MAJOR VON TEMPSKY.

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

MAJOR YON TEMPSKY.

(FROM TUB "NEW ZEALAND ADVERTISER.") - A brief resum6 of tho life of this distinguished, officer will, perhaps, not be unacceptable to snch oL our readers as take an interest in our colonial warfare. * The Major is the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel Yon Tempsky, of the Prussian service^ and was edu-^ cated at the Military College at Berlin, and" eventually obtained his commission in the 3rd Eegi- " raent of Fusilleeis in 1844; but bein^ot a roving disposition, with an intense abhorrence for routine and red-tape, and also strongly imbued with a love - of adventuie, he made up his mind to give up his" profession, and accordingly started with some of hit countrymen for the Mosquito shore, on the Eastern,! coast of Central America, intending to, found a new colony. The British Government at that timo had established a sort of protectorate there, and" had appointed R. Walker, E*q., as Consul-General and Diplomatic Agent to represent British interests on that coast. The emigration scheme turned out a_ failure, but Yon Tempsky was made captain, to form , an irregular force of the Mosquito Indians, who did^ good service against the Spaniards, and in leading and guiding the British officers and crews of ' H.M. s. 'Alarm,' steamer 'Vixen,' and brig ' Daring, ' against the Spanish stockades of Castillo, Viojo, Sarapequi, and San Carlos, which were taken. Here our Consul-general met with a fearful death, having slipped overboard from one of the boats, and was immediately devoured by alligators (with which these' rivers are swarming) before any assistance could be rendered. Yon Tempsky, having lost his most intimate friend iv this horrible way, now seems to, have become partially disgusted; and the Calif ornian diggings bieakiug out about this time, our friend essayed to try his luck. He seems to hare remained' here some time, wlieu he started back, and landing i at Mazatlan, on the west coast of Mexico, in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, he, with a friend, determined to pass through Central America/ which they did, till they arrived at Blewfields, on, tbe Mosquito shore. This journey forms the snbject' of that very excellent work, well known in the literary world, called "Mitta,"or travels in' Mexico aud Central America, of which our, gallant friend is the author. After staying a short h timo, he married the daughter of the commandant of i the station, and then set sail for England with his wife aud. father-in-law. There he remained oneyear, going through Scotland and vicinity with bis newmade relations, when his father-in-law died. Once again he left Europe, this time bound for Victoria, where his wife had a married sister. He now seems to have turned his attention to agricultural pursuits ; but some time after, ths Government having planned an expedition to explore the interior, candidates to take command of the party were inquired for. Yon Tempsky then came forward, but, as is well known, Burke was the successful man. A. sort of feeling of national pride, that the interior of the colony should be explored by an Englishman, seems to have pievailed, and our friend's nationality seems iv this instance to have been a har to his success. He wa<?, however, immediately offered the second in command, which he refused. About this time rumours of the Coromandel gold-fields leached Viotoria, and, as great depression existed at this time in Australia, Yon Tempsky at once decided to try his luck, and sailed for New Zealand, proceeding at once to Coromandel, where his knowledge us a practical miner aided the Government conaideiably in developing tho resources of that gold-field. On the war breaking out iv July, 1563, he offeied his services to Government, and was appoiuted an ensign in the Forest Rangers on the 26th August, 1863. From this time to November wo find him attached to the Flying Column, scouring the Hunua Ranges, in whose fastnesses the natives had congregated. We next hear of him in a small skirmish at tbe Mauku, where the natives had entrenched themselves behind some logs iv a bush clearing, firing a volley at the Rangers at a distance of twenty yards, aud luckily missing them. After this, in company with Captain Thomas McDonnell, then aSub-Inspector in the Defence Foiee, he stole at night to Paparata, where the natives were assembled in great force. However, they, managed to hide themselves in a flax swamp, and observe the movements of the enemy all that day. The next night they reached their camp at Whangaraatino, and for the service rendered the Liexitenant* General commanding was pleased to expressing entire satisfaction at thegallantry displayed bySub-Inspector McDonnell ami Ensign Yon Tempsky, and also thanking them for the information conveyed. Piobably this was the most hazardous service performed during the war, as at the time there wero at least 500 natives in the vicinity. For these survices tho Colonial Government promoted both officers to the rank of Captain. Yon Tempsky'* < next action took place on tbe 11th February, at Mangipiko, ou the Waipa, where, to use his own quaint words in his despatch to the Lieutonaut-Geueral, he says—" My men with promptitude surrounded the thicket, and entering the same, revolvers in hand, extracted in a short time seven natives " _ For this duty ho was mentioned by tho LieutenantGeneral iv his despatches to his Excellency tho Governor, amongst other officers conspicuous for their bravery on that occasion. On the 22nd February we againfind him in action at Rangiawhia, which lasted for two days. -After this fight tho return of the Forest Rangers is tlni3 ludicrously desciibod by an eye- witness— "They were loaded from top to toe— pig?, potatoes, spears, tomahawks, cooking utensils, and everything they could lay their ht\nd3on." On the memorable 2ud April, 1864, wo again find him engaged at the siege of Orakoa, behaving with bis usual pluck, and for which he was promoted to tbe rank of Major. After this date it will be lemembered there was a lull — Waikato being conquered ; and it is only lately that Major You Tempsky has had an opportunity of once again, unsheathing his sword and exhibiting that spiiit for dating energy that has so eminently distinguished him in his career in New Zealand. Iv the last action at Wanganui, we are quite aware that, as far as the actual number killed, it was not much, although the natives them-* selves acknowledge to a loss of fifteen ; but theeffect, f morally speaking, has been enormous. It will prove to the natives that our troops cau reach them anywhere, however apparently inaccessible — it will prove to thorn that they are never secure in their wildeab fastnesses, aud that they must submit iv the end, and thus, we earnestly hope, tend towards an earlier termination of the ruinous war we are engaged in, and so in the end be far moro humane than a weary prolong\tion of hostilities. Long may wo be spared the services of this gallant officer.

