THE HOSPITAL.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 19, 21 December 1863, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL.

Dr. James Murra}', Hesident Surgeon, has kindly forwarded to us for publication the following returns of in-door patients'under treatment at the Provincial Hospital, Invercargill. during the month of November, 18G3. Out-door patients are not included : —

AUCKLAND. f (FROM OUE OWX CORRESPONDENT.) 10th December, 1863. The events of the past month have been, certainly, more than usually full of interest. For .the first lime in the history of Maori wars, the native force has stood out to fight in a manner, in some degree,- resembling that of European soldiers, and has thus given ftiir" General and our forces an opportunity of inflicting n. blow upon their pride, which may prove salutary,- -as tending to put an early e^iti to the present war. It now appears that we were wrong in our idea that Mere Mere ' was the point "to -'which" t.Ko -natives lookedas to Iheir stronghold to be -at all risks. It nnpenrs that they only relied upon it to enable f hen to delay ourndvnnee for a certain length ot time, fo that the thing to be naturally looked for. was exßft.lv that which happened— whenever it came to fighting or flying they refused to fight, and preferred flying. At Rangiriri, on the contrary, where no one. looked, for a. stand to be made, they stood fiercely, and were evidently under the imnvession that the ramparts of . Rangiriri were impregnable when nroporly defended. The loss which we sustained is sufficient evidence that they were not so much mistaken as they might appear to have been. The. works afc Rangirirj.were very strong indeed:. , It mnv not be uninteresting to give the impressions which the sight of the position, now thnt it is in our' hands, is calculated to produce. The first impression, as seen especially from the viyer, is that of its being a place of biit little strength, and as absolutely nothing when compared with Mere Mere, which has a very imposing appearance, and is, . X think, even deceptive in its appearance of imt>regnability. Tliis impression, which is essentially a false one, is at once removed on a nenrer examination. The great strength of the position consists in tho admirable skill with which native military engineers have adapted themselves to our scientific military defences. Nothing has been forgotten, nothing neglected, nothing misplaced in the fortifications, which are therefore immensely strong; just as the earth-works of Se.bnstopnl wore able to defy our cannon tor an nnhrnrrl of time. Kangariri may really be compared to Gibraltar without its rock. It's position is in very many'resppcts very like that of the great fortress, and but that it has no rock, it may be said to hold to Waikato the same position that Gibraltar holds to the Mediterranean. Surrounded on throe sides by the river, the lake, and the flwamws bordering on the lake, it needed only to be jjuarrlcfl from the landward sid >, until we c >mnmnde.d the river . . Then it required to bo guarded by a line of defence at. right angles' to the other, and along the hank of -the rircr. The hastiness of the construction of this part of the defences was, in my opinion, a very seriou9 drawback to the fletenriers, as the sailors and marines found it. comparatively easy to storm this line, and so to cut oil" the retreat "f a large number 1 of natives, some of wlinm were shot, and a yet larger number probably forced, against their will, to take refuge ■in the central work, or citadel," of ths position, where they. were forced to surrender. Many siKwedcd indeed in forcing their way to tho j swamps, nmi not « fi ; w swam or perished in the lake; but. yi«t the lar»e proportion who, wounded or unwounded did psenpn, is sufficient to prove how very admirably suited was the position for a native 'standing point. The place is now our head-quartern, and the citadel will be kept as our fort of occupation, being quite impregnate, in British hands, to any attacks of Maori.s All around Rnngariri, the country is surprisingly fertile, and very carefully cultivated. Large fields of potatoes are n< \v made liberal use of by the soldiers, in whose camp potatoes nnd vgotables are no longer aluxury. The country nil around Rangiriri is now entirely free of natives, the Maniopoto tribe having retreated further up the river, while the Ngatiliawa or true Waikato tribe may he said to be in our hands, cither being killed, wounded, or prisoners. There is some reason to expect that a stand may ho made by the Ngatimnniopoto tribe, at ->r near Taupiri, just, below Njiiriiawahin, the King's vill-igc. which is at. the confluence of the Waikato and Wnipa. It appears more than probahle that if- is with morn or less of a view to this that the fteneral has sent so large an expedition to the Thames country, where they can, by penetrating the valley of the Piako for some distance from its mouth, reckon upon getting through into the Waiknto country, get a short vay behind Tnupiri, so taking the native position in rear. No move to any extent in a forward direeion has yet been made by the troops from Kan^iriri. This has bpen caused princirnllv by the fact that a few milps heyond ilarujririri, at a place known as Sactai, the Wa'kftto runs over what has once been a forest, and it is believed to be dangerous for the vessels' to navigate without, a passage being cleared through it. This is now being done, and as soon as thingß enn bo so arranged tint a regular supply of provisions e-»n be secured for the force employe I, we shall hear of a further advance into the enemy's country* I fear it will require something of this kind to secure a lasting pence, for even the llangiriri business does not seem to have had that sobering effect which, must i become general in the native mind before we can hope that they will finally give- in arid submit. The Thames expedition, under the command of Colonel Carey, ot the ISth, and consisting of a thousand men or thereabouts is getting on. slowly, having now^ advanced some seven', or eight miles fr.irn the landing place, and having built their redoubts so as to com :n and the country. A twenty mill's inarch from the original landing place would bring them to" the place of which Lha've spoken as behind Taupiri, aud this they may perhaps accomplish within a week or ten days, if not forced by the natives to fight a N battlc before going on. In politics the month has, of course, been fertile. The great questions have been the Representation, (he -Wait-am and the Seat of Government questions. The flret seems to be pretty nearly decided now. although, the details ar« not all fully settled. Practically the, scheme will be to give to .give the Northern Island s-ime five new members, induing the native representatives, who are not to be Maories, while some ten members fall to the South. If the Ministerial scheme of Southland is in any sense fully carried out, the result must be the revision of the representation again next session, to the extent of giving two or three more members to .your Province- The Waitara is to be inquired into' at last, and the Governor has received a great deal of hard rubbing in the matter. In the feat of Government question great excitement was got up, and it seems very doubtful whether it was worth while, as it will most likely he null and void, owing to the course which Ministers will pursue with it. No information could be elicited as to.its fate from Government, although Mr FitzGerald tried very hard to get it. I quite expect to hear of the resolutions being forw»rded to her Majesty for her approbation before any steps are taken here about them; On the motion of Mr Craeroft Wilson, of Christchuroh,it Ims been agreed that the nest meeting of Assembly is to be held in that city. It is hard to make Out ! why this should be so, as Caaterbury is not. pro- | posed as a seat of Government'

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