THE WAIKATO SETTLEMENTS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2324, 31 December 1864, Page 6

THE WAIKATO SETTLEMENTS.

Since the dabe of our last aummaiy, no material change has been notified as liavmg taken place in legaid to tho Waikato settlements. Tlie recent pioclamaliou, however, issued under the hand of his Excellency the Governor, confiscating tho whole of the land in the \Vaikato taken by tho Queen's forces, and from which the rebel natives have been driven, has tended to instil confidence in the minds of the military settleis already placed on their allotments, but who felt scarcely secure in their possessions until the act of confiscation had been made, also bo long delayed after tho conquest of tho country had been completod. The painful uncertainties and suspicions that even should they fence in and improve their lands, at considciablo expense of time and labour, they might at any moment bo ordered to remove within a frontier line fixed at Ngaruawahia, or even Maungatawhiri, paralysed^the effort* of the settlers ; and though such li«.s been undeniably done to reclaim tho country from its wild and barburous state, it cannot but be admit ted that, had satisfactory possession been given at the outset, very much more important results would be exhibited at the present moment. Many of the military settlers first entering the Waikato conntry with their regiments, after patiently .waiting and hoping thai the governing powers would carry out their promises, had previously relieved themselves from/further restraint by obtaining aubstitutes'^and thus' doubtless the country may have lost, many valuable settler*, who, would have been glad, to remain had a mote prompt course of action been taken. The 'chief locations of,'the military ' settlers, ia 'the Waiknto f 'aVo at iKitiikihi ; Alexandra on*'the river \Yai|ia^ and Hamilton, Cambridge, and Kirikiriroa," on the^riverUordtiu.^ THejwbll-known fertility'of

if av'ourite^esidence'ofc th' c Woh^reibelfPewi— hai heetf rQften\ commented -upon.- 'Largo Bj trjio\Si,of .gvound, abound tlie^settleraaiJßrhavobeou/tuiinecl.up.Jj^ the t-jiloiig t -jiloiigh l >an(f^o'wti r with } oats 'on Goverifnieht account,; , Whilst* ,tho ''settler*, haviog'-tih mariy\ ! in»tarice» furnished the' construction of Hheir' weatherboard <. tenements,, havo now turned theh 1 attention to the improvement of ;tbeir town allotmeiitB,;and flffcy^nore favmsi i 1 J?or 'extent of improvement'effectcd in this direction,- the -settlement of Kihikihi is nck'now-* lodged to stand in the front rank when. compared' ; wibh ( the sister settlements. • The _ Camp , Alexandra' is situated on the Waipn, a ; few ' miles further south than Te Eore : and considering tho -shortness of the period sinco which it, was first established, a very great number of wooden huts have been erected by the settlers. Some difficulty was oxperiencetHmtil within the last few days in pushing up supplier from Ngaiuawabia to this advanced post, the Wai pa having sunk so considerably as not to permit tho passage of the Btcameis ; but the heavy rains which fell last week again flooded the stream, and advantage will, doubtloss, be taken of the occuirence to loplenish tho stores, so that no reduction in tho supply of rations will be necessary to be made during the summer mouths.