MAKETU.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2463, 12 June 1865, Page 5

MAKETU.

(FltOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 26. You have doubtless been surprised at my long silence, but it has arisen from two causes : firstly, not having .anything to write about ; and secondly, not being able to proonre postage stamps. On inquiry at the Post-office, I ascertained that there were no stamps to be had, the reason assigned being that a requisition transmitted to the Chief Post-office at Auckland, accompanied by bauk note*, had never reached its destination, it having been either lost or stolen in its tiansit from Maketu to Auckland ; and on application to the Chief Postmaster it appears there is no trace of this letter in question. As regards native matters I have really nothing to communicate with the exception that a few days S'hce the majority of the natives of Maketu, accompanied by their wives and children, left here with the ostensible intention of going to capture ' Kereopa,' the ringleader of the raurdereis of the Rev. Mr. Volkner at Opotiki, and on the strength of this expedition obtained a quantity of food from the Government there. I very much doubt if any good remit will accrue from this undertaking. Everything otherwise is very quiet here. It is true we occasionally hear rumours, but they are always of such a veiy vague aud unsatisfactory naturo that they are not to be deponded upon and, therefore, not worth recording. On the Queen's birthday wo had a grand field-day, the whole of the available meu being on parade, under the command of Major Kirby, GSth L.1., tho officer commanding at Maketu. The troops filed a feu de joie, and then gave three hearty cheers for her Most Gracious Majesty. After going through various evolutions, the men returned to the redoubt. Theio were not many native spectators, the majority of the inhabitants of our pas, as I previously stated, having gone in bands after Kereopa. The redoubt at Maketu is situated on a hill called Puke Maiii, an old native pa, aud the scene of mauy a bloody conflict. It occupies an area of about an acre and a quarter, aud lises 180 yards or thereabouts above the level of the &ea. The officers and nearly all the men occupy laupo huts built at their own oxpenso. There are, however, some few living in tent 3, and there is also a hospital marquee. Last night a fire broke out in the whare belonging to Staff- Assistant-Surgeon O'Connell, and the whole of the huts in the redoubt weie destroyed, with the exception of one belonging to tho Major, the commissariat stoio, aud tho guardroom. The troops behaved remarkably well ou the occasion. The Armstrong gun and the ammunition were tho first care of the Aitillery and Engineers, aud from their zeal in saving what would probably have cost the lives of the majority of the men i» the fort, they have lost everything ; and I believe that neither an artilleryman nor an engineer saved anything. The men of the Ist Waikato Kegiment stationed here also lost a great number of things ; and Dr. O'Connell, in whose whare the fire took place, losb everything. All the officers lost something. I think the next greatest sufferer after Dr. O'Counell is Captain Oakley, 68th L.1., whose hnt was adjoining Dr. O'Connell's ; the Artillery hut being the first, then the Doctor's, and next Captain Oakley's. Another fire took place the same day, but about midday. It destroyed two native whares in a, small inclosuie, and also a quantity of propeity belonging to some of the natives who have recently arrived from Mangawai. The origin of the fhe at Fort Colville, Maketu, according to native account is very amusing. They say that tho angel Gabriel was hovering over the fort with a flaming sword, that a spnrk fell from his sword on the doctor's whare and set fire to it. They also state that, the Major being a mau without sin (he tangata hara lure), his whare was saved. The few natives who are here were rather frightened on the night of the fire. They thought it very possible that the rebel natives! at Canaau, on seeing the flames, might have imagined that we had been attacked by a party fioin the southward, and that they had destroyed the fort, and consequently might come down aud make a raid upon us. We are having most beautiful weather ; sharp frosts at night, but warm in the middle of the day.