The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-13 00:00:00

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.
The complete details of the last massacre in New Zealand
—that at Mohaka, on the east coast—unfortunatelyprovo
that the earlier accounts of this catastrophe were not exagge-
rated. It appears that Te Kooti—the leader who is so often
made out to be dead, and so often rising again—came down
the Mohaka river on the 9th of April with about 300 men
and massacred most of the friendly natives of the only two
little villages in their route— eight men and twelve women
in one, four men and six women in the other. Some of those
who escaped made their way to two pahs, Jerusalem and
Huki, and the rebels then divided into three parties. The
main party attacked the pahs, more especially Huki,
which was the smaller ; the second prepared to intercept
any aid that might be attracted by the noise of the
firing ; and the third crossed the river shortly after sun-
rise on the 10th to where the Europeans were living,
killing such of them as had not taken the alarm and fled,
and burning the houses of those who had.
The friendlies in the Jerusalem and Huki pahs held
out, however, fought well, and made To Kooti so uncom-
fortable that he proposed to treat. The firing ceased, and
negotiations opened. According to the account given by
the Times correspondent, there was much suspicion that
treachery was intended ; and even the rubbing of noses and
other pacific demonstrations did not reassure the friendlies.
'l'e Kooti demanded that the maul should be given up. This
was refused, high words ensued, and finally the leaders
opened fire upon each other. Amongst those who fell
was, it is said, Te Kooti himself, who has thus once more
been put out of harm's way. Up to the last
adviccs Government was still assured that he was dead ;
but nobody, says the Times correspondent, believes it.
After wreaking vengeance on the inhabitants of the pah,
and securing three kegs of ammunition, the rebels drew
off, assistance having meanwhile come to the larger pah,
Jerusalem. The total loss of the friendlies by this raid is
reported to be eighteen men and twenty-five women and
children killed, besides wounded ; the Hauhaus leaving
•
six of their number killed in fair fight.
As to the English settlers who lost their lives, they were
murdered on the opposite' ide of the Mohaka river. Of
this melancholy affair little is known save that some time
during the morning of April 10 Ensign Lavin, wife, and
three children, together with Messrs. Cooper and Wilkin-
son, all settlers there, were attacked and murdered. Their
houses, as well as those of several other settlers, were
destroyed. A band of Militia, 800 strong, set out for
Mohaka on the 11th, but they could accomplish nothing.
This massacre has incited the authorities to greater exer.
•
tions, and a very bold campaign has been opened on the
east coast and from thence to the interior. Colonel
Whitmore's force has been removed from the west coast,
and by this reinforcement the total force in the east has
been augmented to three divisions of 450 men each. The
object of the leaders is to carry the war into the enemy's
territory, instead of confining it to the coast, whither the
natives can come and retire at will. But the difficulties
of the enterprise will be very great, for the country is
inhospitable, rugged, and unknown. A great meeting of
natives has been held at the residence of the Maori
King in Waikato, and the result appears to be that the
Sovereign will nut join in the war, but the Times corre-
spondent hopes nothing from this determination. The
loss hitherto has been almost all on the side of the settlers,
and it is not to be expected that the natives who are in
the field will rs"nekaish hostilities on account of their few
defeats.

ritE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Prince Alfred spent well nigh a month inNew Zealand.
Ire seems to have enjoyed himself with an abandon
which straight-laced formularies would hardly permit on
this side of the globe. He drove four-in-hand to a Maori
war dance, and at a ball his Royal Highness danced a
scotch reel, his own piper playing. He has likewise made
some speeches, but, as an orator, the Prince does not
acquit himself so brilliantly as on the light fantastic toe.