LATEST NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

Wellington Independent, Issue 2178, 11 March 1865, Page 6

LATEST NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

WHAT THE TROOPS ARE DOING AT TUB PATEA. Having notified the arrival of the troops at at the Patea but little more remains to be said. The troops indeed are doing nothing at all. They occasionally go within a couple of miles of unfortified native villages, look at them, and then return from whence they came. Whatever intelligence there is of any interest will be found in the following letter of " our special correspondent," received on Thursday by the liaugatira. Head Quarters, Patea, Wednesday, March 1. The firing that I mentioned in my last as taking place yesterday morning, turned out to be from some natives, who at daybreak showed themselves on both banks of the river, but too far off to be able to effect any damage. They blazed away iv vain for a considerable time, till at last one of the Armstrong field pieces was brought to bear on them. The first one or two rounds fired did not seem to incommode them, but the third and fourth were evidently too much for their weak nerves, as they scattered and skedaddled. Thinking that they might perhaps come again this morning a party was sent oxit on both sides of the river to form an ambush and cut off their rotieat should they turn out. The natives were too wide awake to come twice, so the party returned to camp shortly after daylight. The land on both sides of the Patea is very high, there is even a high bluff on both sides at the heads, and there is very little low land or valley on cither side excepting some small flats just at the bends of the river, or where some gorge breaks out into a flat on joining the river. The general run of rivers on this coast have a sandy spit sometimes of a great length between their lower portion just inside the mouth and the sea, but this river forms an exception. The average depth of water at springtide is about eight feet, at high water and neap tides six feet six inches to seven feet, with a rise and fall of seven feet at spring and lour or five at neap tides. Like all New Zealand bar harbors the bar does shift, but not to the same extent as many of them do. As this will be the only port to a very great extent of country I fully expect that a small steamer for private trade will pay very well ; and if the Government do as they ought to, and send a thousand military settlers here, a good trade would soon spring up. Patea is destined to become a flourishing settlement, adjoining as it does to what I consider one of the finest districts of New Zealand, namely the district of Wairaate. The Wellington people must not be " riled" if i pass it as my opinion that the laud north of this river is far beyond that to the south of it. It will be a race between Taranaki and Wellington as to which side of the river the port township will be, for on that will depend which province gets the customs. One side of the river being Taranaki and the other the province of Wellington. With the exception of 200 men who occupy a redoubt on the site of the old camp ; on the oast side all the forces (about 1700 of all classes) are encamped on the north or west side of the river. Two pahs are visible from here, the one in the valley on the river bank distant as the crow flies about two miles ; the other about a mile further off on much higher land looks to me like the old inland crossing place. I have a very good glass, and amuse myself by watching the occupants of them this morning ; whilst so occupied, I noticed the steam of their cooking pouring our from both ends of the whares. In about half-an hour they had evidently consumed their frugal meai, for they emerged one by one from their whares and sat down in little parties, I suppose to discuss the orders of the day. A horseman riding into the nearer village seemed to cause a great commotion as if he were the bearer of important news, for he was immediately surrounded by a crowd of hearers. Perhaps he was the mail from the Wanganui river, if so the news from that quarter would astonish them. Thi.safternoonabouttwenty natives showed themselves on a hill about one and-a-quartcr miles from the camp, and remained there pacing up aud down for a couple of hours, and then hooked it. They do not understand what the General means to do, and they cannot understand why lie does not attack them ; but the General has his own plans, and will execute them when reacty, soon enough for the Maories. Should we move on Waimate we shall be surrounded with native villages at Weri Weri. Kata Marci, aud a host of others arc close at hand. Thursday, March 2. All was quiet last night — the natives arc taking a spell. The Transport Corps, who came up here with the troops, loft their carts behind them and only brought pack horses up, so they have started to-day to Waitotara to fetch thorn escorted by a portion of the Military Train. They will return to-morrow, and the remainder of the bullock teams will come up with them. The Alexandra, with artillery and mililary, stopped oil here for orders this aft ernoou. They will most likely go to Wellington and then overland to AVanganui. Friday, March 3. The Gundagai arrived from Wanganui about ] p.m. Wont into Waitotara yestcr- ; day and reports all quiet there. She brings I nearty 100 tons of cargo this trip; it is too much for her. It may do in fine weather, but I would not much cmv to be in her if it was rough. Camp life is very monotonous when there is nothing doing as at present. I hope soon there will be a change. There is almost nothing to rcnort beyond ni'rival or departures of ><>.!.,,■.■ . ,\,<\ The Transport Corps aud '■■ " •'• ' :v:;is m rived very late to-niuht; . <.'(.'< >h5 till 10-morrov nior ; ug.

