THE NATIVE WAE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 18 June 1864, Page 3

THE NATIVE WAE.

The intelligence from the seat of war in the North Island has been less exciting daring the past month than it has been for a considerable time past. Sinco the terrible affair of .tho Gate Pah (the particulars of which wont homo per last mail to Europe) there havo been no serious engagements between the forces and the rebels. An important engagement, however, has taken place up the Wanganui, between the rebels and tho G-orermnent natives, which ended in a complete triumph for the latter. It had become knoirn that an attack was meditated on the Wanganui. settlement, and in order to checkmate this movement, tho Government natives were posted at Rauana (London) for the purpose of intercepting it. It apjjenrs that the lava, or attacking party, aecordbig to their expressed intention, began the descent of the river, notwithstanding tho warning of the Government natives, that if they camenear they would bo attacked. The Putiki natives have it, that their coming to an island between Tawbitenui and Ranana, two pahs only a short distance, from each other, would be considered as the signal . for an attack on them ; and that the Government natives embarked in five canoes, under tho command respectively of Jlereti, Homi Nape, Riwia, Mote King, and Apereniko, and landed on this island awaiting the arrival of tho rebels. The., latter came, and while still in their canoes, were fired on by Koreti, who killed, his man. The shot was not returned, and Kereti fired again. He j fired a third time, and a volley was received in return. Kereti was one of the iirst of the Government natives who fell. The rebels were then permitted to land on the island, and a close hand-to-hand conflict ensued. In this engagement most of the killed were of the Piperiki tribe, and it is stated that the '; Ngatiruanuis must, for the 'most part, have remained behind at Piperiki. The loss on the Government side was 12 killed, besides those j wounded. Amongst the killed were.the following i chiefs : — Hemi Nape, of Banana ; Kereti Hiwi- j taki, of Kawairoa ; Biwi of Turakina, a brother of j Kawana Paipai. There was also killed M. FredIcau, a Frenchman, who has been up the river for, some time assisting to build mills. He and Father Lampilier were hi the thick of the fight, aiding the Government natives. Apereniko received a bullet throughout his cheek. Hemi Nape was a violent Kingite until some time after Mr. White came, when" he changed his side, iniluenced by Mr. White's mode of proceeding. Kereti is very highly spoken of as an intelligent man. He was the principal nativo catcchist M. Lampilier had assisting him. Rewi is also described as a gentlemanlike and intelligent man. The loss on the side of the rebels is much heavier than : on our side. Out of the IIS men engaged, eighty : were killed — twenty. o£ them being shot in tlie river while attempting r to escape. Pour of their bodies were afterwards discovered lying together afc.a rock at the bottom of the rapids below Rananai There ; were about 400 Government 1 natives engaged in j the fight, which was so close that the muzzjes of the muskets were sometimes touching the' bodies j of the enemy. Mr. White is receiving great praise; for the manner in which he has organised the Government natives, ■ and given them' tho heart for tho work. This engagement, as might well be supposed, caused great excitement amongst the settlers, in the outlying districts, . and in consequence of the dangerous proximity to the rebels, all nocked into town, taking .with them, much of their removable property!. • ; 'On J the day after the fight, the friendly natives, to the number, of about 80, made preparations for an ascent, of the river in their canoes, and were£ seen dancing, the war dance previous to "departure. ".This,"' says a Northern contemporary, "may perhaps be considered as the-most important event in the._war. It has proved; the fidelity, of elf least? the loyal Wanganui natives. It will cause, a declaration on the part of all the neighbouring, tribes ithat they are on the one side or the other. .It will remove the ! and hesitation.' that .nave so long marked the Government proceedings here. Tribal jealousies may, indeed, have had some influence inprecipitating this fight; but the loyalty ofj tKe3e Government