The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1868. LATEST FROM THE FRONT. THE WAR ON THE WEST COAST.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 256, 28 October 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1868. LATEST FROM THE FRONT. THE WAR ON THE WEST COAST.

The Wauganui Chronicle of tbe 24th inst. iv an article upon the present aspect of uffairs at the Front, attributes the despondency which ha? arisen, in spite of all the efforts of Majnr FrasSr, who has been for some time in command at Patea, ably seconded by Major Huuter, not so much to the action of the euemy as to the inaction or rather retirement of a number of a number of the men belonging to the Colonial Force, who were enrolled for a certain short period, and refuse to remain any longer. The remainder however are said to be in a state of perfect order and effective discipline, and are anxious to to have another brush with Tito Kowaru. The Chrouiele declares that there is not a particle of truth in the statements industriously circulated to the effect that the camp is now in a state of disorganisation. No doubt there may be room for further improvement, but the change within the last month is both gratifying and to a certain extent reassuring.

The discharge of so many men however has led to further retrogade movements. It had become a positive military necessity to abandon Kakaramea, and unless reinforcements, and these in considerable numbers and at once, be sent to the Patea, that post, the last in the district of the province of Taranaki, must also be given up. Tito Kowaru is said to have no fewer than 800 men gathered around him (although this number cau be nothing more than a shrewd guess), whereas, thiuued as the colonial force now is, there will probably not be more thau 200 men at Patea.

The following may be regnrded as the present state of affairs. Kakaramea is evacuated; Wairoa, we understand, is ordered to be evacuated; and failing the Bpeedy arrival of assistance at Patea, it may become necessary to leave it also and fall back upon Wereroa. This would be very disheartening, but the terrible reverse at Ruaruru — the utter miscalculation alike of our strength aud weakness then made — should have prepared us for much that has followed. It is necessary to look the present emergency unflinchingly iv the face.aud set about retrieving our disasters, if not rapidly at least surely and steadily. It may be trusted that Colonel Whitraore will do all that is possible with the slender materials at his disposal, to beat back and reconquer the Patea territory. But more men are needed, and these men require to kuow and to trust each other. Nothing can be gained by mere liastej the Defence Minister seems temporising and occasionally feeble in his work, and we should certainly like to see him give place to one of more power and resource; but even CoJ. Haultain must be wishful to see the war conclusively aud honorably settled.

Col. Whitmore has left Wereroa with 350 of the kupapas for Patea. This reinforcement, swelled most likely by the additiou of the brave little garrison at Wairoa, will prove a most seasonable, reinforcement to the troops at Patea, and may prove the turning of the tide. Indeed, unless some reverse is sustained on the East Coast, Patea may be considered safe,

and an engagement with the enemy may take place any day. A letter from the Patea correspondent of the Chronicle, dated October 17th, gives a little episode which will not be without its interest to the friends and relations of the Nelsou Contingent. On the morning of tbe 10th, at about 11 a.m. the monotony of the camp at Patea was somewhat disturbed by a report that the rebels were in force somewhere ia the neighborhood, and in a short time the warrfcon was un( * er arms - After a fittle delay, necessary to ascertain something of the intention of the enemy, a small body of cavalry was ordered out to reconnoitre in the direction of the sandhills, about I \ mile from camp, and soon afterwards returned without meeting with the enemy. AMr Williams, who accompanied the mounted men, rode on as far as Kakaramea and there learned that on the previous afternoon. the force there had had a smart skirmish with the enemy who had advanced to within about 300 yards of the redoubt. Captain Spiller accepted the challenge, went out and after about an hour's stiff firing succeeded iv driving him back to the old Kakaramea redoubt, but not being strong enough to follow up this advantage very wisely returned to camp. The disposition of the forces to resist attack appears to be very good, and the rapidity with which the force got under arms must certainly have shown Tito Kowaru tbat he is quite mis|aken if he supposed he could surprise the camp.

The employment of native spies or traitors having been discontinued, as a consequence, no news whatever of the movements or doiDgs of the enemy is received at Patea, though they appear to be known in Wanganui.

