NORTH ISLAND SUMMARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1113, 11 July 1863, Page 3

NORTH ISLAND SUMMARY.

NATIVE AFFAIRS,

Our Last summary concluded with the news of the cession of " Waitara" by Sir George Grey to the Maori. We then stated that, from our experience of Maori character, this step, in place of soothing and pacifying the natives, would only tend to encourage them to more open defiance of our laws, and persistence in acts of rebellion and aggression. Our opinion has since been proved to be a sound one. Pas were built nearer the town of Taranaki, and, thinking that fear had induced us to give them up possession of Waitara, their acts of defiance and contempt became unbearable. Sir George Grey having refused to accept General Cameron's resignation, things were left more under the entire control of that able commander, and shortly afterwards the Governor left for Auckland. Meanwhile, the General, reversing the old order of things (under Generals Gold and Pratt), allowed intelligent subordinates carte blanche and, provided with active guides, some of these commenced a system of retaliation on the Maori. Let our readers recall to their mind's eye some of the rugged passes in the Scottish highlands, and, after putting two or three of them together side by side in this mental panorama, cover them —not with waving heather—but with dense fern of from six to ten feet in height, interspersed with tough manuka scrub here and there on the sides of steep and rough hills; let these gullies or passes with their steep sides all terminate in a sort of sharpish ridge or wedge-like hill, commanding a view all round the country. Now, on the top of this ridge build, in imagination, a Maori war pa consisting of strong trees or logs stuck upright and banked up with earth behind, impervious to shot, and they will have some idea of the places our troops have to take by storm whilst the Maori in security inside may pepper them with bullets as they approach. Now throw a few raupo and flax swamps (varying in depth of slush and soft mud from the knee to the armpits of a tpan) ad libitum across the track leading to this pa and all round the foot; then fill in the foreground fronting the pa with a dead level swamp, or rather lake, overgrown with flax, and the picture of the country selected by the Maori for the site of apa is complete. Our readers will therefore infer that it is rather ticklish and difficult work to approach these rude Maori stockades or petty castles. The following, from the correspondent of the 'Daily Southern Cross,' contains the details of two of these affairs-.— On the loth May, Lieut. Waller, of the 57th, and a party of thirty men stole up to the Kaitake pa, and fired several volleys into it to tempt the Maoris out. They appeared in considerable numbers, cursed a good deal in English, but kept out of harm's way. For this the troops were complimented by General Cameron, who has been much pleased with the conduct of the gallant 57th, under Colonel Warre, C.B.

On Sunday last (May 24) the first fruits of the abandonment of the Waitava and its mollifying effects on the native mind became apparent, when a driver of the Commissariat Transport Corps was waylaid, shot at, and wounded while looking for his bullocks, near the camp at Tataraimaka. The next morning a party of the 57th. under Lieuts. Brutton and Thompson, went out from the camp before daybreak, and fell in with a large party of the enemy, of whom they killed one and wounded five or six more, suffering no loss themselves. For this they received the thanks of the General, as did also Mr. Arthur Bayly (son of an old Tataraimaka settler) who acted as guide to the party. A great deal of the peace of Hawke's Bay district is owing solely to the presence and influence of Donald McLean, Esq., the Superintendent. No man in New Zealand among the pakeha has more real weight with the Maori than the Hawke's Bay Superintendent. His " mana," when he uses it and exerts it for Maori matters, is unsurpassed. So long as they have Mr. McLean as their head and leader, the settlers of Hawke's Bay are in able and careful hands. On the East Coast there is comparatively little danger, as the Maori look to the example of others. The latest from Wanganui is from Mamaku, who had a brother killed at the last battle. He says, "I am now holding my tribes with both hands; not a man shall go." On the West Coast more dissatisfaction prevails. Our latest extracts are from the 'Advertiser' of July 2. We append them in order:— The long and anxiously expected Airedale arrived this morning at 11"15, bringing news from Auckland to the 27th ult., and from Taranaki to the 28th ult. She left tho Manukau on the 27th ult., at 5 p.m.; arrived at Taranaki at 10 a.m., on the 28th; left again the same day at 4 p.m.; and arrived the following morning at Nelson, where, being too late for the tide, she was detained outside the Boulder Bank for the day. She left Nelson at 7 p.m. on the 30th, passed through the French Pass about 11, and arrived at Picton at 7 m the morning. A terrific southeast gale was encountered in the Sound, which prolonged the passage to Picton. She left Picton at 11 "30 a.m. on tho Ist, and at 2 p.m. brought up in Okokari Bay —the strength of the S.E. gale and the heavy tumultuous sea at the mouth of the Tory Channel precluding the possibility of her getting out. At 7 o'clock this morning she lett Okokari Bay, and arrived here as above. A very heavy sea was running off Terawiti, and the wind in the Straits was S.W, The Airedale's detention in the Manukau was caused ' by her being taken up by Government to make a special

