TARANKI.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 82, 18 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

TARANKI.

The Taranaki Herald of the !BtK^ •July, gives" the following summary of ?the/week ? !pne'wsj: ; — £f •"£? The news of the week has not been of sufficient importance to make it necessary to detail it day by day ; we have, therefore discontinued our journal for the pr|sertt^but|sh'all ,;b|gin it again whenever things ''get a little more stirring. The- Mataitawa r natives are said to be very busy putting in their crops. A .s«iall party Jof i them ;WaS> met by some Bell Block settlers near Te Puke. t They, .were armed, but did not attack our people, who rode up and spoke to them. They, said they did not wish to shoot Unarmed settlers, but should kill only soldiers or "wild pakehas "(' gorillas ') they could catch.

While upon, this subject we may state : that the" 'breech-loading carbines we spoke of so approvingly last week have been taken from our busrangers to be sent up to Auckland, thereby reducing the efficiency of the latter by about one-half. If these arms are to be given ;to men who will use them more effectively, well and good ; but we think' that those who have cheerfully undertaken a dangerous duty deserve at least thus much at the hands of the colony- — that, they should beappropriately armed, and not sent through the supplejack with long clumsy slow-load ing guns only suitable to an. open country, or for firing at a target.

We are happy to state that the duties of the Militia and Volunteers in town have been made much lighter this week; by order of the Colonel commanding,;' though with the constant scouring of the country that is kept up, the town is really much safer than it has ever been before. ]t is only another instance of the care and consideration with which the civilian- forces are treated by our present commanders — General Cameron. and Colpnel Warre. Dr Mackinnon, a7fch Regiment, lias been appointed Special Sanitary Officer in this Province. The appointment is a very judicious one, and we feel sur« that the inhabitants of this town will afford him every assistance iv the performance of his important duties, which we are certain he will execute with aueye only to the public good.

We are authorised to state that the issue of the debentures and the interest o» the 1)0,000 will begin sometime Dext