TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1863, 2 May 1863, Page 3

TARANAKI.

[from our own correspondent. ] Taranaki, April 25th 1863. In writing on the affairs of Taranaki so many re--ports are with a purpose set afloat that it is difficult to learn the amount of dependence to be placed upon anything one hears. Our population is divided into two parties, the one consisting of fc he townspeople and Government officials, would approve of a continuation of the war, or to, use the can't phrase, no patched up peace. Whilst the industrious bonafide settler is most anxious to invest his compensation in resuscitating his long neglected and delapidated farm, so that once again he may enjoy the pleasurable feeling of dopendiDg upon his own honest endeavours for obtaining the means of support for his family. There is no doubt that whilst the position of the Taranaki settler has elicited a great deal of mouth sympathy, they have had to undergo from internal bad government very much unnecessary suffering, and perhaps the most unkind step taken to oppress them has been by the present ministers giving increased powers to the local rulers, and so to purchase their silence as to the true state o affairs. f The war in Taranaki has literally ruined many, but at the same time it cannot be denied, it has also saved others from certain insolvency. Id a small farm settlement the labouring settler who depends upon himself for every want ia al • most sure to succeed in life. Whilst the would be gentleman with a very limited capital, who understands practically nothing concerning the farm, and is consequently obliged to employ labour, is as certain to fritter away the small amount of means he may have had, if not to involve himeelf in the bargain. Of the latter class, Taranaki unfortunately progresses a pretty fairsprinkling, who where fast sinking when fortunately the war broke out, lucrative situations wereshowered forth, which, with the compensation, has enabled them to keep their ground, and now preferring easy government billets to hard work on the farm ; their cry is still for war ! war ! Now it evident that the compensation has been given us only as a part of the colony, and having received it, it becomes our duty not to hamper the Government by undue pressure. It is very evident that in a country of the peculiar ph} r sical struoture of New Zealand very little good can be arrived at by war — Taranaki alone is not to be conconsidered, but the welfare of the whole of the Northern Island. One Bhot fired might end in a general outbreak throughout the length and breadth of the land. The Government have not yet bean enabled to guarantee the settlers safety on their farms, but many are leasing farms in the noignbourhood. It is much to be wished that the government would throw aside its tricky habits, and act with open candour, so that all might know how to deport themselves. The troops still occupy Tataraimaka and the Waireka. A man has been lost in the bush and not yet found. To-day, Saturday, there are many fresh reports afloat. The tale is, which I believe to be true, that 600 vVaikatos have gone to the South, and William Kingi's tribe is about to return to the Waitara, but that King himself will continue with the Waikatos. Some stones that had been gathered by th c soldiers for the Omata road have been by th c Maories thrown into the sea, and the tale ia told of a message having been received by the Governor from the southern natives to the effect that it is their intention to stop the works on the Omata road on Monday. . . Notwithstanding signs of war there are many who still speak of peace. All the industrious lovers of independence hope for peace, whilst those through a renewal of war who will again hold arbitrary powers over their fellow settlers, have a contrary feeling. W. I. Ch

