LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 332, 25 December 1860, Page 3

LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

[From the News, December 6.) On Sunday morning last the earthly oareer of Thomas Williams, Te Ngahuru, chief of Poutoko Pah, was closed after a lingering illness, brought on in the first instance by repeated attacks of iufluenza, aggravated by mental anxiety caused by the struggle now going on in this Province. As a native assessor, he was extremely useful iv settling disputes between Europeans and natives, and in no ease have we knowu him otherwise than strictly honest, just, and impartial. His eloquence as a speaker was unrivalled among bis countrymen in this Province, and in many cases most valuable assistance did he afford to our settlers: His bias was decidedly towards the Europeans, and his ambition was to imitate their civilized habits and comforts, and to introduce them among his people. He had, however, to deal with an uncivilized race, who thwarted and resisted his efforts from their distrust of his European tendencies, while th3y feared him from his power as an orator and diplomatist. We fear there is no one to take his place as far as ability and judgment are concerned; and we shall find that those who have dealt with and thought of him unjustly will, when too late, do justice to his character and the difficulties of his position, and regret his loss. The last acts of his life in protecting the property of the settlers in the now desolated district of Omata, by removing their household furniture and goods into his pah to save them from destruction by the rebel Maoris, speak volumes in his favor, and have received warm and sincere thanks from those settlers to whom he has shown such kindness and good will. The cowardly murder perpetrated on the unarmed boy Sartin on Tuesday, has left a feeling of dissatisfaction and discontent on mens' minds which will not easily be effaced, and which none of the previous atrocities committed gave rise to. Certainly it is not that we are less prepared for such acts—we look upon them now as belonging to the savage natures opposed to us, and do not feel'the same astonishment that overpowered us on the slaughter of the children, Parker and Pote, at Omata in the early part of the strife. This murder did not occur in any outlying deserted district remote from our town, and distant from the location of the natives attached to our force, but on the main high road between town and the Waiwakaiho bridge, and not a mile and a half from the intrenchments. Midway too between the Henui bridge where the bulk of the friendly natives are vow collected and the Waiwakaiho pah. The distance between these pahs is about a mile, and the space is traversed by the natives of either continually. Oo the ocoasion of the murder it was known to them that an ambuscade was placed, as is evidenced by the warning given to the lads at the Henui. How comes it that intelligence had not been previously given to the military authorities that parties of the enemy were oil this side of the Waiwakaiho ? Is it uo part of the duty of this force to forward such information? If not, ; where then is the use of these outposts ? It is found that these natives are able to travel far and wide, and pass through ambuscades so invariably fatal to Europeans —that they chaffer for the price of safe conduct for our people through these very difficulties—that the intelligence received from them almost invariably follows some fact which had previously announced itself—in fine, that the presence of the enemy in their 1 neighborhood brings them profit, comforts, and immunity from oharges they might otherwise be I open to. (From the Wellington Independent, December 18.) [from our correspondent.] New Plymouth, Dec. 6.1860. : It is exactly a month since I wrote to you last, the only excuse I can offer for my silence, is that nothing in a military point of view has taken place since Mahoetahi. General Pratt returned to town that same day and has remained there ever since, allowing the enemy to overrun the settlement, murdering, plundering, driving off cattle and burning houses. Only yesterday a poor little boy, Joseph Sartin, was brutally butchered on the main road, close to to the town; great suspicion is attached to the so-called friendly natives, as the murder took place near their pah, and one of the four murderers had on their distinguished badge. John Bishop was wounded near the same spot, a few days before; nothing can paliate such barbarous outrages on boys. No doubt many of General Pratt's supporters will say, that he could not do otherwise than remain inactive as the withdrawal of 4.00 troops to Auckland prevented him taking the field again. To these gentlemen I give the following answer, and challenge contradiction: Mahoetahi was fought on the 6th November, the natives being defeated by 11 a.m., and all fighting over, we had nearly 700 men in the field, and barely 300 of them engaged; a reconnoitering party under General Pratt immediately after the fight started, and on visiting the sites of the destroyed pahs of Ngadparirua and Eairau observed a war flag flying on Huiraugi pah (which it seems has been rebuilt), and instead of following up the victory gained at Mahoetahi, returned to town that same afternoon; that the order or request for troops for Auckland, did not arrive until the afternoon of Friday, the 9th Novemher, and even, then tiw troops did not embark,

until the following Monday; if reports are to be believed, the request was if the General could spare the troops, he was not ordered to , send them; the Government of Auckland naturally considering that as little or no use was being made of them in Taranaki they might as well be at Auckland, more particularly as it was uncertain bow the Waikatos would act after hearing of their defeat at at Mahoetahi. Thus, I think I have shown that the blame rests with General Pratt, and with him alone; and I again reiterate my former expressed opinion General Pratt is not the man for us, we must have a younger and more energetic General, if we wish the war to be carried to a speedy I and satisfactory conclusion. " And now for a little native news, William King, has received a large accession of strength from Waikato, Taupo and other places, his stronghold is at Mataitawa, which place up to the present time General Pratt has not visited, although in command so many months, it can be seen plainly from Mahoetahi, and distant from it about three miles, no pah is to be seen, but quite a town of tents, which are reported to be surrounded by rifle pits and earth-works, the Waikatos have taken up a position on the plain between Puketakauere and Huirangi; I do not think they intend to hold it as a pah, but as a feint, their main body will be in rifle pits and f ambuscades around it, they intend fighting to the last and many lives will be lost in attacking it; this would never have happened, had the victory at Maboetahi beeu followed up, we then had only two or three hundred panic struck wretches to deal with, now, King can muster 1200 desperate men, determined to avenge the loss of their chiefs. To-day for the first time they have hoisted Potatau's fighting flags, at the Waikato camp, possibly next week General Pratt may march ' out against them, particularly as the 400 troops have returned Irom Auckland, the head quarters of the 14th, some 500 men having arrived there, another consideration will no doubt have some weight which is that the mail for England closes on the 12th and uolens voleus, the English Government, naturally expect the resume of the month's military proceedings to shew something be it victory or defeat. As for our own position at the present time, we are in fact prisoners, and during the last nine months, we have never been in so bad a position as we are at present. You can't call your life your own, if your go out of pistol shot from the lines or Block houses, the duty in town is almost unremitting, it seems the more troops there are, the heavier the duties are for the Militia. The Airedale having unexpectedly arrived from Auckland this morning, will sail for the South this afternoon, so I must at once close this.—H.