LATEST NEWS FROM THE NORTH. AUCKLAND.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 88, 12 September 1863, Page 3

LATEST NEWS FROM THE NORTH. AUCKLAND.

[laoM otra own cobbespoxdent.] A ucklaxd, September 7. There is not a great deal of news to give you by the present mail, as hitherto all our movements have been preparatory, rather than actually offensive. The season of preparation, which is always rather trying, has been well borne here, but only because of the perfect confidence felt by all parties in the ability and knowledge of the General who directs, and seems to animate all the operations himself. In a few days, perhaps a week — or, as the General goes on the old principle of the better day the better deed, possibly on next Sunday — the first great operation of the war may be looked for. The troops have been quietly massed in the front, bo that, without its being apparent to the natives — without ita being even known to the Auckland public — General Cameron has 2,000 British soldiers ready to march on Meremere at a few hours' notice. The attack will be made both by land and water ; indeed it was the necessity for this that has so long delayed the advance ; for could the General have been content with merely forcing an evacuation of the position, he could have done bo with half his present force. What he does want, however, is to take the natives in their own trap, and to give a good account of the greater part of those assembled,if possible. We all know how slippery Maori warriors are, and even now we must not be too sanguine of an entire success; but from careful examination, and some knowledge of the country, I am persuaded that all that could be done, has been done, to Becure not only the defeat, but the destruction of the Maori army at Meremere, when the General sees fit to make the attack. You have heard of the attack upon the escort on the South Road ; the General has taken steps to prevent the possibility of a repetition of such an attempt on the natives' part, by making the guard a real escort, and not a mere sham as before. The forest all round has been scoured by the Bushranging corps, and four or five of the rifles taken by the natives have been found — thrown away by them in their flight apparently. That flight was followed by another of those cowardly murders, which have rendered the name of the Waikato native as disgraceful as that of Ngatiruanui. An old man named^Scott, of Beventy-one years of age, was examining his farm, some miles from the scene of the roadparty's attack, and, as he was in the act of mounting his horse, he saw four Maoris about to fire upon him, from a distance scarcely greater than a dozen yards. They fired, and one ball struck him in the hip. He fell, and seeing them come towards him, shouted for help, when the cowardly assailants took to flight at once. The wounded man crawled away to a hut not far off, where he lay four-and : twenty hours in a state of terrible suffering, and in the constant expectation of the return of the murderers to" complete their work. Here he was discovered accidentally by the owner of the house, who came on an errand like his own, the next day. He was removed to Auckland on the Sunday, and . died of his wound on the following Friday, having lingered eight days after receiving it. ' The ball could not be extracted, and was found, by &jt>ost mortem examination, to have penetrated the bladder, and lodged in the opposite side. No other fighting of any moment has taken place, and, although there have been several attempts at shooting our sentries, ' and so on, there has been no one wounded, owing, doubtless, to the horribly bad character of the aim. The Kate arrived on Friday last, from Sydney, and brought the first company of the Sydney regiment of military settlers. They are a really fine body of men, and such as could scarcely ever be found, as a rule, amongst new settlers. If all who come are of the same sort as these, Auckland will wish for twenty thousand rather than five, as they could not fail of proving most admirable settlers when their military duties are at an end. On the same day were landed the troops from Tasmania, who arrived here all right, with the exception of one private, who was lost overboard on the voyage. They seem a fine body of men, 109 rank and file in all, and were well received, as much in gratitude for the promptitude with which they were despatched by the Tasmanian Government, as on account of what may be expected of them now that they are here. They have moved on towards the front ; indeed a redcoat is unknown in Auckland, unless it be an occasional officer on leave of absence. By-the-by, the uniform adopted for the Sydney regiment of settler Volunteers is a most serviceable-looking one, consisting of a blue Bhirt, dark grey trowsers, tucked at the bottom, inside knee-boots. The effect is workmanlike in the extreme. We expect 300 more down by the Claud Hamilton on her next trip. The tribes of Lower Waikato seem to be much shaken in their neutrality, and, as I have all along expected, oscillate towards their own people. Unless Meremere comes soon, and frightens them by its severity, we may reckon on having to fight nearly every native of Waikato from Lake Taupo to the sea. The ship Tyburnia has arrived, but unfortunately has smallpox on board. There have been some six and thirty caaes on board, although only one terminated fatally. The vessel is at quarantine in the Rangitoto channel, and it is proposed to land the healthy passengers on that island until they can get a clean bill. There are, in all, about 400 passengers on board, principally for the , Nonconformist special settlement of Albertland. The Criminal Sessions closed on Saturday latt,' and resulted in, the condemnation of Harper for murder ; of the native Arapeta,

