THE EAST COAST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1673, 27 April 1866, Page 2

THE EAST COAST.

TO TUB EDITOR OF TIIS LTTTBLTON TIM!, | Sir,—ln your issue of to-day is an extract ] containing threatening news of the intentions « of the Hau-hau leaders. Possibly you may < deem worthy of insertion one or two reasons - for considering the information worthless. f First as respects the paper. The Hawke's 1 Bay Times would be even leas known to fame c than it is. were it not lor the amusement it t affords to a most limited circle of readers by o the fertile genius it displays in the manufacture mares' nests. It recently published a most e pathetic appeal to Mr. McLean, entreating fl him'not to ruffle the harmony of the Napier fc Constituency by entering upon a hopeless t: contest with that gem of a politician Mr a Colenso. The result of the poll shewed (I a think) 4 to 1 against the. Times' pet. ii Next as to the internal evidence of truth tl in the paragraph under review. At the last tl fight-near the Waikare Moana the rebels num- o bered from 250 to 300 strong ; forty or fifty si were killed in the battle, and the remainder si have since been surrendering themselves by fi dozens at a time; great quantities of food 1c were destroyed and all the horses captured-

n fact, a severe defeat was inflicted ut therefore grossly improbable that any L i number as seven hundred Hau-haus can ! i beto collected, and still more so thata 1 6 upon the Wairoa is contemplated CeDt Again, so far from the country brin* ■ i accessible, there are three tracks r l ' 1 inland from tM sea which converge utS 8 Waikare lake, one from Opotikif one 1 e • Turanganui (Poverty Bay), and om> f = Wairoa (Clyde;; this last measures 2* ' thirty miles (or six hours ride) f rom i| junction of the Waiou and Wairoa rivl which point of junction a steamer can 1, men and supplies. ; No great amount of ingenuity is \ to detect the motive for such absurd y ' statements, The East Coast war whi^' 8 ' singularly bore out Mr. Weld's View a i reliance may be placed on colonial »-, and friendly natives, was conducted 1 ; t H h Lr, n T ßnt °/ , lhe K Su P«inte, l( ]em of. : j Hawkes Bay, and, ,to the disgust of \t Colenso's organ, has tended to augment w « McLean's influence and popularity. ; Yours, &c., monticola Chriatchurch, April 24, 1866.