THE WAR ON THE EAST COAST.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 644, 4 September 1869, Page 2

THE WAR ON THE EAST COAST.

A letter was received on Wednesday last from a friendly native chief of Pa tea, named Haare,. to the effect that .he Hauhaus under Te Kooty were at Poutu, on the banks of the Rotoaira Lake. Twofriendlies; who had been travelling1, quite unsuspicious of the vicinity of an enemy, were captured by Te ; Kooti's scouts , and taken to the main v body.. A kor'ero ensued as to whether they should be killed or noi; but, after a I lengthened discussion, and on the intercession of Te Heu Heu, their lives were spared, and during the night, they managed to escape. At the time the above letter left, 90 of Patea natives, with a section of the CJpokoiri hapu, were about to advance in oraer to watcti the pro-, ceedings of Te Kooti THis news has been substantiated by a letter from Kerei, a native chief of Taka^ pou. .

A letter has also been received from Tapuaehararu, daied August 20, written by JPoihipi and other Taupo ,chiefs It states that Te Kooti had arrived at Taupo, witli^ the intention of taking up a position * at Tonpariro; that he was alone—i only Hewi being with him; thatM' movement against him was abouti» be made by the friendly nativ^V and that 40 Arawas, together^Vi a numlier of Tafiuaehnraru men^Bfe, about to cross over and form tion with the Patea natives. '^^

The letter concluded by a request that the Ahuriri thief's would at once go to the assistance of th* Paten friendlies. This they: intend to do, Henare Tokamqana having arranged to start in a day or two with a hundred men. The ;St Kild;i, Colonial Government .gun boat, arrive I on Tuesday at midnight, from Poverty Bay, having- on board Mr Atkinson, R.M., Major Westrupp, and a number ofj witnesses against the Hau-hajfl prisoners whose trial before tlrel Supreme, Court, Wellington, will! shortly take, pla c. The St. Kildal steamed for Wellington yesterday atl 9 a.m. " I The Stun, Colonial Government! gun boat, vith Mr M. Hamlim oil board as interpreter,'steamed for thfl East Coast at 10 a.m., yesterday. !■ is understood that the Scurt has "gon m for a small foree-p-sav a hundrecß men—-^of iNgatiporp, to co-operate, ifl is supposed, with the native cxl pedition now organising. The Stu^ is expected back on Saturday. A Lieut. -Colonel Herrick left Nap^B for JRunanga yesterday.—Hawk^f Bay Herald, August 27.