LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 200, 19 July 1860, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

July 2nd, 1860. Sir, —Among those numerous acts that have been proclaimed by the Provincial Government I believe there is one termed a Thistle Act, which provides that parties who may permit these delightful weeds to vegetate on their premises are liable to divers penalties for their own tastes.

I am happy to states that generally speaking this district is free from them, and by a little wholesome enforcing of the Act I believe they might shortly be totally eradicated. Who is empowered to see the Act duly enforced ? Not having the document before me lam not at present able to say, but it strikes me that the Bench of Magistrates and the Provincial Government Officers, are at least called upon to see that it is carried out by a proper officer. No one I opine has any desire to cultivate this luxuriant plant, but if there should be any who do so, an application to the Resident Magistrate or the Provincial Sub-Treasurer I have no doubt, will prove satisfactory, and enable them to obtain any quantity of Thistles at the sole cost of digging them up. I say nothing whatever about, docks and burrs, as I presume they may be obtained in divers quarters, though the same properties can furnish considerable quantities of these interesting specimens of botanical creation. But as regards Thistles, on behalf of which plants this Act has been passed,l; can recommend the lovers of them to pay a visit to Shakespear’s Cliff and its suburbs. *

I am, &c.,

Agricola

[The proper time for getting rid of thistles is, we believe, wheq, or immediately before

they are in flower, anil no doubt those troubled with them will take advantage of the first opportunity to get their ground clear."]

July 7th, 1860

Sir, “Although I am a dweller in the country and thus enjoy the double blessing of breathing “the pure air of heaven” and drinking from the “ sparkling stream” daily, yet as one interested in the public welfare I have read with pleasure your, timely and very pernent remarks in this week’s leader on the subject of sanitary refornv—a reform much needed in our little town, which is fast becoming thickly peopled.

It will be wise in the townsfolk to take your advice and bestir themselves without delay in this matter of increasing importance before that hydraheaded enemy sickness at tacks them. As the proverb says (some people by the way affect to despise proverbs as being, musty)—prevention, is better than cure, and as a stitch in time saves nine, so a step taken in time may save us a terrible after struggle for life. Severe though the sufferings of poor Taranaki are from cold and wet, it is doubtless well that they have not been exposed- to the heats of suriimer, else some direful epidemic had surely decimated the crowded sufferers.

It must be gratifying to every one to witness the improvements to which you have drawn attention, but is true also, that much of more vital importance remains to be done.

Immediate attention should be given not only to sewerage but to the proper ventilation of houses, many of which have their ceilings so low that a tall man actually stands with his head in the noxious stratum of air which cannot escape from the room. In warm weather who has not felt disgusted with the noisome effluvia emanating from out-houses, from cesspools, and from cartloads of rotton cabbages in the gardens. Cannot this be obviated in some way ? Salt nature’s universal and indispensable condiment is certainly a powerful antiseptic, an invaluable agent in the preventive line, but charcoal is a better sweetener and purifier of vitiated animal or inorganic substances. Lime in any form is as yet too scarce and expensive to admit of its being freeiy used ; might not charcoal be made very serviceable in many ways ? And here, where wood is so abundantly consumed what could be more plentiful or more eesily obtained than charcoal, which every householder could prepare for himself in liberal quantities. Trusting you* will not deem these simple remarks obtrusive.

