(From the Taranald Herald.) OMATA.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 301, 7 September 1860, Page 2

(From the Taranald Herald.) OMATA.

■ [from our own correspondent] My last communication contained news from this part to the 9th of August, since which we have had the vis inertice of our minds overcome by a series of exciting events. ■ . Before attempting a description of the dailyoccurrences, I will endeavor as clearly as possible to convey, as far as description alone can do, ,a topographical sketch-of the locality of the .seat of action at the Omata. From the town one main road runs almost parallel .with the coast towards Ware'a ; continuing along which we reach, after passing the Omata stockade, a cross-road known as the bush road, and from which another branches, running parallel with the main Waireka-road, with which it is again united by a cross-road that takes its course from a short distance beyond' the summit of. the Waireka hill. As nearly as possible oh the brow of this hill, and to the right of the road, have the soldiers formed their entrenched encampment,1 immediately opposite which, to the left of the road, is Grayling's form, bounded on one side by the cross-road before described; upon this farm, the rebels, about five hundred yards from the soldiers, ha\re thrown up-earthworks and sunk rifle pits ; and this they have done in such a convenient manner as to have their rear protected by heavy bush and deep gullies, through which they can at any time retreat. '••'<: .-..- : ; At some few chains'from the opposite of the cross-road, they have taken possession of and. fortified Wilkinson's house, surrounding it with--a1 ditch and rifle pits; they.have moreover dug a ditch between twenty and thirty chains in. length, to the bush on Mr. Brown's ground, whilst theft1 works are again protected by rifle pits situated on the rising ground closely adjoining the boundary between Mr. Brown and Wilkinsons; added to all this they have formed rifle pits immediately in front of the camp, not far from W. Harrison's farm. Perhaps no part of New Zealand could be chosen as better adapted for a guerilla warfare than that on which the rebels are now concentrating;.. for in every direction deep wooded gullies' intersect the country, and I am certain that in no one spot could a level piece of ground exceeding one hundred acres in extent be met with. Having thus endeavored to convey some idea of locality, 1 will continue with my journal of events from Saturday, the 11th of August. Early this morning natives were seen from the stockade stripping Allen's house, which is situated at the corner of the cross-road (hat joins the second parallel road from the bjeach, but they were soon interrupted by a few shells judiciously thrown from Major Hutchins's camp; after which the soldiers were observed burning and clearing any brushwood or furze fences that might offer cover to the enemy; the Cracroft rifle pits were also filled in. i Several shells and occasional small arms were fired over Grayling's farm, where the rebels might be seen rapidly at work forming their earthen protection. . .-.;,,. , A skirmishing party was then sent from the camp, consisting of thirty men under Lieutenant Mair, but the natives in the covered pits proved too strong for. them, they consequently retreated to the trenches, from whence they continued, at intervals during the day, with a well directed fire. One native was shot at a long range by Lieuteuant Mair. •• , : . . . About eleven o'clock between twenty and thirty natives. were observed leaving Captain Burton's premises in the bush with packs 6a their backs, evidently bound through the bush for the Waireka. . . ■ , : To protect our sentinels for the future, Captain Burton has this afternoon had thrown up three earthen breastworks, so that our men can now watch the gullies in comparative safety.. At the soldiers' camp after cbreakfast a double row of sentinels were, stationed round' the breastworks. ••: ;l >. . ■ ' In the afternoon another skirmishing party, sixty in number, consisting of men of the 40th and 13th, under the command of Captain Hair,: of the 40th, and Captain Miller, of the 12th, left the camp and again made an attempt on the enemy, but without much effect. ' . : About 2 o'clock in the afternoon, one company of the 65tlv regiment, came from town,- and halted for some time at our stockade, closely following which came a body of militia and rifles, under the command of Major .Herbert, our Adjutant, Captain Stapp also accompanying them. After communication had been carried on for some time both with the town and the camp by means;of the excellently arranged system of signals, at.about; half-past 3 the expedition started for theAVaireka camp. " After crossing . Mr. . McKellar's fields, one of the mounted party that had preceded us came back from the camp