Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-28
Ths Massacre in New z,alana.

The Massacre In New zsaland.
The New Zealand papers give detailed
accounts of the dreadful massacre of
settlers (recently mentioned in our cable
dispatches), including men, women aud
children, and a number of friendly ma
tives, in night attack on the settlement
Of Matawhero, Poverty Bay, by party of
the Hau Haus, whe recently made their
escape from the Chatham Islands.
On the 10th of November they sud-
denly attacked the settlement at Mata-
whero, near Turanganui, in Poverty
Bay, the pkce where Capt Cook first
landed in New Zealand. At three clock
in the morning, the Hau-Haus attacked
Major Biggs' house. The Major, hear.
ing noise outside, went to the door to
see who was there. The reply was a
volley which, however, only wounded the
Major. He called out to awaken his
family, and told them to run for their
lives, as the house was attacked by Hau-
Haus. One little boy, Charlie, managed,
by crawling underneath the verandah
boards, to escape out into the fax in the
immediate neighborhood Of the house,
from whence he saw the whole proceed
ings. Major Biggs was held down on
the ground while they smashed his head
in with their muskets, Mrs Biggs being
held near and forced to see the brutality.
She, u baby, and the nurse, were subse-
quently murdered. The boy Charlie
managed TO escape to house o short
distance off, where Mrs. Bloomfield, = the
widow of Captain in the army, with
her four children, was living, and giving
the alarm, the inmates Immediately ran
to the redoubt at Turanganui. Other
residents were not SO fortunate. Mr..
Wilson's house was attacked, and he,
his wife and four children were MUIR
dered. House after house was thus viz
tied by these savages and destroyed, the
inmates being put to death in many in
stances with frightful torture. A Mrs.
Mann was dragged by the hair of her
head outside her house and then burnt
to death. Some few of the settlers man
aged to escape to TuraDgsnui, from
whence they went in two small coasting
craft, which happened to pass the bay at
the time, to Napier and Auckland.
Every house in the settlement was
estroyed-crops, stock and everything
gone; in fact, one of the most prosper
ous little settlements on the east coast
has thus been blotted out of the map.
Those who escaped have done SO in a
state of perfect destitution. One poor
woman, the wife of Capt. Wilson, after
being stabbed seven or eight times with
bsyonet, and left lying senseless, and it
was supposed dead, managed, when the
fends had left her house, to crawl into
neighboring swamp and hide herself.
She was, with the exception of her night
dress, completely without clothing, and
so she remained for seven or eight days
One of her children, noble little fellow,
only eight years old, who had managed
to escape from the house, found her thus
on the evening of the massacre, and kept
her alive on eggs, which he hunted about
for. At length, after several Intellectual
attempts, he succeeded in reaching Tu-
rangsnui, distance of seven miles
across country that he had never be-
fore travelled. Here he found Captain
Westrupp and a small guard, besides
some of the settlers who had escaped to
the redonbt, and assistance was imme-
diately sent out to the poor lady,
who was sent down to Napier, and is now
so far recovered as to be cut of danger.
. Goldsmith, stockman on Capt Reads
st ton, heard firing at an early hour on
Tuesday morning, in the direction of Mr..
Manns house, and, ssddling horse, at
once galloped Of to the spot Coming
suddenly upon the house, be beheld
most dreadful spectacle. The Hau Hau
demons were dragging Mrs. Mann out OF
the door by the hair Of the head, and |
striking her. and upon getting her out
side they were proceeding to set Ere to
her clothes, when some OF them, catching /
sight of Goldsmith, made spring at the /
bride of his horse. Goldsmith, however,
being an excellent rider, put spurs to his
horse, and rode right over some of the
Wf5tohes. !
The losses sustained by station holders
and settlers by this bloody foray will
be most extensive.
A careful search was rewarded by the I
discovery of the bodies of the native
scouting parties, all fearfully and brutally
Poor Ksraitiana bad been
and his heart and liver torn
out and probably eaten; he was split
open as butcher opens a sheep. All the
bodies were stripped and naked.