SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 31, 18 January 1864, Page 6 (Supplement)

SUMMARY OF WAR NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

Our last summary told the good news, of the battle- of "Rangiriri, the first fight at which y~ the Maori had .been fairly brought to bay, arud thoroughly beaten ; at 'which a large jiumber-of prisoners, all chiefs of note, the flower-of Maori chivalry, had been taken. It is true ihe loss of life on our ■side had been singularly groat, particularly in officers, yet the moral blow inflicted on the Maori, it was supposed, compensated fer all this ; every one prognosticated the speedy close of the war. The king-maker, William Thompson,' sent his Maori sceptre to the General, as was supposed, io token.?; submission. Proposals of peace Were' as usual readily made by the influential chiefs, in flowery and ambiguous language. The main question-, however, of peace based; upon the abandonment of all arms, was always carefully .shirked. Now we have to record the .mportant news of the Maori capital, _>Jgaruaw_hia, being in possession of tbe English, troops, General Cameron . . tiavug occupied it.without any resistance on the part of the Maories. The Waikato country seems, therefore, to be in the -hands of the English. Telegraphic communication between • Nganiawahia and Auckland is being rapidly completed, and yet the neck of the rebellion is not broken ; peace -seems to be as far ofras ever. That •ihe Maories will ever- make a determiued stand again.; as at Rangiriri, is not probable ;7 the lesson learnt there, -will bea warning to them. In fact, they mourn that stand as a fatal mistake, and are 'continually asking the question " Why did they not fiy when they had • the chance V The war, henceforth, witl be a guerilla one 4 bodies of natives, prowling about, will always be re_dy : to pounce upon some defenceless settler, and: ■cut off by ambuscade any small party of troops, A spirited action in Papakura, where some twenty-seven officers and men siirprised about forty Maories in the bush, shot seven of them, besides wounding several, shows that the volunteers are able and vigilant.;, while in Taranaki, the spirits of Generals Pratt and Gould appear. to be as rampant^as -ever. -350 o£ the troops ordered out to take a pah, were ordered to -retreat -again on twelve Maories showing themselves. The murder of two English- , women by a Maori, to the north of Auckland, at first induced the belief that the Northern tribes, -hitherto ac--counted most -loyal, were about to join •the rebels. It -appears, however, that -it was- the. act t of an individual ' •solely. He has : be&n given up •by his tribe. .On the whole,peace seems to be as far off as ever. The reporc that -the Maories had Jo„t ; 200 killed, resolves' '_t_elf into some ' forty or fifty. It is rumored that the Waikatos desire peace, but without giving up their rrms. It is found that Matutaera was not in the engagement at all. 7 . The Maori prisoners were conveyed to the Queen's Redoubt, , and subse■quently to v 'Au,cfcJ_an"d. Before leaving Rangiriri, they addressed a letter to • William Thompson, of which the following is a copj^: — Rangiriri. 21st Nov., ISO-3. O .William, and those with you, 0 tribe. Salutation. Friends, those of us who are alive number 175. We are sent to the Queen's Redoubt Peace is made. Our guns are given up to the General. Be you like unto us; let peace be made. These are (the terms of) lasting peace. The mana. of -the. island let it be put down. Let the mana be given up to the Governor. Do not devise any different plan of .action. Join with us in one, the same plan in reference lo j>eace. Let your letter • (in reply ) be quick, immediately upon •our young man with your letter reaching vou. Consent to this. Be quick, as soon as •our letter reaches you. Enough, Prom Tireni, Tapihana, . Kuiriete, Pairoroku,: Takerei, Hapipaia, to Wiremu Taraihana .(Thompson), Pene le Wharepu, Tamati Ngapora, Hori te Waru, and to you all. : This is another word of burs. Send -some one after those men who are desirous <if going; te.ythV road "(meaning parties : • going lo lay in ambuscade by the road- • side).' Put a stop to this. Be quick. /Be quick. Let all be done in reference to peace/ Te Wheoro, a loyal chief, addressed the following letter to the Governor : — Ongarahu'na, Maungatawhiri, - Nov.' 23, 1863. 0 father, O Governor Grey. Salutions. This is to tell you Waikaio has fallen. The survivors have been brought to the Ruato, 177" in number, and the chiefs Takerei to Hau. We Kuniete, Waihato Tetewhana te Tapihana Tiriwa, Terion, Kihi, Taiporutu, Pairoroku le VVhikitea, ■ Keihana Tepoki, and many other chiefs , The guns have been given up to lhe •General. Word has come from the chiefs who escaped that Mr. Grundy, the interpreter, and I should go and arrange the terms of peace. They .have consented to the words of the prisoners, tbat peace be made, to do .' away with the king, and give up the land. "White flags have been hoisted at their- * places. 1 have said to the General that I and - Mr Grundy, the interpreter, should. go; he did not "consent. It is for you lo say if ' you are willing that I and a Government interpreter should go. - Bui" you must ■ give the word. The General has Tamihana's mere in token of peace. Enough. From your loving son, Wi Te Wheoro. To Governor Grey, Auckland. The following extracts will show the state of -Native affairs in different parts of the North Island : — WANGANUI. ' t , (From tho Taranaki Herzld, Nor. 28th.) j We .would call particular attention -to the letter of- our correspondent (who, though not ' connected with the Native- - Department, is in constant communication with the Natives)asgiviDKi__portanl infor-' mation concerning the future movements. of the southern natives. It is-sonoense to think (whatever you