THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, August 26, 1843.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 77, 26 August 1843, Page 306

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, August 26, 1843.

Lei journaux deviennent plus nlcessairc* & meiure que les homntea. lont plus egaux, et 1' individualisme plus a eraindre. Cc serait diminuer leur importance que de entire qu' ili ne semnt qu* a garantir la liberty : its maintiennent la civilisation.

D« TocauiviLLS. Do la Democratic en Amcrique, tome 4, p. 220.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal, and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to securt liberty : they maintain civilization. Dz Tocao«yii.Li. Of Democracy in America, vol. 4, p. 301.

It is with no ordinary degree of satisfaction that we this weak lay before our readers the examination of Joseph Morgan, one of the men employed by Mr. Parkinson on his survey at the "Wairoo previous to the late massacre. The evidence obtained is most important, and is the more valuable from the clear and simple manner in which it was given. The witness was neither flippant nor confused ; and his distinct, unhesitating, and pertinent replies to the various questions put to him during his crossexamination, convinced all who heard him that those replies were prompted by a vivid recollection of the scene he described.

The principal point in this evidence is that which establishes the fact that the first shot was neither accidental nor fired by one of our countrymen. The general impression hitherto on this' subject, and which the evidence previously taken had produced, was that the gun was accidentally discharged by one of our own men in the confusion which arose from their attempt to advance across the canoe at the moment that the party who had previously crossed were in, the act of falling back upon- their supporters. We have carefully examined that evidence, and give a> extract all that it contains in allusion to the subject: — " We accordingly, having obtained the consent Of the natives, laid one of their canoes across the stream,* and were in the act of passing over, when Captain Wakefield (probably observing a movemeat on the part of the armed natives to interrupt Mr. Thompson), sprang up and called out in a loud tone, ' Men, forward ! Englishmen, forward !' Four or five men theu advanced upon the canoe, and at that "moment I heard the discharge of a musket, but from what party I cannot say^and

Jnstan^y a volley was fired "by the natives, which was answered from our. side."-— itf»\ Tuckett. " The -men were passing ovec: the brook by. mean's;of " a canoe as a bridge :, pijtft of them were over and a part in the canoe, when a gun was discharged by, I believe, one of our party, but I believe it to have been by accident. On the discharge of this gun the Maories poured a volley amongst us, which was immediately returned." — Richard Peanter.

" As they [Mr. Howard's men] were crossing the canoe, and whilst some of them were still on this side, a musket went off, I believe accidentally, within three yards of me. The natives immediately fired upon us, I believe to the number of sixty or seventy." — Thomas Hannam.

" Mr. Thompson desired Mr. Howard to bring down the men, which he did, and they alUKftered the canoe with the exception of myself Jftwas just entering the canoe when Mr. Thompson gwe orders to fire. Two or three of the white peop|| being shot and wounded,* there was a general re* treat towards the hill."— Henry Wray.

" There then appeared to be considerable confusion, and the gentlemen endeavoured to cross to our side. Mr. Howard and his party then ran down to the water's edge, and endeavoured to cross over the canoe, meeting the gentlemen half way, when a gun went off in the canoe, I believe accidentally. The Maories immediately fired, and we returned their fire."— JoAn Miller.

" I heard the Maories talking about the warrant for taking Rauparaha and Ranghiaita, and attring that they should not be taken by the white men ; that they did not wish to fight, but were not afraid; they were prepared to fight. I heard a shot fired, but do not know from which side. It was instantaneously followed by a volley from the Maories, and I saw a man named Tyrrell fall." — John Kidson.

" Mr. Thompson ordered the men to goosrer the stream. Part of them were in the act of prising over the canoe when a gun went off. I belief it to have been accidental. The man whose gun went off was close by my side at the time, and some yard* from the stream. Immediately on the gun going off the natives fired a volley amongst us, which we immediately returned." — 6eorg\ Bampton. . \

