THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1860.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 258, 10 April 1860, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1860.

The steamer Wonga Wonga arrived on Friday evening from Taranaki, with' about sixty women and children, ; who, together with the preceding arrivals, have since been drafted off. from the receiving depot at the Odd Fellows' Hall to the various houses which the exertions of the Committee have secured for their occupation. The vessel brought us information tothe sth instant, principally revised previous details, which we print in another column. We also copy a letter addressed 'to the editor of the Tamnald JSeics upon the censure which' has been freely passed upon the conduct ot those in command of the military force, in order that the statements on both sides may be known. It 19 also necessary that much allowance should be made for any inaccuracies in information imparted under the harassing circumstances, in which all the inhabitants of New Plymouth are involved. But while we doubt the policy of hastily impugning the courage -of out countrymen— and

those countrymen soldiers—we are bound to acknowledge that several informants tell jke of the weary tasks allotted to the Volunteers—picket duty for. three successive nights, thrashing wheat, digging potatoes, ill-health certificates disregardedi vexatious applicat;ons to Captain Stapp for pickets of overworked Volunteers, while the regulars are in snug quarters, 400' or 500 strong, and"exempted from these severe duties, are some of the evils complained of. The military dispositions are also criticised. It is said that the outlying pickets, composed' of civilians, were told that upon .the approach of the enemy they were to maintain their position as well as they could until they received orders. These directions, if followed, have been considered tantamount 'to prpviding for their utter annihilation, had they been attacked in the night in such- disjointed bodies, and not allowed to retire upon the town, • apparently,the most consistent and necessary act in such aft ex--tremity, From such circumstances there appears to have sprung i^p a spirit of discontent and a.want of-confidence in the military direction which cannot fail to bear the evil fruits attendant "upon a want of unanimity. So much in fact is a division in the camp to.be deplored, that'we would gladly believe, the evils have been much exaggerated, or, otherwise, that they have been corrected by this time; we are still more unwilling to dilate upon mistakes when we remember that an intelligent foe will increase and magnify these statements for the purpose of gaining proselytes; as was the case after the evacuation of the L pah, which they represented to the other natives as a perfect triumph on their side,; i wherein they had waded to their kneesin the blood of the pakeha, the murder of five inoffensive persons at Omata immediately followed, and a descent upon the town was only prevented by the determined bravery befoie recorded. A reward of £100 has been offered by the government for the apprehension of any one of the perpetrators of the murders. By the latest intelligence we learn that Kingi has built, a large pah" in a swamp at the Waitara, thinking by this means to escape the chance of mining operations, such as were commenced at the L pah; To meet this, we are told that two mortars are expected from Australia to use shells most effectively under these circumstances. The last accounts ,4iorn,. the Waitara speak of some twenty'cows, sent by Mr.- Atkinson and Mr. Ronalds for the use of the troops, haying fallen into the hands of the Maories. ,i Mr. Atkinson had asked permission to make" reprisals upon some Maori horses within reach. The request was made to Colonel Sillery; but we have not heard whether it was acceded to. The report that W. Kingi was flying a flag of truce is also said to be incorrect. The white flag he has hoisted is rumored to be more an indication of his having enlisted in the kiiig movement/or some ulterior motive, and has hoisted '.he bo-called national flag. The defence of the town is much improved by the construction of about a dozen blockhouses round it, 'forming a semicircle to the beach. After the exultation felt at the gallant conduct displayed against the enemy at the Omata fight, the revulsion of feelirig s may be imagined upon the receipt of intelligence bythe Airedale, on Saturday night, about seven o'clock,' that -the houses of settlers at had been 'pillaged and burnt: amongst the names' of the occupants we heard those of Mr. Arden, Mr. James Wills, and Mr. W. Northcroft.^ These operations were carried on principally by maori women. "The natives had evidently been emboldened by the withdrawal of the Naval Brigade to Auckland, where they accompanied the Governor on board the Niger, to meet, it is rumored, a more startling emergency —namely, an intimation from the Waikatos to the inhabitants of Auckland that by the expiration of five days the white inhabitants must leave the town! At lenght then the question whether this tribe would join in the contest, is solved; they are allies of Wiremu Kingi. According to the. terms of.- this notice, the city of Auckland was.in vested on Saturday night last! No apprehension . however need be entertained with respect to the •ability-of- the settlement to defend itself. With 4000 militia already organized, and with the Niger and Elk blocking up the approaches by water and covering the advance by land, together with a naturally, defensible position, the: probability is; that their impertinence, if: followed up, ; will receive such chastisement as they richly merit and which will operate as a salutary lesson for, the future,,/ . ... -■■..,':,,, v ,.- ;; -.;: !

The last arrivals from Taranaki oh Saturday night numbered about 190 persons. The excitea^nf that pervaded the town was very great- indeed* Crowds of persons were traversing the Beach-road, carts proceeding down for passengers, vans loaded with baggage coming from the port, were in constant motion. Knots of individuals collected in the streets, and all seemed strongly impressed with the import of the intelligence and with sympathy for the persons exposed to the immediate terrbrg that threatened. Even Sunday did not exempt from the exertions that were made in behalf of our unfortunate guests, and vans still passed along piled with what effects the passengers could bring with them for their immediate necessities.

A report that 500 natives were moving towards us from the neighbourhood of the Kaikoras and Kaipoi is also current. The report comes from a Pelorus settler, of reliab'e authority, who states that a Maori had told him of the intended movement, and advised him to remove his wife and , family from that neighbourhood There does not however appear to be any present reason to suppose their intentions to be otherwise than peaceable; yet common precaution should be taken to prepare for , for emergencies. At an impromptu, meeting

on^a^a^,night_jna93L'.« # uggestxQiiß were s made"£6 YtfHs:erici'rt>ut th> resalV appeared principally to show the'necessity for arriving at thffSnber of guns that .could be collecte<vancl recommending a judicious, dig- '- tribution of them: on this Head we^ refer to ' another column for a .proclamation issued yestetday on the subject. >