REVIEW,

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1900, 28 July 1863, Page 4

REVIEW,

THE SOUTHERN MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

AUCKLAND : CR3IGHTON AND SCALES. The July uumber of "this Magazine is larger tbaa its predecessors, there being no less than ten original contributions iv its pages, including the usutl monthly literary review. In fiction, we hiie the last chapter of that sensation story, "Wiiat became of Lira," which the author brings to a most inartistic conclusion, seeiug that it is not at all clear, whether the hero ever recovered from the miraculous vicissitudes through wLicli he passed, or what be did when restored to his rightful possesious. In fact, the writer seems to have found his story unmanageable, and his bero has consequently been always getting into positions from which, without the greatest outrage of probabilities, it was impossible to extricate him. However let us be thankful, we have undergone the worst of this literary infliction. * c Waitara and the Native Question" is moderately written, but leaves the subject precisely where it was before. The writer is either utterly ignorant, or purposely silent, about the " circumstances" which dictated its abandonment. It is therefore unnecessary to allude particularly to the various " suppositions" which he brings forward to elucidate the mystery. One quotation however, may be made to show the theoretical conclusion he arrives at: — " The circumstances, whatever they may he, are more likely to be simply of such a kind as to render it not expedient, as the proclamation states, to proceed with the purchase. In fact it seems necessaiy to fall back on the third sup* position, and conclude that the abandonment of Waitara was determined by the Governor simply because he considered that bis main ends would be best reached by such abandonment," This is neither the time nor place to enter into the merits of the Waitara case, because at the ensuing meeting of the Assembly, the "circumstances" will be made patent to the whole world, and it may be as well to wait a little longer for the whole truth. While tbeiefore we deprecate writing on this subject with only partial knowledge, still more do we deprecate the publication of an article like the present which evinces no knowledge At all. The next article, " Colonial Experience" has some hints on housebuilding, in which the new settler is advised to have bis house built of slabs, which he is. kindly informed " are rough boards obtained not by sawing, but by splitting the trunks of pine trees, found in the New Zealand forests." We entirely disagree with the recommendations of the author, " A slab house," would not even afford as good a shelter from wind and rain as a toi-toi whare, while its expense, if his plan of building were followed, would scarcely be less than that of a house built of sawn timber. We don't know bow it may be in Auckland, but to any intending settler in the country districts of this Province, we would say ; "be guided by the practical experience of your neighbour. If you can afford it, build a weather boarded house of sawn timber, which is the only way to secure a comfortable residence ; but if that be beyosd your means, put up a toi-toi whare or a mud cottage, for the first year or two, till you have improved your land and bettered your circumstances." There are some sensible remarks on providing a garden to adjoin the "slab house," a subject in which the writer is evidently a little more at home, but as the pith of the whole consists in the recommendation, to fence in securely half-an-acre of land, and grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers thereon, we need not make any extracts. An elaborate article, advocating the institution of "A Landed Aristocracy (or New Zealand" is appropriately entitled "A Day Dream," probably from the soporific effect it has on its readers. We ourselves fell asleep about the middle of it, and had a delightful vision of being knighted by one of the younger branches of the Eoyal Family, who in fulfilment of the late Mr E, J. Wakefield's proposal, had become a subordinate sovereign of New Zealand. From this sweet trance, we were rudely roused by aD imp demanding "copy," so in fear of again being overtakeu with drowsiness, we postponed the. further perusal of the article, to its fitting season — bedtime. " A day with the Harriers" is a pleasantly written sketch, of average ability. It is followed by " The Spirit Path," a fragment, in which the whole imagery employed is due to the peculiar poetry of the Maori mind. The next article "On Maori Courage" is ably written. We make a few extracts as specimens of the author's views and style. He opens as follows: — "The question is an interesting one—has, or IiBS not, the courage of the Maori been overestimated? What is its degree in respect to that of the Enropean, the American or the Se poy? Is the Maori on his own ground — man for man— fully a match for the English soldier; or is not the asserted admission itself a most *' dangerous illusion ?" " Several instances are given to prove the negative side of the question, one of which we quote :— '• In 1840, \ the c Jewess,' schooner, was stranded at Paikakariki, and the people of Te Whiti (William King) plundered her cargo! As soon as it was beard of in Wellington, a party of twenty-eight settlers, armed with fowl-ing-pieces and rifles, staited to aid the crew, and after three days' journey, arrived at the wreck. They found the tribe in possession, but by the next morning had obtained the restoration of the plunder — concealed amongst the sandrhills — together with payment for the bad behaviour. One man — a half-caste — they took out of the Waikanae pa, marched him iv handcuffs to - Wellington, and lodged him in the gaol there, on a charge of piracy.' COUBA.GE TJNDER COVER. There is much truth iv the following remarks : — •« When a Maoii finds that he cannot escape, he certainly faces his enemy with a sullen stoicism that may be mistaken for courage. A species of fatalism seems inherent in the minds of all oriental people — they become calm, instinctively, when they find escape is impossible. There would be a grandeur in this if it were not that such coolness is always accompanied by an instantaneous recourse, if there be an opportunity, to cunning. The Maori taken at Mahoetahi with a gun recently discharged, said he was a " peacemaker," and in that ehalacter be had taken the gun from a native to prevent its being again fired at the soldiers. While a native will remain unwearied for hours, without food, lurking behind a flax bush for a "pot-shot" at a traveller, he will not,! even with a dozen to back him, face half the number on open ground. This is the more remarkable, as, in their wrestling matches and spear play, they are accustomed to look their opponent in the face. While disliking tb« open and personal fight, the native is most skilful and original in stratagem. The ambush is placed so that the escape of the victim is almost impossible, and care is always bad to the means of retreat, thould detection occur. At the Valley of the Hutt, and at No. 3 Redoubt, the natives stole slowly and noiselessly on the sentries, until near enough for a spring and a tomahawk blow. Courage, and that of a high order, is requisite here — personal courage, aided by perfect presence of mind and coolness, and unwrougbt upon by excitement ; but it is not the courage that will withstand the bayonet charge, or the daylight figUt— wun to man.

