THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 141, 26 April 1864, Page 3

THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

SIAOItT IIAHIiAIiITIES. By the s.s. ' Stoniibird," Captain Reynolds, which arrived in the Manakau yesterday afternoon, we have received Southern files, from which we give large extracts in another place. Canabalisin is no longer an obsolete custom with the " noble savage." the brave soldiers of the Brit ish army are not only to be killed in fair tight, but when wounded, and lit subjects for quarter, are to be tomahawked and serve as food for their savage enemies. The poor fellow who was missing at Alniahu 011 the tith instant, was, it appears, cut up and partly consumed as food. The large expedition found part of his remains, his bead, like those of Captain Lloyd and his men, was cut olf. and the fleshy part of his legs and body. AVe hear, as a fact, independently of what is stated in the Southern journals, that the head of Captain Lloyd is being passed from hand to hand among the AVangantii tribes. "When, indeed, shall the cup of our degrcdation be tilled ! ! From "Wellington we have important news of the stability and richness of the Pelorus gold-tield ; one partyhadobtained ten pounds weight ol gold in an incredible short space ol time; all were doing well, and a large exodus was taking place from Nelson. We have all along shown the complicity of the Mast Coast natives with the present rebellion. The following bears testimony to the value of the professions of our friends on the 'West Coast. AVe take it from the H'r/liin/toit Ad rer finer : — The \\ i>t Coast Natives. —Within the last few dais communii ntions liave Wen received by tile West Coast Iviugiies urging them to go to the a:-sistance ot the \\ uikuios. ami in obedieine to tlie call Ql their Iricnds we understand that licreiniah and his Otalvi followers together with n number of Wi TuKo's people are about proceeding northward. Ot the two evils — the coming down into this province ot the \\ nikatos, and the going lip northward of the \\ est Coast Ivingit «.■!>, the latter is far pvelerable, so far as we are concerned. It is n goid riddance ol'lmd rubbish. The question of the I'anaina contract lias been vainly agitated at Christchnrch. It would seem that the people of that province care little about the matter. 'I'llt: I'anama Co>'TltACT. — A public meeting was held at L'hnstchuivh 011 the 11th instant, to elicit, public opinion on the Panama Contiact, which seems, Irom the report of the Lyttcllou Times, to have been a complete failure, ill", Kit/gerald and Mr. Ollivier, the leading; movers in the matter were both absent, the torincr from illness, the latter owing to some other cause unexplained. Nobody elsu appeared to know anything auout the contract, consequently nobody had anything to say about it. There was a guod deaf of squabbling', during which j\lr. K. J. akulieltl pitched into everything- and everybody. Ultimately a resolution was carried, " That this meeting be adjourned with a view to its being again convened as soim as Mr. Ward shall have returned to this l'rovmee," and the meeting adjourned.