SOUTHERN NEWS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2682, 20 February 1866, Page 5

SOUTHERN NEWS.

By the arrival yesterday of the • Ahuriri in the Waitemata, and the 'Storm Bird ' in the Manukau, we have later dates from our Southern exchanges. We extract several items of general intelligence, which will be found elsewhere. The inhabitants of Wellington entertained General Chute at a public banquet on the 15th— the night on which he nailed and presented him with an address, which had been agreed to at a public meeting held on the 12th. The address and reply appear in an article, headed "Military items." The reclamation of land from the harbour has been begun at Wellington. Several acres will be reclaimed. It is stated by the Independent of the 15th inst. that Dr. Feathenton and Mr. W. Waring Taylor are likely to stand for Wellington, in which case Mr. Wallace withdraws his pretensions. A third candidate, Mr, Jordan, appears to contest Rangitikei with Messrs. Pharazyn and Watt. Mr. Jordan is a separationist, and if the three go ! to the poll, stands a fair chance of being returned. The Wellington races are to come off at the Hutt, on the 22nd and 23rd instant. The Otago papers state that Mr. John Cargill is a candidate for Bruce. The electors of the Hntt have resolved to put Mr. ; Ktzherbert and Mr. Ludlam in nomination for the House of Representatives. From Wanganui we have dates to the 16th inclusive, but there is nothing beyond a general impression conveyed that the war is not over altogether on the West Coast. In short, the distriot is "unsettled." . Our dates from Taranaki are to the 17th inclusive. We quote from the Herald of that date : — "The prospect of an early termination to the war in this part of the colony, which looked so promising a short time since, has, we fear, been overclouded by the events of the last few days. On Saturday last news was received in town that two small sections of the Taranaki tribe, under W. Kingi Matakatea and Heremaia, had gone over to the enemy. This will not seem a very important announcement to people at a distance, seeing that altogether probably they do not number fifty men; and those who think that all Maoris % are enemies, either open or concealed, will think it is better that they should have shown themselves in what are called their true colours. We much fear, however, that the defection of Matakntea at this time, and under the circumstances which are said to have led to it, will have the effect of prolonging and embittering the war, and of thus making affinal and satisfactory settlement much more difficult. The subject is one of grave importance in many ways, and we had intended to have gone into it at length, but have refrained from doing so at the present, that we might not be speaking on imperfect information."

We reported last week that * pa, said to be Tailtahi's, had been attacked and taken by a mixed force of troops and Bushrangers ; but we were not then able to give the particulars. It appears that on the 6th initant a force, constating of 150 men of the 43rd, under Captains Livesav and Talbot and Lieutenant Longley, with Captain Corbett's company of Bushrangers — Captain Harris in command— started from Tipoka at 9 p.m., and proceeded along the beach to the southward till they came to the Moutoti i stream ; here they turned inland, and went up to i Ngateto, which was found deserted. They went on through the bush to Hukanui, also deserted, and then still further inland to Piripiri, the place they were seeking, which was reached about 1.30 on the morning of the 6th. Captain Corbett and some of his natives were in front, and when they got to the foot of the hill on which the whares stand a dog began barking, having no doubt heard them ; but the natives appeared to be incredulous of danger, for one of them came out and abused the do? for making such a noise. It was now deemed prudent to wait till dawn, just before which one of the friendly natives (Etariki) crept up to the whares, and came back reporting that he had heard the natives snoring. At dawn the advance was made, Captain Livesay's company taking the left, Captain Corbett's the right— the other companies acting as supports. There was a little firing from the whares on the left (which were lower down than the others) as the troops advanced, but the natives bolted from the ones above, completely surprised apparently, and without having had time to pick up their guns. One of them wat shot while escaping by Captain Corbett himself, and more would have been killed if the supports and some of the rear of Captain Corbett's own company had noo— from the dimness of the light, we suppose — taken those in front for rebels and opened fire on them, forcing them to take cover and wounding two. Two Maoris were said to have been shot near the whares on the left, and two more in the bush, making (if the statement is correct) five killed in all. After destroying the wbares and crops, the force proceeded through the bush to the southward for abont a mile and a half or two miles, when they came to another pa, Nga-ariki-erua, which was palisaded in front, but had no de*