Monday, March 6,th I have no doubt but that you will hear great rumors of peace about to be made. For the present, however, it is all bosh. The natives arc beginning to play their old games of diplomacy. They are merely doing so in order to gain time for some of their 'cute designs, which they want a little time for ; and they do not understand why the General is advancing up the coast without attacking them. The General has wisely (at least so 1 ' imagine,) determined to station troops at I every available landing place between here ' and Taranaki, so that any moveable column ' marching into the interior may always have J a depot near him, from which ho can get supplies moderately easy of access. Again, of what use is it to attack pahs if not able entirely to surround them. The best plan by far will be to confiscate their land and put military settlers on it, or at all events to raise a body of men and give them carte blanche to fight as they like. As I said before, I think you will find the peace affair all humbug : certainly Sir George and his prime Minister are in Wanganui, and between the two it might be difficult to decide as to which of them could hatch the best chicken. I believe Mr Weld to be too honest alto- ■ gether to be able to cope with Sir George ; for the latter can make a complete tool of the former. Peace is, no doubt, " a consummation greatly to be wished for " by all, both by military men as well as by the settlers ; but these natives are, and have always been the worst in the island, and any signs of mercy to them would, by them, be interpreted as signs of weakness. No peace ought to be made with them unless they give up their arms and the murderers, besides the , greater portion of their land being confiscated. Everything is quite quiet up here. . Stores arriving by the steamer about twice ; a week and troops and convoys coming from . Waitotara. A new rush to the diggings . is almost nothingeompared to the rush, (on the arrival of the little Gundagai in the river) of officers on board in . order to see who can ferret out the greatest amount of luxuries, at least they are luxuries just now to them, for the canteens have very little to sell, and in camp, many little things ! that would be thought nothing of in town, , are highly prized. H .M.S. Brisk passed by • here on her road to Wanganui with troops, . they will most likely come up to the Front, i The p.s. Prince Alfred was passing quietly L by here yesterday for the Manakau, when L the General signalised to her to call in. [ Her captain did not pay any attention to the L signal, soa gun wasfired with blank cartridge. ; He, however, being rather deaf, could not > hear it ; so two or three Armstong shells were sent after him to warn him of the danl ger he was in in not paying attention to the . signals. The first two fell short, but the last , one dropped just ahead. This seemed to [ wake him a little, for the steamer turned - about, put close in shore, and the captain was , in such a hurry to land, that ho would not t wait for the surf boat but came ashore in his ; own boat. He came inside the first break era , all safe, but one of them caught his boat, j capsized it, and sent the captain and his men p into the surf. Luckily for them they could t touch the bottom and so managed to scramble - on shore. The boat was afterwards got on [ shore and the surf boat tried to tow it out to . the Bteamer, but it could not be done for the . flood tide was too strong, and so it is left . here. The General ordered the Prince Al- ' fred back to Wanganui to land the troops ; from the Brisk. Tho Gundagai is just in r from Wanganui, and starts again in an hour on her way back. She brings some general 1 cargo, sheep, and nine more men of the old Defence Corps. INTENDED MOVE TO TAIUNAKI. The Wanganui Chronicle of the 4th instant 1 says: — The Gundagai arrived this evening, but 1 too late for the insertion of our correspondent's letter. There is, however, absolutely nothing to ■ rpport. The troops have now all left Waitotara with the exception of a sufficient number to keep the redoubt there. The last of them arrived at ; Patea yesterday. The General intends to make ? another move towards Tarauaki to-morrow. ■ Most probably his destination is Manawapou. i Yesterday a recounoitring party came on some 1 Maoris in an open pa at no great distance from the camp, engaged in cooking potatoes for their . breakfast. They were near enough to see them plainly thus employed ; but the command to the officer was not to fire unless fired upon, and the Maoris seem to understand this perfectly, and were not in the least put about by the appearance of their enemy. At Waitoiara a white ; Hag is still flying. The bon. Mr Man tell has received overtures of peace, and sends a letter in reply to-morrow morning l>y the Gundagai, : The probability is, that he will have deferred : giving a positive answer until the arrival of the Governor, who is daily expected here.