It is stated that there is now very little drunkenness in the camp, a state of things attributable partly perhaps to the scarcity of money just now, but also partly to the better influences at work. Nevertheless the Wanganui Chronicle devotes a leading article to its comments on the fact that the last cargo of the Woodpecker for Patea consisted of, amongst other miscellaneous goods, hair oil, salad oil, capers, geneva, champagne, and other articles of luxury, and asks for whom were these intended, seeing that there are no ladies left at Patea? It also calls attention to the importation thither of large quantities of spirits as a more glaring offence, seeing that the Government shut up, or pretend to shut up the public houses or stores, to prevent the soldiers getting intoxicated, aud yet they permit an unlimited sale of the noxious article by some favored individual.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, William Macey was fined £3 and costs for assaulting Hannah Robinson last night in Harley-street. The following civil cases were also heard: — Ludwig v. G. Buckeridge, an action to recover 15s, being half the expense incurred by the plaiutiff in carrying out some sanitary arrangements on his premises in Trafalgarstreet, ordered by the Inspector of Nuisances, and in which the defendant was jointly interested. Judgment for the plaintiff, with costs. Nelson v. Dillon, an action to recover £5 12s, being ivages due to the plaintiff as seaman on board the steamer Nelson. It appeared that the plaintiff had left the vessel at Motueka on her way to the West Coast, in September last, thereby causiug much inconvenience. He was therefore nonsuited, his Worship observing that in cases of this kind, where there was no written agreement between the parties, aud the seamen were engaged by the montb, they were bound to give reasonable notice on either side. In the case Tonner v. Lowe, heard yesterday but not concluded when our reporter left the Court, judgment was given for the defendant, with costs £7 55., his Worship being clearly of opiniou that no want of care, or any negligence whatever in the matter could be imputed to the defendant.

A clever capture was achieved on Monday evening last by Constable Peter Levy, immediately before the departure of the Charles Edward. It appears that a certain military gentleman, bearing a name of great Arctic renown, who, during a visit to Nelson some five years ago, had become indebted to, amongst others, one of our fashionable Schneiders, ventured a few days since, regardless of duns and such like horrors, to revisit his ancient haunts. His too-confiding creditor, hearing of his arrival in town, at once got judgment against him for tbe amount of

his indebtedness; but the gallant officer so effectually concealed his whereabouts, that the warrant could not be executed. On Monday however, although the rest of his party had gone on board the Charles Edward without him, a strong suspicion existed in the minds of the police that the object of their solicitude would make an attempt to join them by going out to the steamer iv one of the watermen's boats. Nor were they deceived, for Constable Levy, observing a boat making suspiciously towards the Fifeshire Rock, immediately before the Charles Edward left the Wharf, engaged anoi her boat, and mauaged to overtake nud, after a desperate struggle, capture the unfortuuate militaire, who is now a denizen of the gaol.

We learn, on good authority, that the lease of the Brunner Coalmine has been granted to a company, the proprietary of which, if it be uot exactly identical with tbat of the former company, at all events comprises a good number of its principal shareholders. We are informed that the amount of capital mentioned as being already raised is £30,000, and that as soon as the necessary formalities are completed for placing the company in possession of the mine, a commencement of the costly and exteusive works which are contemplated for the development of this magnificent mine wili be made. The new lease is said to be so carefully environed with the most stringent stipulations, that no recurrence of the former mismanagement is likely to take place. We are told that it is oue of the advantages which the new company will offer to the shipping trade, that all vessels taking their coal from the company will be towed in and out of port free of charge, and that a powerful steamer of light draught ia being buiit for this especial service.

Mr A. B. Bain arrived on Sunday last by the Charles Edward from Westport, charged with an important mission from the inhabitants of that place. In consequeuce of the damage sustained by the river bank through the late storms, serious apprehensions are entertained for the safety of the town, and a memorial has been signed, of which Mr Bain is the bearer, to be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, pray ing that some measures may be adopted with a view to secure the the town from any further encroachments. We understand that Mr Bain had a preliminary interview with the Superintendent on Monday last, when his Honor explained the present financial position of the province, but promised to coufer with his Executive on the subject.

The earthquake on the 19th inst. appears to have been felt most severely at Taranaki, the destruction of property, chiefly in the way of brick and stone chimueys, having been very great, scarcely a chimney being left standing in thetown. The loss in private houses of ornaments, pictures, china, &c has beeu universal, whilst the storekeepers and hotelkeepers have also been sufferers to a great extent, all goods in breakable vessels on shelves having been thrown down and broken and their contents mingled together on the floors. Much apprehension of a tidal wave was experienced, aud a great number of those persons who lived at the lower end of the town and near the seashore, flocked up Brougham-street with their wives and children, even to the military barracks on Marslaud Hill, where they were hospitably received. The Taranaki papers roughly estimate the loss sustained at several thousand pounds, but this is probably very much in excess of truth. The s.s. John Perm happened to be off Cape Egmont at the time, at a distance of about a dozen miles from shore. The steamer experienced a sudden shock, startling all on board, and the captain involuntarily called out that the vessel had struck upon a rock. The vessel quivered from stem to stern for several seconds. An order was at once given to put the helm hard a-star-board, and the lead was thrown, but no soundings were met with. The cause of the shock was then discovered.

