THE FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 920, 17 July 1869, Page 4

THE FRONT.

Tho Tauranga correspondent of the Sou horn Grow writes: — A mattor connected with tho militia foroo has caused sorao dinoußsion horo. It has lately boon tho custom to sonteuco men of the force convicted of drunkenness to imprisonment in tho Mount Eden Gaol. Several have undergono this punishment, their passage to Auckland, of course, being paid, but their passage baok to thoir homes at Tauranga they have baen required to pay for themselves. In one instanoo, if not mure, the payment of this passage was out of the power of tho individual, who was thus left in Auok> land without funds, and without the moans of defraying his journey hone, Whilo drunkonness is a grave oflenoe in a military as well as in a civil point of vlow, it is urged that the off«no» scaroely

'deserves the punishment due to, felons guilty of vile crimes. f ( , m i All the natives from Akeake and Oropi, and , many from the' other settlements behind Tauranga, have left for Waikato. This is said to be consequent on the receipt of a letter from the sister of Rewi to the Taupo natives requesting permission for Te Kooti to pasei through their district. The friendly natives were strongly opposed to his passing through, nut the Hauhaus were as much in favour of his doing so. Whatever may be the object of the gathering at Waikato, it is certain that nearly all the natives have gone from here. Some of the Armed Constabulary here give a pitiful account of the rationing of the forces at the Front. They are supposed to receive a pound of biscuit and a pound of meat per diem per man ; but somehow or other, when tho distribution takes plaoe each man gets only three or four biscuits, and perhaps a single chop — half a pound or bo— for his day's allowance. This distribution is made in the evening, at which time many of the men are ravenously hungry, and conßume their scanty fare in one meal, thereby having to remain without food till the following evening. An instance ia told of a man aotually parting with his great coat, while trembling with cold, for & small potato cake the size of his hand.

The cold which prevails in that part of the country is described as intense, and most of the men have only one blanket, some have none, and only a few have greatcoats, for the reason that on forced marches they are required to carry so many days' rations in addition to their arms and accoutrements that they could not support the weight of extra covering. Anyone acquainted with tent life during winter in New Zealand can imagine the discomfort and suffering of our troops at the Front.

They say that they were promised, when actual fighting waß over, that they were to be put into comfortable winter quarters ; but on the contrary, they have been set to work at road- making.

The New Zealand Herald's correspondent, writing from the Bame place, sayß : — An orderly arrived yesterday, conveying the startling intelligence that Whitmore's force had mutinied. It would seem that Colonel Herrick with his force had arrived at Runanga, via the Waikare Lake. Colonel St. John at once determined to march with 170 men to garrison Runanga, or some contiguous position, when the men refused to march. There can be no question that the mutiny is general, but it ib to be hoped not so dangerous as the term would imply. Whatever the consequences may be, great blame must attach to the authorities under whose auspices such a state of things has been brought about. I have before adverted to the treatment to which the Constabulary have been Bubjocted. Months in arrears of pay, ill clad, and ill fed, something like what has taken place might have been expected. The men are literally in rags, while, in many instances, several pounds sterling are due to them ; but this is not their only grievance— -they have not sufficient food. The ration which should be supplied to them costs the Government, I am informed, exactly Is l£d, for which the troops are charged Is Ud. Content with this possibly the men would bo, but they complain that they do not get their quantity — that they can eat the three biscuits (representing one lb.) and the ration of meat at one meaL