WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1897, 21 July 1863, Page 3

WANGANUI.

We have received the Chronicle of the 16th insfc,, which has the following items. The Natives. — About a dozen natives from the up-river pahs started for the war last week, and Epiha followed them unarmed a day or two afterwards. The natives assert that the latter has gone to endeavour to bring back the rest of the Wanganui natives ; but as his journey was undertaken in consequence of the taunts contained in some of the letters to him respecting Hori Patene's death, and he admitted that if he could not get the rest back he felt bound to take Hoii's place, lie will probably remain at Taranaki. Aropeta's remains have been brought to Waipuna, and a further split has occurred between his people and the Taranakis, in consequence of an insult offered to the corpse by a chief of the latter tribe. It is reported that Topini te Mamaku and his people are going to the war. ■ i JA rumour, which is in circulation, that powder is being sent in small parcels from the Ngatiraukawa, and that our natives start in small parties as they get a sufficiency, may have arisen from some suggestion of such a reason for their having gone by threes and fours from the up-river pahs ; and we should not have alluded to it but for the greater probability given to - it by the seizure of persons in Wellington for selling ammunition to natives. A native assessor at the Wangahue has been committed by the Resident Magistrate for uttering a forged cheque purporting to be signed by Walter BulleiEsq., R.M., at Otaki.