CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL OF EVENTS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 196, 21 June 1860, Page 3

CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL OF EVENTS.

[From the Taranaki Herald.] Saturday, May ] 9.-—From, Waitara there is nothing of importance to report.. The Wailcatos are with K'ingi, and have encamped between-. N'gataiparirua and ICairoa, about half a mile to the seaward of Huirangi,. and about two miles from Mataitawa, Kingi’s pa. During yesterday a large- number'of natives were observed from the Bell Block stockade to be busily carting large stuff in the direction of Huirangi. It is conjectured that King, with his present reinforcement of Waikatos, Ngatiruanuis, and Taranakis will attempt another pa on the government land at Waitara. , H.M. S.S. Cordelia, sailed to-day for fFellington. ' : ' Sunday.-r-?We are told that the Tapuiiiikau stockade is a veiy strong position, a succession of plateaus, in fact, which the natives have fortified, with palisading and entrenchments. It is also completely surrounded by bush. The troops in camp at Tataraimaka have seen nothing to relieve the dullness of their position.

Monday. Some interest prevailed in town torday in consequence of a rumour that natwes in large force were, busily engaged erecting a pa on Teira’s land, at Waitara. The. Tasmanian Maid arrived from Waitara at 9 a.ra., but brings, no confirmation of this. A rumour was also current this evening that a party of natives were- in, the forest in our rear. In addition to the usual militia and volunteer pickets, strong outlying pickets of tlie 40th and 12th were-thrown out, and sentries were stationed as f«r as--Stfiw.arHe-ini«mi(;Gs at-the TTenui.' T. Perry, private 65th regt., buried to-day; deceased was an old soldier, and his death was occasioned by the rupture of a blood-vessel. Tuesday.—* The- Tasmauian Maid returned this morning to Waitara. . From the Bell Blockhouse this morning we. have the following intelligence. Signals were made at 10 a,m,.that a party of military and militia proceeded to the rear ; of the- Bell Block to cut timber for the stockade, when, on-reaching a

! bill on Mr. Northcroft’s land, an armed party ' of natives were seen- advancing, apparently with the intention to cut them off. The retreat bugle was sounded) and the party retired, to the fort. The natives were said tp be posted in a gully .near Mr. Hirst’s house. ! The light company of .the 65th were at once , despatched from town, and as they passed , over the bridge were, heartily cheered by the. , militia and volunteers, who were under a general impression that an engagement wap t probable ; but in this all were ■ doomed to be j disappointed, information on the- road occa- , sioning the troops to return. The truth is i bat the two parties came upon each other . without hostile intentions, though, but for the ; measures at once taken by Lieut. Richardson. 12th regt, the natives might have been r tempted into an attack on the first meeting. Wednesday.—From information obtained ’ from Matiu of the Hua pa who has been to , Waikato and who returned with the Waikato , party to Waitara, and; reached the Hua last night, we hear that the Ngatiruanui an d-Tara - - naki deputation have- returned to their homes ; through the forest ; that Kingi/ has received ' intelligence from the south that Ngatiruanuis were assembled at Keteraarae, joined by-the Ngarauru and . JTangantii tribes, and-pmthbpred 1000 . stron g; that they were on their way to , j°i n bim ; that, the Taranaki tribe-would also assemble and. go to Waitara through the bush in our rear; that the Waikatos were going to remain at Waitara, and .would shortly he joined : by other tribes from Waikato,- Taupo, and ; even from the east coast,.a, tribe named Ngatiaua having determined to come to Waitara; that the war ..should be confined to Waitara,’ on Teifa’s land, where all the tribes would assemble to recover, the land from the Government ; that when the troops were driven from /Taitara they would then . attack the town, but not before. Matiu also says that the natives seen on, the Bell Block j'esterday were not on any offensive errand, but on their way to the Paraiti pa, and were busy catching pigs and taking up their potato crops. Matiu is brother to Raniera the Assessor, at the Hua pa, and-is leagued with the enemy; and has returned to: them. Matiu was seen; at the Huai pa-in company with a Waikato, native. Martiu added that he would not say. whether any 1 inovemcnt would he made at Waiitara to-mor-f°w, or next day, or the day after, hut that we \ should hear of something before long. The i Airedale, with the, March English .mail, arrived this evening at dusk from Nelson and the L southern, settlements. The- Tasmanian. Maid ) also arrived\to-day from .Waitara. .