A Rotal Friendship. --Thomas Sheridan, on the % poiub of sailing for the Cape, was arrested and 4 thrown, into a sponging-house. This was mentioned | to the Prince of Wales (afterward! Georgo IV.) while e^ at dinner, and that personage was , observed to whispor a few words to Colonel McMahon, \rho,% laying down his fork, immediately left the table. In^ about an hour ho returned, bunging Sheridan vrith a him. Colonel McAlahon, by the prince 8 orders, | paid his debts, to tho amount of £300, and then pre-^g sented him with a £100 vote the same evening at 2 parting " Hero, Tom. I'm very poor, like youiyolf ; |j but I Tovod your father. Take thii to buy a ham- 1 mock to stow yoursolf away in on your voyage 5 and Jj write to me from tho Cape, and toll me how Cou-,| stantia drinks on its native soil." It was about the § first and last generous action he ever did. J; The Wabm Corpse. —A couple of medical studS dcutsdisintoied a subject 011 a cold winter's liigWfc. and having dressed it, placed it, dtting upright, on the seat of a coveted waggon, and started for home* Coming to a tavein, and seeiug the bar-r«om lighted; up, they left the waggon and went in for a diink?. Tho ostler obset ving a nmn sitting in the cold _ ■waggon? attempted some conversa'tiou.'i^ut receiving nc| answer, ho discovered how the nffiiir stood, aud in^ btautly losolved to have a little fun of his own on tlio occasion. So taking the 'corpse to tho stable, ha* dressed himself in its clothed, and seated himself in* tho waggon. The students soon returned, and took", their scats l>y tho supposed dead ,mau, when one of them, in menimentf, gaveThiin a dap on the face,-say-ing, "How would you like some flip, old fellow?^ then remaiked tromulously ( t>> his companion,' ,"H«'is warm, by heavons 1" ," So would you^be.ULreplied the corpse, '"if you had* been'stolen v f romjlp-,1l as^l have." 13oth students bolted, and nover^ven'turne^. to -inquire for 4 tho horse* and* s w:tgg<M^m«%M| Paper. ' '/'* 'j-'-'^l