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Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1175, 29 December 1868, Page 3

Ttffi JfcM^HW* Chronicle of the 19th December-, ?nys that the rebels have fixed their headquarters at Nukumaru on the edge of a piece of bush there—not the main bush, however. Tito's position, according to competent authorities, affords a favorable opportunity for attack, Buch as may not occur again. 'But the order to act on the defensive continues in full operation. The Kupapas remain perfectly inactive. Colonel M'Donnel is waiting reinforcements, and feels the want of tents and other equipments. Btoglabies at Napieb.—Tha Wellington Independent of December 24th, says :—"lnformation has been received at Wellington of two daring robberies perpetrated last week at Napier. The Custom-house was forcibly entered, and some £30 in cash taken therefrom; and on the same evening Mr. Lyndon s store was robbed, but to what amount we have not been able to ascertain. Tboct in Canterbury.—The trout imported into Canterbury appear to be progressing favorably. The Press of a recent date says:—" The greater portion of the young fish have now been removed to their various destinations without as yet a single casualty. The one hundred turned out in the ponds continue visibly to increase in size, a large supply of their natural food having been provided. The friendly Maoris report that five Hauhaus wore killed on the day of the charge of the Volunteer Cavalry at Nukumaru, and one horse. It was noticed that, a black horse and his rider suddenly disappeared after a volley was poured in, and the report goes to confirm the impression that the horse was shot.— Wellington Independent. A notice signed by the Superintendent of Otago, intimates that the Provincial Government of that Province will guarantee a bonus of £350 "to the first vessel which clears Otago Heads fully equipped for a ■whalingjcruise." Mb. N. CnEVAMER, the distinguished artist whose celebrated sketches of Australian and New Zealand scenery are now widely known, left Wellington by the Alhambra en route to join the Duke of Edinburgh's ship, the Galatea, which left England some time ago on a cruise round the world. At the express desire of the Prince, this talented gentleman is now on his way to join the Galatea, and will accompany his Royal Highness in his tour through India, the Indian Archipelago, Australasia, and lastly New Zealand. The Wellington Evening Post says:—" When the steamer from Panama, carrying the English mail, arrived in harbour this morning, it became known that small-pox was on board; but, nothing flaunted at the alarming intelligence, our contemporaries' emissaries speedily reached her deck in search of news, and triumphantly bore to the shore their packets of papers; but they were immediately followed by the officers of Her Majesty's Customs, who seized and burnt the documents supposed to be infectious, and then proceeded topurify the buildings,bestowing, veryproperly a large amount of their labor on the staff of the Government organ, whose editor fortunately being present will, we hope, received much benefit from the fumigatory process, happily resorted to in this particular instance." Smugglers in Wellington Province.—The New Zealand Advertiser of December 23rd, says :— " Mr. Inspector Atcheson and his excellent police forco seem to have hit on a nice little nest of smugglers and smuggling at Manawatu. In our last issue we reported the conviction of the masters of the coasting crafts Euby and Kate for smuggling at Manawatu. The cask of smuggled rum, it will be remembered, was left on board the Kate under the seal of H. M. Customs, and under the charge of Constable M'Nnulty. The conviction of Jenkins, the master of the Kate, as a matter of course, involves the forfeiture of that vessel to the Crown; but, before the conviction took place, a determined effort seems to have been made to destroy the legal evidence of the breach of the law. On Friday last the schooner Dawn arrived at Manawatu, having on board a brother of Captain Jenkins, of the Kate. On Saturday this individual applied for leave to go on board the Kate for some purpose or other, but the constable very properly refused it. Subsequently, however, while lie was down below, Jenkins got on board, and, breaking the Customs eea), got into the hold, and *ith an axe began to stave in the fatal cask. Attracted by the noise, Constable M'Naulty rushed below, and there found Jenkins at work, and so far successful that most of the rum was spilled, only about 10 gallons being left. Jenkins was at once secured, and was afterwards sent to prison for six months.