The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1866.

Southland Times, Issue 582, 24 October 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1866.

The news from the North is far from satisfactory. The native war is not yet ended, and there are signs, indicative of a settled determination on the part of the Hau-haus to continue the struggle to the last. We publish in another column condensed accounts of two outbreaks of the rebels, and the battles that have been fought in the Provinces of Hawke's Bay and Wellington. In these engagements the rebels showed boldness, courage, and determination, and notwithstanding that ia each encounter they have been defeated by the colonial forces, with great loss ; it is evident that the fire of rebellion is still smouldering, and may for sometime to come, at any moment, burst into a blaze. It is almost certain that the war-spirit of the "Waikato natives, although crushed, has not been extinguished, and that though too weak to attempt to renew the war in their own country, they are mustering, and moving towards the disaffected districts to aid in any renewal of hostilities which the Hawlie'a Bay or Wangauui rebels may determine upon. The recent engagements show that the fanatical faith of the Hau-Haus is still unshaken, and the lives of many brave men will yet have to be sacrificed, before this vile superstition and blood-thirsty creed is trodden out. It is true that in these recent engagements the loss on the

part of the Europeans has been comparatively small ; still it has been such as to cast a dark shadow over the future. This fresh indication of a settled determination on the part of the followers of the false prophets to cease not in their sanguinery and harrassing machinations, suggests the melancholy belief that nothing but extermination, pure and simple, will silence this infatuated class. On the other hand, these engagements have supplied matter for congratulation. The skill, bravery, and success of the colonial forces have been of a character almost unprecedented. The small bands of colonial soldiers and friendly natives, under the leadership of Majors M'Donald and Fbaser, have proved that the colonist can successfully defend the colony without the aid of the Imperial army, that the colonial forces are better adapted for colonial warfare than the well drilled and slow moving machine, the British soldier. Like "Gaeibaldi's band of volunteers, they have confidence in their leaders, are bushmen of great endurance and guerilla skill. "Without in anyway meaning to depreciate the courage of the British Army, we cannot but think that had the 10,000 Imperial soldiers still been in the colony, the delay that would have arisen from " red tape " negotiations, and Governor, and Commander of the forces misunderstandings, it would have procrastinated the attacks, to a period sufficiently long to have permitted the union of the rebel forces, and such signal victories as those obtained, would not have been gained. The battle fought at Omara-nui displayed great generalship on the part of the commanding officer, great endurance and daring on the part of the men, and faithfulness on the part of the friendly natives, who aided in the engagement. It is surprising that the small band under Major Ebasee, should in so short a time have accomplished so much. That having to fight under the disadvantage of being the attacking party, with an enemy of equal numbers, protected by fortifications, and in possession of the vantage ground, should have gained a victory with so small a list of casualties as three killed, and thirteen wounded, while the loss on the part of the rebels was thirty-five killed, many wounded, and a large number of prisoners taken. The action at Kelemarai (Wellington Province) was an equally brilliant success. Major Macdonald has again proved himself a daring and able commander. Knowing that the Hau-haus had been long preparing for a great struggle, that they had secured a commanding position, and taken every precaution to render that position as impregnable as possible, it is no wonder that he hesitated in making the attack with the small company of one hundred and twenty men, nearly one half of whom were friendly natives, at a time when he was expecting a reinforcement. Such reinforcement not being forthcoming, at the right moment, with a courage that cannot be too highly eulogised, he determined to fight, and he conquered. To use the words of the Wanganui Times — " In this affair one is lost which to admire most — the boldness which conceived the idea of penetrating into the midst of the enemy with such a small force, the skill displayed in carrying it out, or the masterly way in which the force was extricated from the bush in the presence of an enemy superior in number, and who possessed the inestimable advantage of knowing every inch of the ground." In this action twenty-one Hau-haus were killed; and nine taken prisoners, while the loss on the side of the colonial forces was three killed, and five wounded. These are brilliant achievements, and evidence that a self-reliant policy is the one to finally terminate JS"ew Zealand's long catalogue of intestine wars.

From the result of the polling for the election of a member for the Provincial Council, for the district of Waikivi ; ifc would not appear that Mr M'Clure's display of oratory at the Theatre Royal met -with the approbation of the electors. We learn that the state of the poll was as follows : — Toshack, 31 ; M'Clure, fi ; majority against M'Clure, 23. The election took place | jeiix-Tuay. Tuesday, 23rd October. We uave been favored with the perusal of a ' letter from Dr Hector, Government Geologist, i iVoaigwhich we learn the result of that gentleman's analysis of a sample of Southland coal recently forwarded to him, and also his opinion i as to the value of the platinum sand that has been brought under his inspection. He considers the sand in question is a valuable mineral, and worth about 21s Sd to 22s 5d per oz. ; and further states that it contains about 80 per cent, of platina. The following is the result of Ms experiments as to the character of the Longwood coal. He says : — " Common brown coal — Longwood Eanges. Characters —color black, lustre dull, homogeneous in itself, but traversed by irregular seams of iron pryties, also spangled with the aame in the form of small nobules, fractured generally in planes but often irregular or couchoidal. The coal is penetrated in all directions by fussunes of varying breadth, occasioned by natural desiciation, and. as the case with all such coals, it soon looses its normal compactness and resisting power to pressure when removed from the pit. It burns freely, with a smoky flame, leafing 43*7 per cent, of an iron-coherent and dull coke. This coke, when further ignited in a crucible, leaves a red-colored ash. The specific gravity is 1-309. Analysis : — Fixed carbon, 41-10 j hydro carbon, 87-20 ; water, 19-10 ; ash, 2-60 j total, 100-0-0. The relative per cent, of fixed carbon, deducting water and ash, 62-49; ditto hydro carbon, 47-51." In his remarks upon this analysis, Dr Hector says : — "As far as can be judged from the email sample, it is a common brown coal, and unless it varies very much for the better it will be the same as that at the Cluttm and Green Island in Otago. It is not so good as the Morley Creek coal. Howovtr, it is not very fiir to infer too much from so small a s»mple. If it really docs smithy word it would in time be bettor than any common brown coal I know." Tho following is the state of H. M. Gaol for the week ending Tuesday, 23rd inst. : — Sentenced to penal servitude, 6 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 4, males ; debtors, 1 male ; committed for trial, 1 male. Total, 12 males. Received during the week, 2 males j discharged during tho week, 1 male : increase for the week, 1 male. .

On Monday, the 22nd October, the new schooner that has been sometime building in Mir Thompson's ship-yard, on the beach below the Jetty, was launched with comple success. She glided off the rack in beautiful style, and in a few minutes after the wedges were drawn, she rode the waters "like a bird of life." The Oreti (such she was christened) is a splendid model of a fast sailing schooner of 67 tons Custom House measurement, and 100 tons burden. Her dimensions are: — length, 67 ft ; breadth of beam, 23 ft 3in ; depth of hold, 8 ft. She is entirely constructed of Provincial material, and nautical men have expressed a conviction that she will prove a fast, strong, and durable boat She is complete, and ready for sea, and it is probable that a maiden trip to Dunedin will be mada in * few days. The enterprise of the builder and owner, Mr Thompson, is highly to be commended. Thil is the second vessel that he has built within a recent period, and we are informed that it is his intention to commence the construction of another of larger dimensions without delay. We wish him that success which his enterprise and perseverance merits. We understand the first concert of the Phili harmonic Society is to take place on the 22nd of November. The programme is in preparation, and we believe will be published shortly. In the meantime, the performers, both instrumental and vocal, are diligently practising the several pieces to be produced, and in spite of many difficultiea, we venture to predict, the first performance of fcha society will be a success.