THE WEST COAST.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIV, Issue 627, 5 November 1868, Page 2

THE WEST COAST.

T A r T v f? c<fT ' twt> rvAt rpxn? T7T> vrnr' JjAlEoi riiwji mu r iiujN 1. ABANDONMENT OP KAKARAMEA. MORE DESTRUCTION OP PROPERTY. WOMEN AND CHILDREN RETURN TO WANGANUI FROM PATEA. ABANDONMENT OF WERAROA. COLONEL WHITMORE AND THE PRESS. COLONEL WHITMORE’S ACTION AT THE FRONT. Ax extia of the Wanganui Times, published on the 23rd Oct., contains the following information ; ABANDONMENT OP KAKARAMEA. —DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. Early yesterday morning the Kakaramea redoubt was abandoned by our men and almost immediately taken possession of by the enemy. As our men retired, parlies of Haubausset fire to the hitherto nndestroyed houses around Kakaramea, right to Patea During the early part of yesterday 25 of Captain Ilirtzell’s men laid down their arms and refused to serve any longer. The men of other companies, whoso time will expire in a few days, say that they will not serve a day longer than they bound to do. The small force at Patea is thoroughly disorganised and discontented at the treatment they receive from the Government, especially its disbanding and dismissing the best of the officers and men, its abandoning the settlers and giving up their property to be destroyed by ruthless cannibals, and exposing themselves to destruction. The ■Hurt took off from Patea, and shipped on board the Ivangatira, Yon Tempsky’s men, bound for Auckland, they having refused to serve any longer. DEPARTURE OP WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Consequent on this state of things, the women and children have been sent down | by the Sturt, and some of the merchants i and storekeepers have succeeded in brineling down a quantity of their goods which (arc now being stored in Wanganui. | ABANDONMENT OF WEIUUOA REDOUBT, j On Wednesday last Colonel Whitmore land ilr Booth proceeded to Wcreraroa, and after some conversation with llunia, Kemp, and the other chiefs, ordered the whole of !the Wanganui natives stationed there to hold themselves in readiness to march for Patea next morning. Tins morning Mr Casey, of the Shamrock Hotel, Patea, arrived in Wanganui, and informs us that at 11 o’clock lost night, whilst riding at tho risk of his life from Patea, lie met tho whole of the' Native Contingent with Colonel Whitmore at the |\\ aitotara river. Some had crossed, others i were iti tho act of creasing, and others at this side about to cross. Thus tho Weraroa redoubt has been abandoned by Colonel Whitmore, and the whole of the Pakakolii with a c msingent j of Tirokowaru’s mem and the whole of the i disalfected, are left in possessi >n of the on-1 tiro tract of country from the Patea river 1 on to Kai Du. |

I Our friend Titokowaru lias generously given the besieged settlers at Patea seven days’ notice to clear out, otherwise he wil attach ami exienni ate them. As Colonel j Whitmore, with some 4.1) of the Wanganui natives, will reach I’atea to-day, Tito may change his tactics, turn the Colonel’s flank, and semi reinforcements to enable his men, now on this side of the Patea, to occupy the Weraroa redoubt abandoned by Colonel "Whitmore. As we write (11 a.m.) the scene upon the Government Wharf, where the Sturt has discharged the goods and chattels of the women and children brought down yesterday from Patea, arouses the indignation of all who witness the evidences ol the ruin burled upon those people by Col Uaultain, whilst carrying out the policy of the present Ministry. THE ADVERTISER'S DENIAL. The Kew Zealand Advertiser, October 26, on what authority it docs ! not state, denies the truth of this |news hi iotu, in an article tilled with ; unmitigated abuse of the Wanganui Times. We extract the following portion, containing the denial: — It is not true that 24 of Capfc. HirtzeUV men (Wellington Pities) laid down t heir j arms, and refused to serve. Several of this corps, having been enlisted for three years, declined no doubt to renew their term. This we knew before, and may fairly pre sumo that their reasons were more domestic than political. A number of men did [ship on board the Kangatira for Auckland, | but they were the corps vesy properly disj banded for mutinous conduct, j l r is not true that the Weraroa Kodoubt is abandoned. On tha contrary, Colonel | \\ hitmore has advanced f rom that point with his main body on and beyond the Patea, leaving at least 100 men in garrison in case of the very improbable event of; Titokowaru outflanking him, crossing the Patea some miles above Kakaramea, and I locating himself in the heavy bush on that] side of the river. There is no sound rea>on for any apprehension upon this head, as] by this time Colonel Whitmore, with a] considerable force, is in tha field, and we have little doubt will give a good account of the enemy. Those who are in a position to judge m the matter are of opinion that Titokowaru cannot possibly have more than 400 men with him, as none of the

