LATEST FROM THE FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 272, 15 November 1881, Page 2

LATEST FROM THE FRONT

(From our Special Correspondents.) EAnoTtr, Monday, 1-55 p.m. To-day the beginning of the end com nienced by tbs march of the Wellington contingent to Opunafee at feicrht o'clock, whert» they erobarte on Tuesday morning on the Hinemoa for their several homes. The service ot the Volunteers has been, as stated by the Native Minister, a bloodless one, and yet shots have been fired and blood has been spilt in the short period of service. Revolvers are ticklish weapacs to handle, and too much care cannot be taken, as I know by experience, in handling them. Three accidental discbarges have occurred and in one ca9e that of A. l)ixon of the Wellington Navalyj resulting in the bullet lodging in the leg of the owner. To thia case the Volunteer bad been relieved from guard .when all weapons are unloaded, and he thought alt the chambers were, but unfortunately one of them was overlooked, the result being a wound incapacitating for a titr.e one of the best shots of Wellington. I visited Rahotu on Saturday and found the Wellington Navals in splendid condition. On the night before they had enlivened the pest by a theatrical performance which passed off most successfully. Captain Ruck commanding the camp stated that he had never been with such a well conducted body of men in camp. On Saturday 26 Maoris were arrested making a total of 60 up to date. To-day the Waikatos and Taranaki 3 will be identified and pat under control. Hone Pihama, Mete Kingi, and (Juki of Rangitikei, entered Parihaka to persuade their people to leave, at the request, it, is uuderstood, of Mrßryce who sent for them to give the natives an opportunity to avoid arrest. They were in thepihfor Borne boura and addressed the natives, but little result is expected. I learn from a native source that some say they will go provided drsy3 are found them. The European woman to whom I referred returned to New Plymouth with the Taranaki Rifles. Messrs Butler and Messenger went to the whare on Saturday and asktd if she wonld go. As usual in matrimonial squabbles there were plenty of tear?, but the husband told her to put on her boot 3 and ba off, so she left under the charge of the Taranaki Rifles. The Taranaki Cavalry arrived from New Plymouth yesterday. Sunday was quiet in camp, church parades being the order of the day and in Captain Hammersiey'a battalion they marched to the ground headed by the band of the Wellington Guards where servica was read by the Adjutant Lieut. Durham. Many strangers visited the camp and it was strange to see men walking around unarmed opponents with revolvers sticking in their belts while numbers of ladies were walking or sittiog about the pah. Of those taken yesterday the most noted are Tiuui and Harohenua, Titoko Waru's great fishtmg chief. The natives still bold to Te Whiti and Eay they will follow his teachings. They expect him to release himself ia some miraculous manner and say they will await bia return. Mr Bryce will liave a word to Bay in this mater. The Wellington City Rifles fired a friendly match against the Wairarapa Rifles on Saturday, winning by 41 points. ID is probable that the Nelson and Canterbury Volunteers will leave on Friday next. There is no sickness of any consequence in camp. A report baa appeared that Te Wbiti was ill used in Pungarehu in the matter of food, but on excellent authority I can state that it is untrue anl that he was visiti d daily by an interpreter who attended to all his wants. A stockade h beirg erected for the A.C's to accommodate 400 men, commanding l J arihaka. The telegraph operators of the Wellington Tcrpedo Corps deserve great praise for expediting private and press telegrams. Poxgarehu, Monday, 345 p.m. A crowd of prisoners were tak?n this morning, the pereuas cms of Mete Kingi to the Wangannis to return with him being of

