QUEEN’S REDOUBT.

New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 1984, 28 September 1863, Page 3

QUEEN’S REDOUBT.

[from our own correspondent.j September 24.

yesterday I took a trip over to VVangamanno in search of matter for communication. An escort now starts from the Wangaraarino and Koheroa camps at the same hour twice a day and meets half-way. These escorts are fifty strong each, so that if the enemy showed themselves at the most likely spot for such appearanee, there would be one hundred men to engage them, in which case they would not. perhaps, get o so well as when they fired upon an unarmed

Yesterday also the Avon steamed down to Tuakau, carrying stores for the redoubt at that place. Captain Sullivan, Colonel Carey. D.A.G., Captain Greaves, D.N.G., and Mr. St. Hill. A.D.C. were on board. )n the wa; down a large canoe was seen, and it was intended to take her in tow on the way up again no one supposing that the enemy was about, but when, after discharging her cargo, the Avon again came to the spot where it formerly lay, which was on|y a short way above Tuakau, and on the same side of the river, no canoe was visible. The steamer then went close in to the bank of the river, looking for the missing canoe, when a double-barreled gun was fired at her, both balls passing through the wool paddings near the paddle b x, and very nearly hitting Colonel Carey, who was at the time just behind them, for one ball passed close on one aide And the other equally close on the ofher side of that distinguished officer, but fortunately without touching hifn, birta deal too near to be pleasant. i , Sep. 25. S&f&T ' Friday afternoon. I forgof\ diion yesterday that color-sergeant Morant, Roy%J|ineers, was that day presented by Colonel Mould-with a silver medal for long and meritorious conduct in that copps. The Colonel accompanied the presentation with a short address to the recipient, congratulating him on having obtained that honourable and distinguishing token of worth, and ended by hoping that those of the same corps assembled there on parade would bo incited by his example to « go and do likewise.” The Avon started down the river again to-day, and will return, I am informed, to-morrow. . we had a little excitement in camp to-day, though the affair might have ended seriously. The commissariat cattle were being shot, as they refused to be driven into the stockyard, but one of them, after receiving a ball in his head, became wild, and making feints at charging which effectually cleared the road before him, continued to proceed unmolested until he arrived at the 65th camp, where he charged five or six . men standing round a fire, scattered the ashes and burning wood on all sides, knocked one man down, and butting at him rolled him over and over, and then stood angrily above, as if waiting to take breath before giving the finishing stroke. But now the other men turned to protect their comrade, and with sticks and stones drove the infuriated animal away. The man received a bud frightening, but nothing more, and the bullock was shortly afterwards shot. The men who were engaged to cut the road on the other side of the Mangatawhiri have refused to work, as the job was offered to them at piece-work, at a fair price, instead of the late arrangement, ten shillings a day, which, though it might have paid them, would not pay the government, each yard of, soil having cost, lam informed, about eight shillings and six-pence removing. Saturday, Sep. 26. The reports of several Maori pieces were heard at 7 a.m, this morning, from the direction of Tuakau. f This promises to be-the finest clay we have experienced this spring, as I am writing there is not a breath of air to wave the ensign, nor a single cloud visible in the clear blue sky. Such a day as this is just what the Maoris would choose for starting on their roving expeditions through the bush, having a little fun with the steamer, or alarming the inhabitants of some half-finished stockade. The 14th, except about 150 men, who will occupy the new stockade, will, I hear, move from Wangaraarino to Koheroa to-day.

DRURY

[from our own correspondent.]

Friday, Sept. 25.

The report of heavy firing at Drury, came to nothing, although for a time it caused considerable excitement, and Jed to the temporary removal of troops from one place to another. All has now subsided again.

An accident of rather a serious nature took place at the Mauku Bridge Hotel on Thursday. A number of volunteers were in a room, and a young man in the next room had placed his rifle in the corner of the room, when by some accident it was knocked down and went off, the ball passing through a partition and going through the clothes of two men in the adjoining room and entering the leg of another, and causing a somewhat serious wound. The ball passed through and lodged in a biscuit barrel. The young man will be brought down to-day in an ambulance cart. The Avon was, I understand, fired upon yesterday by the Maoris on this side of the Waikato.

Saturday, Sept. 26.

