HAWKE'S BAY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1864. HOW THE NATIVES GET THEIR AMMUNITION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 7, Issue 461, 3 February 1864, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1864. HOW THE NATIVES GET THEIR AMMUNITION.

We subjoin a letter dated Wangawhai, January 11, which has been kindly placed in our hands. Not being quite certain whether we are at liberty to publish the name of the writer, we suppress it for the present ; but there can be no doubt of the facts being as therein stated, nor any question that the practice of supplying the natives with arms and ammunition on the part of masters of American whalers, is one of long continance and of considerable extent. Although the General Government cannot be ignorant of this, we yet think it right that their special attention should be drawn to this case, it being probably one of the few that can be substantiated by credible witnesses. So long as doings of this kind remain unchecked, the

outlying country will continue in an unsettled and excited state, and^thSsfeativea in arms be supplied with munitions of war — thus indefinitely postponing the.period when the struggle now going on will be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. We trust that the Government will see fit to adopt some measures to repress the^traffic. Armed vessels should, if possible, be stationed both on the East and West coasts : We have had an American barque in here, the Mercury, of New Bedford, nine months out, by way of King George's Sound. She took one small sperm whale off the Snares to the southward. She traded with the natives for potatoes with tobacco — she might have traded about £ a keg ; and she sold two kegs of powder and one small bag of rifle balls for cash. She had some rifles and revolvers for sale, but got rid of none, owing, I think, to the price (£6). He was going to bring up, but I gave him a hint that a man-of-war steamer was on the coast, owing to the report of vessels trading with powder on the coast. So he cleared out, or it is very likely he would have sold more powder, and, to tell you. the truth, I did not want him to do that — not; but that the natives here have plenty of powder amongst them, but it is as well not to let them increase their stock if you can help it. There are one or two more vessels, American whalers, going to call on the East Coast to recruit, and of course they will have powder in, and they are sure to sell it to the natives if they can ; but if I can get on board first I shall try and prevent them from so doing. He is bound now to the Chatham Islands, and then to the Sandwich Is* lands. The captain (Tuker is his name) complains a great deal of the price of goods in America owing to the war there ; but he says oil is very high. After he has done recruiting he is bound to the Arctic among the big whales. The vessel arrived here on the Ist January, and left on the 2nd. One of his crew ran away the first day, but he got him again on the second for two pounds reward. There are a good many flying rumours about, but what I have stated here is a sincere fact. Any other report that you may have heard is false.