AUCKLAND.

North Otago Times, Volume I, Issue 12, 12 May 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND.

From the correspondent's letter to the Advertiser, we clip the following- interesting items : — • Auckland, April 14th, 1804. Tangata'vare Iwitai, the supposed murderer of Drooingould, has been leprieved, and his sentence commuted to penal senitude tor life. The j\iw Zeahinder is coming out strong for peace, while the Southern Cro.is advocates it only on a solid foundation. The rebels at Vow era (four miles from Maungatautari) say they will give their arms up if the Governor came to them ; although the Governor did not know this, he started for the Front. The Colonial War Minister has al^o gone up. In replying to a letter asking for pence, the Geneial said they must ghe up their aims, and dismantle their fortifications. The answer to the General's demand is not publicly known here : they seem to mistiust us yet, and appear to be prepaiing for the woiat. The rebels appear to be " hard-up" for food at Whareturere. Wm Thompson was absent when Naj lor visited the pahs to try and make peace. Thompson seems inclined to come to terms himself, but is ovei ruled by the other natives. Some of the natives would surrender, but they dread the idea of being made prisoners of war aftex wards. Being made prisoneis of war in Maori idiom, they, I believe, consider it tantamount to being degraded as a slave, and hence the difficulty in the way of their surrendering. Friday, April loth, 186-1. We have news this morning from- the Front of the surrender, on the General's terms, of 17 natives, among whom ure some chiefs. As the Governor and the War Minister are now at the Front, perhaps all the remnant of the Waikato rebels may be iucliiicd to submit to the proposed terms ; if they do, the war must be prolonged,

whilst the Ngatiinaniopotos. the East Coast natives, and the Taranaki natives have yet to he conquered, and compelled to surrender. ,,.,-, *• There oppears to he a probability ot many more of the Waikatos surrenderinsr. Saturday, April 16th. At To Awamutu, some of the wounded natives arc dying, although our medical officers attend to them as well as thenown men, and some of our soldiers are told off to wait and nuiso them in the hospital, Wit they prefer their own method of poultioino; to ours. The Governor and War Minister were expected at Pukerimu on the 13th inft.j the General will return to town with His Excellency. The campaign appears to he over here for the present, as the troops are preparing to go into winter quarters. Ruarangi, and the Bay of Islands murderer, aie to be executed next Monday. Monday, Apiil 18. The peace farce is all over, it's now only a dream of the past, the natives have outwitted us again, and it is nonsense to say they have not plenty of powder and provisions, they are only short of lead, but powder will fire iron, or stones, so they are not short of missilles. Peace was only a 4iam from the commencement, all that have come over to us were chiefly only a portion of W. Naylor's tribe that deserted from him, that he was now anxious to reclaim, in which he has succeeded ; but, however, they only brought over a few useless old flintlocks, as a matter of form, and instead of the surrender of 200 warriors as we expected, we have only got their useless appendages in the shape" of 29 men, 59 women, and children, some half-castes among the latter, together with some dogs, pups, plus, a tui, and a tame hawk, as well as a lot of Maori camp paraphernnlia ; the rebel policy appears to be to get rid of noncomhatants &c..in order to carry on the war against us with more energy. It is rumored they have deserted the Porawa Pa, and gone to Lake Taupo. An expedition has been sent forward to reconnoitre ; and His Excellency returned to town last Saturday, the General and his staff coming in yesterday (Sunday < 17.) The news from Tanranga ot overwhelming numbers of natives being there and building a second pa in the face of oiyr camp, is said to have changed the General's intention of going to Taranaki, and the 43rd and 6Nth Regiments are now on the way doAvn from the Front t:> proceed at once to Taurnnga. It is said that the remnant of the " braves" of the Orakau pah, are now building another pah at Tauranga, and urging in that district to attack our Forces there at once ! News have arrived of the rebel pah at Porewa being evacuated, and Colonel Waddy has destroyed their fortifications there/which consisted of two pahs ; a few rebel natives were only seen driving cattle over the ranges. It is said that the natives of Tauyo m the Lake Districts have all broken out into open rebellion, so that instead of peace, the war is only going to commence. Thompson will not surrender after all. As Ruatangi, and the other murderer were executed this morning, we may expect a row at Kaipnra, as some native chiefs threaten to have utu for the life of Ruarangi. Wednesday, April 20th. . The whole of the natives of the Thames district, who have been fighting against us, have srrrendered their arms, consisting of 8G guns, 5 spears, 3 tomahawks, 13 car-touche-boxes, and' 125 rounds of ammunition. The 70th Regiment are going to Taranaki, and a detachment of artillery. It is now said this order is countermanded for the pi esent. The local papers here appear to be yet in the daik as regards the General':movements. However, it is quite certain that the General and his staff are going or board to-day at 2 o'clock for Tauranga ; and a detachment from Atahuahu, the 4 3k1 and 68th, are under orders to proceec to Tauranga, and they are now on theii march down fiom the Front.