NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3277, 14 August 1871, Page 3

NATIVE INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Auckland News, BUi Au o U3l ) On Saturday evening last the General Government agent received despatches from Major Gumming, at Waikaremoana, reporting his arrival there, and saving that he had occupied Tiki Tiki and Oncpoto, two settlements on opposite sides of the lake ; also, thai Te Kooli and his people were on the lake moving about from place (o place, hut principally established at the arm of the lake behind Pule re, named Omarau. A good many of the people of the Lke district had either joined him or been taken over by him, and there is now not the .shadow of a doubt about his being there. The force of Captains Mair and Preece, which, i!S wo stated the other day, had received instructions to move on to Kantahuna, and act in concert with Major Gumming, were delayed at Ahikercru, up to Saturday, from continual and heavy I Moods in all the rivers. Accounts from Taupo have been received, stating that it had rained heavily and incessantly from tho inst. up to Sunday last. The information with reference to the whereabouts of To Kuoti has reached the last mentioned force, and they will

join Major dimming as quickly as possible, when Te Kooti will have to seel some other hiding place. Almost immediately after ihe receipt of Inspector Cumming's despatches above referred to on Saturday night, it was reported from Tarawera by two Pakeha -Maoris living there, that two considerable bodies of natives had been on the hills near that post, apparently coming from an old track which leads from Tarawera to Waikaremoana. Inquiries were at once instituted, and it was ascertained that none of the road party natives had been in that part of the country. Next morning the locality and track were examined, and it was found that the information was entirely unreliable. The inference, of course, on the first dissemination of the report, was thatTe Kooti had slipped through towards West Taupo and Wnikato, and preliminary steps had to be taken for the purpose of intercepting him, as there appeared to be some probability in the report. The effect of the story was to put a great number of people to much inconvenience, as the native working parties and several other persons, native and European, assembled at the post. We understand (hat a very vigilant look-out is being kept along the whole line to guard against the escape of Te Kooti by that road. THE SEVENTY-MILE BUSH. We understand, that a meeting is to be held on Tuesday next at Waipawa, to conclude the purchase of the Seventymile Bush, and to hand over the purchase money to the natives. The negotiations, which, we annonnccd, some time ago, as virtually complete, are now absolutely and finally complete. They were commenced in September last, when the land was taken through the Land Court at Waipawa, by Mr Locke, with the view of purchasing it for the Government. It contsins, exclusive of reserves, between two hundred and forty, and two hundred and fifty thousand acres. It is bounded on the West by the Rangitikei-Mana- Block, bought by Dr Feathcrstonc ; on the North by the Manawatu I liver and the Puketoi Range ; on ihe South by the Niraumea River and the Manawatu iiiver, at the Ahua-o-turanga Gorge.