THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, August 1, 1846.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 230, 1 August 1846, Page 86

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, August 1, 1846.

Journals become more necessary at men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty : they maintain civilization. DE TocaUBVILLK. Of Democracy in America, vol. iv., p. 200.

It seems as if the repulses of the troops in the north last year are to be repeated in the Straits, with the aggravation of the war being even more of a guerilla nature at Wellington than at the Bay of Islands. Not an instance of any success on the part of the troops has yet occurred in the Hutt ; while in the last skirmish, the only one it is true which could at all bear the name of an engagement, their retreat seems to have been almost precipitate. Our readers will remember that soon after the murder of the Gillespies, and the attack on the camp at Boulcott's, the magistrates, altogether dissatisfied with the merely defensive line taken by the commander of the troops, addressed him, urging him to commence operations against the rebel natives, " by investing their pa, and confining the operations of his force to the neighbourhood of Porirua," and declaring their conviction " that the militia, the volunteer corps, and friendly natives, would cheerfully aid in the accomplishment of that plan," and protect the town as well. Major Richmond, immediately on being informed of this letter and with Major Last's reply, took upon himself to lecture the bench for having written " without in the first instance laying their view before the ofßeer to whom his Excellency has been pleased to delegate the functions of Government within the district, and without having obtained his sanction and approval to a step of such obvious importance." In the meanwhile the troops remained inactive, or playing at firing a shot or two across the bow of a canoe off Porirua. Not many days after this correspondence had closed, another settler was tomahawked, in open day, at the Hutt : and on the 16th June the fight took place which we published on the 11th instant. About 40 soldiers, with a party of militia and natives thrown out as an advanced guard, were marched to a place called Taita, and at a distance of two miles from the camp came to a clearing, where a party of the rebels were in ambush. The militia were allowed to pass the ambuscade, and it was only discovered by a friendly native when the troops were within fifteen yards of them. On their discovery, the rebels poured a volley into the detachment, and wounded three men : when the bugle was sounded for retreat, which manoeuvre seems to have been so quickly executed, that the account admits that " Lieutenant Herbert (58th), a volunteer, who was severely wounded, was left behind in the smoke by the military, and was compelled, wounded as he was, to take

refuge in a tree." We learn nothing of any havoc done among the natives by the troops : but, upon hearing the firing, Ensign White turned out with 12 militiamen, and advanced steadily in skirmishing order under cover of the trees, keeping up a warm fire on a party of the enemy, until shouts on his right made him apprehensive of being outflanked, and he ordered a partial retreat ; but, on the enemy again advancing, he ordered his men forward again to check them, till night coming on he was obliged to return to the stockade. None of the militia were injured; but on Epuni's natives scouring the bush near the scene of conflict between the militia and the enemy, several blankets alongside pools of blood, and abandoned arms, gave proof of the former's success.

In this skirmish the conduct of the troops and the militia is strangely contrasted. 40 soldiers retreated hastily before the enemy, while 12 militiamen kept their ground and prevented his advance. We have taken the trouble to extract again what must be familiar to our readers, to show the wisdom of the suggestions made by the magistrates, and afterwards adopted partially, as we find, by Captain Grey when he increased the force at Porirua. If the soldiers would commence the offensive where the art of war in which they are trained can be legitimately employed, we are sure the defence of Wellington might be entrusted with perfect confidence to the militia and friendly natives. The latter, in particular, are anxious, we believe, to engage the enemy ; but they will not of course go alone, nor be thrown much forward if they can rely on no firmer support than they received on the 16th of June ; but their aid in defensive operations may be considered certain.

The fact is, that all experience of the war in New Zealand has shown that the troops, heavily laden and accustomed to combined movements, are not capable of engaging in the bush, where each man has to rely so much on his individual judgment in the skirmish : they lose their presence of mind — which indeed is a quality they are not usually called upon to exercise in their drills — and notwithstanding all the intrepidity characteristic of them, become apprehensive of a danger unseen. An instance of this we have heard in the last fight, or soon after it, where a soldier was discovered loading and firing as fast as he could across the Hutt, though not an enemy's finger was to be seen. Let the troops be sent to invest the pas in the more practicable district of Porirua, and thus compel the enemy to abandon the Hutt in order to defend their hovels : and we are sure that whatever bush warfare (it will be little enough then) will go on at the Hutt may be safely left to the militia and E Puni. i

We again hear a report that it has been decided to send soldiers here. It must be obvious to every one, tbat in this settlement there are no obstacles to the working of English troops on their own system. The country is open, and the roads wide and decently in Tepair : while the town could be held with a very small force, from whichever of the only two points it could be attacked. We do trust the report is true: for with these murders and unsuccessful skirmishes going on at Wellington, it is impossible not to look with anxiety on the altogether unprotected state of this place. We do not say it is at all probable any attack would be made here ; but if it were, it would be most fatal indeed.