THE NATIVE WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 480, 9 February 1861, Page 6

THE NATIVE WAR.

In .looking more particularly over the provincial papers received by the -Airedale btst week, we find a few days' later intelligence from Taranaki than that which appeared in our last issue. The following is from the Taranaki correspondent of the Nelson Exariiiner :~*

January 22. . There has- been a good deal of excitement for some days past at a threatened attack on our town.. Parties of natives, large and small,' have been moving about the country, driving away cattle, and firing at stragglers. The information with respect to the numbers at Waitara is very imperfect, and it is rumoured that the Waikato men are oozing away by slow degrees, but whether north or south is not known. The Rev. Mr. Wilson, who - has bad interviews with the taua at

Waitara, was recommended by Hapurona, the leading warrior of the Ngatiawa, not to eooie unless on urgent business. So that we have been altogether in the dark about the numbers that could be brought to an attack, and, anxiety was quite justifiable. Many persons thought that now, as throughout the war, the town would be best secured b}' activity in the field, and a great many requests have been made to the Commander of the Garrison, Colonel Sillery, to allow flying parties to harass the marauding natives, bring back the cattle, and give them enough to do without thinking of that greater mischief still to which their idle hands might be tempted. Yesterday it was whispered -that Captain Cracfoft, of H.M.S. Niger, which is in the roadstead, was on' shore proposing some expedition against an encampment of natives at Waireka.i the scene of what after all was the' most satisfactory affair of the whole war. Colonel Sillery's extreme anxiety for the town was, however, well known, and it was not expected that the proposition would be entertained. It Was said that Captain Cracroft' a"sked for volunteers, not merely volunteer civilians, but men from ail services who would volunteer (he would have only' volunteers from his own ship) ; and such is the jirestige of this gallant officer's np.me, and the popularity of his manner (he has the air and ways of one of the model captains you read about in Basil Hall and Maryatt), that our civilians would have turned out in great numbers to follow or joiu him in such an expedition. We went to sleep, However, in the belief that the thing was abandoned ; and I understand that it was discountenanced by Colonel Sillery, who. thinks t^e garrison too weak to attempt a ; move. -But it appears that during the night Captain' Cracroft resolved something should be done; and asked that a boat or boats from

the harbour department ' should be- left alongside his ship: -At one or half-past one lie stint ashore to the commander to say that He intended to attack the Waireka encampnterit, and. would be glad of co-operation on shore. Upon this Colonel Sillery despatched 200 sbldiers, who left before daylight, and marched by the road towards Omata. The Niger's üb'ats set out at three o'clock to take the &»te jackets by water. On arriving at 2fce Whalers' Gate, the troops were fired upon by 4 party of about forty natives, who were occupying some houses there, and who, after delivering their volley, decamped down the nearest gullies. A skirmish lasting for half an, hour followed, aud 1 two or five natives were - hit. On our side,, one poor fellow, HospitalSergeant Burnett, of the 65th Regiment, was mortally ' woUnded,- and? died shertly after, at the- Omata stockade. 'Signals from town and from the stockade prevented any further advance, but at half-past five o'clock a body df the Volunteers were marched out to the support. They' fell in with a small party of UatiVes about some houses/ a nU'le and a- half off town ; these men were too much, alarmed to fire, but ram off, with our men rfter them. TJber natives had too good 4 start, however, and escaped scot .free. The Niger's men, being under the pilotage of a young gentleman from the shore,* who bad limited his undertakings to his abilities, arrived at a' spot somewhere' beyond the Waireka-hill, and at which there*' was difficulty either in landing or re'embarking the force, and this part of the expedition did not arrive any nearer its intended object than the other. , The expedition,' though failing of its immediate purpose is not without useful results ; it will tend to 'the security of the town by -convincing the natives that there is life and activity in the garrison. It also shows that "natives'-: may be , surprised; A little more circumspection, and guns* ready capped and at half-cock, 1 . wduU have enabled our men to cbt off two par|ies of the natives this morning. Afldjifthej natives learn the lesson that they arenpt safe in oh r houses by the main road, at' least ihey/willbekept by the, same means f|bhi hanging sti close about the town arid stockades, in- positions where our stragglers fall' in* their way. ' . It is stated that there are 700 metvat Wai*eka, and we shall therefore most likely have an engagement with them before' long. They court. a collision on the very ground where the, southern' tribes-were worsted in Jflarch last;/ If, as I_ have, heard; tlie boats were guided' To the. Tapuae River, and mistook tfie two pahs'belonging to the friendly natives, for what they hid set out to it is on the whole well that they could not effect a landing, r _,*,.. -A. barn of Mr. W:C. King's, and two houses at Omata, the Rev. Mr. Brown's and Mr. Bailey's, have been burned, which leads people to conjecture that the natives sustained spme loss this morning, but nothing certain is known. \ No news of further operations at Waitara Has come to town, nor has more firing of artillery been' heard ; but the Victoria which i§ coming up thence, and which will take this letter,' will bring you more informatibn.