THE CANTEEN AND WHARES BURNT BY NATIVES AT WAIHI.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 830, 20 June 1868, Page 3

THE CANTEEN AND WHARES BURNT BY NATIVES AT WAIHI.

It is much to be regretted that the natives at the south of this Province have again commence,! their atrocities by murdering 1 , in cold blood, some of the European settlers near Putea. It is the more Unfortunate from the fact that this has happened when confidence" was beginning- to be established, and when the settlers driven in by the war were once again entering upon their farms, and bringing the land under a state of culture. These murders have thrown a shade upon our hopes for the present, and we wait patiently to see what the Government intend to do in the matter. It does seem hard that this fertile spot of land, 'possessing one of the most beautiful climates in the world should have a plague spot on it in the shape of a murdei-ous tribe of natives. The past war has devastated the place, and thrown the Province behind hand fully a dozen years,' and we have no wish, to see it freshly enacted ; but with all that, we feel it our duty to say that? unrighteous murders like those just committed must not be allowed. That the murderers must be caught and punished, and the natives shown that they will receive punishment at our hands, as well as justice. We have issued, during the week, the several items of intelligence as they have reached us. We now proceed to give a more recent account of the matter from the information we have received ;—; — A rumour of a rather unpleasant nature circulated through the town on Saturday morning last, but like all rumours no authentic foundation for it was at first get-at-able. The rumour spoken of was exaggerated into a fight between the natives and the Armed Constabulary at Patea, and that three men had boen killed. • • At aboat 4 p.m. the mailman- arrived from Patea, bringing a letter to Mr. Parris from Mri Booth, -R.M., dated Waihi,. 10th June, from which" we gain the following information :—: — A military settler naned Sergeant ■Cahill, and two others were attacked while putting a log on a saw pit in the Kitemarai, _bush, and murdered' by ten men from the Te Ngutu o te manu tribe. An, inquest was to be held on the bodied the followingday, (the 11th). ■ The Pokahoht chiefs tendered their allegiance on the 10th, and pledged themselves to protect the European settlers. Tangahoi, and Tito belonging to the Ngahuia tribe have also tendered their allegiance to the Queen. The Keteonetea natives have sent in the settlers, and the friendly natives think they (the Keteonetea's) will join the Titokowaru3. From a private letter we have received farther intelligence of this murder : — - The murder was committed by 10 natives • supposed to come from Pongarao. Cahill and the other two men were just fixing 1 a heavy log on the pit when the volley was fired. Two of them were shot through the heart, and they were all dreadfully tomahawked. Some natives heard the firing, and saw the war party returning -through their land exulting over the deed. Some of them took the intelligence to Waihi when a party went out to fetch the bodies. The natives nearTuruturumokai have pledged themselves to defend the Europeans. The authorities have sent to Wellington fjr instructions. Major Hunter has gone up from Patea with thirty men, and Captain "Ross with twenty-five. This force will be quite sufficient to protect the district. Messrs. N. Carrington, , Vivian, and Carter have arrived safely at Patea. Mr. Powell has kindly placed the following letter from Mr. Carter our at disposal :—: — • "Patea, June 10. " There is great excitement here at present, and it is impossible to say how things will go for a few days. The men under arms here were transferred to Waihi at two o'clock this, morning, and every unemployed man sworn 1 in to take charge of the camp. " Capt. Page and Col. McDonnell have been recalled from Wanganui. "As far as we know at present the names of the unfortunate men are Cahill, Squire, and: Clarke. ■ '* . "'June 11, 8 a.m. "It appears that the "men were Sawing when attacked by the natives, and two of them, were fearfully mutilated. "The- rebels then went' to some-friendly natives and 1 told them what they had done, and added that if they (the friendly natives) did not join them! they would murder them also. ' - '-' • '• "All the out-settlers have been called in. ' •' '■ ( ( • ' ■ " Colonel McDonnell has just 'arrived, and is off to Waihi." ( By the arrival of tho p.s. * Nelson' from Wanganui for Hokitika on Thursday last, we were 'put hi ■ possession- of j further intelligence of the native disturbance at Patea. An extra issued from' the Wanganui Times Office on Saturday last, | o-ives the following account of another j murder :—: — Times Office, * » Saturday June 13^1868. In last Thursday's issue we reported the murder of one man, Cahill, at Waihi,, near Ketemarei. In this • morning's issue^the names of two more — Clark, and Squires, — shot down aiid brutally tomahawked, had to be added. This morning a trooper arrived in town with the intelligence that another man, Thomas Smith, a' trooper, went out about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon^ to catch his

horse ; after catching 1 it, and whilst in the act of mounting, a volley was fired by the natives from the adjoining bush, and poor Smith was shot dead. The Maoris then rushed in and tomahawked him, completely hoveving his lower extremities from the upper part of hi? body, which they carried away. The lower part of the- body was recovered by his comrades. This horrible deed was perpetrated within gunshot of the camp at Waihi. Colonel McDonnell leaves by the s.s. ' Storm Bird' for Wellington to-day. Ho can do nothing in Pate.i \v ; th the few men under his command, and tied down as he is by the civil authorities. Let the district at once be proclaimed under martial law, and McDonnell will get any number of volunteers he may require to scour the country, but we warn the Government not to attempt to call out the militia of this district. In an emergency like the present, even men upon crutches would turn out voluntarily, but the word militiaman is detested in theso districts. The people wait with anxiety the decision of the Government.