COLONIAL FREEDOM, BRITISH LIBERTY AND COMFORTS AT TAURANGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 532, 27 July 1865, Page 5

COLONIAL FREEDOM, BRITISH LIBERTY AND COMFORTS AT TAURANGA.

To the Editor of the New Zealand ITEitAi.ii. Sin, —I am a sober, saintlike, serious l , sedate man, and em drink all power to the man that advances temperance. I have forgotten the taste of water; Barney says the Taurangu water's bad ; Bad luek to the man then, f-ays I, who is forced to drink it ! But to my tale of Coloilia'. freedom, aud for the honor of the country where Colonel Greer or Carey rules supreme. Last Christmas a bos was sent to that jolly cub, who I will call '-'audy, and Sandy is a good fellow, he dearlv likes good grog, and plenty of it. Well the pood ship Tauranga came safe to port, and the case on reaching the shore was declared suspicious. OH' to the Government store it was sent. Sandy loudly declared that it only contained six bottles of Kenyon's best, and eighteen bottles of Browning's Old Tom. Is'asfy stuff', that Old Tom ! Tiu three dagger brand is better. Well, the Colonel, dear, to preserve temperance, no doubt, will not allow those lion-id civilians grog, and a kind of Runanga soon met around the mysterious looking ease ; it was decided to open a bottle and see what wjs in it. I may sav bv the way, that by profession, there are many l;>ipt>j'hutllc ,nukers at Tnartntyn, and although there v. as a diliV' rence of opinion as to whether it was London gin or Brentford gin, or Plymouth gin, they all agreed to taste. Til; whi-key ilowed, and bad luck to it .' it soon went where all good spirits go, and the eni'itv bottl; inakei-s had to mourn over departed spirit*. Poor .Sandy ha I not a tot to give a friend, ercrv coik was drawn. What were they made for? But" tis said that Sandy was never paid for, nor

a-ite i his Chr stmas cheer. Justice Shallow e iuld not do him justice, except to say lie had none of the grog, or that he could not have anything to do with it. More power to liim, how could he when it was gone 'i Well Sandy had u eow, no doubt kept only to color tay. Some "do like rum and milk, Sandy's

gin or whisky, it" lie got it, might have been used to color the tuy ; well, thera was ail enclosure, poor rfuii'ly's cow pot in, the Colonel, dear, it is said fi. Ed poor Sunday, and the cow had to be sold. Civilians to pre.-ume to drink milk indeed ! Grass near a camp is only there for military cows, not for Xauranua heifers. I visited Sandy and he gave me a water melon. I threw the seeds and skin on the road, up cainc a jolly red-faced soldier, and ordered me to thro wing such, filth on the strait. Filth sirs I, do you call those pips filth ? "My pip," savs he, " hold" your mug, or I- will walk you oir to the Kumcl." " liy tlie powers," says I, " there is nothin" like Colonial frc -doin. bud water and no spirits allowd, no mi k to discolor tea, and such solitary laws enforced that a melon pip is not allowed to be thrown on the beach, and 110 hotels allowed f>r travellers to get refreshment or even a case of wine for one's own private use allowed to be landed! " I am, Sec., Advance Tackanga. Auckland, sth y, ISGS.