If the Maoris were a small race, or slight, like the inhabitants of Bengal, their avoidance of the personal conjlict might be accounted for ; but it is not so. The Maori — man for man — is larger, far heavier, and more fleshy than the soldier, and lie vaunts himself oil an assumed physical superiority." THE BAYONET • "The question then presents itself — Is it the bayonet itself that is so much dreaded and estimated ? This is difficult to answer ; but it would seem not. The Maori will part with all that be has to be the possessor of a double barrelled gun, but be won't give balf-a-crown for a bayonet. About two years sinee — during the last Taranaki war — the writer happened casually to go into what appeared to be a provision hoiise at Taupo, near the Wairoa ; the place proved to be a kind of armoury, lined round with racks for guns, and containing about one hundred and sixty pieces of various descriptions, from the Brummagem single-barrel at thirty shillings, to the long duck gun, with the highlyengraved French double gun, and the Yankee pea-bore rifle ; old flint muskets converted into clumsy percussions forming the majority, however, of the pieces, but there was not a bayonet amongst them. Converse with a Maori about a bayonet, as a weapon, and be will deride it. " A parry of the : tomahawk will foil it, and a blow within its length will finish the matter." It must be an absolute aversion to the personal and close collision that induces a Maori to fight only at a distance, or from an ambush. THE SECRET OF MAORI RESISTANCE. The secret of the capability of the Maori to withstand for a time our military power, lies in tbe obstacles of their country and their skill in increasing them — obstacles that to tbe Maori, who from childhood has found his sport and amusement in tbe woods, are of no account. It is not the province of the writer, nor would he presume to indicate that the troops should be trained to light bush warfare. Fortunately at Taranaki they are now being so led,, and with marked success ; but it may be impressed upon the attention of all, from the authorities of Government to each Volunteer who may yet have to skirmish at the outskirts, how every path or track should be explored, and each feature of vantage ground examined. Every man on an outlying station should be prepared to become a guide to a military party, and should at once carry his observations beyond purposes and localities of immediate defence. GUERILLA BANDS. It is a proof of the value of tbe following suggestions, that " guerilla," or as the Taranaki Herald terms them, Go-billa bands, are at the present moment, employed with the greatest advantage in that settlement. Moreover, they are armed with Terry's breach loaders. Tbe writer says : — "For the composition of guerilla bands of settlers to patrol the front, and " look up" an enemy, there is splendid material existing in tbe young men of the out-settlements — more especially those who have been from childhood in New Zealand. Accustomed to search for and brirg in their cattle from .tbe bush, they can pet through it as easily as a native, and would find their home in it as well ; while they know its paths more perfectly. These, under their own selected leaders, and armed with bandy, breach loading rifles, would keep the enemy from marauding, render campaigning less pleasant to him, and distract tbe attention of the Maori from the simultaneous organization of large military movements." It affords us sincere pleasure to say, that we think the foregoing article, a very able one, and that we agree with nearly every word of it. Mr Hay has a sensible and well written contribution on " out-buildings and the kitchen garden," which like all bis other papers on kindred topics, will repay perusal, but would be completely spoiled by making extracts. It would we think, be infinitely better if Mr Hay had this | department wholly to himself; he understands his subject thoroughly, and is able to write something worth reading aboutit — qualifications, I ' which the other writer on *• colonial experience" who takes up a somewhat similar line, certainly does^not possess. | The Monthly Literary Revieio is devoid of intere — stwe presume, from lack of material — April haring been unusually barren of good books in any walk of literature. A notice of . "Mahoe Leaves," a little work recently issued from this office, is very favourable to the author, but exceedingly superficial. We charitably suppose, that the reviewer bad not wholly perused the book, when he penned the critique in question. Keally, we cannot understand why a Magazine of a better class than the present cannot be produced in New Zealand. It has long been a subject of gratulation that a large portion of onr settlers are of a better class, in point of education and position than those of other colonies, and surely amongst such there j could be found contributors of sufficient ability to furnish better articles than those that appear in the pages of the Southern Monthly. It may be, that our men of mark do not care to employ their pens in serial literature, when fame and profit can be more easily reaped in other fields. But are there not writers of higher ability in the|Colony,|tban the present regular contributors to this Magazine, and can such not be found elsewhere than amongst our celebrities ? If there are snob, it would be would be well to enlist their services, and thus ensure the success of a publication which has our best wishes.

ON SALE.