TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1701, 18 February 1862, Page 5

TARANAKI.

{From an occasional Correspondent;) New Plymouth, Jam 28, ltJ62.

An occurrence has happenedhere within the last few days which caused .a ijitile excitement and relieved, jhe monotony of the place for a time, f ; Hapurona, the great fighting native general in the War, 'and who accepted Goveriibr BroVne's terms, and who since has been in' charge, of Matarokoriko blockhouse,, I believe, under Government pay, came into town on Saturday last with hi? son/ Horoporjbra. , During the afternoon theywent up tq. an officer's quarters in company with: some women. While there, it-appears, they all, more or less, got liqaori aiid beirjg, I suppose, rather noisy,' were 'ordered a>vay by au officer of th,e 57tn,,, ) ,,Horopapera refused, whereupon the officer got his horsewhip and struck him repeatedly over the shoulders. Hapuro'na; the father, who at the bes^. of 'tim,es js a perfect savage, and of a violent temper, and who had taken enough liquor to make him worse, took the matter up,and with his son immediately left" the place and came down to the square, where, with a long stick ia his hand (a native weapon.of some sort), he danbea about in a perfect fury, using the most abusive and threatening language against the pakehas. Opposite, Black's,. shop, J}e held forth in the usual Maori style, running to and frp, working himself up into a perfect madness of rage, j branUfshing liis~weapori, rolling his eyes, putting out his tongue, &c. The majority of the persons -little understood the meaning of his expressions, until Mr. Woon arrived on the spot, understanding the RiWrr; language", intimated that he was saying that he should have 'rev,ehg.e for the insult offered to his son. Mr. Woon went up to him and endeavoured to pacify him, and urged him to go to the authorities if he had any grievance. Hapurona pushed -him away, said he wouldnit^audXhraatenedi to shoot him *ifr he found him at Waitara. A orowd having Collected, and Hapurona's ftpfteafirafioe

aodooonduct hieing suqh «s |o warrant the appreliejtaiea.^hatr.afimp be cpmpaiWiQd^>n the spot, the police interfered, aud carried. him 'off to the lock up, ( after a violent struggle on his part to get away from them. I .have been told since that his expressions opposite,; Black's were to this effect : he should go buck to Matarokiriko, bui'n it d6wii and go inland, and would" consider the insult his sou had received a cause for war against the paheha ; that he would have the officers up for payment, &c. &c. Wh'en he was putinto the gaol, he pulled off his shirt, lore it up, set up a dismal' howl; cryiug. with his son, aud singing a song, in which I am told^he spoke of the degradation' he had received ; that it wbuld be told to theoth'ei- trihes t'hat he had been put into gaol by the pakeha after joining, t'h^ni-' that he was now made a- slave,, he. vvasino longer a chief, and would rather be was hanged at once. After the lapse' of ah ! hour, Hapurona was liberated, on promising to appear-on Monday; when he Would be permitted to makeiiis-complaint. He went away, sullen, aud w,i,th.a.(sountenance expressive of th^ deepest revenge. Monday morning dame, but no Hapurona. A military inquiry was to be instituted, I hiear,vbut JEfapurona was not forthcoming. The last news we have is, that he has vacated. Matarokorik'o (not burnt it down as he threatened), and gone. inland to the Arei, and sent a letter in to say that he wjon't come unless £he gqvc.rnine.nt writes ft)r him. It was reported he had gone to Waikato, but I hear to-day he is still at Te-Arei, or in fts vicinity. ' r | We all .approved, th^'coudUct' of the p;biice, and; condemn the, apt. of the, aur, tjiorities in liberating Harpurona before he was sobers FTe 1 was riotous r and disorderly, and chief or no chief, he should hjave been kept jn gaol till Monday. Hapuroua has-greac and absurd ideas of his own importance, and the burden' of liis* complaint was, that he, a,cb,i.ef,,.had been insulted in the person of his son. ...The saying that "when the wine is in, the \fit is out,'' was exemplified in his case. The real feelings of his heart towards thej pakeha came out, for he not only said he \|ould burn down the stockade, but would l<|ill any pakeha he found' there.' 1 Yet iii he, face. of this he ,was allowed to be at liberty, and go home in the evening when scores of pakehas where about the country. —Southern Cross, Feb. 4. ■ ■.■> '■