natives ■ has been proved by it, that we think no hesitation shquldjbejshovra in furnishing them with ammunition. They sent idown for some, and a supply was sent from Putiki this morning. Matene,\ the leader pfjthe fanatics, was tomahawked • Hore Patene, and :h^ ;i uncle ; Haimaiv; both- of whom were instrumental 'in getting' _Mr/ JBooth away, were shot down." ! ; j Ji consequence of this state of matters, the Jutherto quiet town of ' Wanganui has undergone. v? wonderful transformation. From a peace-' Jqvmgibwn jtrh?s changed into "a busy military/ pne."EvQry**lettier in tho place has been compelled to join the militia, and those who have attempted to shirk tho duty have been, we are informed, taken to the militia office by a file of men with feed bayonets, and compelled to take the oath of allegiance. Business there has been sadly interfered with. Th<TWanganul Cavalry

Corps/ Wh6*/'mus^r\iali6,ut 60 in number, each man-b eing armed* vritli'/a. breech-loading carbine < aitdirevolve'r/' : ar6 ; out constantiy patrolling round tho town. Tlieyjye'a ißrie body of men, and are a gi'e&t credit to theto.wn. The militia, of course, ■haf e -4hdir -[ Hand's >pretty 'full, for besides tHeir ahriost continual; 'drill^j they are out two or threo nights" a week-doing go." -„~? A lthough-sereral-alanti"s'h"ave been raised of the premeditated^, attack- oa-Wanganui, we are glad to ; be ÜbleHo'siafe^tiiat'up' "to the present time it has not yet beeiV~carriecl'~into execution. Every .precaution haa been taken by the military autlioHtics'tb~niect any emergency that may arise. It ha3~since,como out that the hostile feeling was 'o'cedsionod^b^the bringing down of Captain Lloyd J s*rhead, which some of the Government jiajajrps f had- attempted-rto^stestl, whereupoil the *27gafciryaniiis,^'who l oriougnt J the head, began to threaten im and the more hot-headed of the King Wanganuis, to bounce., precautionary ;mea*suresl : t6^'*bV*'taken •' were 'these, viz. :— -the , strengthening ? pf the garrison by 200 additional meri^a^d the occupation of the Waitotara block as Boonasppssible^bj' military settlers. It was -rfotf^expobted.; that .any further . outbreak of hostilities would take^place 'there. ' l> Tl&c ChrotiieU [ m^^referriiig to^ the- fightj' states' further, '• That during flic' struggle took' place between tho tribes, the skull of Captain 'lilbyd is supposed to , have, been ; lost;. i The'histofy which has been told ' abput .this, is . something r horrible. While Mr. Bootliwas d'etained^the skull was used as a drinking calabash by tlie* old hags of the tribe, who were usingit as a charm; the" brains having been previously -, eaten by r'Materio, the leader of the t fanatical wretches. « ;No- doubt this has proved a hard lesson to; Mr.; Booth,' 'who only a short time ago wrote, to one. of; the English asking | for elothingfpr the: destitute- widows of the poor Maoris who ihad been: killed, and at tho same time 1 condemning the New -Zealand colonists for the action thatvhad been taken; ' It would be well if a K few moi - e of our-' missionary friends were shown a similar lesson. . What can be thought of theao wretches, who, affceriyears of petting and teaching, relapse , into their barbarous' customs against so • shor^anptice.. It is ; very 'gratifying to find the river riatives an exception. 'They have fought gallantly,? and' r deserve the r < thanks of the people here. we have been idle here, they have been doing our fighting in gallant style, and ara now determined to, march ,on:the Waitotara native* ; and" finish' them^ff.', , It ik supposed that the rebels ■tried' to 1 deseeral the. river in consequence of Pehi, a neutral chief -'of some importance, having gone to Taupo, with what object is not known, though it is surmised that it is througli fear of the Sing natives.' 