TE KOOTI TROUBLE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 266, 28 February 1889, Page 2

TE KOOTI TROUBLE.

“HOW WILL IT ALL END’” “ How will it all end ?” is a question which one hears time after time during the day; people who at first treated the matter lightly and thought the mere mention jot using force was sufficient to induce the cause of all the trouble to back off or quietly submit, recognise now that they were mistaken, and admit that still further confirmation is given to the protestations of the settlers that he the very thought of whose presence was hated by the men and dreaded by the woman, is not the lamb which some outsiders tried to believe Well did the settlers of this district know that the wily ruffian was only playing with Mr Mitchelson, was in fact tempering the Native Minister and humoring his fancies when the ; latter thought that it was he who by his ill-advised condescension was putting the murderer under an obligation. Te Kooti has been giving the Government a little knowledge of the sort of a man with whom they have to deal, and what reliance they can place in any of his pacific protestations if they do not aid him in carrying out any object he may have in view. He made good use of the advantage which Mr Mitchelson gave him in the firs instance, and he is taking advantage of every circums anee that can now ha turned to his own accouut. “ What will the end be may well be asked, but not m my would attempt to answer. Nearly everything depends on the whim of a cunning, evil semi-savage, who has at present every advantage on his side. WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. One of the things most required to solve the problem now before us is carefulness —care should be exercised in every little detail ; and neither provocation nor temptation should be given to the Hauhaus at a time when all desire peace at the least possible co-t. The most insignific mt bungles might at the present juncture lead to very serious results. Ou Sunday Constable Farmer and a party were sent up to the Moiu bridge, which Te Kooti was expected to reach on that or the following day. They bad a

warrant with them for hie arrest, but it turned out that not one of the parly was capable of interpreting the warrant if Te Kooti did come along, That was a nice piece of business whoever is responsiole for it, And then to send a party of four or five men to hold the bridge against Te Kooti’s mob ; and arresthe principal if he came along 1 If things had turned out as it was then thought they wou d such an order would have meant oenoin death to those to whom the order had bee i entrusted. As it happened the party took up with Messrs W. Gooper, Barnard, and Gannon, who had been at Poututu inspecting a block of land, and it was decided that Mr Gannon should accompany the party as interpreter. Mr Cooper would also have gone on, as the matter soomnd so serious, but he had previously sent his horse down, and when ha got in towards Gisborne he found that Te Kooti had not then left Opotiki. Subsequently the guard at the bridge was strengthened, but what might have happened in the meantime?

A WILY TACTICIAN AND HIS TACTICS. Surely the Government, or whoever ia responsible for the control of the forces in the field, are acting with madness in allowing Te Kooti to resort to the tactics he is doing. Instead of going quietly to work and getting him in a position from which there could bs no retreat, and which he would know to be hopeless -a position which would at once make it plain to him that fighting would not suit his purpose—he has been allowed to tall back to a place from which if he so decides he can d<-fy the Government, their addicts, and everyone else, for six months or m ire.no matter how closely he is followed up. Instead of abandoning his followers and retiri ig, as was recently stated, he is now at the W uoeka Gorge, about a mile from a stronghold which overlooks Opotiki, and Irom which ha once dropped down and murdered some settlers. -By going on to a pah five miles from there he can reinforce from the Uiiwera country, and while still falling back, his reinforcements would continue to join for about twelve miles further. . He can then fall back to his old stronghold (Ngatapa), about five days’ journey from where he is now ; or to a still more prommeot position called Waikohumatawai. From that place he can take three different routes for Gisborne. The point to which we have just referred bas a base of about sixteen miles, from which, as stated, he can take the different routes, or fall back further ou to Wairoa and Mohake. He can come down the Waihuku stream or Wharekopai, his old route, to Ngatapa, and branch off from Wharek pai to the Huogaroa, and down that to the Wairoa. If he took up his position anywhire about Ngatapa and intended to go to Wairoa, he would avoid the main road, and fall into R iakituri, from which place he could enter Wairoa or Mohake.

Another route by which he might go tn Wairoa and Mohaka is by way of Ruahatauna, and thence to the Waikaremoana Lake, from which point he could swoop down. This used to be guarded by a constabulary station. What we should advise is that the two main pointe be closely watched—that is Waikaremoana and Waikohumatawai. A small force would be sufficient, or native scouts could be employed, the latter of course falling back and reporting if they found an advance wae being made towards them. IS IT ALL A DEEP GAME!

