New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, May 19, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 188, 19 May 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, May 19, 1847.

The intelligence received from Wanganui and Manawatu is of a very serious and afflicting nature, At Wanganui the natives are in open rebellion against the authority of the Government. A large body of them, whose number is variously stated, but who are believed by those competent to form an opinion, to be near four hundred strong, are assembled before the stockade at Wanganui under Ngapara and Maketu, and Mamoku had either joined them, or was daily expected among them. They were killing the cattle belonging to the settlers ; about twelve or fourteen belonging to Messrs. Nixon, Bell, and M'Gregor, have been destroyed, the rest they have taken possession of and driven farther up the banks of the river. Mr. M'Gregor's house, barn, and crops have also been' destroyed by them. The taua are posted above the stockade, and cut off all communication from the interior. On Monday, the 10th inst., Mr. garrison's house, which was strongly built of clay, was destroyed by order of Capt. Laye, the officer in command, to prevent its affording shelter to the Maories, who had just completed a road to it, and on the following day a soldier of the 58th regiment, who had imprudently ventured thither in the morning, was surprized by a party of Maories, and barbarously murdered. He twice tried to discharge his gun at them, but,, it hung fire, when they overtook him, and tomahawked him. His body was recovered, and buried on Friday : the cheeks and eyes of their unfortunate victim were found to have been cut out By knives, it is supposed for the purpose of gratifying tHeif revenge. They come down in large* ujxifeers daily Jfcwards jthe stockade, firinW' a tfiewßauskets after the Maori fashion^s»s<taunting the troops. ~Qn Wednesday?**' p*&y of them having ventur-**

'Ed within range, they commenced a wardance, and used the native methods of defiance, when Lieut. Holmes, who is in comjn%nd of the gun-boat, opened a fire on fiiem, which quickly dispersed them ; about an hour afterwards they re- assembled on the same spot, and fired a volley of musketry, when Lieut. Holmes fired again upon them, and it is Believed with good effect, as they were seen carrying away two of their number. A twelve-pounder from the stockade was also discharged them. The Maories have also been busily engaged in cutting a road along the bank of the river, about twelve feet wide, to enable them to conduct their operations with greater facility ; it is reported they intend to blockade the Stockade, to try and starve the trbops out ; it is also thought that they will endeavour to establish a position at the heads of the river, with the view of intercepting any supplies, and of attacking any vessel entering the river. The settlement is entirely broken up, the outsettlers and those residing in the country have been obliged to abandon their property, and seek refuge in the town, where they remain for the present under the protection of the guns of the Stockade, keeping guard every night to prevent any surprise or night attack by the Maories. The Scotia, which left Wanganui on Saturday, having been detained some days at the mouth of the river by contrary weather, arrived on Monday, having on board twentyeight passengers, mostly women and children ; and it is hoped that the remainder will be able to follow them shortly. The Maories who are the authors of this disturbance, which appears to have been quite unexpected, are actuated by a desire of obtaining rerenge or utu for the men who were executed for the murder of Mr. Gilfillan's family. It is impossible at present to say how far this disturbance may extend, or what ma}' be the result, but the consequences have already proved most disastrous to the settlers there who were just beginning to recover from the effect of their former depression and were exerting themselves with renewed industry. At Manawatu the settlers by great prudence and good management contrived to escape with their wives and children in the Ann and Sarah, which had been despatched by the Local Authorities to their assistance. Ever since the robbery of Brown's station by Rangihaeata the maories have been apprehensive that an attempt would be made by the Government to punish that outrage, and lately their apprehension and suspicions J have greatly increased, so that it was no j easy matter to elude their vigilance. On the night of the settlers' departure several of their houses were burnt down by the maories ; Capt. Robinson, Dr. Best, and one or two other settlers, had remained for the purpose of saving their cattle which they were collecting together, and hoped with the assistance of friendly natives to succeed in driving them to a place of safety. But the settlement is broken up, and with the above exception the property cf the settlers has been left to the mercy of the rebels. Both these outbreaks are believed to have occurred independently of each other. We have endeavoured to explain the origin of the disturbance at Wanganui ,• that at Manawatu may be ascribed to Rangihaeata's restless spirit and desire of mischief. But if these disturbances are to be regarded merely as coincident in their occurrence, and not as connected in their immediate origin, there is little doubt that these natives will act in concert and on a mutual understandiug. Ngarapa, Maketu, and Mamoku, were the principal actors with Rangihaeata in last year's rebellion, they have chosen the same period of the year, when from the wet unfavourable weather the movements of the troops are attended with the greatest difficulty* to commence the present disturbances. The whole of the past summer Rangihaeata and his followers are .said^to have been industriously employed in collecting provisions and in preparing for the winter campaign. It is plain therefore that they would have invented some other pretext if this had 'not' occurred. The lenity shown towards them has been entirely unavailing,

and any half measures against them will be productive of no permanent result. There can be no safety for the settlers as long as Rangihaeata is at large, and no success can be considered complete which does not end in His death or capture, and that of the chiefs who are engaged in this movement.