no avail. The V^ocbtabuiary arc cow pulling down s large number of whares, which is heavy woik. The Maoris tcke not the slightest, noti-e. Tbe Thames Scottish and N.'ivais anl H--iur«ki Krginecrs a r e ordered to inarch i.o incinnv tiiyri.hi'p h> n;- wards | Tuesday, 10-18 a.m. i i iie Constabulary are ninkiiijr i'.uihor ' arrests, and ji largo party avo con?inicti"g .1 redoubt, i'wtnvy Jarg»; whores wore destroyed yesterday, the heaps of timber preseniiug a ai'ost dismal appearance. Tuesday 10 a.m. Mr Brycc was active yesterday, and besides the. 49 Wangaimi native* avvested, Sve of t lie sixty -two T veponed yesterday were j sent to the guard room, the remainder being ordered into I'arilmka. Thsy went there, i)Ut those who bad been removed from the fences returned to their post. TI'«JV soein i like pcop'e under a spell slid they constantly' repeat Te WbiVi's la-t word:- to them " to be . Steadfast." Yesterday as each man was picked out bo uttered tbe same refrain. The power Te Whili lias over tliu native mind is most extraordinary ; even Hone Piliania is nerv.- us, and although most destroys fov bis j people to return to their nonies, he half fears that he is bewitched. Certainly Mr lkyce has tried every m jms to induce the fanatics to disperse. Meti Jvingi, Hone Pihama, and Utiki are influential chiefs, but their words were completely thrown away. The reply was simply this. "We have only" one master n,ud we will Obey him." The Native Minister intended to get the women to join the prisoners and he would then send all away together, but it is simply impossible to treat with these people. la the afternoon yesterday the wharea of the Waflganui naiives *ere palled down by the A.C.'s and fourteen liucg a n d fifteen cooking hnta wsro destroytd. When sooia sixty of the A.'C 's get into a bapa something i^ boiiLd to go. It 13 t&id that before the arrests last year there were '230 new double barrelled euus is possession of the Maoris, few, if any, of which hava been collected. Moreover io 1579 I saw numerous Maoris in tJawera with nsw revolrets oi ihe Guv^rLinieDt pattern, end none of these have beeu collected. Kerehama was one of those taken yesierday. lie has b;-en in charge of the Native guard on the fences sioce the. first fencers were arrested. He Eitethpted a sp?ech but was cftt short by Mr Bryce's order. By das'.roying the settlement the people rnunt disperse, but there aye larga crops in the cullivalions which must bs locked aftsr and eoms J arrangement mu?t be made for some of the j pfople to reuiaia and attend to them ' Kereepa, ,the v^ell *:no?/h man from W&itotara left Furihaka yesterday. Ii would be i well if be was as secure a3 seme of the better m?n. Although their ranks are being thinned daily, inside the settlement a'l is q )iet notwithstanding that it must have been aajlin» to them to sco tb&ir housss being destroyed. Whilst thanking Mr Bryee for his courtesy,, t. am at a loss to understand why Special cdrrospoadenta are so unnecessarily kept in the back ground. Whilst tbe Shares were being pulled down sentries were placed on a bridge scm? hundred yards from tha scene of action to stop everybody. I sent my card to the officer in charge, but the answer was that he must obey ordets. 1 cannot suppose Mr Bryce would muddle in such petty details, and therefore some one else is to blame. In time I shall probably ba able to throw a little light upon the whole management. The Welington men arrived at Opunake at 2-45 pm. yesterday, and embarked at daylight. They will arrive about 8 o'clock to-cight in Wellington, and the Hinemca wilt then go for the Thames contingent, which marched at 8 this morning. The behavior of all the Volunteers has been excellent, and their services will dprsbtless be properly apureciated by their iellow colonists. The Nelson, Canterbury, and Marlborougb corps leave on Thursday. The stockade at Parihtika is being rapidly pushed on. It would le well to leave the Armstrong gun here acd give the Nelson Battery another. 11.55 a m. Porty-aaver: women of the Wanpanui tribe rave been selected and sent to the whares with tha prisoners. All the women were brought, out cf tbe pah a- d identified. There wore 6SO women, and 275 children o£ all ages nn.ier ihirteeu. Utiki advised them all to go home.

[Press Association Speciil Correspondent.] Pungauehc, Tuesday 2.25 p;m. This morning a company Of Armed Constabulary were march* d into Parih.ka and all the Maori women with the children were to assemble on a slope in front of the cemetery. The total of those who assembled was over 800. Search was then mndo for those beloDgiog to Wanganui, and 47 women und children were arrested and placed in a wharo near where the men are confined. The others were allowed to return to the pah. Mr Booth and Captain Messenger were present to identify the women.