NAVAL AND MILITARY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 22, 28 November 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

The movements of our naval squadron have been limited since we last wrote. H. M. S. Harrier, 17 guns, Commander Sir Malcolm MacGregor Bart., is still absent on a cruise to the Fejees. H. M. 8. Cordelia, 11 guns, Commander Hume, has taken her departure, via Sydney, for England. Fawn, 17 guns, Commander Cator, Miranda 15 guns, Capt. Glyn, and Pelorous, 21 guns, Commodore Seymour, occupy their anchorage in Auckland. The latter ship is in expectation of being shortly relieved, having been upwards of four years in commission. If we may credit the United Service G azettc, a paper generally well posted in naval intelligence, the Australian station is-no longerto be under command of a Commodore of the second class, but of a Rear Admiral; and, to that end, we are told the Shannon of 51 guns, 2(161 tons, COO horse power, one of the finest steam frigates in the

service, has been brought forward for commission. This is an exceedingly judicious measure. Sooner or later, Auckland, one of the most important Naval and Military positions in the Soutlv- Pacific, must be made a naval and military station. In this, all our naval men of mark are perfectly agreed, consequently it must be much more easy to take the initiative in a time of European quietude than to set about it hurriedly at the outbreak of a European convulsion.— Netv Zealander , Nov. 6.

The Gsth Eegiment, Royal Artillery, and Engineers, still continue to garrison Aucklandr At the Camp at Otahuhu, detachments of the 12th and 14th, with the 40th and 70th regiments occupy their winter quarters. The 57th are still at New Plymouth, whilst Wellington, Wanganui, and Napier have detachments of the 14th, 57th, and 65th with artillery and engineers to protect them. —lbid

Shannon, frigate, 51, has been taken out of the old fitting basin, and placed at moorings in Portsmouth harbour. She will, it is expected, shortly be commissioned for the Australian station, us the flagship of a Rear-Admiral.— United Service Gazette, August 24th.

The Iris, 25, arrived off the dockyard at Chatham on the 27th instant, from the Australian station, the ship having been in commission since January, 1857. She was commissioned at Chatham by Captain W. Loring, C. 8., on the 23rd of February. She was towed out of the harbour by the Cuckoo,'steam vessel, and left Spithead on the 7th. of March for the Australian station. On the Ist of July following she anchored in Farm Cove, Sydney and released the Juno, 26, Captain S. Gr. ‘Freemantle, and on the 17th of September she sailed for Norfolk Island, and arrived there on the 23rd of that'month, when it was found that the islanders were in great distress on account of the want of provisions, particularly flour. In consequence of this the Iris proceeded to Auckland for a supply of food, having obtained which she also procured a vessel to follow with a further supply. The Iris again reached the island on the 14th October, when his Excellency the Governor landed, and proceeded to inspect the island, furnishing a code of laws for the guidance of the inhabitants, and appointed, with the usual formalities, a chief and subordinate magistrate. The Iris afterwards went to the Bay of Islands, and remained there some time, in Qrdcr to grace the ceremony of raising a new flagstaff in place of that cut down by the late redoubtable Iloni Ileki. It afterwards sailed to Tana, one of the now Hebrides, to inquire into the murder of two Englishmen belonging to the vessel called New Forest; it was, however, after a most diligent investigation found impossible to discover the murderers. She was again at Sydney on the 13th of July, when Captain Boring's commision as 2nd class Commodore arrived by mad. In February, 1861, the Iris was relieved by the screw steamship Pelorus, Commodore F. B. P. Seymour, to return to England to be paid off, but owing to the rebellion breaking out in New Zealand she went there to render assistance. On the 10th of April she left Auckland, in charge of Captain C. E. H. Vernon, for Chatham, to be paid oft'. She has had but very little sickness during the four years and six months she has been away.— Times, July 20th. 11. M. S. ‘Harrier,’ 17 guns, Commander Sir Malcolm MacGregor, Bart., returned from a cruise to the South Sea Islands last Friday morning. The ‘ Harrier’ left the Manukau on the 10th September, and made Rewa on the 7th October, when Mr. Consul Pritchard went on board and effected a settlement of dispute between the Natives and Europeans. On.thc 12th October the ‘ Harrier’ sailed thence to Krutavau, and anchored in Tavaki Bay, latitude, 10 degrees, 3 minutes, 9 seconds south longitude, 178 degrees, 6 minutes, 23 seconds east, and returned to Rewa on the 14th. Owing to an attempt of a turbulent chief named Tui Tuva to plunder a European named Davis, a court of inquiry was held, at which the commander of the Harrier and Mr. Consul Pritchard presided, attended by several native chiefs. The charge was proved, and Tui Tuva received four dozen lashes in fulfilment of the sentence of the court. One of his followers also received two dozen lashes. Fines were imposed on the other misdemeanants ; and after giving 24 hours’ notice to the inhabitants to remove their goods, the town of Yutia was burnt on the 16th October and Knoya on the 17th. On the 17th an accident occured on board the pinnace of the Harrier commanded by Mr, Sedmond, master, which might have been attended with fatal consequences. There was an Armstrong gun on board, on firing which the vent piece flew out, wounding the consul, Mr. Sedmond, and six of the crew of the pinnace. The most seriously hurt was George Mould, gunnery instructor, whose face was so severely scorched as to destroy the sight of his right eye. On the 19th October the Harrier took her departure from Rewa for Ovalau, from whence she sailed on the 22nd for Norfolk Island which was made on the 31st. The report from Norfolk Island shows that the islanders are doing well, their cattle and sheep rapidly increasing. The season’s whaling had been good, the people being busily engaged cutting in a whale when the Harrier anchored in Sydney bay. The Harrier encountered rough weather on the coast ; sighted a schooner in the gulf, full of passengers, supposed to be the Salcomhe Castle, from Otago for Auckland.—Southern Cross, Nov. 12.