Friday.—ht an early hour this morning H.M.S.S. Cordelia was in sight, and anchored .at %; She darings Captajj} Seymour -and. |OO from 5 the : -Pelorus. The c&rgo employed during the morning lauding’ their baggage, ammunition, and a brass 12 : pounder gun.> At 2 p.m. they were landed, and marched to Fort Niger—-a stirring sight with the 65th. band at their head. The Cordelia sailed for Wellington, at 3 p.m*, and will bring 50 more men from the Pelorus now laid up at Wellington. We have not heard whether any of the Cordelia’s men will be landed Qn her return. The brig Shamrock from. Sydney, arrived to-day after a. fine.passage of eight days. The Tasmanian Maid returned., to Waitara.

‘ Saturday, May'2Q.—\Ve : have nothing to report to-day from north or south. Weather fine but appearances of a change. Sunday.— r-This morning intelligence of a painful, nature was brought into town from' IFaitara by a Roman Catholic clergyman, that yesterday between 2 and 3 p.m., Mr. fe/Browit- captain of the Wative Infantry, at Waitara, ‘ was waylaid,, whilst riding after a lost horse, by a party of Kingi’s.natives and badly shot. This intelligence naturally created great excitement in town and.it is expected the Tasmanian Maid will come up during the day with further particulars. At Lp. m, the? steamer was in sight and anchored at 2. By.'her we have confirmation of the intelligence', and find that Mr. Brown is severely wounded and. in a precarious state. It; Appears that on riding along the road yesterday, apd reaching the ford of the Waiongana river on the beach, three natives, one of whom a young man named Tawatahi, recently in Mr. Brown’s employ, sprang out of a bnsli and fired at him. The first shot struck Mr. Brown’s revolver cartouche box and glanced ofE ;*i the next shot penetrated his thigh, and a tliifxi- shot passed through the left side and lodged.in tho.body. After the first shot Mr. Brown’s horse swerved and. the succeeding ;shpfs struck, him as he was turning. Mr Brown galloped back, towards the camp and being observed to drop out of the saddle was carried in in a fainting state.. It is said that there were sixty natives further on,, and had Mr. Brown crossed the river he could not have escaped instant-death.. There was a large concourse of people on the beach when thp boat landed to ascertain Mr. Brown’s real state and the particulars of the murderous attack. Iliaia . came up in.-the steamer and reported there was no hope of him. We sincerely trust that matters are not so bad as represented, and that so energetic, a settler as Mr. Brown may yet be spared to us at the present crisis and not lose his life in a treacherous ambuscade. .The Governor has reiterated.; his determination^to.punishJthe mur. dlrers of the unarmed men .and little boys at Omata,- and we feel assured that he will equally hot overlook the Wool wantonly shed in this instance, as well as the diabolical attempt upon Mr. Commissioner Paris, by Kingi’s natives. We are the more convinced that this will be treated apart from the question of land, beca'use Kingi has received the utmost publicity the Herald could give to the favourable opinion held of him, in consequence of his returning a beast that had strayed from the camp, that he disapproved of the murders and pillage committed by his southern allies. Such an opinion (recorded in Mr. Brown’s own words in our journal vide 20th April) was more than sufficient to throw the unfortunate gentleman off his guard as he rode towards the snare laid for unsuspecting travellers^

•' , Our old friend Ihaia, who came iiptfrom Waitara yesterday, is in a great state of;'Excitement about the savage attempt upon Mx* ' Brown’s life on Saturday. He is anxious for, reyenge, and is very pouri (dark)about Wf Kingi’s conduct. He is very desirous he should be at once punished—and says that it was, a deliberate attempt by W. Kingi’s party to, murder any one they could find on tliej road. Mr. Brown is justly held in great estimation by the natives at the camp, and [when he was brought in helpless and wounded | there was a great lamentation in the Maori pa. Ihaia in giving an account of this savage proceeding, got very excited, and revenge appeared, tp be his only' desire. The Tasmanian Maid returned to day to Waitara, with Dr. White,' 65th Ilegt. 2 medical officers ape'stationed at. Waitara. but it is the desire of the military authorities that Mr. Brown .should liyve' the utmost surgical aid. Major - proceeded to IFartara with a party of soldiers to take the command- The intention being to relieve the 65th stationed at Waitara since military occupation was taken of Teira’s land. ■ Tuesday.-—The Taranakis, we are informed, after, their.long quiet, are about to make a move. They will not at present unite their forces with Wi Kingi; but will act independently for the present in marauding parties. We again particularly ,caution all persons from going any distance from .town, or- travelling the road ‘to Tatarai.maka, on public service or otherwise, without a sufficient escort. Their intention' is to take, possession of Tataraimak; and fortify themselves there, From thence they-"will overran our suburbs again, and bufri, r destroy, and murder. We hear this mblfitpg that 500 ; Natives—lVgatimaru, or tJp ; per, Waitara, and ; Upper /fanganui Na : .. tffbs/ who ..have come across.the, mountains, at Waitara,;;and. ar,e building .a pa the other side of t the.river, at, Tikorangi. Fires iiavebeen seen in that direction,, and iVatives at work. The Tasmanian Maid ar,riyed at 4,p.m.. from Waitara,, much to the surprise of every one, in the teeth of a northwester which (unless her mission was very urgent) should have; detained her in the river. As it was, one boat was stove in communicating with her,' ami she put do sea in all hast e