The escort went up to the front this morning. The same dearth of news continues. Of late, I have not even had changes of regiments or companies to notice. Another considerable herd of cattle went down this morning; if this goes on for a week or two longer t here will not be much left above Drury. ; The flying column were to start again at daybreak this-morning for a few days’ expedition. ,'Vv’ie weather has set in again, and we have comparatively dry and good roads, and a dry camp. Competition is a fine thing for the public good. We have now two vans or omnibusses to and from Auckland to Drury, and a third is shortly to start; thus the fares which were on Monday at the exorbitant charge of 10s. o'?,me down by Wednesday to 7s. 6d., and toff- FfSve been taken at 2s. and 2s. 6d. Aid in every way and in every trade Nerally speaking all like it; when

t .i/i their own toes. Competition with rJ j** 'jsk reduces profits to a fair level and the yncWC nre'cne gaines. Competition with hotelkeepers also reduces prices and keeps a landlord civil, his house well attended to, his table well kept, and his servants obliging. Competition is always good for the public, but many persons confuse competition and opposition, which are not necessarily connected. A man may fairly compete with another in the same trade, without opposing him. Opposition rather implies a desire to injure another party. I like fair competition, and 1 hate bitter opposition. . ] WAIROA. ( [fkom our own correspondent.] Friday, September 25th. The article which appeared in your paper on the “ recent encounters at the Wairoa” has given universal satisfaction here. Those who are at present located here, whether as settlers or as forming a portion of the forces sent for the defence of the settlers, are best able to appreciate its truth, and their approbation of it is universal. The compliment conveyed to Major Lyon on his energy and unceasing watchfulness, as well as on the military talent he displayed is thoroughly wellinerited. Your remarks, too, on the apathy displayed iy the “ powers” in Auckland when aware of the ianger which threatened us, are most correct. ■Jut there is one point and, I believe, only one, on which you have neglected to remark, anti the fault, of neglect I take partly to myself for not having ’fcqpi/Oli better 9Q til? gubjosd, -*fhat point

i . that though the .at racoon the Stockade-took place ca Tuesday, the 15th, and though it wad well known tn at the Maoris, though for the time discomfited, ' wre by no means thoroughly beaten, and that their 1 : tnm to renew the attack was highly probable, though ! iis was well known, no reinforcements were sent to

3 rengthen our force till that day week. Fortunately, t i 3 Maories did not attack us during the interval, and j ow, besides the arrival of Captain Brackenbury’s i iree, the forces under Captain Ring, as well as those I ota Papakura, hold themselves in readiness to come II our aid at the shortest notice. Had the Maories r turned to the attack two or three days after their 'st attempt we could undoubtedly have beaten them | c f, but we could not have inflicted on them that signal t mishment which would have cured them of any pro- ’ easily for meddling with this district for the future, snd this is what we ought to be able to do, it is not ( tough that we are able to hold onr own, but we ought i) be able to take aggressive measures in a way that the enemy would be likely to remember. I am, .however, aware that the lack of sufficient troops is not the only i npediment in the way of giving our Maori assailants f ieir deserts. The absurd regulations which prevent t a officer able and willing to do so from “ crossing the I order” into Maori territory, secure the almost perfect impunity of the would-be murderers of women and children, the plunderers of our homesteads, and the v retches who have putso effectual a stop to the industries of the country. That regulations so pernicious as those which confine the permission to attack the Maoris to European ground should still remain in free, is the most effectual method of prolonging the v ar, and the only way of counteracting their evil inlicence is by having so large a force on European land> a id so disposed that any Maoris venturing therSlfnay be effectually dealt with. It was with feelings of no small satisfaction that the ixtndjly, whose presence in the river I mentioned yesterday, was seen as the tide came in to be making her way cautiously up the river, till about high water sh e took up a position within a quarter of a mile of the Redoubt and Stockade. She came up the river without the slightest mishap, and was regarded by all with no small degree of interest/ as being the first steamer whose paddles have disturbed the waters of the Wairoa* 1,-, is true that she has come on a warlike’ errand, but g le is doubtless the precursor of many which will visi t us on more peaceful errands hereafter. Her presence i i the river is certainly a proof that the claims of the l« >wer part of the district to further protection are not totally ignored. I am sorry to have to remark on some most unjustif able proceedings on the part of some of the various f wees which are sent to co-operate with the defence of tte districts. They seem to think that they are in an enemy’s country, and that all they can find is lawful plunder, proceeding, I presume, on the idea that what t uey do get is so much saved from the Maoris. This however by no means follows, as we have no intention of letting the Maoris get our propeny if we can help it, and it is rather hard to be plundered by our defenders. One house which was not ransacked by the Maoris, has been thoroughly stripped by the men whose object in supposed to be to keep the Maoris away.