CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 32, 6 February 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

CORRESPONDENCE.

“The Woeld’s a Chess Boaed, the People mekely Playees. They have theie Kings, Queens, Bishops, Castles, Knights, and Pawns, And each man in iiis Life plays many Games. His Actions aee ms Moves.” —ShaJcspeare Travestied. To the Editor of the HaivJce's JBag Times. Sir, — Pray did you never, when engaged in the intellectual and fascinating game of Chess, when you were conscious of your superiority in skill over your adversary, and of your ability to win at any moment you might please, permit him to make what play his inclination might lead him to prefer, even to remove from the board some of your most valuable pieces, and seem to be gaining an easy victory over you, until at length, emboldened by such seeming success, he proceeds to make such an assault on your position as might be dangerous to your game if allowed, when you exert your skill, and in a few well-considered and striking moves, proceed to give him checkmate ? I fancy you have often acted in this way, and something of the same character may probably be the play of Sir George Grey in his game with the natives of this island. As yet he is allowing them to play much as they please, merely opening his game by cautiously pushing his paw?is along the northern roads. He does not yet attack their King , nor their castles (pahs), bishops ( ), nor even their knights (chiefs) nor their pawns (thieving and murdering rabble), but for the present gives them his bishops and permits them to commit all kinds of havoc amongst his pieces, particularly the castles fsettlements), while he is getting a first-rate position (?), and he knows they will be likely shortly to assault some piece which he cannot well spare, or some point which he will not be inclined to yield, and in such case he will come down down on them with his knights and Queen, and give them Forced mate. Yours, &c., Amateur. [We must confess that from the first we have been inclined to think that the Governor’s plans did include something like what is hinted at by our correspondent in his amusing letter, though his concessions have long since passed the point to which we believed it possible they could extend. Yet it is certain (as we have recently shewn) that the Maories will never be content with what is conceded to them, but will still demand more and yet more; more even than Sir George Grey may be willing or even able to grant them, and so by making his refusal to yield to them all their demands a reason or an excuse for open rebellion, they may bring upon themselves the fate to which our correspondent appears to allude.— Ed. H. B. 7 1 .]