to say that we had better return to town again as it was too late to commence operations that day^ but Major Herbert thought differently; he said, "we have come thus far, let us go forward and see if we.cannot be,of someservice." And did this par-r. ; tially trained body of civilians seem happy at the prospect of turning their backs on the field of danger? No! for they gave one united-shout which said a3 plainly as almost as if expressed in language: lead us on Major Herbert, we have every confidence both in your gallantry and judgment, and yon must have confidence in us^ for' we have shewn what we can do on this very ground before. Are Maoris to be shot ? give us but permission, and let them be in the bush, in rifle pits, oi- in gullies, we aye ready for the attack. As

the cheer arose, I must confess, that a feeling of pride came over me at the idea of being, a Taranaki civilian. No one can deny but that it is very, requisite that all during war should be subject to strict discipline, and trained, beyond everything else, to implicit obedience. Notwithstanding the lepriinands that our ardor has often ■ brought upon us, it must be pleasing to all to feel that in no one case arc we blamed for a neglect of duty. ' " Let me here stay to ask—what have we left but real patriotism to urge us onwards? our homes are gone; our cattle driven away; all of us, to some extent, miss the softening influence of domestic ties; and many who are now rising' in years find discomfort around from being forced to mix with uncongenial'society. But there is something in an Englishman's heart, when his nobler faculties are. called forth, that causes self to be absorbed in consideration of tlie whole. ...I once recollect conversing with a poor laborer .who had not long landed' from.England. . He was loud in his complaints of the poor law, and taxesi Gradually X led hmi;tq: speak of his home, as placed by conquest, under another government: for instance, I remarked, the French might succeed in effecting a landings in England. In a moment all his-grievances were forgotten, as he-btated with considerable excitement, it would not be, for the old women; themselves would turn but and fight. I do trust tha,t. those., who are in power above us will bear in mind that we have similar feelings. .! . , ; '• i In consequence of Major Herbert's determination,; we proceeded, accompanied by the troops^ to the camp, from whence there was .occasional: firing both from the cannon and smal^ arms, one shellwas very happy in its course, for'itfell on t Gray-, ling's farm^ completely in the centre of a batch ofMaoris. As the civilians were marching up the, hill a bullet from a Maori gun- passed across Sergeant Free's knee, tearing his trousers without doing further injury. About night, another/body of the 65th, under the command of Captain Turner, reached the camp from town, when, .notwithstand-' ing the great'desire of Major Plerbert to stop all 'l night with his men ready for ah attack in the morning, we were ordered to return, having, I am sorry to say, had our march for nothing. ; On my first arrival at the stock&de all appeared to be tolerably quiet at the camp we had just left, but between eight and: nine o'clock the cannon.again boomed forth their.messengers of deathj followed by occasional volleys of small arms. / -,''■ Sunday, August 12.—Our friends at the camp were disturbed .early this morning. About four1 a.m. heavy firing was heardj which was continuedat intervals nearly the whole of the day* At one o'clock a body of soldiers and sailors, escorting provision carts for the Waireka, reached the stockade. Colonel Leslie, Lieutenant-Colonel Carey,; Adju-tant-General, Dr.. Smith, Captain Pasley, and many other officers of rank accompanied the party, and after inspecting our strong little fort proceeded to the hill camp, and after staying there, some time the whole party; returned to towh> no engagement having taken place beyond the trenches. The Maoris, have this time placed themselves in a very safe position, for by means of the.trench to the bush they can at any time retreat towards 'their stronghold Tataraimaka; Monday, August 13.—From early this morning occasional firing heard from the Waireka camp. The natives appear daily growing bolder. Thisafternoon some approached within 700 yards of the stockade. Towards night they amused themselves; burning Steer's house, and I am sorry to inform you that Law's well-bred mare, Nora was taken away. In all probability every house not immediately under the protection of the stockade will now be burnt. Grayling's, and many others in that neighbourhood having already been consumed. . ■ • Tuesday, August 14.—Natives seen at 'Allen's and Gilbert's farm hard at work collecting everything in the shape of food. They have also removed planking from Gilbert's house. They are bearing these loads round the back of-Gilbert's towards the head-quarters at Wilkinsons, or to their.new pas at W. Harrison's on the opposite-, side of theroad. - - . . •-' •■■= Wednesday, August 15.