SUPPOSITIONS CONCERNING TE KOOTI.

Colonist, Volume XIII, Issue 1287, 25 January 1870, Page 3

SUPPOSITIONS CONCERNING TE KOOTI.

The Morning Advertiser of January 20th, gives the following from its Waikato correspondent: —

Te Koofcj, it is now supposed, never meant to surrender, but his overtures were intended to disarm suspicion. He has been largely reinforced, both by accession of Kereopa and Hakaiaia, and by the union of numbers of the Ohinemuri natives, and tho c collected from tbe Mataora and East Coast. It is still impossible to say where his attack will be directed.

The same paper says:—

The return of Mr. M'Lean to Auckland is anxiously 1 looked for by the authorities. Te Kooti telegraphed direct, through Mr. Firth (after the meeting), that he would surrender on certain conditions. The Government will in no way countenance the interference of Mr. Firth, from whom, it is said, the suggestion of surrender on condition of protection emanated. In his telegram to Mr. M'Lean, Te Kooti alluded to his being hemmed in, and said that he would fight if his offer were nofc accepted. The following comes via the Thames and is extracted from the Times oi yesterday:—" We learn that the Hauhaus have left the Upper Thames — probably to join,Te Kooti.. For the last four days Rapata and his people have been under arms, and a few nights ago Rapata sent down an invitation to the Europeans to go to the settlement, which invitation was accepted by some of the diggers. Near Tukatea a party of fifteen mounted strange natives were seen, and the circumstance reported. In consequence of these incidents Major Cooper has received very pressing requests for men or arms, as the whole of the friendly natives and the Europeans are exposed to an attack from Te Kooti's forces. A letter sent down for the Hon. the Defence Minister, was too late to reach him before leaving for Tauranga, and so no one has the power to stir in the matter without a grave responsibility."