AUCKLAND. Oub dates per the Airedale are to the 25th inst. Pheasant Bhooting has commenced, the birds are ', very numerous, and extraordinary 'bags' are being made. AiiAßMiKa and Destrootivh Fibr.— Yesterday morning, at dawn of day, the city was alarmed by the pealing of the fire-bells, arid hundreds soon collected at the scene of the conflagration . The fire broke out in a. bouse belonging to Mr Witt, in Syraonds-street, opposite the windmill, and occupied by Dr Rawson. It would appear that on the previous night, at 11 o'clock, Dr Rawson, himBelf, as he thought, extinguished the fire in his kitchen, placing the charred pieces of wood to one one side. These, it is thought, must have smouldered, and ultimately burat into a blaze, igniting the casing of the mantel-piece. Whatever may have been the cause of the fire, Dr Rawson's sons were alarmed by the .sounds of crackling, as it were, under their bed. (they slept in a room im« mediately over the kitchen), got up just as the smoke was beginning to penetrate through the floor of their room, and aroused their father from his bed with the intelligence that the house waa in flames. By this time, a large number of persons were gathered on the spot, and, order still prevailing, the greater part of the furniture from the lower rooms of this house, and the adjoining one, occupied by Mr Wynstanky, was removed into the street and saved. The fire rapidly seized upon this second house, and, from that,, upon the large building occupied as ft workshop by Mr Craig ; numbers of people set themselves to work with a will, and a large quantity of flooring-boards, and wood in various stages of construction, were removed into the street, diminishing not merely the amount of damage, but, by giving the flames less to feed on, affording a better opportunity of saving the adjoining row of houses, the inhabitant! of which were rapidly removing their gooda and furniture to the opposite aide of the street. While all this was going on, a number of the military were told off at the Albert Barracks, and quickly marched to the spot. The fire had then fairly hold of Mr Craig's workshop, and the flames, feeding on the dry and combustible materials still left within the building, almost at one time licked the side and roof of the adjoining house, occupied by Mr Craig, and which waa separated only from the mass of flames by a vacant allotment, of some thirty feet in width. For some time, a fovr of the soldiers were able to continue throwing buckets of water on the side of Mr Craig's house ; and some two or three, stationed on the roof, kept it partly covered with wet blankets, but now these were obliged by the fierceness of the heat to desist. The wind too, as is usually the case, vrifck the rising of the sun began to rise also, and the next block of four housesseemed doomed to destruction. It was just when everyone had given up the hope of their being saved, and when all were expecting, from the appearance of the smoke rising from the. charred side of the end house, that it would momentarily burst into flames, a sudden squall of wind came up from a point nearer to the West than it had been hitherto blowing. The flames were carried more to the rear than to the North, side, and, a current of 000 l air passing between the burning building and the threatened one, in less than a minute, the smoking of the wea-ther-board ceased, and it became evident, that, unless the wind again veered to its original quarter, the fire would spread no further, This, fortunately, proved the case, and, in another ten minutes all further danger was at an end. We understand that neither the goods nor furniture in the house of Dr Rawson, whercthe fire originated, nor in that of Mr Wy nstanley, were insured, The workshop was insured for £100, and one of the houses f0r.J650, in the Liverpool and London office. We cannot conclude the narrative of this sad occurrence without adverting to the reckless manner in which, property is uselessly destroyed on these occasions. The window-frames, parts of the inner lining, doors, and staircases of the adjoining houses, which were not burnt, were immediately smashed in by men with sledge hammers and axes, and the furniture hurled headlong into the street— the destruction of property to the unfortunate occupants being little short of what would have occurred from the main calamity itself. Mr Craig • succeeded in ejecting those so engaged from hit own dwelling, which has, in consequence, suffered least of any, although exposed to the greatest danger. When the object is, undoubtedly, the^ saving of property, and affording assistance, it would be well for persons — more especially those who are supposed to be particularly amenable to discipline — to go calmly and rationally to work, leat endeavors which are made with the best and most praiseworthy intentions should be followed by anything but benefit to those whose property is in danger. It was but by the providential change of the wind, at the particular crisis of the fire, that four more new and valuable dwelling-houses were saved. Not an engine cams to the fire. There they stood, within a thousand yards, in their several engine houses, while the property of the citizens was left to the mercy of the flames and wind, although plenty ofrnAw was at hand, some wells, containing a fine supply of water, being upon and near to the property on which the fire occurred. The Auckland Firo Brigade cavalierly disbanded themselves a short time since, mainly because the Insurance Companies andthe Provincial Government would nob. advance them a certain yearly sum for uniforms, an annual supper and other expenses, and Auckland is thus left without a company of disciplined men to bring out the engines and work them on such an occasion. The members of the Brigade, when they joined that force, took upon themselves duties which they ought not lightly to have resigned en masse. They occupied the position of, and prevented, others who would have taken their place, from acquiring a knowledge of the duties required, and the consequence was, that when at the instigation of the Superintendent, the force disbanded, there were none able to prganis« another for the protection of the town. In this case there was a sufficiency of water on the spot, and an engine playing upon Mr Craig's house, would, even had the wind continued from the same quarter as during the early part of the fire, have rendered it nearly impossible for the fire to have spread from the worshop to the dwelling. — NewZealander, 11th. April. Sharks have again been seen, and a monster one captured in the harbour. Yesterday, two men on board Mr Chamberlain's yacht Nightshell, observing two sharks feeding upon a dead horse, which had been cast into the stream on Saturday night, put off in a dingy, and, having obtained si harpoon from the gun-boat Caroline,' succeeded in striking one of them, which wbb rapidly towing them out. A boat put off from the. shore, to their assistance, and the shark was killed and brought to Official Bay, where he might have boon seen by the'* bathers curious in such eights." He measured 12 feet 4 inches in length, and when killed, contained part of the carcase of the horse on whiohjhe had been feeding when first seen by the men. Have the local authorities no care for the safety of the lives and limbs of the citizens that, as yet, no steps have been taken for the construction of a safe and commodious bathing* place. — Ibid. Their Objeqt was " Business."— -An amusing instance of rascality deservedly " sold," ocourrea a short time since to some soldiers who had do* sorted from one of the regiments stationed near ' Auckland. The deserters took up their abode with the Maories and entered into an engagement, to perform certain work of fencing, <fco., &0., for; which they were to receive wages. Some little time passed by and an application to the Maori employers by these would-be civilians was met with a good humoured response of •'• tai-hoa. tai« 5 hoa 1" (wait a-while). Accordingly another month y was allowed to blip hy, and payment was again ; •-■' -.-; demanded and met with the same answer. After a time, the men becoming more importunate, sv% solemn " ruiunga " was held to consider "thetr^; claims, when it was decided that it was againßt?i^|^p good rules and decorum that deaerteref^mtli^ipl Queen's forces should be harbpured^Bjo;p||i§o« plaintiffs were accordingly tied lip apd^^imye|ffiil I into camp and delivered over to theirF'r^|oot^^^ I regiments where they now aSvait^'f'paym^ni^i^^P full" from the proper inilitaryauthoriti|iß^^^^ reward of £27 beiug :ha^e4.o^r<|^tb'e|||t^^H 'captors. We do,ubt- not that \the ; oon^QMp^^g Native friends in this trahsaotion ; ;wiit^na^|fa«^g discouragement of desertion." "J^o^wbli^lHl^S Maories were the best '« deteoti^^^^fia^lpeiai^lS who had taken to the bush,— Zbi&. '' ' 'iHß^^^P