By the foregoing extracts, our readers will perceive that, among the witnesses themselves, all is uncertainty and conjecture on this very material point. Morgan, x»k the contrary, is quite positive that Tyrrell was killed by the first shot, and he clearly shows that that shot must have been fired by one of the natives. "Tyrrell (he says) was struck in his throat, and fell dead on his back. Had the gun been fired by one of our party, he must have been struck hehind." This witness, so far as we can judge from the evidence in our possession, was the only armed man, with the exception of Tyrrell, who crossed the stream ; they had but just left the canoe, and were within a few yards of the Maori who, there can hardly be a doubt, shot Tyrrell, when the latter was struck, and the volley followed so quickly as to make it doubtful whether the first shot should not be considered as belonging to it. Morgan's comrades, at this moment, must therefore have been either crossing or preparing to cross over the canoe ; so that we may reasonably conclude that the gun being discharged so near to them, whilst their attention was thus engaged, is a sufficient explanation why they should suppose it had been accidentally discharged by one of their own party. The caution given by Captain Wakefield as Morgan and Tyrrell passed him on the canoe, " Keep your eyes on them,' my. men — they have their guns pointed at us," was truly characteristic of the quiet watchfulness of the speaker, and proves how closely he had observed the movements of the natives even amidst the confusion which was occasioned by the meeting of the advancing and retreating parties on the canoe ; it may also serve to j explain why he so suddenly gave the order to advance, as mentioned in Mr. Tuckett's evidence, for it is evident that the natives were bent on mischief, and that the advance of the armed men was necessary to cover the retreat of the magistrates and others who had crossed the stream.

In making the above comments, we confess we are not entirely free from misgiving as to the strict propriety of the proceeding, since we presume that Government, when it shall find itself sufficiently strong to make the laws respected, will cause the matter to be thoroughly investigated before a proper tribunal, where Expediency will not be allowed to usurp the seat of Justice. I£ therefore, we have overstepped the bounds of our duty in our endeavour to set before the public, in its true light, the origin of the fray which has cost this settlement io many valuable lives, our apology must be found

in the conduct of the authorities which- made it necessary for us so ,to do< The fact should never be lost sight of, that our lamented friends were falsely 'calumniated by Mr. M'Donogh, in the teeth of Mr. Tuckett's evidence, and for which inexplicable conduct no explanation has yet been given. It is true that the falsehoods have been since retracted in a letter to Colonel Wakefield ; but, before that letter reaches Europe, every newspaper in Great Britain will have given currency to the foul slander: we shall therefore lose no fitting opjMfftunity for recurring again and again no\e subject so long as a doubt shall exist of oif% countrymen's innocence of the conduct imputed to them.

In another column, our readers will find a letter, under the head " Massacre at the Wairoo," written by " One that escaped." We quite agree with our correspondent in the improbability of 26 out of 49 Englishmen being cowards. We have not the slightest doubt that some who escaped were £ruly brave men, as, in spite of the almost general defection of their comrades, they stuck by their leaders as long as thej^were allowed to use their arms. We also oefreye -that even the " separated " possessed tißtl average amount of courage found amongst

Bntrained men ; but, unfortunately for their reputation, they lacked, on this occasion, that quality of which Courage is bufahe child — Confidence ; or, rather, they KM

Hlore confidence in their heels than in their bayonets. A month's drilling, or even a sprinkling of veterans amongst them, would have had a wonderful effect in keeping titan

■together. A few minutes of determinen' resistance on the first eminence would have

completely altered the aspect of affairs ; for, according to the evidence of the natives at the Wairoo, which was taken on the return of the brig from Wellington, it requiredMl the eloquence of Rauparaha to prevent hiV followers, after the first volley, from doing the very thing which, being done by our own party, entailed such disastrous consequences. With regard to those who were neither armed nor acting as leaders, none but fools would blame them for getting out of the way as quickly as possible. Wej think our correspondent must be mistaken when he says that Captain Wakefield had 20 or 25 people about him at the time of his surrender. We have somehow imbibed the notion that he was not the sort of man to surrender his party into the hands of a band of infuriated savages, whilst he could show a front of 15 or 20 bayonets and was 111 the possession of a commanding position. No : it was the last resource of a brave man deserted by his followers in the moment of danger. '

There is reason to believe that Major Campbell, who held an official situation at the Honduras, has been appointed Governor of New Zealand ; as letters have been received by the Mary which state that the appointment was gazetted, and that a vessel had been despatched to the Honduras, to bring him hither.

On Sunday last, a woman named Thompson, the wife of a man in the, employ of Captain Thorns, was drowned in the Motuaka. The deceased was crossing the river with her husband, having hold of his arm. While in the stream, with the water about knee-deep, she fainted and fell down. The husband, in his endeavour to save her, lost a child which he carried at the time. His attention was then divided ; and although he succeeded in recovering the child, the mother was drowned. An inquest has been held, at which the jury returned a verdict of " accidental death."