging to him was still alive; and, as far as I can make out, it must have been Thursday before he found her out. She had been left for dead at the time of the massacm A Maori came and took away her shawl, which, besides her night dress, was all the covering she had on, poor lady. She lay exposed to the eun and weathor a whole night and day; she then managed to crawl into a small out building which was left standing, •"I there Jemmy found her. She had managed to .c herself a little water in a small tea kettle, and diMik out of a broken bottle. When Jemmy found her ho got her somo eggs and eookod them (I suppose by her direction) in the tea kettle. He also fetched her a few potatoes and a little bread from Toanga. He tried twice, ho said, to make his way to Turanganui, but did not succeed. There was a party sent out to-day to look round and see what there might be to bo seen. They met him, and brought him in.

November IG, 4 p.m. Mrs. Wilson has arrived upon a litter ; our rescue party found the poor lady in an out-house, attired in ■i chemiso only, which was saturated with the blood from six bayonet wounds. The murderers dashed out the brains of Mrs. Wilson's baby against the floor, and after the head had besome a pulpy nags placed it in her arras, before attacking the mother Mrs. Wilson's principal wounds are two in the arm, one of which pinned her to the ground; another, nearer tho wrist, transfixed her and her baby, which lay dead beneath, her. Sensible even then, and h»ar.

ing the dying moans of her husband, she turned towards him, and immediately received another bayonet stab in the abdomen. This wound probably saved her life; the murderors left her, supposing her to be dead ; but even then, before departing, they beat her on the breast with the butt" ends of their rifles, of which she retains the marks. Jemmy states his little sister was stabbed in twelvo places. Little Jerr.my wandered about for three dajs after his escape in search of his mother, and finally got her away, after accomplishing the remarkable feat of traversing six miles upon an open road continually scoured by the enemy. Oae day, him and his mother took refuge in Captain Bloomfield Read's house before it was burnt. Whilst there a number of the murderers camo and dined there, Mrs. Wilson and Jemmy being concealed under a bed. When it is remembered that. Mrs. Wilson and her.child lay hidden for seven days—the former terribly wounded —that they wore all that time surrounded by murderers, and were forced to move from one miserable refuge to another—thut they were at one time hiding in a house to which the Hauhaus occasionally came vve may partially conceive, but not wholly reulise, the agonies endured by the unhappy lady. The poor boy was probably uuaware of the full extent of their calamity. The body of Mr. Cadle wa9 fonnd where he fell, in front of his store. Mr. Cadle was shot through the back. His retriever dog was alive beside him ; the faithful qrcaturo had guarded the body of his muchloved master, and had for seven days preserved it from the mutilation to which the other bodies were unhappily exposed. .. November 18. Piitcne Potote and six other natives have been shot at Tamihana's pa. The prisoners taken by the rebels are said to havo had their'hearts cut out whilst living, and other hideous cruelties were perpetrated on the murdered friendly natives. One friendly female chief, named Charlotte, had her eyos torn out, her anm cut off to the shoulder, and her l^gs separated from (he thighs. Gin any language be too strong for such ntrooities? To Kooti has committed deeds which cause Immunity to shudder, and which might make " the angels weep." The number of friendly natives killed by the rebels now exceeds fifty. A great number have been shot at Pukipuki, on the ploa that they previously borne arms against Te Kooti. November 18, 6 p.m. The party that went out to bury the massacred settlers have returned. The bodies of most of the the murdered were found where they fell, but sadly disfigured and partially devoured by pigs and hawks. The party report having collected and buried twentyfour individuals, namely : —Major Biggs and his wife together; Mrs. Farrell alone; Captain Wilson, throe children, and man-servant, in one grave (dptain Wilson's children had been decapitated) ; Maria Goldsmith, also decapitated ; all these were interred where they fell. Mr. Mann and his wife, buried near their home (their child was not found) ; Mr. Cadle, buried close to the remains of bis store ; Mr. Walsh, wife, child, and partner (Mr. Padburv) were interred together ; tho child was found with its head cut off. At Mr. Nownham's no bodies were found, but a newly• made grave was discovered, and ifc is probable that Newnham and his household are interred in it. All the murdered Kuwanatanga natives appear to have beau buried by friendly or other natives. A ring or two, a brooch, and a few other articles havo been obtained from the sad remains as mementoes for transmission to friends of the departed. November 19. Mrs. Wilson, although terribly shattered, is doing well, and hopes nro entertained by tha medical attendant of her entire recovery. She is at present staying at Archdeacon Williams'. A friendly native was found under a bed in the Oweta pa last night, with four or five bayonet, and one rifle wound.. He reports that the number Df natives, loyil and others, killed by Te Kooti yesterday is forty, amongst whom were nearly all the Poverty Bay chiefs. Every honse in Turanga has been desteoyed. The district is ruined for years to come; the numerous beautiful homesteads which used to delight the traveller's eye havo been swept away, and the scene is changed indeed. . On Friday afternoon, November 20, as the nativo allies were out scouting, they came upon a large party of the enemy, who were mounted. The Hauhaus at first showed fight, but, boing received by a volley which killed two of their number, they turned and fled. The following is the list of the dead so far as has yet been ascertained : — Major Biggs, wife, child, and female servant 4 Capt. Wilson, three children, and man-servant 5 Messrs. Dodd and Peppard and man-3ervant 3 Lieutenant Walsh, wife, and child 3 Mr. Padbury 1 Mr. Cadle 1 Mi1. Mann, wife, and child ... ... ... 3 Maria Goldsmith and young brother ... 2 Mr. M'Culloch, wife, child, and niece ... 4 Mr. Rathbone 1 Mr. It. Newnham, wife, child,arid man-servant 4 Friendly and other natives ... 50 TOTAT. 81