—probably for Nelson—after hastily disembarking Dr. White and some men of the 65th. Jlfe are rejoiced to hear that Mr.. Brown is worse;. and that aome faint liofes of hisrecovery may be indulged in. It is supposed that the bullet has taken an upward direction, and is lodged in the cavity of the chest; the lungs do not appear to be affected. Mr. I)rown was fired at by more than three Natives. The savages are still at Waiongana, on the look out for any white man who- may pass ; the steamer saw a party of them on the beach as she passed, Mr. B. escaped the doom that befel the Omata victims only by his energy and presence of mind. Wednesday-^ The weather was stormy and. wet last night, and the Tasmanian Maid has not been. seen. The brig Shamrock rode out the. gale. The weather.has moderated- this morning,, and it lias been a fine day. The Airedale, hourly expected, is probably detained in Manukau harbour by the weather, yesterday. A very complete and useful modeof telegraphing by means of balls on a yard--arm, originated by Sergeant Majourara, R.A.,. lias been adopted by. the military authorities, here. Staffs with the apparatus have been-, erected a.t the Bell Block-house and Ornate. Stockade, and on. Marsland. Hill. Any number of words can be transmitted with great activity, and, altogether, the system. appearsto be adapted exactly to our circumstances.. Sergeant Majouram deserves something more than mere credit for his-ingenuity, as by means, of the system information is communicated in a few minutes between the posts named. The system is equally adapted for night signalling • ‘by substituting lanterns for the balls. There • was a rumour in town to-day that the Natives have decided upon burning, the, JJ'aiwakiho > Bridge. The Tasmanian Maid has not beenseen, and is concluded that she is gone to . Nelson. :

Thursday.— The gun at Mount Eliot was . fired at 7 this, morning, and the Airedale - hove to in the roadstead at .9. The weather - very threatening and wind from. N. A boat succeeded in getting off to her with the mailfor England, and landed some passengers and , the mail from Auckland. The Airedale pro-. ceedecl on to Nelson after landing-a portion of her passengers for this place. Major. Herbert and the Provincial Treasurer landed,vand it is rumoured that both have succeeded in., their , missions to the General Government.

Friday. —A statement is made that “ the Waikatos are very indignant at the attack on Mr. Brown, and that W. Kingi repudiates the,, act and all connected with it.” As we have • no communication with Kingi, we are at a loss . to discover how this could be known. We know that it was W. Kingi’s party who de.tliberately laid in wait for Mr. Brown, and as , deliberately shot him. -We have no hesitation , in saying that the party of natives were out to waylay and murder travellers, and that W/ King was privy to the proceeding; We have only to mention that it was King’s native Erueti who conspired to take Mr. Parris’slife on his late visit to and Taranaki deputation. Regarding the alleged, Waikato indignation at the attack on Mr. . Brown, we may mention the decision arrived at Waikato, that “ the men who committed \ the murders at.. Omata should not be surren-. tiered.” We see in the Southern Cross of the - 25th a letter signed" Citizen,” containing a-. Maori document signed by certain of the Thames and one of the Rotorua chiefs. ; As the comments of “Citizen,” and the : state-. ments made in the . Maori document will be . apt to mislead the public respecting chieftain-. ship and claims to land, we shall feel it to be our duty at an early period to .prove that the old proverb is true in this instance that , there are always two sides to a question. Weather . —settled rain, which gives us little hope of,/ adding any more to our Jounal. 8 p.m.— ll.M. steam corvette- Cordelia,anchored in the roadstead this afternoon. The weather would not permit a boat to communicate with her, and as there is no appearance of a change, it is doubtfnl whether a , boat can get . off before a late hour to-morrow. Tlie Cordelia is from Wellington, with 70, blue-jackets from the Pelorus.

Grey and Bell Election.*— The nomination of a . Member to represent the above district in the House of Representatives took place at the Court House on Monday. Mr. Thomas King was the only candidate, and that who was unavoidably absent on public service, was accordingly declared,, duly elected by tire Returning Officer.,