I remain, Your obedient servant, Q. E. D

July 18, 1860

■ Sir, —-Having in the old days of the Russian war had the satisfaction of seeing the famed fort of Cronstadt taken after dinner by bellicose gentlemen under the influence of a bottle of port—plans of attack laid on the table, with dessert knives for ships, biscuits for batteries, and pyramids of gooseberries in place of forts, and the whole of the enemy annihilated in less than five minutes—l am not surprised that I should fall upon two columns in your journal from the pen of a gentleman signing himself “ Philopoemen,” who is prepared to put a sudden stop to all Maori war for the future by a succession of coups de main, which shall bring all hostile rebels to much grief. I am not prepared to do battle for Colonel Gold, 01 defend his conduct, any more thau I am to take William King’s pa for him on paper. He may be acting in the most imbecile manner, for aught I know to the contrary ; but not knowing his instructions, 1 of course cannot say whether he is acting up to them or not, and do not choose to commit myself by deciding on ex parte evidence. S o far, however, as regards “ Philopcemen’s” plan for helping him out of his difficulty, I do feel myself called upon to offer a few remarks. Philopoemen ” gives us two plans of attack upon a post and a position which he very naively informs us is suppositious on his part. He supposes this, and he supposes the other, and he might equally suppose that the natives are perfectly unable to put a single check on his plans that may thoroughly upset the whole arrangement; reminding me of the Chinaman who Washington Irving tells us of, who, being chastised by his captain, and being advised to retaliate, exclaimed, “Ah! s’pose two men hold fast him captain, then very much me bamboo he.” There is one important point to be considered, however, which is this—how many Maori lives is one European’s worth ? are we prepared to lose one for three ? I do not think it ; and yet when we consider the loss of life that always has occurred in storming engagements, I do think that any general has a right to pause before he goes headlong at a post, which when taken gives him no very great advantage. The equality that Philopoemen puts both soldier and Maori in in the bush seems to me somewhat problematical. I am disposed to give the Maori every advantage ; he is encumbered by no trappings beyond his cartridge box, he knows every inch of! ground, he is used to crawling among brush-, wood and supplejacks from his youth, and isj protected by his colour j and it therefore | strikes me, that these positions to be gained) in the first instance in and about the bushj would not he so easily taken up as Philop- j oomen imagines. I do not dispute that the ( pa might be carried by -storm; provided, always, nevertheless, that Philoposraen’s sup-) positions are correct. I shall suppose thatj Philopcemen’s chain and bar shot will cut, away all the outer defences, which I very] much doubt; that the sappers find out the, subterranean passage and blow up the en-j trance, although it i§ to be hoped that there

will not remain very many of the en em y to escape by that time, ; merely suggesting that it would have been better to have ported a soldier or two with fixed bayonets to watch the egress portion of this passage. I shall not say anything respecting this celebrated night attack, with, the exception of merely remarking on the novelty of a man l gbting his path by carrying a signal rocket; but should further suggest the propriety of his leaving his cartridge box at home, and not carrying, more hand' grenades than he can help, those indispensables to storming parties. I myself, not being a military aspirant, of course may be in great error in my opinions, and were I an active party in one of these storming engagements at night should rather prefer somebody else carrying the rockets, under perhaps the mistaken impression, that to make myself conspicuous on such an occasion, turning will o’ the wisp is perhaps the best method. In conclusion, let me advise my amicus ignotus Philopoemen, to avoid in future entering into subjects that lie does not understand. Let me assure him that no one can tell the proper way to attack any place unless thoroughly conversant with the positionaud its resources ; that it is easy to condemn a commanding officer without knowing his reasons for his conduct, which if he has any caution he will keep to himself; and, last of all, however pleasant it may be to appear in print, the pleasure is one sided only, when the fruit of the pen is distinguished by its bad taste and indigestible qualities. 1 am, sir, your obdt. servant, Mars Minimus.

