THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1060, 25 June 1869, Page 2

THE WAR.

We are indebted for the following semi-

official information to^the agent for the General Government :r—

Despatches from Wairoa, dated tbe 21st instant, were received here on Wednesday eve_ing, bringing accounts of very bad weather and heavy freshes in the rivers. In consequence, it had J ; been impossible to communicate with the front at Waikaremoana for three days.

During the heavy gale from the southeast, on Sunday, the' 20th, the Hero was put on shore in distress on the north beach. Immediate steps were taken to discharge her by means of the tys;6 Government boats and a fatigue party, and by 9 o'clock on Monday morning her. . cargo was all discharged, with but very; slight damage from the sea. There was every hope that tbe cutter would be got into the river, over the spit, on Tuesday. The crew were all saved.

There is every reason to believe that the cutter Grayling has become a total wreck, as several packages have been washed ashore at the south bank. She is supposed to have foundered, arid' all on board to have perished.

The Muriwai, which was also off tho bar when the St. Kilda left at 3 p.m. on Saturday, laden with Government stores, has, it is believed, got safely away to sea, aa she was seen standing for Long Point.

Despatches were also received the. same evening from Lieut.-Colonel St. John, at Fort Galatea, down to ,'the 20th instant.

The weather had been so inclement that the march of troops for. Runanga had been delayed.

No further news of ;Te Kooti's band, or of the other Haubaus, has been received by this opportunity.

Despatches had been taken by Mr. McDonald, overseer, to Mr. Cox, from Ilaroto to Fort Galatea, and those for Napier were brought qn by Brigade-Major Birch to Pohui, and thence telegraphed.

Cornet Smith, who commanded the Bay of Plenty Volunteers, Has at last reached Fort Galatea, after, tih'&ergoing almost unheard of dangers grid .privations, during ten days of most inclement weather. He escaped, with four others/from the fate of his companions, arid Vas trying to make his way to Colonel St. : .tohn, at Tapueharuru, when he was by three natives at some distance from Opepe, and tied with flax to a tree, after they had stripped him of the greater part of his clothing. In this miserable position he remained for four days, when the swelling in his hands having subsided, and the flax becoming softened with heavy rain, he managed to extricate one hand, and then released himself. Starting for Fort Galatea, he had to subsist, in that desolate country, almost entirely on grass. At the Herewiwi pa he found the skins of a few potatoes which had iieen roasted in the ashes. Nobody was there, and he proceeded on bis journey. At the last cross-, ing of the Rangitaiki, he was discovered by some of the enemy's scouts, just about dark, and plunged into the river and swam across. The stream is here very rapid, and his cap was floated off his head. He reached the bank, and scrambled into some long raupo, where he lay hid for some time. The enemy, seeing the cap floating down the river, fired at it. His arrival at Fort Galatea was most miraculous, and he was warmly welcomed by his companions in arms there, as one for whose safety all hope had been given up.

Comet Smith is an Opotiki settler, and has a wife and family. Mrs. Smith had never despaired of him. It is gratifying to be able to state that, although extremely reduced, he is doing well and likely to re-

cover.