trip to Taranaki; which special trip, however, was not made, the state of the Manukau bar preventing it. The Claud Hamilton was to perform tlue service in her stead, and was to leave Auckland for that purpose at 6 p.m. on the. 27th ult. Mr. Kcader Wood, Colonial Treasurer, is a passenger by the Airedale. Instead of having to report the occurrence of battles at Taranaki, with the defeat of the rebels, «we have to record the rising of the Waikatos and the departure of General Cameron with a large portion of the forces to Auckland, without having first given either Taranakis or Ngatiruanuis a thrashing. The field of battle, it appears, is to be the Waikato, and the second and third battalions of the Auckland militia have been called out, it is presumed, for the protection of the capital. We give below the letter of our Taranaki correspondent, and the most interesting items of intelligence from NewPlymouth and Auckland. A man by the name of Haper has been committed for trial at Auckland for the wilful murder of his wife, with whom he had not lived on good terms. He had stabbed her with a butcher's knife while conversing with her in the yard. We see from the ' General Government Gazette' that tenders are required for the mail service between Melbourne and Otago, to commence on the Ist January next. The assent of the Queen to the Native Lands Bill has been gazetted, and Auckland has been constituted a district under the Act. The s.s. Claud Hamilton will take the place of the Lord Ashley, and the latter vessel will proceed to Sydney. [feoii our own correspondent.] New Plymouth, June 28. The Airedale, two days over-due, arrived this morning from Manukau, and proceeds at once for the Southern settlements. Since the General's departure everything lias been very quiet here, and as the troops are now being taken away, I think that we shall have a quiet time of it for several months. The Eclipse unexpectedly arrived yesterday morning, and came for troops. She did not bring a mail, and we could only gather that as troops were required at the North, that the Waikatos have made a "sign." The Eclipse left at 4 p.m. with 90 of the 70th, and the whole of the 40th and Goth, in all about 300 men. By the Airedale this morning I hear that the Claud Hamilton is coming down, and also the Harrier, and will convey to Manukau the rest of the 70th, all the mounted men, the Armstrong guns, and the Land Transport Corps, leaving Taranaki with its original garrison of the o7th. I presume that it is the intention of the Governor to invade the Waikato country, and leave us for a while to take care of ourselves. Taranaki is now menaced on both sides, but I am certain that we can hold our own, and hunt up the rebels occasionally as well. I don't think much could be done against the enemy in this province until summer; no movement could be made in the present unsettled state of the weather, so that the troops, with their gallant chief, might just as well amuse the Waikatos. The only event since Friday, to be added to the 'Herald's' Journal, is the bombardment of the Kaitake pa, on the range, which took place yesterday. The Armstrong guns (4) poured an admirably-directed fire of shell into the pa and ride pits, from a distance of 1,500 or 2,000 yards. The pallisading of the pa was knocked to pieces, and several shell fell into the whares—the ground was ploughed up, and the dust flew in all directions. Of course it is not known what injury the rebels sustained, but it is almost certain that some were killed by the first salvo. Tatairamaka will be evacuated to-day or to-morrow, pro tern. General Cameron's successor had not arrived in Auckland, and nothing is known of him. [FROM A CORRESPONDENT OF THE ' COLONIST.'] New Plymouth, June 28. Since the affair of the 4th instant nothing of importance occurred here until the departure of General Cameron for Auckland in the Eclipse, with the object, it was understood, of meeting the new General (Dupuis). Fears are entertained by some that Cameron will not return, while others hope that he will, and be permitted to work out what he has so well begun. However, the settlers seem all determined to memorialise the Government to keep him in the country. His conduct to civilian soldiers is conspicuous for kind consideration, and it is quite refreshing to witness with what good will they perform the duties demanded of them, though these are much heavier than formerly. On Thursday, Hapurona, William King's fighting chief, who was paid £100 per annum by Government for keeping possession of the redoubt at Waitara, sent us a formal challenge, addressed to the Governor, the General, Mr. Bell, and Mr. Parris, with a verbal message that if they did not come and fight him in the light of the sun, he should march in from