OMAHA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 288, 14 October 1864, Page 5

OMAHA.

(FnoJI OVil OWN COUKHSI'ONDE.VT.) October 12tli. T take the opportunity of sendiugj'OU the latest news by my neighbour Mr. who is 1 'aving early to-morrow morning, for Auckland overland. We have had two men of war ' Falcon,' and ' Miranda,' cruising about thebba r , ofl'andon, for the hist day or two, which has given some little confidence to the settlers, but they are now oil", having started to sea. Oα Monday, the •Victoria/ Paul's vessel, came down down here, having on board. Major Cooper, of the Orewa, who, I learned from good authority was commissioned by the Governor Sir to visit the escaped prisoners and see what he could do to induce them to come to some sort of terms. Major Cooper went up to the pah with several others and had a long korero the substance of which has leaked out here, and which you may rely upon as being correct. Ihe Governor has promised to allow them to remain unmolested where they arc, and to provide them With as much provisions of all kinds as they might require, if they would commit no outrages upon the settlers and kill no more cattle. The late prisoners said they did not intend to move from where they were, and that so long us tlify .rot ail they required in the way ot iood. clothing. &.C., from the Governor, they would not plunder the settlers or commit auy outrage on the settlements, but if not supplied they would help themselves. As it is already known here that orders will be issued by Sir

George for the supply to tliosc fellows ofany'thing they wnnt. tlie settlers feel a little temporary casement, although the general feeling here is, that the longer the difficulty is staved off the worse it will be to meet when that time conies. Major Cooper, who is an old officer of the oSth. is said to have remarked on visiting the pa that it was impregnable—that it cannot be taken l.y storm. It is thought, however, that it may he so surrounded that its inhabitants may be starved into submission. Up here we are very thankful that there is a chance of getting over the difficulty without the necessity of our homes being ruined and our property destroyed. As to , tlio disgrace of the tiling—bribing natives into good humour—that has been done so often by the Governor, and British honor lias been so trailed in the mud in iSew Zealand that it would be '' straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel" to stick at resorting to any concessions to keep these fellows quiet. Of course, as you very justly observed the other day. the Governor might have settled 1 the whole iiflhir had lie shown, any decision at (he first; for the rebels were all camped in Mr. 3!ciklejohn's paddock, almost unarmed, lor three (lavs after their arrival here from the Kiiwau. I hear that Mr. Dyer, of Palciri, whilst engaged in collecting a mob of 30 head of cattle, to send them up to Auckland, had tho cattle taken from him by a party of the Maoris, who were on a foraging expedition. A great number ot' sheep and cattle belonging to the settlers have been killed by the occupants of the pah.