NGARUAWAHIA.

New Zealander, Volume XXIII, Issue 2579, 15 November 1865, Page 3

NGARUAWAHIA.

(from a corkespondent.) This ancient Maori capital of the Waikato is at the present moment about as lively a place as most of the country townships in the province. Situated, as every one knows, at the head of the Waikato river, aud at the fork where the Horatui and Waipa rivers converge into the main stream of the Mississippi of New Zealand- —the Waikato—its geographical position is excellent for the purposes of trade, and when once the Waikato valley is properly occupied by an industrial population, it cannot fail to be a central mart of commerce for produce from the interior. At present it derives its sole subsistence from the military expenditure consequent on the location of troops, aud the fact of its being the head-quarters of the military on the Waikato. Rather more than a company of soldiers, composed of men from various regiments, garrison the redoubt; and as the colonel-commanding (Col. Hamiltou) has his residence there, the military'band is stationed in the same place. To a civilian like myself the bugle calls appear to be almost incessant, terminating towards the close of the day with a sort of concert by the buglers or drummers and fiters aud sometimes when the men are mustered for parade in marching order, by the full band Of course the population is almost entirely military, with the exception of persons whose business it is to supply the residents with articles, in the way of trade. The river steamers are continually arriving and departing, aud sometimes there are as many as three lying at one time alongside the natural wharf which the banks of the river afford. The most constant trader is the 'Rangiriri,' although the ' Pioneer' and 'Koheroa' do frequent duty. The • Jem Norris' is also perpetually passing and re-passing, either up the Waipa or the Horatui rivers, to Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Alexandra, «.<r some other distant station.

The life here is comparatively still, but its monotony promised to be disturbed on the morning of Sunday week, as, about daylight on that occasion, a fire was discovered breaking out of the roof of the large hospital. A number of soldiers were speedily on the spot, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames before much damage had been done. If the- conflagration had been suffered to proceed, the total destruction of the hospital must have ensued in a very short time, and the district would thus have been deprived of a very admirable institution. A few days latar the premises of Mr. Sims, sodawater manufacturer, took fire, about eight o'clock in the evening, and, but for the timely warning and assistance of the sergeant in charge of the punt at the crossingplace would have been burnt to the ground in a very short space of time, but fortunately the discovery was opportune, and the premises were saved. The officers of the garrison, militia, and civilians, are much indebted to the colonel commanding for his mildness of demeanor, conciliatory conduct, general urbanity, and desire to promote the enjoyment and recreation of all classes of persons. The officers, it is said, have been refused admission to the colonial hospital, and if such exclusion has taken place by his orders doubtless there are good reasons for it. It is a great pity that the palace of the late Maori King (Matutaera) is suffered to go into its present state of decay. The thatch is hanging in shreds from the roof, and in a very short time there will be no roof at all. As a historical memento of the war on the Waikato, it is worthy of preservation and restoration, more particularly as King Potatau's tomb, within the enclosure, is also in a dilapidated condition. When it is recollected at the cost of how many precious lives the Waikato was conquered, and the last remnant of Maori sovereignty extinguished, it is scarcely consonant with the practice of Englishmen to abandon such souvenirs of past victory, aud therefore the neglect of these relics is the more unaccountable.