NEW PLYMOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 334, 7 December 1864, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH.

MURDER OF A SOLDIEK BY THE NATIVES. DECAPITATION AND MUTILATION OF THE BODY. [fhom ovu ore:.- corkespoxdest.] November 29.I seize the opportunity of a mail per ' A huriri,' which sails to-day for your port, to inform you that a soldier of the 70tli was murdered and tomahawked at Matataura yesterday by a small party of rebel natives.

In a former letter I mentioned to you that Matataura hud been taken by a portion of the 70th regt. who had built a redoubt and brought tlieir men inslue. On tiro 30ih of hist month your correspondent

was thero and heard that the commanding officer lad issued notice that llie first straggler known to pa*s over any of the deep ravines by which the position is surrounded should be tried by court-martial. It can only be supposed (he men grew careless by continued apparent eecurity, and gradaally evading orders enlarged their area of exploration; be that, however, as it may, yesterday one man was suddenly shot down "within a mile of the redout atid d€capztQted t the head being taken away and the trunk of the man left. r i his means war to the knife, if ever war to th® knife was meant, and may be regarded as the first reply to Sir George Grey's peace proclamation. Nothing in the his-tory of the English nation has ever occurred to show the inherent veneration of British, subjects for the sovereign as the wonderml patience? ami endurance of suffering displayed by the people of this rolonv under the rule of the present representative of her Majesty, who is now only regarded " personally " with nngrv contempt by every man, woman, and chiM in the colony. His miserable incapability, his cowardice and untruthfulness, are now developed in the murderous presence of ruthless WBf>( 3 within a few mile? of the town. Subdued, but deep and great, agitation and anxiety are felt throughout the English community in this Province, and all classes- of men seem united in their opinion that we are just entering on the summer campaign, and a murderous one to. I trust tiucerely you will not sillier the fact to be smothered or shirked by Sir George Grey or lii-< sickly sentimental party iu purple and ri>Ks linen, that the Maoris have been tho first aggressors since " the proclamation." Bemember, I am not directing my pen against the unfortunate natives: they, pcor creatures, are only following their natural savage instincts, as the tiger will kill and devour you if he feels you are within his own precinct?; for us, it is to first subdue with a swift and decisive hand, and then control, guide, and elevale ; all this could and would have been done had it not been for the utterly incomprehensible policy of Sir George Grey and his party. Within the social radius nothing ia stirring but grim death. During the last 19 days two or three have been summoned away whose departure has struck wide and deep in this community. JJeut.-General Sir Duncan A. Cameron, K.C.8., and Stall', arrived here on Saturday last in the s a.

• Alexandra,' bringing with him 230 officers and men of the 13rd L,T., and 36 men of ilie 70tli regt. The- ' AUxniulni' immediate'yleftforMannkau,sndreturned here on Wednesday with 251 officers and men of the <13rd L.J., under Lieut.-Colonel Synge. We regret tliut (for reasons unknown to us) General Cameron returned to Manukau on Thursday ; during his brief visit, however, the gallant General visited all the outputs, ami on r J lnreday re-occupied the Tatarai-. i:t;(;t bloi k, with a force of '250 men of the 43rd L.I uudt-r the command of Major Colville.