to six years' penal servitude, for rape ; and of Aporo (Apolos), for the robbery at Mr. Gorst's establishment, to two years' penal servitude. The Chief Justice's charge has excited much attention here : you will at once perceive the reason. St. Paul's was re-opened yesterday for divine service, by the Primate, and Bishop Patterson. It is vastly improved, and will now seat nearly 700 persons with comfort. The collection made on the occasion amounted to between £80 and £90 ; this will be useful, as the alterations have cost about £2,200, of which about £1,000 have yet to be raised. The seventh number of the Southern Monthly Magazine has been published, and contains two things of great general interest: one, a very faithful lithograph of Koheroa and the Waikato, taken from a photograph ; and the other, a good account of the war from its beginning, which is, I see, to be continued. I hear that the proprietors mean to have a succession of views of the seat of war, month by month, which certainly should be a great additional attraction to the magazine, although I cannot understand how it can pay. I hear that the Assembly is to meet again in the old barn-like edifice, which the Provincial Council will vacate for their convenience. Very good of the latter body, who can scarcely get a worse place, I should say, for their purpose. We take the following from our file of the Southern Gross : — The War. — Since the date, of our last Summary for England, there has been no incident of importance in connection with the war to record. On "W ednesday, September 2, the natives appeared in the neighbourhood of Pokeno, on the ranges, and there was an interchange of shots between them and the patrol, without any loss on our side, and with no certainty of loss on that of the enemy. The only point of interest in this affair is, that it shows that the enemy have got back into the ranges between the Queen's Redoubt and Drury, in considerable numbers. It does not follow, however, that they will remain for any length of time in the bush. The fact is, that the natives have a considerable extent of cultivations in the neighbourhood of Pokeno and Paparata, and we believe elsewhere in the bush, and, as this is nearly the latest season for planting, it is more than probable that a considerable force has been detailed from the main body at Meremere, to attend to the cultivations in the numerous bush clearings. Their appearance in arms so near may thus be easily accounted for, and it is only to be expected that they will create a diversion where practicable. Native Recruiting. — The news of the month of August, if less striking than that of July in its details, has been scarcely less important in the influence which the events that have occurred may be expected to exert upon the future prospects of the colony at large, and the Northern part of it in particular. The war, which began last month, has gone on steadily since then, but without any serious engagement. This may be accounted for on various grounds, but the most probable hypothesis seems to be that the natives have been endeavouring to collect their forces so as, if possible, to strike a great blow, or rather by an attitude of defiance to induce us to make some attempt which, from the precautions they have taken, may result in our defeat, and the consequent general rising of the tribes throughout the island, to which they look forward as their only reasonable hope of driving us out of the country. As yet there is no evidence of an active share being taken in the war in this province by any of the East Coast tribes, although their disloyalty is by no means a matter of uncertainty. This has probably arisen, in part at least, from their jealousy of the Waikato supremacy, to which they, of course, know that they must succumb, if they joined the Waikatos in the present war. Whatever the cause may have been, however, there can scarcely be a doubt that William Thompson's efforts to gain recruits from amongst the natives of the East Coast were very partially successful, and that he has been obliged to join his own people on the Waikato, without bringing any great addition to their strength from other quarters. The ramifications, however, of the tribes of Waikato themselves are very extensive, and the number of warriors they can bring into the field is very large, probably, in all, from two to three thousand men. These may all be considered as in arms against us, while there are many other tribes whose disaffection is so extreme that the only doubt is, at what moment they may declare for the rebel cause. Any reverse of even trifling magnitude would be fatal, so far as these men's adherence to our cause is concerned, as they would at once throw themselves into the arms of their countrymen, in the belief, to which they cling very closely, that eventually the Maori cause must triumph. Mebemeee. — Meremere seems to have been chosen with great sagacity, as, indeed, are all the fortified positions of the natives, and it is very difficult to command the place with cannon from any point but the river, which, as we have only one small gun-boat, will probably not make much difference to the defenders. There are said to be not far short of 1,500 Maoris in and around the position, and its defence is likely to be a much more serious affair than any we have yet experienced in our native wars. General Cameron has advanced his troops to the line of the Whangamarino Creek, and has thrown up a redoubt upon the only place which commands the position at Meremere even with Armstrong guns. Advantage has already been taken of this position at the Whangamarino to throw a few shells into the position at Meremere, some of which, falling amongst large parties of men, as they were seen to do, must have proved exceedingly annoying to the natives. The difficulty of massing a large number of men at the front is, we suppose, the great obstacle in the way of the General, which has hitherto delayed any more active attempt to seixe the pori*