—Heavy firing from the. soldier's camp. The rebels approached within 1000 j'ards of the stockade, coming from the Waireka and passing up Curtis*s fences' where they endeavored with great perseverance to catch some horses, after which they proceeded up the road towards Captain Burton's residence. J. Shaw's and Touet's houses in flames this afternoon. These boldu'ebels were driving carts through Dr. Sealy's land, shortly after which his house was seen burning, also Jones', and 1 suppose Weston's. Several fires were seen in that direction, so that more houses than I have stated have been consumed.' We all felt much excited at seeing our homes thus consuming before our eyes, those' homes which have cost many of us years of struggle to complete, in one short hour reduced to ■ashes. ■ Thursday, August 16.—During the night two ; bullock carts were taken, away by the enenry—• one from Curtis' farm and one from Job Harrison's—added to which many horses have been driven away. Two strong pas can be seen that have been erected within the last few- days on W." •Harrison's farm. The enemy may be seen this morning in almost eveiy direction, even as far in our rear as the whaler's gate, driving cattle, sheep and horses towards the bush. ] Now that pilfering is thus systematically carried on, it becomes a matter 61 consequence that the bullocke and horses required for the commissa- - riat removal of the guns should be fed independently of the scanty herbage which,at this season of the year is alone obtainable from our pasture lands, and to procure which the cattle run so great, a risk of falling into the rebels' hands. A very cheap and excellent food might be made by simply steaming Indian corn (maize) and mixing it 'with whatever other food may yet remain for the winter sustenance of the cattle. ' Steaming, has the effect of rendering the starch soluble,, so. that in.place of large quantities of this nourishing principle being passed unassimilated " through the animal, the whole is rendered capable rf yielding nourishment to the system. I do not fail to say that one pound of food thus steamed would have a greater effect in the animal economy than three pounds that had not been submitted to. a similar process. ■ -, To effect this saving .no extensive outlay in ma-' chiriery would be required, as a covered wooden box,; or even a large packing case, into which steam could be introduced "from any iron pot of large size by means of a wooden tube would be found to answer every purpose. ' W. I. G.

■: In my last week's notice of the affairs in the P'mata district, a statement was made which subsequent information has pioved to be incorrect,— two pahs were described as having been erected on W. Harrison's ground. • ■'■ >; :; I am excessively cautious m sending you information, and make it a general rule never to repeat reports without I feel confidence in the truth and integrity of the author. _.: ' ' This report evidently has arisen from a mistaken judgment, and not from any-intention of palming on us a falsehood • the positions of the ground on which the Poutolco pahs are erected having been ■ mistaken in the distance for W. Harrison's farm. . The weather lately has been very cold and try- . ing; from our exhalted position at the stockade, we receive the full force and effect of the pene* < trating winter blast. ~ : On Thursday afternoon, August 16th, Blaschke's Berridge's,- Jupp's, Pote's, Parker's, Ball's, Gudgeon's, and Colesby's houses were burned,—a pisetty fair quantity of mischief for one afternoon's work. Judging from the smoke, I also imagine thatiWhite's, Messenger's, Greaves's, Newlahd^ Patterson's, and all in that neighborhood, have ceased to be. Some idea in the loss of this kind ' of property alone may be imagined if we average the value of the houses at two hundred pounds/ each. " ■ ■'■ ' ■,■■.-.:' . ■ •. ■; -.-. ■'...: i /:. Captain Burton's residence has at last followed:: the rest. It appears, ungrateful of the natives to have destroyed this: dwelling after having rested beneath its she ltering roof so long. Friday, August 17th,—Yeiy early this morning

