Wellington Independent "NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." THURSDAY, 28th MARCH, 1867. THE LATE MAJOR COOTE.

The following particulars respecting the career of Major Coote, who died on the 25th instant', after, a protracted illness, will, we know, be perused with interest, not only by his personal friends, but by a large body of his fellow settlers, both in this and other provinces. Major Coote entered the service when he was seventeen, and in a few years went with his regiment, the.22nd, to India, where they were soon called upon to act under Sir Charles Napier in the conquest of Scinde. He was aide-de-camp to Sir Charles Napier in the never to be forgotten expedition through the desert to Emaunghur, and was present at the celebrated battles of Meanee and Hydrabad, in the latter of which he led the force into the enemy's entrenched position —took the first gun and the first color, and was severely wounded while helping his men up the sides of a nullah. Sir C. Napier iv his account of this engagement, stated tha.t " the intrepid Coote" was the first to leap into the enemy's entrenchments. The wound he, then received disabled him for some time, and after a few more years of service, he exchanged to go home, and subsequently joined the 36th regiment in the lonian Islands. .There he took a very active part in suppressing an insurrection in Cepnalonia, during the time that Sir Henry Ward was Lord High Commissioner of the Islands. He not only received the thanks of the civil and military authorities for the energy and gallantry he displayed in the harassing operations undertaken during the continuance of the rebellion, but Sir H. "Ward so warmly appreciated his services, that he recommended him for some special mark of her Majesty's favor. > He some time afterwards received the appointment of brigade-major to the forces in this colony, an appointment which he held for a period of five years. On the. staff being broken up he returned to England, and during the heat of the Maori rebellion, requested the sanction , of the war office to his embodying a force to be clothed and trained specially for bush Bervice. His proposals were favorably received, but after three months had been spent in. ineffectually endeavoring to induce the war office , to take steps for carrying them 4nto practice, he sold out of the army and came back to New Zealand. After remaining two or three years in Canterbury where he was en gaged in sheep farming, he returned to this province (m which it ha.d always been his intention to settle) bought a block of land.in the "Wairarapa near Masterton, built his house, and was making extensive, improvements, when ; gymptome of'tbe^seasa which, had conigned him to the grave, appeared and com-

JfeMlik tafttoddlHVktkliadiij^lididd to have beeulik^erinarient home. 'During the' Weld administration he wasappointed a member of the. Legislative Council, hi tho deliberations of which he took* an active and intelligent part. Tew men have more thoroughly identified themselves with the colony, or evinced a greater desire to promote its true interests than Major Coote.