MINING.—OUR PRESENT SITUATION.

Kumara Times, Issue 3134, 19 November 1886, Page 3

MINING.—OUR PRESENT SITUATION.

[to the editor.]

For the past f«w weeks we have been able to keep the channel sufficiently clear to enable our merchantmen to gain the open sea ; but the enemy has strongly reinforced himself, and has successfully and impregnably blocked our ports. Again and again our small crafts salied forth to the attack, but although they fought with undaunted bravery, pouring in shot and shell in rapid succession, all proved to be of no a/ail. 1 may here also mention that the enemy displayed a craftiness we did not give him credit for. In order to entrap us, he struck his colours, pretending to be disabled, and when we ran out, thinking victory ours, he ran up his colours and gave os pepper. Our forces have steadily grown weaker; but, nothing daunted, we sallied forth to the attack again yesterday morning, and were repulsed with heavy losses, and we are now so hemmed in that (considering our lack of ammunition) I am afraid our case is a hopeless one ; and, to make matters worse, our com-mander-in-Chief is actually (we learn to our dismay) going to serve out ammunition to an ally of the opposing power, the insufficiency of which (namely ammunition) we have felt all along. Our sworn ally the Home Rule has also turned against us. If she, although sworn to assist us, had remained neutral, we would not be so badly off, but she has not only turned against us with her own men, but has reinforced her already powerful army, •which is anything but maintaining the balance of power. If the tunnel through which our ammunition has to be conveyed was sufficiently large to admit of quicker dispatch, by permitting larger loads to pass through, we could defy their com-mander-in-chief and all; but since we find ourselves in the present awkward predicament, it will perhaps be better for us to try and make terms with the enemy, for if we don't do something of the kind at once, we will be starved out, and be compelled to accept any conditions he may choose to dictate.

Sluicer Larrikins, November 18, 1886.