firing heard from the soldiers" camp. The natives busily engaged upon Honey field's farm driving cattle and horses away.' About one o'clock p.m.,; they paid a visit fo the village, and set fire to Gryll's house, when Major Hutchins sent from the camp several shells which fell with great precision near the conflagration, with what effect cannot be said, as the building was hidden from our view by a hillock. As the afternoon advanced, all the other houses in the village wero ignited, including Job Harrison's, Miss Shaw's school, Newsham's large store, and Ware's Omata Inn; 'in fact, the village now has completely ceased to exist. About three o'clock, some natives were seen coming from the road at the end of which Poharamals pah is situated, driving working bullocks, whilst another, man, was coolly seated driving a loaded dray. With all our philosophy this was really too much to be quietly borne, consequently we opened fire lrom ouv stockade upon thorn.; One shot fired at eight hundred yard's passed very: closely over the man driving the* cart, who, taking the hint, quickly dismounted and guided his bullocks into shelter ; the others, finding our fire too warm for them, left some of their bullocks behind, six of which found their way to the stockade, from whence they were driven by some of our men to their owners in town. Some hovses have also been stolen from'close proximity to the Moturoa pah.. The natives at this pah, I am given to understand, are very, very sick. As they are our dear and affectionate allies, it behoves us to do all in our power to alleviate their sufferings. In their present state it strikes me that it would be adnisable to remove from them every exciting cause. Their position must indeed' be peculiarly painful, —securely placed as they are in a strong fortification^ armed as allies by a kind and liberal gevernment, to whom they have shewn allegiance,— to find themselves, under these circumstances, incapacitated by sickness i'vom pulling a trigger, to prevent half a dozen of the enemy from stealing before their eyes the property of their white brothers in arms. The desire for avenging such bold impudence must tend. to increase the already raging fever. Under these circumstances I should certainly recommend, at least whilst the enemy is near, that their arms and ammunition should be replaced ■with arrowroot and sago, with may be a bag or two of sugar and flour to make lillipi of. Bat to write seriously on this subject. It is of the last importance to us at the stockade to know whether or not implicit reliance can be placed upon the faithfulness of the Moturoa natives. Without judging too harshly, the incidents of the last week have been sufficiently glaring to shake our trust. If they remain loyal, armed parties from here can at any time with but slight risk succeed in reaching town; if, on the contrary, they prove false, unawares we may at time be cut off by a party in ambush. " Our forefathers have from time to time handed down ta sequest. generations, various adages and. trite sayings, one of which warns us not to be over careful of our enemies, but to be very wary of our friends. As regards that part of the Maori race which have declared in open warfare, very few of us have the slightest bitterness against. We know that wherever they can meet us at an advantage they will take our lives; whilst we, on the other hand, will endeavor to return the compliment. " Whilst we to some extent honor the boldness of our open' enemy, we must look with contempt upon those who are acting a despicable, cowardly, and double part. We have now been some considerable time without hearing any news from our tried and faithful adherents Tamati Wiremu and Ngarongomate. We one and all trust that they are alive and safe. In all probability they are kept as close prisoners by the enemy. Saturday, August 18th.—Rev. G. Bayley's stable on fire. If it is true that every savage is gifted by nature with an excessive development of of the organ of destruction, these Maoris certainly shew great judgment in not burning and destroying all at once, so that they are thus enabled to gratify their leading passion, whilst they avoid satiety. About three o'clock, Autridge's house in flames, and in the town direction, Peter Elliott's. Natives having been seen to pass down the bush road towards Poharama's place, soone of our men from the stockade threw themselves into ambush near the road by which they would return, which ere long took place, when a volley from the rifles warned them for the future to be a little more cautious in their movements. The whole amount of damage effected I cannot say,, but oue man was evidently badly wounded in the shoulder. After the first volley they immediately followed theii usual tactics by running to cover and firing upon our party, but happily without effect. Sunday, August 19.