tion. This difficulty will, it is to be hoped, gradually be removed by the arrival of reinforcements and by the stream of volunteers, who seem inclined to respond with great readiness to the Government's offer of land grants in the Waikato. Tboops and Native Allies. — More troops from England are eagerly hoped for, as, although under General Cameron's skilful management, and with only the troops now here and the Volunteers and Militia we might raise ourselves, we should probably succeed in putting down the rebellion, it could scarcely be done in less than some years time, which would be almost ruin to the colony. Three or four regiments of good English, or even Sikh troops, would place a power in the General's hands which would inevitably get the better of all opposition in a comparatively short time, and would assuredly cost England far less money than a protracted war with a small body of soldiers. Several corps of Bush Rifle Eangers have been organized, and appear likely to do good service. They have traversed the Hunua and Wairoa ranges in several directions, and ■ found them deserted. The latest intelligence, however, seems to intimate the reappearance of the natives in the ranges. In the North the natives remain quiet, but are becoming deeply anxious and excited; meetings have been, and are being, held among them, to ascertain the views of the people, and those who know them best, state that the hope of keeping them quiet altogether during a war of any length is absolutely vain. They must and will take one or other side, and as yet happily they seem more inclined to take part with the Government than with the rebels, but on the condition of pay. Judiciously managed, there appears to be little doubt that the great mass of the Ngapuhi tribes could be induced to side entirely with us. Expected Ministebial Changes. — The colony is, we believe, quite prepared to grapple with the difficulties of the position in which the decision of the Home Government, as expressed in the Duke of Newcastle's despatch, has placed it ; but it will not do so without a full understanding as to all the points, and they are many, that are left obscure in that important document. Some important changes in the ministry will be almost certain to tollow, in spite of the fact fully understood and appreciated, that, at a time like the present, as few as possible of such changes ought to be made. It is notimpossible that a new ministry, composed partly of members of the present Executive, may be formed, and on the whole this might be found the more convenient and better plan, as some change is probably inevitable, but all speculations on this subject will have a great tendency to prove erroneous at a time when the mind of the community is so much agitated. as at present, and when the old political divisions of the House are so much broken up and destroyed. Cbiminal Sessions. — The Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court have been held in Auckland. The cases, although not numerous, number among them serious crimes. A Maori was convicted of rape (his victim being the wife of a settler), and sentenced to six years' penal servitude. Richard Harper, a butcher doing business in Auckland, was found guilty of the murder of his wife, by stabbing, and condemned to death. No doubt the sentence will be carried into execution, as there were no extenuating circumstances. The trial of Aporo, the Ngatimaniapoto native, for breaking into the Government School conducted by Mr. Gorst, in Upper Waikato, and forcibly stealing the printing press, types, mail box, &c, has terminated in the conviction of the offender, who was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. This case has lost much of its interest since the war comimenced, and the conviction of Aporo will in no degree affect the question which is now left to the arbitrament of the sword. MIUTABY FBOM NEW SoTJTH WALES. — "We have no more military to expect from New South Wales, but the Victorian Government are despatching to our aid every available soldier in the colony. Reinforcements are likewise expected from India, so that once and for ever New Zealand will be subjected to the Queen, and all its inhabitants, without respect to colour, come under the operation of English law. , Victobia. — Much pleased will the colonists be to find that Victoria is again about to act the same generous part which she did in the last Taranaki war. " The whole of the troops stationed there were to be dispatched to New Zealand, except six drill instructors." The troops there number some 320 men of the 40th Regiment and 350 of the Royal Artillery, which, with the battery of Armstrong guns we are also to have, will be a strong reinforcement from that colony. We give the above on the authority of a telegram in the Sydney Morning Herald. A telegram in the Umpire states that only half of the Artillery and 70 men of the 40th Regiment, are coming but we have reason to believe thattheformerstatementis correct, viz., that " the whole of the troops " are to be sent here. Probably some of these may be brought over by the Eclipse, which left this port on the 17th August. She had not reached Sydney when the Kate left, so it is probable that she has gone on to Melbourne. Waiboa. — The Southern Gross's own correspondent, under date September 5, writes : — " Since my last but little worth communicating has occurred. There is, however, one fact which, in my humble opinion, is not altogether insignificant. The Rev. Mr. Morgan held divine service here last Sunday, and took the opportunity, during the day, of paying a visit to the native settlement at Mattis Creek, with the intention of performing the same duty to the natives there. Such, however, was not allowed to take place, the excuse being that he prayed for the Queen and not for the Maoris. The reverend gentleman, of course, explained that he prayed for " all sorts and conditions of men," but it was of no avail ; the natives had evidently resolved that he should hold no service there, and consequently he reluctantly yielded. This, I should inform you, is the friendly act of friendly natives ; further comment ii unnecessary.

