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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 650, 25 January 1869, Page 3

The Ngatapa. Victory.—Tho Wanganui Chronicle of the 11-th inst. says :—Col. Whitmore has achieved a decided victory on the Last Coast. We have great pleasure in saying so, and in referring to the particulars in another column ; all the more, indeed, that hitherto our references to this gallant, oirker have frequently been the reverse of complimentary. That the natives have ably seconded his efforts, and in fact done the greater part of tho work, is quite true, yet the public will not be disposed to look narrowly into & victory, which, so far as we can judge at present seems as if it were to get us conclusive riddance of a horde of murderers. Col. Whitmore deserves great praise; there is nothing succeeds like success, and he has been successful under considable difficulties. He has the pleasure too of enjoying his hobby. He is still "in full pursuit.' The record of Thursday last, the day on which Ngatapa was taken,, shows not merely "something achieved, something done," but over and above something enjoyed in the shape of "full pursuit" of those of the enemy who had escaped.

Adventures or South Sea Whaling.— The Chilean whaling barque Coneopcion, Captain Bichard Grould, when oft 1 Chatham Islands, fell in with a school of large sperm whales. Three boats were immediately lowered in pursuit, that of the third mate (Pedro Eobles, Chilean) being the the first to strike a large sperm whale, which was no sooner done than the whale turned upon the boat, and taking it in its mouth, crushed it to pieces, killing one man, a native of Talcahuano, and breaking the leg of another. The boat commanded by the second mate then fastened on the same whale, but on his turning upon the boat ihe men jumped overboard and saved themselves, as a few seconds afterwards the boat was crushed to picees by his pondrous jaws. The fourth then came up in his boat and harpooned, but with exactly the same result as the preceding boats. The captain sent the first mate to pick up the boat's crews, and, this having been effcted, that officer was anxious to try his luck on the cause of so much mischief, but he was disuaded from carrying out his desires by the crew, who justly feared the consequences of so rash an attempt, there being at tho time twenty-four men in the boat. The boat with the crews reached the vessel at 9 p.m. She was kept in the whaling ground all night and on the following morning the whale was made out, still having the lines attached. The captain then had his boat lowered and proceeded in tho direction of the whale, who no sooner descried his pursuers than he turned and made for the boat with open jaws, and apparently resolved to make short work of his enemies, as on the pre-cedii-g day. The captain, however, skilfully fired a bomb-lance down his throat, and by a dexterous manoeuvre avoided his attack and before the whale had time to turn again fired a second bomb-lancc, which, entered at the back of his fin, effectually placing him Ivors de combat. It was anticipated from the siza of the whale that 850 barrels sperm would have been got, but only the half was obtained. All the lines were recovered, and from the pieces of boats floating up another boat was made. The difficulty experienced in getting the whale was a serious delay, as otherwise several of the sohool would hare been caught.