A DOG BATTALLION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1910, 20 August 1863, Page 3

A DOG BATTALLION.

The following suggestion has some value : —

" Now there is one mode, at all events as an auxiliary, which has been much talked about, but somehow or other few if any have written about it — I mean tbe use of dogs. Ido not mean bloodhounds, for we bare them not; neither do I mean dogs for the purpose of absolutely killing the Maoris ; but I mean that all the bushrangiug corps should be well provided with ordinary dogi of good scent, which have been accuitoraed to pig hunting, cattle hunting and so forth, two or three of each should accompany each party, and by scouring the bush in advance, which they will readily do, render the work much more safe as well as much more certain. lam convinced that dogs properly

used for such purposes, as well as going with escorts, would be a great . advantage ; and surely there should be no false delicacy which wimld deler us from using every means in our power in bringing the war to as speedy * termination as possible. The grand ani great object must be by a viyororous effort to commence and finish the war with as little delay as possible ; and any means which will tend to this end should be the most humane, as well as the most ecnonomicul mode. While we have to deal with a foe who will use the most treacherous as well as the most barbarous mode of warfare; we must use nil legitimate means of meeting such treachery and defeating it. D»gs, therefore, may be a help to us in so doing 1 , and I really think a day should not be lost in forming a corps of dogs for war purposes. We all know, or those who have lived long in the country do — the Maoris, instinctive dread of dogs, and surely we should work upon this dread. We know, also, the strong i antipathy which European dogs, without any training, have to Maoris. They will scent a Maori n long distance in the bash, and thus drive him out. There is, I know, a disadvantage in writing on this subject as it sounds unpleasant, to an English ear to talk of using dogs to exterminate the Maori race, and . probably much fine and delicate philosophy may be expended over it. IJut I can see little difference between planting yourself in the bush or fern, rifle and revolver in hand, to destroy every Maori on the track, and advancing through the bush with dogs to discover the lurking places of the insidious enemy. Their very mode of fighting renders such a course necessary. If the Maori will come out for open warfare, let the battle be settled by such a course. If they choose their present secret an J stealthy mode of warfare, let us do our best to meet it. You will never satisfy your opponents by your mode of fighting them; as they already tell us that it is unfair on our parts ; for they have not big guns, rifles and such implements. But this is supposing we are fighting as a pleasure, or as a business, which is not the case. It v now with us a great and dire alternative, which we have to use to attain a certain end — the subjugation of the Maori race to law, order, and the mild rule of a gracious sovereign. We merely have to place them on a footing with ourselves ; a»d the moment they are ready fully to admit that, and give ample security that the future of the colony will be peace and order, I presume the war would be at an end, but not until then.