While we are continually receiving telegrams about Te Kooti being drunk, and hesitating, and so on, it is most likely that he is playing a deep game which the Government will have cause to know before long. Instead of his lying drunk, it is a great probability that his followers are “ lying ” sober, that the whole thing is a piece of deception with a verv dangerous prospect in the back* ground. What we fear is that he is fooling those who are watching him, and is setting these stories about, but that in the meantime he is quietly sending messengers to collect followers in the Uriwera country. Assuming even that all his peaceful protestations are genuine—which few people do believe—he has got himself into a position in which he will hardly be his own master. He has a howling pack of Uriweras at his back ; hehas the track to freedom, for a time at any rate, open to him, and with the influence on the one hand and the temptation on the other, what, we ask. is he most likely to do ? He will take good care that none of the troops get behind him, he knows and can travel every inch of an a’mnst inaccessible country, and he can get sufficient support to defy the Government for a lengthened period, or heean slmoiy lead them a wild goose chase, keeping settlers in terror as to where he would next turn up. By just going to the pah a mile distant from where he is now situated, he could snap his fingers and laugh at all the troops and arms that could be concentrated there in a fortnight. He could see every movement that was made against him, while his opponents might be blind for all they cmild see. His view of what was going on would be much the same as if one were on the Whs'aiipoko hills, looking down on Gisborne; every soldier coming in seaward could be noted, while the spectator would never be observed. Drunk, indeed 1 The authorities ought to know batter the man with whom they have got to deal. One telegram states a spy had just arrived after he had been long waited for. This we believe to b' entirely erroneous, for we have good reason to believe that almost constant communication is being kept up by spies—a communication which it i« hardly possible to prevent; but there should ba decisive action, and then T« Kooti would not have such a good understanding as to how he mav best emnloy his powers as a tactician. Natives in Gisborne fre-ly state that he will be here in spite of the Europeans,—that while they are looking for him ho will slip round them. Te Kooti him>elf has too much cunning not to know that a fight would eventually be against him, but it he gete surrounded by ths . Uriweras —many of whom have never been I near a civilised settlement, and whose glory would be a fight, which they have no other 1 idea but would end in their favor—we hardly ears to contemplate whet the mult would be. The eonntry is saub that it would be elmoit 1

impossible for white men to follow the Hauhau, and in a fight there ie not much doubt the pakehas would come out badly. If there had been prompt measures taken at first there would have been no such danger, but as matters are at present we can only regard them in a most ominous light. LATER NEWS : A CONFIRMATION. Since the above was written we learn that instead of being a mile distant from the pah in the Waioeka Gorge, To Kooti is beneath the face of it, so that he might retreat to it in less than ten minutes—no force capable of arresting him cou'd prevent him doing so even if they came on him unawares, and by the time any la<ge force could be at hand he could have sufficient followers around him, if he has not them already at hand, to lead the Government force a hopeless chase. The later news that he is just beneath the fort certainly gives substantial reason for the fears we have expressed above. It Te Kooti does proceed to the extremity which we fear he 1 will now he has the opportunity, we should advise that Major Ropata bo given a large control and that he should collect a strong force and take to the bush work, for it will ba foolish to allow the pakeha forces to attempt to carry it out. We hope that all these fears may be groundless, but the danger ia plain nearly everything is dependent on w >at line of policy is taken up by the man at ths bottom of all the trouble.

