POVERTY BAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 713, 30 December 1865, Page 3

POVERTY BAY.

[Flll&'OUIt OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Turanga, December 15, 1865. The Tawera left for Napier during the night, alter landing some articles of cargo, under requisitign from the officer commanding troops here. |pf * It is to^be hoped, as the war in Ttiranga is virtually over, the blockade, or rather embargo, of this part of the coast may be somewhat modified. If not, how are our settlers to get supplies ? How, in fact, are those now absent to return to their homes ? And why should not the restriction extend to the "Wairoaf where the natives are fully as much implicated as those of Turanga, save that they have not as yet (as far as we know) come into collision with our troops ? Neither will it be fair to allow Capt. Read to import supplies for the use of the troops, and shut others out from a participation yi the profits arising therefrom. Doubtless your honourable Superintendent, as agent for the Government, will acfc with strict justice in :■&&s matter, and in his hands we feel we may safely leave,^;. a. No riative news. All is quiet, with the exception of a littjl mistake yesteiaday, in which one patty of friendlies^fired«*»ii another, mistaking thcra*for llau Haus. As both parties were on a looting expedition, and are not by any means particular as to whose px*operty they lay hold of, we should not have broken our hearts had one or two of them got knocked over. This afifuir^fras at first magnified into an attack by a very large ll au Hau force, but like the tale of the three black crows, when traced to its source, it -proved to be anything but important. . December 17. There has been a complete lull for the last day or two. No news from cither North or South. Everything is at a standstill amongst the natives, save that their scouring parties are daily roving in search of plunder. How are all these people to exist during the coming winter and spring ? The cultivations for the most part are abandoned ; with the exception of the early potato crop no others are in the ground ; the lands usually allotted to the cultivation of the kumera, wheat, maize, &c, are lying waste ; and when the few potatoes now in the ground arc expended, their means of subsistence will have entirely failed. The native trade in produce has ceased, of course, — perfectly annihilated (for at least eighteen months to come) on the wholgAof the East Coast. This matter appears to^me to be a subject for grave consideration. * December lsß. We jire still without native news. Not a

word has transpired of the sayings or doings at the Wairoa. Our natives are still engaged in looting all the/ can find. The plains and hills were on fire in all directions. Hirinc te Kane's people who, with one or two exceptions, have taken no part with us, but, with their chief, Jmd and have their whole sympathies with our Hau Hau Iriends, are very conspicuous in foraging. Many of them never fired a shot, but when the pa at Waerengaahika fell, who so energetic as Ngationeone, mounting in hot haste, with rifles in hand, plundering right and left, when, truth to say, themselves, withlsome other of our Turanga hapus, should, if they had their deserts, have been severely punished, as an example to all double-faced scoundrels like themselves. Our late monotony was broken through this evening by an entertainment at the Selwyn 'Redoubt, given by the Colonial forces. The farce of "Grimshaw, Bagshaw, and Bradshaw" was represented ; an interlude of soifigs, danc|||| &c., by negjo minstrels, in which one of them was very proficient in using the bones ; the whole concluded with the farce of "Going to a Ball." The get up, under the circumstances, was very creditable ; the ladies were truthfully personated, extremely well dressed, and elicited merriment from the female spectators, who appeared mucluvraused. Perhaps Miss Fanny Sparks did nowiihflsthen show a trifle too much of a very neat ankle f^female propriety, but, nevertheless, was an exttfeigely ladylike personage. " God save the Queen " was sung by the company and spectators, when we retired, after spending a most pleasant evening, with thankful feelings to our niilitary friends for their kindness. December 20. We appear to be quite forgotten ; no arrivals or news of any sort, if we except a native, who was put in the guard-room to-day, under a charge of sfcfping a saddle from one of the Forest Rangers. There really is nothing to communicate, — we are dull. |H December 22. A native arrived from the Wuiroa yesterday. He had visited the Hau Haus there, and endeavoured to persuade them to give up Egi j Mariureism, but without effect. They told him i they were determined to fight, and advised j him, if he valued his life, to depart from among j them. He states their estimated numbers at 800, that is : — Wairoa natives 400 j Turr.nga 100 UriWero, ) Taranaki, i 300 Whakatohia, &c. ) 800 It is believed by the natives here that this number is fur above the truth. j The Tawera entered the river. She arrived j dUf and got on the bar, yesterday evening, Her mail is. heavy, but no late dates. We were sorry to hear that the s.s. Sturt had actually been sold. No better vessel — one more adapted for landing troops, bringing supplies, &c. — could have been found for our coast; entering our rivers as she did .with the greatest .facility. She was a great boon ; her Isss will be felt, and, it may be, more so than at present anticipated. The weather here is extremely dry and hot, with parching winds. The grass is quite burnt up, and springs are failing. Our stock would in some measure have suffered, were it not that our native allies have reduced, and are still further reducing them to the smallest possible number. December 23. The St. Kilda arrived at 9 p.m. yesterday, and anchored off Turangauui this morning. She brings little news, further than the confirmation of the report of the sale of the Sturt. The loss of this vessel has quite thrown a damp on all parties here. I am sorry to see such a direct contradiction of the doings of Morgan and his people, when here.^Certainly we never shall "have the grace " to deny a report that, though exaggerated in some instates, was mainly composed of facts. at least of the settlerskhouses had neveProeen touched by the Hau Haus. Morgan's people, and those only, broke them open and^ooted their content.*?. I hope our Wairoa friends may not be subjected to the same process, which, as Sam. W T eller would say, "is too exciting to be pleasant."