TARANAKI.

Otago Witness, Issue 925, 21 August 1869, Page 11

TARANAKI.

(PKOM OUR OWN COKRKSPokDENT.)

New Plymouth, August 4tbj

Everything Beema quiet at the frontier, abd no Nativeß have shewn, themselves, nor have fires been visible for some time. About the middle of laßt month intelligence was received that a rebel force of over 300 men were near Ngatimara, William King's place.- They were headed by a chief named Nikorima, and had come from the Upper Wanganui or Taupo country. A messenger was sent forward with a roll of tobacco, as a " mirimiri" to the r. gatimara Natives. It is customary for natives, when they solicit the support 'of another tribe, to send a messenger with a " mirimiri " (which may oonsist of anything), and if any native or tribe partake of it. they are bound in honour to support and assist the Benders. Hapurona and William King refused to allow the messenger with the "rairimiri" to converse with the natives belonging to their tribe ; and sent word to Nikorima to the effect that they would listen to no overtures from either Tito Kowaru or To Kooti, nor would they permit of hostilities taking place in their district. The rebel party then left, and went in the direction, of Taupo, no doubt for the Waikato. William King's tribe snf fered so much during th« last war that although thoy hold aloof from the Europeans, they are not likely to take any prominent part should the natives around them rise in rebellion (igain ; and although it has been asserted by a good authority that it we do not act on tho aggresaivo, we need sot expect hostilities in this province ; still from what I heard on Saturday last, I should sot be surprised if we do not have tho rebels making a raid upon the settlors in the north of the provinoo before the end of tho month. If, therefore, the detachment of the 18th Regiment i» removed, even for a short time, it will t*nd to weaken the loyalty of the friendly natives, -who. for* their own safety, will go over to the rebels, and thus thn settlers of this tieautiful p ovinoe will be driven into town, and their proapoot* again blighted. A public meeting of the inhabitants was hold on the 17th nit., to consider tho propriety of petitioning tbo General Assembly to abolish tbo Nfttivo Office, when a resolution was ptssed to tho effect " That tho prosont alarming state of native affairs impera*' tively calls for the immodiftto abolition of the Native Department, so as to restoro oonfldenon between the sottlert and tho Maoris, without whioh no po*ee oan be lasting." A Committed was then appointed to draw up a petition embodying the substance of tho above resolution, whioh hiw been forwarded and presented to the House by tho mombur fop Now Plymonth. The half yearly simsion of the Supreme Court was opened by his Honour tho Chief Justioe, Sir Qoorge Arney, on the 27th July. In his charge to the grand jury ho re/erred to tho brutal raunlor* at the Whito Cliff*, which had bonn committoil Mnoe ho was last in the province, and, after dwelling at vmno lon^th on the awful deed, he proceeds to s»y that he hai a spcni&i reason for alluding to thii atrooity with additional severity, for an

estimable gentleman* -the Be?> John> White-ley-vvho;vfiad;de^te'«l hia life for the benefit of the native race; had been murdered. Many years shiceT" when bis Honour presided at< iT trial 'of a native for .the . murder v of Lieutenant Tragett, 'he. Taa'd" occasion to make Borne remarks on a Butrject" relative to thO ! native race, which was then agitating the minda of the settlers ofrthia province j .and while the trial was going on, Mt WJuteley, wan listening to.overy .word he uttered. , Hia Honour said he did not know the reverend gentleman at that time 7}7 } bttt after he had passed the sentence^ of death oh' the T native, and left the Court,a letter was forwarded to him by Mr Whiteltey. This led to, an interview, ot, which Mr Whiteley brougkt forward arguments so strong 'that he (Sir Gebrge'Arney)' forwarded the case toGovernor HrGeorge'Greyfor con» sideration. The result' was that the native never was punched for that' murder. Considering the state of the native mind at tha present time, Sir (£ebrge Arney rejoiced to See that the native who had been thus re•prTeVea'was mixing with the settlers; and he alluded-to*be subject,- thinking by making it publicly known, it might effeot some, good.' The ftfev: Mr Whiteley had saved this man's life/and His Honour thought that if that fact was made known to the native and his tribe,' that they would perhaps be instrumental in bringing the murderer to jusjbioe." aTfcere -was only one criminal case for trial, 1 a Maori for. (stealing a bullock. The prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced ,tojtwelve months' hard labour. There were two civil oajses-.for hearing— but they were of only looal' interest. In one, however,, there waa a^.nice legal point for the jury to decide— namely, what constitutes the delivery of a " wild bullock." The jury could not agree on the point, and after being locked up all nights were discharged without giving a verdict. Hia Honour, in commenting on the new "Jury Act"— insinuated that it was not a very "wise" piece of legislation. Some natives came into town on the 16th ult., and made a great fuss ; but how much of their story is to be believed I should not like to vouch for. They stated that ? as they were out fishing, a steamer came close' to them, and they offered a fine schnapper they had just oaugiit for sale ; but instead of finding a market for their fish, they were Baluted by a volley from tho Bteamer. In their fright at tboa warm reception, they upset the canoe and lost all their fish, and the cause of their coming into town was to demand recompense for the loss they had sustained.

Messrs Henochsberg and Co., of the Pioneer gteel Works, have at last received the fan for their furnace, and it is being fitted up with all speed, so I suppose we shall noon hear of their trial smelting. 1 was over at tho Works- again the other day, and waa astonished at the progress tbath&d been made sinee 1 1 was last there. The furnace was complete, and a large fire in it to dry the brick work ; Bheds were ereoted and the pug mill ready for mixing the iron sand and clay, and other improvements necessary to the successful working of the iron sand and smelting it into a marketable ore. It is curious how the present method of smelting the iron sand was discovered. The mixing of the saDd with the clay has oiten and often been tried, but without success. The story of the French cook making a plum pudding, but forgetting to tie the mixture in a cloth, is very similar. The clay and sand wero mixed; but, till it was accidentally found out, no one thought of kilning thia mixture before throwing it into the furnace. This was discovered by a brick-maker who mixed iron sand with Urenui olay, and when it was kilned found that he had a sort of iron ore for bricks, instead of what he expected. The men engaged in the lighter boats had a narrow esoapo on Saturday last. A crew took the mail off in the life-boat to the Phoebe, in consequence of the heavy surf that was on the bench ; and as she was returning, through some negligenoe on the part of tho mon ia not throwing over the drogue, a wave caught the boat, and turned it completely over, throwing the wholo of the men into the water. Fortunately n»ne of them wore drowned — they all got on shoro safely. The scone was one of tho most paiftful I have witaossed for many a day : it was a great relief to see tho mon safely brought on shore.