—Another cold and showery day. About half-past nine a.m. a body of militia and volunteers, under the command of Captains Brown and Atkinson, were seen in the distance preceding as an advanced guard a body of soldiers escorting provisions for the Waireka camp, under the commaud of Lirutenant-Colonel Sillery. Captain Mould, R.E., with some few men of his corps, also accompanied the escort. In the afternoon, after having safely delivered their charge at'its destihatitn, the whole party returned towards town. The natives appear particularly quiet today; in all. probability they are holding a cabinet council (or rather I should say a bush ono) as to what mischief they will be able to effect on the morrow. Monday, August' 20. —No improvement in the weather; having no fires to sit by we feel the effect,of!the cold very much. Jb'iring of heavy guns heard from the Waireka. Great many natives seen going towards Peter Elliot's farm, upon a large barn is still remaining. Some little time after the movement of the Maoris had been signalled, to town, firing was seen in the country between Stephensoo Smith's and Peter Elliot's. The natives appear to have formed their headquarters for the occasion in and near Peter Elliot's farm. How much we wished that it was in our power to assist the attacking paity from town by inarching down the- road and commencing operations in the rear of the enemy; but lam sorry to say that our complement of men is too. small to allow of us being indulged.in such luxurious recreations. We know nothing hereas to the result of the skirmish. From the stockade we observed the .Maoris to retreat two or three times; but as the men returned to town they closely followed, and on their way "fired a house, which1 we supyosed to be Mr. Stephenson Smith's. In the evening several shots were fired from Ratapihipihi, which after an interval were answered from various parts, being evidently a conceited signal. In the neighbourhood of the stogkade very few Maoris have shown themselves to-day, one or two alone having been observed as far off as Gilbert's. •All those houses immediaaely within reach of our rifles are still standing, and I have now some hopes that they will continue uninjured. They are Law's, Curtis's, M'Kellar's, Good's, the three Juliens,; Mace's, and Honeyfield's. Curtis's being more immediately under the rifles of the stockade has received less injury than any property about. W. I. G.

-A Wind that Blows Nobody Good.—"Those are ( the seasons of the year for suicides, said Voltaire, when the east wind is constantly blowing. That wind is the evil genius of our island. The very beast suffer from it, and hang their heads in despair. Those who are sufficiently robust to preserve their health. during-the prevalence of this accuised wind, at least lose their temper^ Everybody wears a sullen face; and the minds of men are pre-disposed to thei most desperate resolutions. It is an absolute fact that it was during an east wind that Charles I. was, decapitated, and .James 11. dethroned. If i you have any favor to ask at Court," he added, in my1 ear, "never try your luck, except when the wind, is in the west or in the south. •

THE IMMORALITIES OF TRADE. The formation of the "Association for Suppressing the practice of:false, marking, or labelling;goods. for sa ]c "will delight every upright man, aye, arid even many a manufacturer, dealer, and tradesman who, while obliged to comply with the " tricks of trade," inwardly mourns over the dishonesties to which he is a party. We hail this movement as the first public stand made against practices which are eating away the moral sense of our middle classes, from the highest to the. lowest grade. So general has become the habit of deception, so insidiously has it worked itself into the mercantile and trading community, that it scarcely possible to " keep a conscience void of offence " in these walks of life. Englishmen have come to be like the lower animals of the creation who prey upon each other. Throughout the whole trading class it is "diamond cut diamond." We are last realising the old couplet— For sure the pleasure is as great In -being cheated, as to cheat. Fraudulent banks and swindling joint-stock directors are only great criminals where'all; are guilty. It is a difference in degree, not in kind. Fraud is an element in nearly all our commercial operations. It gives false marks, false weights, false measures; gets trade by lying descriptions, by appropriating the names and wrappers of others ; it adulterates food, drink, condiments, physic, luxuries; lays traps to inveigle us into shops, palms off upon us spurious articles, or cozens us into paying higher prices than are ticketed. We wish it were possible to believe that these dishonesties were the exception rather than the rule. The experience of every man will convince him on the contrary. In some shape or other the manufacturer takes in the wholesale dealer, who, in turn, deceives the retailer, who finally deludes the public; and. to a great-extent, these fraudulent exactions are known, winked at, and made good, by being extended to the next party in a transaction. Were society to make a fresh start in the part of strict honesty it would be necessary to alter all our standards of measure. To a great extent a pound is no sixteen twelve ounces, a quart only a pint and a half, and the yard is not three feet. So deep-seated indeed, have these " customs of trade" become that the