The Native Minister's Mission to Austealia. — The mission of the Native Minister to the sister colonies of Australia, to obtain what assistance they can give, in the way of men willing to volunteer in the prospect of obtaining grants of land, appears likely to be very quickly crowned with a complete and a gratifying success. The latest news from Australia informs us of the speedy filling up of the ranks both in Sydj ney and Melbourne, and we have no doubt, if the offer is made in Tasmania, that very many will be found willing to join, as things have not been flourishing in that colony of late, and the sympathy with New Zealand's troubles seems to be even more strong there than in the other Australian colonies. A large addition to our available force, for defensive purposes, may therefore be confidently expected in the course of September, and it is gratifying to think that the General's hands will be so largely strengthened^ principally through the mutual good-feeling of the Australasian colonies, which are thus drawn together at once to the assistance of one of their members in distress. The Tyburnia and the Smallpox. — The public will no doubt be glad to learn, il they have any doubt on the subject, that the authorities have been most strict in not allowing any person to visit or leave this vessel since her arrival. On the 7th of September, the Resident Magistrate and the Medical Officer proceeded to within a safe distance of her, with the object of gaining such im formation as the Harbour Regulations require, in order that the necessary precaution, usual in such cases, might be taken. The main facts appear to be these : that the smallpox broke out on June 10th ; that the last case was considered convalescent on the 4th of September (last Friday only), and that there have been altogether thirty-five cases, of which only one proved fatal. The Tyburnia was removed yesterday to the quarantine ground off Rangitoto, where she will remain, and all communication with her is strictly forbidden. The information already gained has been obtained by questions put at a distance from the vessel's side. A meeting of the Medical Board was held yesterday, and from the result of it, which we give below, it will be seen that prompt measures have been taken to secure the safety of the public. Smallpox was very prevalent since the departure of the vessel from Gravesend. There were thirty-five cases of smallpox, and ! two cases of hooping cough. One fatal case of smallpox. It is impossible yet to say how long it will be necessary to keep the Tyburnia in quarantine. It is to be hoped that her detention will not be of long duration, but in the meantime the greatest precaution is necessary, We are informed that the Tyburnia has about 400 passengers on board, principally non-conformist settlers. The Militia. — We have ascertained the following particulars of the strength of the second class militiamen in Auckland, which may be relied on. The entire strength of the second class of the first battalion is 526, and the average number appearing on parade during the last month is about 360, absentees with or without leave, men sick, and men attached to the commissariat making the difference. It has hitherto taken 174 men to do the duties of the guards and pickets. The guards and pickets have been furnished by the second class of the first battalion during the past month of August. The guards and pickets are reduced from the 31st ultimo, by forty men, making now 134 to be furnished by the second class of the first battalion. It will be seen from the above that the second class militia-men have done their share if not more than their share of the duty ; and that being the case they are entitled to have credit for it. Military Volunteers from Australia. — From accounts recently to hand, we should say 1,000 men from Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia, and 500 men from Otago, will arrive in Auckland within the next month. Pukekohe. — A detachment of the 18th, about 150 strong, and the cavaliy have gone towards Pukekohe this morning, September 8, 1 believe with the intention of scouring the bush in that vicinity. This part of the country, as far as Waiuku, is causing a good deal of anxiety at the present time. It is said that there is in the neighbourhood of Waiuku a large number of natives, with Thompson at their head, though it is not quite certain how the report originated. Volunteers from Otago — Some curiosity was excited in town yesterday afternoon, September 7, by the circumstance that a strange steamboat, yet unknown in these waters, was entering our harbour. She turned out to be the Corio, Captain A. C. Turner, from Dunedin, with seventy-five volunteer military settlers, under the command of Captain Home. The Otago Daily Telegraph thus refers to the volunteers who have arrived by the Corio. "They average 5 feet 8 inches in height, and are generally fine, stalwart men, of all professionsand trades ; and someamongst them can boast the possession of medals for honourable service in India and the Crimea. They will prove no contemptible accession to the ranks of the volunteers,who have already distinguished themselves so honourably in the war with the Maori insurgents."