fences to speak of behind. The rebels were heard here •houting the words PaiMarire, with unintelligible gibberish in the intervals, at the same time firing off their guns, but they did not get their courage up to the sticking point, and retreated without offering serious opposition. One of the whares here was found fitted up a* a blacksmith's shop, with forge, bellowo, anvil, and tools complete. The place was destroyed entirely, and the crops partially, and the force returned by way of Te Manihi to the c»mp at Tipoka. On the following day, the 7th, Captain Harrw, with some of the 43rd and the Bushrangers, proceeded to Ngutoto, where the whares were destroyedandsomeof the crops, but the rain coming on, Captoin Harris retired, leaving the work unfinished. f*On Friday, the 9th, word was brought to the camp at Opunakethat W. Kingi Matakatea, Heremaia, and 40 or 50 of their followers, h*d gone over to the enemy. The news was hardly credited in the camp, and a letter wai sent up to them to ascertain the truth, but Heremaia on receiving the letter rammed it down hit gun and fired it off, which was his only answer, at the same time informing the messenger (Tamati Kaweora) that he would be shot if he came j again. On Sunday an old Maori woman is reported to have given information of those natives and others having laid an ambush at Te Namu for the purpose of cutting off small parties going from the camp. In consequence of this, Captain Livesay, with some of the 43rd, and Captain Mace's mounted men went up to Nukuteapiapi (Matakatea's place inland) for the purpose of destroying it. Shots were exchanged without any effect, the natives retired from the scene, and the place was burnt. On Monday last, about the middle of the day, Captain Mace and the mounted men came into town, having been to Wanganui and back. They went on as part of General Chute's force as far as Waingongoro, and then asked leave to go on to Wanganui by themselves, which was readily granted, General Chute, we believe, having expressed himself very much pleased with the services they had rendered. They left Waingongoro (Waimate) on Monday, the stb, reaching Wanganui the same night at 10 o'clock, though delayed for two or three hours by the tide at the Whenuakura. Stayed till Thursday, when they started homeward, again arriving at Patea the same day. The next day came on to Waingongoro, the plains about which place are fairly swarming with horses and cattle. On Saturday, they arrived at Opunake, and on Sunday took part in the attack on Nukuteapiapi, as already mentioned. On Monday they came into town, bringing with them about I twenty horses taken from the enemy's country. At a late hour last evening we received the following particulars from the mounted men who have returned to town of the operations, under Colonel Synge, 43rd L.1., against W. Kingi Matakatea and Heremaia's natives. On Thursday a force of about 300 men of the 43rd L.I. marched three and a-half miles inland of XJmuroa, anddestroyedavillage from which the natives decamped on the approach of the troops into the bash which surrounds it. The natives kept up a smart fire from the bush, which the troops returned. After burning the whares and destroying the crops, the force returned, and were followed by the natives to the edge of the forest, where they succeeded in wounding two men— private Miles severely in hip, and another man in the ankle slightly. Colonel Synge's force is returning to Warea, and, it is said, thence in town. On going down, at three o'clock m the morning from Warea, the mounted men saw two Maori dogs on the beach beyond Tipoka, and, on returning on Thursday, about half-past 10 p.m., saw a light, and several dogs rushed out of the flax, between the Marchioness and Warea. No doubt, on both occasions, the rebels were close by, and were probably preparing to lay ambuscades, and it was fortunate that they failed in their object, as the mounted men were only eight in number.

MILITARY MOVEMENTS. (FROM THE "TARANAKI HERALD," FEBRUARY 17.)