ARRIVAL OF TROOPS IN OPOTIKI. WHAT WILL H 3 DO ? ORDERS TO ARREST—IF THEY CAN SUGGESTIVE PROCEEDINGS. NOT YET ABANDONED HIS (By Telxor4?h ) (from oub own cobbespondcht.) Ofottkx, 9 a.m. yesterday. Te Kooti is still * W kiosks, and says he is about to return to Waikato; bat his word ia unreliable. He is going, but he gats drunk, and changes his mind. The Government officials entsrt tin no tear*, The settlers here are in g eat alarm, and some of them have left their ho nee and are waiting in town until the rebel's departure, OrcTlst. last uight. Large numbers of Te Kooti’* followers came down tr im W-iioska betWSen 10 end 12 ibis morning. About midday Te Kooti's orderly returned from the Gisborne road, after wluch no Maoris were seen to pass. Te Kooti himself has not appears 1. It is evident that he he* not yet abandoned hie intention of visiting Gisborne. At s meeting held this morning the settlers decided to form a Vigilance Committee. It was furi tier decided to take all possible precautions for the defence of the seitlemsnt. The Chelmsford has just arrived from Auckland. Before coming here she landed 130 man at Ohiwa, ten miles from this place. The arrival of the troops has allayed tbs anxious feelings of lbs people. OUR ARRIVAL IN OPOTIKI. WELCOME BY NATIVES—SLY LOOKS. TRUMPETER SOUTH TO THE FRONT. (By Tzmobafh.) [from oub special reporter] Op list, last night. Wo arrived here to-day, prepared f r whatever may be our lot. The journey over was generally an enjoyable one. On our arriving ut the settlement where Te Kooti had been staying we were welcomed by the natives, who smiled afftbly and looked at us as much as to say " Do you see any green in the white of my eye ?" There is great excitement in tbs town which is crowded with settlers. Eighty two volun’rers and members of th* permanent force arrived here this afternoon

from Auckland. Trumpeter South ha* corns down, to join his corps, the East Coast Hussars, LATER. A meeting of settlers was held to day for the purpose of petitioning the Government to provide arms to the settlers in case Te Kooti m ide any disturbance. Mr Bush, K.M., informed them that an armed force had arrived, and the meeting then dispersed, the settlers feeling assured Ot their safety. AN ATTEMPT TO BE MADE TO ABREST HIM TO-DAY. STILL SAID TO BE DRUNK. ARTILLERY FROM GISBOBNE TF-UAY. LATER. Te Kooti is still camped at about six mile* from here. He has been ia a state of drunkenness for several days. The troops leave here to-morrow for Te Kooti's camp for the purpose of arresting ' hitn. The Permanent Artillery arrive to-morrow 1 on foot from Gisborne. [These later telegrams were not reoe’ved un il several hours after the foregoing oom' meme had been made, but they bear out what ha* been etated in a way that is not reassuring, though for the sake of peace wo hope he bird may be caught so easily. From what i* contained in the messages of our general correspondent and our special reporter there is nothing to justify a report that was circulated In town last svanluc to the effect that Te Kooti would be immediately arrested without any troub'e, or that he was going back quietly to Waikato, and both correspondents distinctly state that Te Kooti was not in ths to«n yesterday afternoon, M certain reports published would lead one to suppose. The affair appears more serious now than ever it did. We would not be at all surpriss I that the Karaka natives are not far wrong when they say Te Kooti will be there in spite ot all obstacles on Friday or Saturday nex'. ]

A NAPIER CRITICISM. [from oub own cobbespondent.j Napier, last night. The Evening News, in to night's issue, has the following: -The Wellington newspapers continue to heap obloquy on the settlert in Poverty Bay for their attitude towards Te Kooti, and laugh to scorn the idea that there is any danger io his proposed visit to Turanganul. Sorely our Wellington contemp varies most be either very ill informed or wilfully dense. The visit of Te Kooti to the Bty mean* a vast increase in hit mana ; it means a strengthening of HauhauUm ; a complete stop being pat to all further settlement of the East Coast laud; sad worse than anything else almost ceruln bloodshed. The action taken by the Vigilance Committee was, to our minds, a very reaso able and judHon* one. It wa* a protest against the insvie folly of the Native Minister in feteing the ex-murderer, and In thus tacitly encouraging him to pose as a hero. To say that because Te Kooti was pardoned he has a perfect right to go to Poverty Bty is the veriest nonsense. Free -fcmen are not allowed by law to take such action rs may provoke a breach of the peace, aud we see no reason why bloodthirsty miscreants should be treated in any exceptionally lenient manner. If the Wellington editors who are talking so glibly about ths Gisborne peop'e being “ blatant agitators,” “enemies to ths colony," “mad, rocklsSa mischief makers,” ptc , had any extended personal knowledge of ths Poverty Bay dis* trict or of the ex'eat to which Hauhauism has grown, and of Its dancers to the State, they would, we feel certain, modify their opinion. Their fierce denunciations and their foolish twaddle about ” free men " may be treated wi'h ths contsmpt and lodiusr* sues they deserve, at