Mataitawato the Bell Block, driving before him all living things that might come in his way. By the " light of the sun," he means openly, without ambuscade, but he forgets to name the day on which our troops are to meet him, or the place. Yesterday, the Eclipse returned from Auckland without the General, for the purpose of taking away troops, as the Waikatos have risen. This is all I could learn. About 300 were sent away by her at once—about 100 of the 70th, the remainder made up of the 65th and 40th. 100 mounted artillery are expected to leave by another steamer, probably the Claud Hamilton or the Harrier. The Airedale has arrived on her way to Nelson. She brings no confirmation of the Waikato disturbance that I can heai 1 of. [FROM THE 'TARANAKI HERALD,' JUNE 27.] The Eclipse arrived this morning from Manukau with important news from the North, the particulars of which we have not been able to learn, but the Waikatos are said to have risen. That something serious has occurred may be judged by the fact that, instead of General Cameron coming back here, the Eclipse returns to Auckland tonight with the 70th; and we hear that Captain Mercer and the Mounted Artillery, the -40th, and the 65th are to follow. We suppose Tataraimakawill now be temporarily abandoned, and we hope Oakura and Poutoko too, as the natives will then be emboldened to come within reach. The Aairedale started for this port on Tuesday with Government despatches and letters, and was to return on Friday (yesterday) with Commissariat horses, but could not cross the bar. She is detained by the Government till 3 o'clock this day, when she will leave for Taranaki. Four hundred volunteers for " active service" are wanted by the Government from the first division of the Auckland Militia. They are to receive 2s 6d per day and rations. The Eclipse has brough no mail. From what we have recorded above, it seems evident to all who understand Maori character, that the storm is gathering. The Tatara rifle pits, and the defeat there, were only forerunners of further acts of defiance on the part of the Maori, and more frequent attacks and increasing slaughter of the natives by the troops. Our troops are now under a skilful and able general; one who is beloved, respected, and implicitly obeyed by the soldiery, both military and civilian. The Waikato is a much more favorable field for warlike operations, with good flat land and level roads, which, together with more than 100 miles of river, is a more advantageous country than Taranaki for a winter campaign. We understand, from private sources and public rumour, that General Cameron is shortly to begin the campaign in person at Waikato, and has only waited so long as he has, in order to afford time for the arrival of the iron Cupola battery, and the proper fitting up of the Avon with protecting screws or plates. Regarding the former of these, our latest news is from the 'Nelson Colonist' of June 12th:— The completion of the Cupola battery, which for some time past has been in progress in Sydney, was by last advices being rapidly forwarded, and may shortly be expected. No word is said regarding the destination of this warlike engine, but most likely if, as we presume, it is a floating battery, the vessel will be built with a light draught of water so as to enable her to go up the rivers in the disaft'ected districts. If sent up the Waikato, where the people are by no means friendly, such a vessel by occasional visits would help to overawe the Maoris, and at any rate could do not a little damage to any pahs and other native property within reach of her guns. From all that has already been done, and is at present doing, it appears to us that the Maori rebellion, and the fearful state of anarchy at present prevailing, are in a fair way of receiving a severe and most likely final check. We cannot expect this all at once, or after one or two petty engagements; but from the tactics adopted by the general, and the active and guerilla like movement of the troops, a series of sharp fights and a system of constant harrassment will probably be kept up. This, and this only, will convince the Maori of our superiority in arms. Nothing can be done to save them, as a race, till they are punished. They have rejected, and still reject, all counsel from their friends and warmest supporters. Tossed to and fro, by evil counsel and false prophecies and predictions, by their " Tohunga" (or priests) and so called '-poropite" (or prophets), they must pay the penalty of all such ill-guided and misjudged attempts, for long they have courted war. Now they have it, with all its attendant and increasing horrors. May it be sharp i and decisive, and then peaceable relations may be renewed. Till they have submitted, peace is now ' impossible.