TARANAKI.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 13, 13 June 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

TARANAKI.

(From the Daily Times Correspondent.) Taranaki, May 24th, 1863. Another Queen's Birthday, the fourth since the commencement of hostilities, and yet no signs or hope of our troubles ending; but still judging from the way affairs are conducted both in town and in the fort, it appears that at least we are really going to do something. The men in redoubts are denuding the country in their immediate neighborhood of timber and fern, so as to have a clear space for action. The General appears to have adopted a system diametrically opposite to that of his predecessors, patrolling and ambuscades forming the order of the day, and officers are now praised for those bold actions for which they were for* merly blamed. The steamer with the English mail called in for despatches, so that his Excellence might send the latest news to the savans of Downingstreet. Sunday, May 27. The Eclipse landed from Auckland two Armstrong guns and 17 men of the Royal Artillery with a quantity of stores. Mr. Rogan, Native Officer, was a passenger by her. After placing before the Government his report on the state of Waikato, he again sailed for Auckland in the cutter This*ie. From what can be gathered it appears that the minds of the natives are not on war. Whether this fe« ling will break forth or die away, it is impossible to say. To all who understand the impulsive character which marks every action of the Maori, the sight around speaks of a general war. The yielding up of the Waitara, without there are stronger reasons than have yet been shown for so doing, may for a time ward "off the blow, but in the end it will be found to have caused the unfortunate natives to rush towards their own destruction with greater audacity. They will doubtless consider that the Government have acted under a knowledge of their present weakness.

At one time the Maories were most anxious to become possessed of horses and cattle, and fabulous prices were given to the white man for very inferior animals. This desire passed away, and a furore arose for building mills and houses, which may now be seen in every district falling Into ruin, rnd clearly for the want of repair, whilst all their ideas are centered at the present time on war. Let us hope for the future that if good can be effected by diplomacy, that it may be carried out in a bold and honorable manner, and that the underhand dealings which have done so much in creating dissatisfaction in the native nice,may at once and for ever be given up. That the yielding up of the Waitara has not satisfied our southern enemies, is simply proved b\ the fact that they have again commenced hostilities by firing on one of the transport corps, who was in search of his bullocks,severely wounding him.

The Eclipse, from Tatnraimaka, was steaming down the coast, when, seeing some Maories who were amusing themselves making insuring movements to her Majesty's ships, a few 100 pound she lls were thrown, and it is believed with good effect—a great chief having been reported killed. Shells were also thrown into the bushes. The banks of the Katikaia stream, which in parts are both precipitous and broken, are protected by a series of rifle-pits; and the Maories are constructing more at the back of the Tataraimaka Block ; and they approach so near the redoubt, that it is n® uncommon occurrence to hear the whizzing of bullets over the camp. The present rapid movements in all probability are made with the intention of at once punishing the Southern natives for th« ir dastardly conduct. Although good news as to the faithfulness of the Waikatos has been received, still if the rebels now in arms are suffered much longer to heap insult on Her Majesty's flag, many of the wild and reckless will flock to the south. One decisive movement may check this, and cause again peace once more to shower her blessings over ns; on the contrary, a failure will induce "Williaip King to join the Southerns, and the war may be lengthened for years.

Wanganui.—The following extract from a private letter from Wanganui has been handed to us for publication:—" I fully agree with you as to the general worthlessness of Native reports; bat owing to the fact that Natives brought in a correct account of the murders within two days of their occurrence, I thought there might have been some truth in the last killed at Tataraimaka, but now we don't know. A letter from the Taranaki Natives to that effect came to Putiki on Sunday, and Hori Kingi immediately handed it to White's R. N. M. One of them is Arepata, ayoung chief, Kaiwahi, and the other a native of Waitotara. Whether killed in a skirmish or not I don't know, for there are so many versions given by the Natives. If the above is true, and I do not think any doubt can be attached to the authenticity of the letter, how will the outsettiers at Kaiwahi stand ? The rulirg passion amongst the natives is war, and the young bloods of the Maori nobility are just as likely to take payment after their own fashion by mur-

dering a settler or two here here. Id the last war at Taranaki, we in W'anganui fed and clothed the Ngatiruanuis, and I suppose it will be so again. lam within the mark when I state that one thousand Natives have gone up to Taranaki from the Wanganui River—a few from every pah up to Taupo. The Natives are very excited, and you can't say what the next day may bring forth. —D. Telegraph. Nelson. —The Nelson Colonist of May 22nd says :—" For some days past a number of Maories, strangers to this Province, and believed to come principally from the neighbourhood of Picton, have been living in Nelson. During the past eight days these Maories have been endeavoring to buy saltpetre from the storekeepers, and it is stated that an old soldier, who has been living with the Maories, has been employed to make similar purchases. They have also been purchasing marbles at various stores; and apparently to show the innocency of the purpose, one or two Maories, bearded men, have been playing marbles with Nelson boys— a thing, we believe, quite new in the games of Nelson youth. When it is remembered that saltpetre is the principal ingredient in gunpowder, and that the smooth stone marbles are as deadly as bullets and much cheaper, it will be scarcely necessary to warn storekeepers against selling any of those articles to the natives. There is a prohibition in the Arms Act which renders the sale of saltpetre to natives i legal. Some people, we are told, imagine that a marble would be useless as a bullet, but almost any one could see thut this is an error. A ca c e occurred in Scotland about a couple of years ago, where either a soldier or volunteer in Dundee, while firing his rifle witli blank cartridge on some practising occasion, in one shot put a parched pea into his piece. The diminutive missile hit a boy some forty yards distance, by which the skull was fractured and the boy died from the wound. If a parched pea is effective at adi>tance of forty yards, a smooth marble will undoubtedly be good at 200 or 300 yards."