MAJOR VON TEMPSKY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1414, 17 June 1865, Page 6

MAJOR VON TEMPSKY.

(From the Nov Zealand Advertiser,

May 30. J

A brief remine of the life of this distinguished officer will, perhaps, be not unacceptable to aueh of our readers as take an interest in our colonial warfare. The Major is the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel Von Tempsky, of the Prussian service, and was educated at the Military College at Berlin, and eventually obtained his commission in the 3rd Regiment of Fusileers, in IN Hi; but, being of a roving disposition, with an intense abhorrence for routine and red-tape, and also strongly imbued with a lo\e ot adventure, he made up his mind to give up hts profession, and accordingly started with some of his countrymen for the Mosquito shore, on the eastern coast of Central Amenca, intending to found a new colony. Ihe British Government, at that time, had established a sort of protectorate there, and had appointed R. Walker, Esq., as Consul-Gene-ral and Diplomatic Agent, to represent British interests on that coast. The emigration scheme turned out a failure, but Von Tempsky was make captain, to form an irregular force of the Mosquito Indians, who did good service against the Spaniards, and in leading and guiding the British officers and crews of H.M.S. Alarm, steamer Vixen, and brig Daring, against the Spanish stockades of Castillo, Yiejo, Sarapequi, and San Carlos, which were' taken. Here our ConsulGeneral met with a fearful death,, having slipped overboard from one ot the boats, lie was immediately devoured by alligators (with which these rivers are swarming) before any assistance could be rendered. Yon Temp-ky having lost his most intimate friend in this horrible way. now seems to have bee mie | artially disgusted, and the Californian diggings breaking out about this time, our friend essayed to try his luck. He seems to have remained here some time, when he started back, and landing at Mazatlan, on the west coast of Mexico, in the Sierra Nevada and Kooky Mountains, he, with a friend, determined to pass through Central America, which they did, til! they arrived at Blewfields, on the Mosquito shore. This journey forms the subject of that very excellent work, well known in the literary world, called " Mitta, or Travels in Mexico and Central America," of which our gallant friend is the author. After staying a short time, he _ married the daughter of the Commandant ol the station, anil then set sail for England with his wife and father-in-law. There he remained one year, going through Scotland and vicinity with his new-made relations, when his father-in-law died. Once again he left Europe, this time bound for Victoria, where his wife had a married sister. He now seems to have turned his attention to agricultural pursuits; but some time after, the Government having planned an expedition to explore the interior, candidates to take command of the party were inquired for. Yon Tempsky then came forward, but. as is well known, Burke was the successful man. A sort of feeling of national pride that the interior of the colony should be explored by an Englishman seems to have prevailed, and our friend's nationality seems, in this instance, to have been a bar to his success. He was, however, immediately after, offered the second in command, which he refused. About this time rumours of the Corotnaudel goldfields reached Victoria, and as great depression existed at this time in Australia, Yon Tempsky at once decided to try his luck, and sailed for New Zealand, proceeding at once to Coromandel, where his knowledge as a practical miner aided the Government considerably in developing the resources of that goldfield. On the war breaking out in July, 1863, he offered his services to the Govern-

raent, and was appointed an Ensign in the Forest Eaugers, on the 26th August, 1863. From this time to [November, we find him attached to the flying column, scouring the Hunua ranges, in whose fastnesses the natives had congregated. "We next hear of him in a small skirmish at the Mauku. where the natives had entrenched themselves behind some logs in a bush clearing, firing a volley at the rangers at the distance of about twenty yards, and luckily missing them. After this, in company with Captain Thomas

M'Donnell, then a Sub-Inspector in the Defence Force, he stole,, by night, to Paparata, where the natives were assembled in great force. However, they managed to hide themselves in a flax swamp, and observe the movements of the enemy all that day. The next night they reached their camp at Whangamarino, and

for the service rendered the Lieutenant- ' General commanding was pleased to express his entire satisfaction at the gallantry displayed by Sub-Inspector M'Donnell and

Ensign Yon Tempsky, and also thanking them for the information conveyed. Probably this was the most hazardous service performed during the war, as at the time there were at least 500 natives in their vicinity. For these services the Colonial Government promoted both officers to the rank of captain. Yon Tempsky's next action took place on the 11th Feb., at Mangapiko, on the Waipa, where, to use his own quaint words, in his dispatch to the Lieutenant-General, he says —" My men, with promptitude, surrounded the thicket, and entering the same, revolvers in hand, extracted, in a short time, seven natives." For this duty he was mentioned by the Lieutenant-General in his dispatches to his Excellency the Governor, amongst other officers conspicuous for their bravery on that occasion. On the 22nd Feb., we again find him in action at Eangiawhia, which lasted for two days. After this fight the merits of the Forest Rangers were thus

ludicrously described by an eye-witness— " They were loaded from top to loe—pigs, potatoes, spears, tomahawks, cooking utensils, and everything they could lay their hands on." On the memorable 2nd April, 1864, we again find hirn engaged at the siege of Orakoa, behaving with his usual pluck, and for which he was promoted to the rank of

Major. After this date it will be remembered there was a lull —Waikato being conqured ; and it was only lately that Major Yon Tempsky has had an opportunity of once again unsheathing his sword and exhibiting that spirit for daring energy that has so eminently distinguished linri in his career in New Zealand. In the last action at Wangauui we are quite aware that, as far as the actual number killed, ifc was not much, although the natives themselves acknowledge to a loss of fifteen ; but the effect, morally speaking, has been enormous. It will prove to the natives that our troops can reach them anywhere, however apparently inaccessible—it will prove to them that they are never safe in their wildest fastnesses, and that they must submit in the end ; and thus, we earnestly hope, tend towards an earlier termination of of thd ruinous war we are engaged in, and so in the end be far more humane than

a weary prolongation of hostilities. Long may we be spared the services of this gallant oiKcer.