Taranaki natives hare joined. Colonel Whitmore has at his disposal about 570 colonial troops, besides about 450 friendly natives, making a total of over 1000 men. COLOVEL WHITMORE AJTD THE PRESS. Tlie Evening Post, 31st October, says The disasters which attended Colonel Whitmore’s latest efforts on the East Coast should not be regarded as in any way an evil augury for his operations on the West, i hose who listened to the non. and gallant member’s impassioned defence of himself and his colleagues in the Legislative Council Chamber must have been convinced that the defeat and loss which occurred in the vain attempt to “ intercept, capture, or destroy ” the Ilauhaus who had escaped from the Chatham Islands, were inevitable, being due to causes over which Col, Whitmore had no control. The virulent manner in which a portion of the press attacked the gallant Colonel on that occasion has naturally led him to desire to place himself on guard against future assaults of the kind. To this end, us we lean; from our Wanganui contemporaries, he has proposed arrangements, for which the colonial press generui'y will be thankful, The injury which may be dune by the circulation of false intelligence, or by the indiscreet and premature publication of statements as to probable movements of the Colonial forces, is incalculable. Colonel Whitmore does not wish to attempt to gag the press, or to limit their information to such olifcial summaries of movements as he may direct his secretary to furnish certain newspapers. The Wanganui Evening Herald says :

From a circular which we have received from Colonel Whitmore, we liud the Colonel has given orders that no member of the furers will be permitted hereafter to correspond with me press, and that the person breaking through this prohibition will subject himself to severe punishment. The fact of such an order being made by the Commanding Officer will prevent the press from publishing any correspondence that might be received contrary to such order ; for it would be as undignified as injurious to the cause which everyone lias at heart —the suppression of the rebellion —to publish smuggled information. The question still remains—can each, or any, paper in Wanganui all’ord to employ a special correspondent ? Colonel Whitmore oilers the most liberal treatment to all duly accredited ‘‘.Special Correspondents ” for the press, lie fully recognises the principle which has been established in modern warfare in this re--poet, and as it is impossible to secure entire secrecy us to military movements, he wisely determines to do the r.ext best tiling, viz., to give correspondents for the press every facility for supplying the journals which they represent with accurate reports. Sucu duly accredited special eorrcspond-uits will, on reporting themselves to Colonel Whitmore, be entitled to ■‘draw rations as Captains, and forage for one horse.” The Commanding Ullicer wid, of course, rely on the discretion and honor of the gentleman representing the jpre-s not- to write anything which may ! militate against 1 he success of his plans. ! I’ntil professional correspondents arrive, ithe pre.-s will be supplied with official bul-L-tins. It only remains for those journals I who desiie to have their “own correspond j dent ” to select him and send him up to jthe Front. Two or more journals might Uinf e in retaining tlie services of a cotnpei tent repre-ensative. j The Wanganui Chronicle has the I following on the subject ; —. Col. Whitmore, among other iinprovinents introduced by tail into t ie management el the Colonial Forces, is desirous of establishing a proper relationship with the press. lie is very naturally anxious that accurate information should be given to the public, and proposes arrangements by which that desirable end may be attained. It is our duty to rcciprocrato his courtesy in this matter, and to thank him for keeping us informed of his movements so far, — movements, it is gratifying to say, which indicate the return to a vigorous prosecution of the object originally contemplated, j ACTION TAKEN BE COLONEL WUITMOHE. I The Evening Post is confident of Colonel Whitmore’s success. In its issue of the 31st ult. it says ; Colonel Whitmore is addressing himself 1 to his Herculean task at the Front with characteristic energy. Ho is determined ghat, so far as he is concerned, there shall I bo “ no mistake this time.” Wo learn that the whole system of managing things at the Front has undergone a complete revolution. Drinking among officers and men has been checked to a proper extent, the officers’ quarters have been moved out of the canteen into tents, and the Colonel works in the most indefatigable manner to bring things to assume a military appearance. This is as it should be, and tho public throughout tho Colony will now hope for the best. When Colonel Whit- | more has concentrated all his forces, and duly organised them, it is to be hoped that [such success will attend our arms, and | such a blow' be inflicted on the Hauhaus, that this tedious, predatory, cruel, and expensive warfare may be speedily ended, | . The Wellington Independent is [not, however, eo sanguine. We imiote, from its issue of the 27th | October: — [ Despatches have been received from the Officer Commanding by the Government, which state that he arrived at Patea overland on tho 23rd Oct., with some 400 loyal | natives who are nowin colonial pay. Col. Whitmore estimates that the force under Xitokowaru is probably about SOO strong, while his own force, including Europeans and natives, deducting the garrison at Weravoa, consists of about 600 men. The