Sir, —There has lately been much talk about erecting stockades ; perhaps the following observations may not be out of place. A stockade can be of use only in two ways—either as a position from whence a body- of troops can be pushed forward to repel invasion, or as a place of security for the surrounding settlers. In either of these cases the' number of stockades, to be of practical use, must necessarily be numerous, requiting a much larger force to defend them or to take the field tlian we are at all likely to muster ; to supply efficiently even a few such stockades would leave Wangauui almost undefended. The troops would be dispersed; combined action, or concentration qn any given point, would be a work of time.and difficulty.; and the mischief would be done probably long before the remedy could be applied ; for it must be bopne in mind that we have not here, as at Taranaki, to assert possession of the land—the object of attack in this quarter would, be retaliation and plunder. How to prevent these evils is the real problem to be solved. Let signal stations be erected along the line of country to he observed, commencing at the beach at Kai-iwi, on points carefully selected to overlook as wide a range of country as possible, capable of containing four or five men, and strong enough to resist temporary attack. Let us remember, that the backwoodsmen of America and the settlers of Australia do in much slighter buildings than these might be, repel hordes of gentlemen savages out on sporting excursions in those countries. These stations should be provided with telescopes, watch-dogs, provision?, and ammunition, if practicable placed sufficiently near to each other to watch c'oiely the range of country between them, and of course to communicate with each other, and by connecting lines with Wanganui. The fires of any. hostile force approaching these stations, would be visible by day and most probably- by night, long before there could be any danger of an attack. The connecting lines 'communicating with Wanganui should be so chosen as to overlook gullies or broken ground intervening between the out-stations. When it is remembered that in many cases the residences of thesettlers will answer for signal .stations; that the out stations will not require to be numerous, and can be built at a light expense of time and labour; that by this means reliable information can with the utmost; rapidity be transmitted to' head quarters, and troops beput in motion to repel the danger; that the same signal which intimates the approach of invasion warns the settlers, to repair to the rendezvous; and that reinforcements are already on the march, I think that the value of such a system of communication, if efficiently carried out, can hardly be over-estimated. The lines, not only of main roads but the tracks to and from the out. signal stations, are in the present crisis of great importance; gullies, side cuttings, bridges, should all wherever practicable be avoided, and the opencountry kept; and I woulcl impress on the settlers, that if the hostile tribes now in arms be dispossessed of their lands, they will he scattered over the country spreading disaffection, connived at, if not fostered, by those connected with them by consanguinity; that this struggle, even if concluded for the time, may at any period be renewed, and hence the extreme importance of good lines of road for military operations. Against the enemy with which we have to contend, masses of men are almost useless; it must of necessity be a war of skirmishing. On this head I quote from the Times, speaking of its correspondent., “ who accompanied the French army in its. campaigns against the Austrians, who observed its discipline and tactics, and watched its method of fighting.” “ All the fights, from beginning to end, consisted in attacks on both sides, in which the advantage remained to those who had the superiority in firing and the greater agility. It was curious to watch the difference in this respect between the two armies. The French .opening out in shockingly loose. order, running and creeping in turn, spying out and taking advantage of every little obstacle which came in their way, and. going out of their way to reach it, and all the;

while firing and loading as 'a t as theyc'u’d. llow different, for a truly military eye, were those splendid lines of Austrians. When t iey came on to make an offensive return, the Austrians waited in vain for there soli l French lines against which they might, make their attack. The unreasonable Gauls never gave the opportunity, for there was? 10 forming from beginning 'to end. The .solul masses were shattered by the missiles of the dispersed hovering light -troops. It was against all the 3 ules of warfare, but somehow the French won in a c inter.” An attack on the south side of the river would iii;all probability fall ou the Mataruwa valley, and a protracted and troub'e>ome strugg’e ensue. Fortunat* ly, the country is comparatively easy; intelligence could be telegraphed from lone end to the other in five or ten minutes. The line of road is probably the best that could be adopted, and little requires tb.be done except to ascertain the different points where riflemen could be ad* vantageoiisly placed overlookis g the valley, and to make the communication between these .and the-line of road as short and convenient as possible. There is only one obstacle on this line about four or five miles from town'— a side cutting and bridge. Should it at any time be necessary to retire from the valley before numbers, this is precisely the spot that an intelligent enemy would desire to cut off the retreat. The letiring party, encumbered with the ordinary impedimenta, would here be forced on the narrow road and narrower bridge, and tiie whole pirty destioyed before they reached the further end. I mention this instance, as it exemplifies what lias been already said concerning side cuttings and bridges, and is a defect easily remedied, as the purchase of a few acres of land would carry the road along the flat in place of where it now is. "The lines of communication are, in a military point of view, what the arm is to the hand, either to strike a blow or to withdraw from it.

It would be satisfactory to extend the line of telegraphs to Turakina —in fact, the further the better.

Below are thirteen different unmistakable positions, in which three lights for night, or discs by day, can be placed ; by making the 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

lights and discs intermittent, the number of signals can be increased to any extent likely to be required; the discs would, if turned on their a'xes, alternately present the edge and the face of the disc to the observer,