association we have mentioned is resisted by the powerful influence of not a few manufacturers and wealthy persons. " It is absolutely stated," said the Times the other day, " that many traders openly avow their determination to discourage every attempt to put down the evil, and that two commercial associations, which were appealed to for assistance, replied that the subject could not be entertained. Some shippers of goods, particularly, insist that the practice must be continued to suit the wishes of foreign importers, who desire to be thus furnished with the means of cheating their customers at the cost of Birtish reputation. . : " Oh!" but it is said, " tradesmen must live. We can't afford to be better than our neighbors. We must follow the customs of the trade, or go into the Gazette." This we believe has been the experience of many an honest man, borne down by competition. But others there are who have literally found honesty to be the best policy, and have made fourtunes by their reputation for selling genuine articles. But mark the general result of this tampering spirit. Fruduient practices spread from class to class until all feel its effects, not only in pocket but in person. "Many of the obscure chronic and dyspeptic complaints now so prevalent," said Dr. Griffen, of Bristol, a few days since in the Times, " are due to the systematic adulteration of articles of food with unwholesome or slowly poisonous materials." The moral and religious are as bad as the physical effects of these delinquencies. Can we expect olerks, assistants, apprentices, and workmen to be honest and moral when such examples are set them by their superiors, and when they are forced to do things in violation of their consciences? Let those who are horrified at the wickedness of the Clifton confectioner, who a few days ago poisoned a number of children with his Bath buns, which it was found contained a coloring matter made of yellow sulphide of arsenic, ask themselves how far they are innocent of like deceptions? It is the lax commercial morality of the times that encourages such adulteration. It istheim- I punity that follows such trade dishonesties, even in the " religous world," that prepares the way for the embezzlement of the funds of philanthropic and religious bodies, like the National Society and Royal Benevolent Institution. Very startling is it thus to find the prevalent vice so generally infecting organizations formed for the very object of destroying immorality. 'As a remedy against adulteration, Dr. Griffin proposes the appointment of a public health officer in our large towns, to be armed with powers for the detection and prosecution of offenders. We believe the cure is worse than the disease. Has the Vaccination Act prevented the spread of small-pox, or the Building Acts the erection of fragile, unsafe houses in the metropotis ? We have no doubt that the exposure x of adulterating practices in- the Lancet, and the publicity thus obtained, did more to. purify our food and drink than a hundred prying officials could accomplish. If, however, repressive measures are necessary, none could be simpler or better adapted to t^e end, than those of the society referred to, who propose to put down the practice of falsely labelling gooes for sale, first, by dissuasion and remonstrance, and, if that fail, by prosecution. By joining together in a similar society, the honest members of each trade might do much to abate dishonest practices. . But, after all, a. purified public opinion will do nidre in this case than- even convictions in a court of law. "When that abhorrence which society now shows to direct

theft—we quote from-a very searching and exhaustive article which appeared in the Westminster Review of last April, and deserves to be reprinted and widely circulated in a separate form-—" When that abhorrence which society now shows to direct thefj; is shown to theft of all degrees of indirectness, then will these mercantile vices disappear. When not only.the trader who adulterates oi gives short measure, but also the merchant -who overtrades, the bank director who countenances an exaggerated report, and the railway director who repudiates his guarantee, come to be regarded as of the same genus as the pickpocket, and are treated with like disdain—then will the morals of trade become what they should be." To drag to-the light of day all trading delinquencies, and to raise the standard of commercial morality, U alike the mission of the press and the pulpit. Not, however, until they cease to worship wealth, to pay honor to mere success in life, to allow all their energies to be absorbed in the pursuit of money, to give themselves up to extravagance and vain ostentation, and to look to cheapness rather than quality, can we expect that the British people, will be able to ropt up the immoralities of trade.— English Paper.