1 ■ '■ Prom. Tauranga we hear of vague rumora r©« speeting the probability of peace, but little faith is now placed on any protestations or propositions of a pacificatory nature on the part of our wily foea. G-eneral Cameron has^eturned with his staff from Tauranga, but that place will be occupied by. the Waikato JiUitia and' the. 68th Regiment. .Orders have been issued for the whole of the avail* able troops in the Auckland district to bo concentrated into a movable, column," to form the divi« sion with head-quarters. This will, of course, apply to the 'various* stations, occupied by our troopsiin the Waikatb district as well as elsewhere, and the; available'fdrce at'&ich redoubt will be reduced as for as iriay be consistent with safety. The special correspondent of the Southern Crott, •writing from Tauranga, says'that the troops have been withdrawn from Wairoa, that the soldiers have pitched their tents inside the new redoubt on the site of the native stronghold, and that all traces of the 'palv have been destroyed. A largo number of the rebels are supposed to be now living in 'the Thames district. William Thompson is at Patatere, and the Maori army of tho Waikato, owiug, it is presumed, to the difficulty of subsisting in large bodies, has been split' into fragments. The Arawa tribe are in great fright, owing to a report that 1,200 Itfgatiporous were advancing against them: to avenge the defeat of their tribe. ■"' Mr. Gold win Smith's exceedingly strong letter to the Daily NewSySm: the New: Zealand Confiscation and Military Settlers' Acts, , has been going the rounds of the, whole of the New Zealand Press. Regarding his attack on the Colonial defence policy, a Northern contemporary indulges in tho following remarks : — ".We maintain that the milmanagement of the Home Government docs not only furnish us with an excuse '•■ for our present ' line of policy, but has led to such a state of things as to render it, absolutely necessary and morally justifiable..; ..Tpi make .tliis clear we <iuust touch Upon the abstract-question of the right to colonise a partially occupied- country, for only by denying this . right can ,-Professor Smith and = those who agree, with ,.hiin,,make..~out -their-caseagainst the colony, and the pubh'p. opinion -of England itself. We ; hold: thatthe right to'colohise rests upon tho broad^ principles" of Utilitarianism, which in thi» ! case, at any rate, are easily applied;- It can hardly ! be doubted that such ..colonisation adds to the ! greatest happiness of the greatest number. If this is denied all colonisation is morally jwrong, and we are led to. the singular, conclusion, that a system of which the conscience; of -the whole civilized world approves, and which is followed by the most beneGcial effects, is nbtliing but a series of enormous | crimes." ■ " ; ! -Death of. Coiokel Nixojt. We regret to state that this gallant officer haa 'at last succumbed, after a hngering suffering from'wouhds received 'at Rahgiawhia. Tlie New Zealander pays tho following tribute to his memory :— "lt.. is, with.^much grief that we j announce the death of Colonel Nixon, which took place yesterday hiorning ; at seven o'clock. This event, though not altogether unexpected, will bring grief to the hearts of most, of the old residents in this Province. It would be difficult to meet with any person in tho neighborhood of Auckland moro universally esteemed,or'whose loss, at the present juncture, will be mom' severely, felt' than that of the late , Colonel Marmaduke - 3 G«orge Nixon. Colonel Nixon had iii' his earlier days seen much service in India, : for ;wliich" lie held several medals, and where he attained the rank of Major in H.M.s '39th Regiment.- From the time when he became a settler in this Province till' ttie outbreak of the present>war ? he had -been living" in retirement from i ' active , ser^icayjn|. S ;hia r 'ifarmo at :!Mangarei. The ' kindness and amiability of his dispositioniendeared I liim to a large circle of, friends, ;and he had entered j with 1 much reiish-and considerable success into | farming and" pastoral" pursuitsr T JProm the first- : commenpement^Aof '"the" -present, jwar, he had, placed his _serviceslatitHe disposal of the Governor, arid had held various pos'tft. of high trust, in which he- had always proved himself an able, energetic, and high-spuited officer. To his mfeirhe.was.ever kind- and considerate rat the same iime he permitted no j breach of discipline. The duties'for which he jr^ alwayssel^cted were those which gaTeh^m^cp^umand of forces raised from •therahk's of his'leilow-colonista, but he enjoyed in ; a l^hjdegr.ee^ ofEceri of , the "regular^ al^my,r. ? 3B[er?sva|-.iC,ql^iel of &• Auckiand^Miiitiat anwof' tKe^ojsi'Cavahey_ Volun- , -teers. r— He of the Local.Defence.Force.. r I reeeiy > e?lTTfchetlw6un"d :\rhicK' lias, 'afi^r a iingering Illness, terminate^l in hi» death,,in the ,at.'fhe attack al Rangiawhia, pn the^ 21st Jlebniary&H