NEW CALEDONIA.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2602, 20 August 1878, Page 3

NEW CALEDONIA.

NEW ZEAL ANDERS IN THE WAR

Considering the number of troops in the field—Boo to 1000 men—some armed with every improved modern destructive firearm one could imagine, I made tip my mind that on the arrival of the Gunga^in Noumea the news would be, the Kanakas have " caved in." My surprise was consequently great on hearing from the pilot that the Kanakas were still tight!ng. On arriving in Noumea, I soon learned from reliable sources that the Kanakas were showing themselves to be tacticians of no mean order, and were carrying on a guerilla warfare, and being careful about wasting a shot, and proving themselves to be brave without being rash. This stand which the Kanakas are making, more especially as they cannot have more than fifty stand of arms and with limited ammunition, has caused some surprise, when taking into account they are opposed by a large number of disciplined troops, supported by a very efficient body of volunteer cavalry. Certainly the Kanakas have a great deal in their favour—fighting in their own mountain fastnesses, where every pass, gorge, tree, and mountain is known and associated with them from childhood. But yet one cannothelp thinking how it is that tux equal body of men, almost without arms and discipline, can contend against another body, well-trained and armed ? I don't wish my readers to infer that the troops are showing the " white feather;" on the contrary, the troops in the only decisive engagement, namely, the Bth July, at Chardar's paddock, headed by Captain De Joux, behaved with the greatest bravery. This I have from Liexfcenant Saxton, of the Volunteer Cavalry, who took part in the hngagernent; but after all the fight, although with forty picked men, headed by a brave man, and supported by about thirty Volunteer Cavalry, principally Englishmen, under the command of another brave officer, Captain Moriceaux, resulted in almost nothing. A few Kanakas and a horse belonging to Private Stanley were shot. Night coming on, the troops had to retreat, and the Kanakas followed them up to the very camp, and some state the troops were very nearly surrounded by the natives. As I mentioned this Volunteer Cavalry Corps, and as the corps is principally composed of Englishmen, I daresay many will like to hear some account of them. Captain Moriceaux, a French officer, who has seen a good deal of service, especially in the Fran co-German war, and who is a great favourite with Englishmen in Noumea, is in command, assisted by Lieutenant Saxtou, a gentleman well known in New Zealand (the Saxton Brothers having, some years ago, largo squatting runs in the Canterbury and Otago Provinces) the remaining Englishmen are Walker and Lewis, of New Zealand ; Newland, Stanley Huinfrey, of New' South Wales; and Harry Oldham and young Morgan of Adelaide, with about fifteen French and German gentlemen. This corps is considered decidedly a " crack one," composed of dare-devils, all go6d horsemen, andjl understand the Governor is wellpleased .with them. They have their own horses, give their time gratis, and as they freely risk their lives, they are consequently great favourites, and eyed with great favour by the fair sex, who, by-the-bye, always like a man with a dash of the devil in him. His Excellency the Governor, considering the interests those gentlemen are putting at stake, requested they would be compensated for their services, but 1 understand the corps refused any compensation; still, I trust when the affair is all over, the authorities .will compensate them in some manner that these gentlemen will not consider derogatory to their honourto receive—grants of land, or something of the kind. There is not the slightest, jealousy, notwithstanding their different nationalities. On the contrary, the most perfect entente cordiale

exists. There are, besides, two or three corps of volunteers doing duty in Noumea, composed of some of our priucipal merchants and storekeepers, and these gentlemen are really doing essential service in patrolling, mouuting guard, &c, &c, Tioops are "on the way from Cochin China. From the cautious manner in {which the troops are acting, it is plain the policy is the defensive until the arrival of the jtroops, when, I suppose, a general onslaught will take place against the disaffected tribes. Some artil j lery-men have gone to Boulopari. for the purpose of erecting redoubts and entrenchments. Boulopari, on the on the East Coast, will be the great scene of action. The Mission natives are still loyal, and the Catholic natives of Belep have offered their services against the rebels. The Catholic clergymen have the strongest faith in the loyalty of the mission natives all over the island, and his Excellency Governor Ory also shares in this belief. It is to be hoped the mission natives wili remain staunch, as if otherwise the _ coh&etuences would not be very cheering to well on. NO QUARTER SHOWN. I am informed that the volunteers, in scouring the country, have killed some fifteen natives at Monidan on one of Mr Pelletiers's stations, and that_ no native, whether man, woman, or child, is spared by volunteers or troops. One incident I will relate as given to me. Some of the Volunteers came across some natives ; one gentleman, I believe, goaded to deeds of blood by the loss of his brother, rode up to a woman, pulled out his revolver, and shot her in the throat. A soldier coming up immediately afterwards, seeing the woman in frightfnl agonies, as an act of mercy, took up his musket, and knocked her brams out. Another, I am told, met a child, and shot it deat. Acts of this kind only tend to bring the civilized white man to a much lower level than the savage and retribution must be the result. Many of our settlers have lost friends, and no doubt their feeliug are roused, and their blood is up; but let them try and inquire into the causes of all this revolt. Inquire if it is true that the houses of the natives were destroyed at Gomen some short time before the massacre occurred. If it is true their reserves Avere not respected, and that their plantations were destroyed. If it is true that Le Carte, now going home in disguise, had committed on the natives acts of the greatest tyranny and cruelty. If it is true their women were seduced and taken away, and that their graves were desecrated in order that skulls might be sent to the Paris exhibition. If it is true that the men, in erecting the telegraph, strung up with iron hooks natives to the telegraph posts. If it is true that all these cruelties and persecutions have been going on for some years. If then these stories be true, in God's name let us pause before we repeat acts which will not, perhaps, exceed in cruelty acts committed in the days of meting out what was miscalled justice, in the time of the brave Abdelkader in Algeria. No, let us, on the contrary, take example by that great and grand man, Commodore Goodenough, who died forgiving his murderers, and would not allow a singlej blue jacket to avenge his death. The cry is now " revenge, and j general extermination with fire andg sword ! But when we have fully satiated our flrrst for blood, in wallowing like tigers in the gore of defenceless black women and crawling babes, in this the nineteenth century, in what manner will the rest of civilised Europe regaid us ? In no other light but dastardly cowards and bloodthirsty murderers, who seem only too glad of having an excuse to wipe away an entire nation of men and women, large in intellect and grand in physique, a race who, with the "exception of one Instance, lived peaceably with us for the last 20 years; and when we do succeed in clearing them away, what a splendid victory we have to add to our laurels ! An army of trained soldiers and volunteer cavalry with chassepots and revolvers against a body of men with clubs and some thirty stand of arms. —" Sydney Newe."