enemy is plainly visible from Col. Whitmore’s position, having a dense bush in bis rear, and unless which with will not be very easy effectually to dislodge him. Before the end of Ihe week, however, it is estimated that the European force will bo doubled, and then we may hear ol sums decisive engagement; but after what we have already witnessed at the Front, our hopes in this direction are -the ludepeuueut also ipuotc-s ns follows from a private letter written, from Patea by one of the Wellington Forest Rangers : Amongst all the officers here we have only confidence in one as being fit to command men in the field—viz., Capt. Roberts —and he is, I believe, about leaving us. A great deal lias been said about the inefficiency of the men, but not a word about that of ihe officers. They are as green a 5 the men, every bit, and in many casus more Unfit to command than the men under them are fit to serve. Since poor Captain Buck was killed we have been treated more like dogs than men, and there is no encouragement held out to us to join again. The greater part of the force will not light Under such men and such treatment. The men who did the lighting at the Bird’s Beak got no thanks for it, while those who did nothing got thanked by Col. Uaultain. No one thought of thanking, or even thinking of, poor Jim Walden, who, though wouuded and hardly able to walk, brought home Captain Buck’s sword. Had this action been done by an officer, New Zealand would have never heard the last of it. Such is life, and such are the thanks men get for leaving their homos and friends to fight for such a Government.

The following is published by the Wanganui Chronicle as a summary of what has been clone since Colonel Whitmore took command : On Wednesday, the 21st October, Col. Whitmore, accompanied by Mr Booth, E.M., arrived at Weraroa from Wanganui. Arrangements were at once made to move on the greater portion of the native force to Patea. The Colonel was desirous that the settlers in the Waitotara district should concentrate in case of alarm at N'ukumaru, and fortity themselves in that excellent position. 22nd.—Col. Whitmore marched from Weraroa with 100 natives, leaving Acting Sub.lnspector M‘i)onnell in charge with a force of 35 Armed Constables and 50 friendly natives, with (lie chiefs To Oti Takarangi and Kpih.i to Aokokiri. Tin's force encamped tnat night near the month ot the Waiiolura river, in order to he able next morning to escort a herd of the contractor's cattle to Baton. 23rd.—The force arrived at Patoa about noon, and Col. Whitmore at once with a picket took up his head-qu inters about a mile out of the town of Pat .-a, just beyond the Besident Magistrate's Court house. 2 Ith. —I he whole of the Armed Constabulary, together with Cant. Cipiller’s Company (LSU men in all), were marched out to the silo of the new camp, and a chain ut defensive posts at once commenced. The canteen in town was closed, and orders given to open one in the camp. 25th. —Sunday.—A strong party composed of the mounted part ion of the Armed Constabulary (about twenn) with fortv mo union natives and 150 native- on foot, went out to tiie old redoubt at Kakurainea

to irako a lyconnaissano of Tin.kowaru’a j| position. W hen the lore <iot well in timT of Oioia, about 2,UOQ natives were seen, 1 , anil although ihev were observed to leave ' the position in considerable numbers, they .• did not come into the open, with the cx-1 ■ cepliou oi about sixty men, who came out I; at the place where Broughton's horse was! killed. They were tired upon, but did not return the lire. Alter the friendly na- ' tives had fired a volley of defiance the whole force returned to T’atca. 2Gth.—The whole native force moved up to-day from Patea, and took up a position onthe right Hank of the entrenched lines The line of entrenchment which protects the bank of the river, on the right to a swamp and to the sea coast on the left, is now almost completed. Two Armstrong guns are in position on the left flank. It has been found necessary to discharge the greater portion of the Taranaki and Kelson volunteers, as their term of service has expired, and they are unwilling to reengage. It has likewise been decided by the Colonel to discharge the bulk of the Wellington! Kiflvs (who were in a state of insubordi-| nation) after trying the ringleaders by j court-martial. The p.s. Sturt has taken on to PafeaJ from Wellington 4 cohorn mortars, 700! shells, and other munitions of war. A| mortar on each redoubt, with a few well- j vice. | Col. Whitmore has moved his camp from ! where it formerly was in Patea, to the; outskirts of the town, near to Mr Booth’s : Louse, and is throwing up two redoubts.!