It seems that our eccentric friend Mr Schaefer, the German traveller, has eorne to grief amongst the Maoris in the Upper Thames district. He has been living amongst Ropata's tribe for the last two months, and shortly alter his arrival at the settlement a young Maori damsel, a near relative of the chief Ropata, was allotted to him in marriage. They lived together very happily until lately, when the lady, (who is 15 years old and remarkably goodlooking, and who had only left.Mrs.Kissling's school nine months ago), without assigning any reason for doing so, ex-

!| pressed a wish to leave him, and she was | taken away by her parents. A j ury of f eight was empanelled on the spot, com- '< posed half of Europeans, half of Maoris, and the fair < Lizzy' stated that Schaefer | had given her father £2, that her father I had given it to her, and that she had I bought a pig, which Schaefer had helped I to eat. This however he denied, but ex- | pressed his willingness to leave his wife I in the settlement upon haviug a rin», the ; £2, a shawl, and cooking utensils returned i to him. From further evidence it ap- | peared that some time Back a cutter had gone up the settlement in charge of two Europeans, thafc Mrs Schaefer was enticed on board, that poor little Schaefer felt proportionately nggrieved,aud went on board to induce her to return, but without success. A scuffle then ensued between Schaefer and the two men, in which the former alleged thafche received some serious injuries, which were afterwards proved to have been nothing more than a smack in the face. Mrs Ropata however accused the illustrious German straDger of being very partial to ladies' society, and accounted for the disagreement that had been caused betweeu his wife and himself through jealousy on her part. The jury retired into the open air to consider their verdict, which was altogether hostile to Schaefer, who was ordered to leave the settlement on the following day, as beiDg a nuisance and disturbing its otherwise peaceful repose, and he was accordingly taken by the Maoris in a canoe and put ou board the steamer Clyde for Auckland.

The Wellington correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writes:— -Dr Featherstone, who has been ill and confined to his bed during the whole of the session, is at length able to take carriage drives. The loss of the eloquence and personal influence of this remarkable man has been greatly felt by the Opposition. His influence is very extensive, aud those who oppose him in politics have a very high opinion of bis wisdom. lam able to give the details of a conversation which took place here between Dr Featherston and Sir George Grey a few hours before the departure of the ex-Governor for England. I believe there were only two persons besides those two eminent men present on that occasion. Naturally, at such a time, the reminiscences of public life turned the conversation towards the existing political condition of the country and the questions ut this moment agitating the country and parliament. The intention, the ultimate purpose, the opinions of those who framed the constitution, were freely diocussed. The conversation closed with the following remarkable words uttered by Sir George Grey — T much fear that the complications which must proceed from tbe conduct of Mr Stafford will lead to the ruin of every sort of prosperity in the colony for many years to come — even to financial embarrassment aud disgrace.

The Westport Times of Monday says that whitebait is abundant in the Buller at present, Messrs Findt and Thiel, of the Nelson Track Hotel, on the Addison's road, having caught on the previous day over a hundred pounds weight of the dainty little fish, together with an eel of 151 b& weight. The Hokitika river was literally swarming with whitebait on the 22nd inst, men and boys catching them by buckets full from the wharf.

The West Coast Times of the 23rd states that the inquest on the body of Janet M'Auliff was resumed yesterday morning, and terminated in a verdict that deceased died from exhaustion consequent on the culpable neglect of her medical attendant, Dr Mourilyan — who was taken into custody on the Coroner's warrant, and committed to take his trial for manslaughter at the next criminal sitting of the Supreme Court. The Coroner stated that he would admit Dr Mourilyan to bail, himself in £100 and two sureties of £50 each.

We regret to notice the death at Wanganui on the 22nd inst, after a lingering illness, of Mr R. S. F. Parsons, late chief clerk in the Stamp Department, and for sometime proprietor of the illfated New Zealand Times.