CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL OF EVENTS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 357, 26 March 1861, Page 3

CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL OF EVENTS.

Saturday, March 9.—No communication with Waitara to-day. The Tasmanian Maid left for Waitara at 4 p.m. At 3, two stea~ners were observed to leave Waitara for the north, supposed to be the Niger and Victoria. The schooner Raven, for Manukau, sailed at 4 p.m. with the mails for Auckland.

Sunday, 10.—The Tasmanian Maid arrived from Waitara at 9 p.m., and brings us our correspondent's letters and news from the front up to Saturday, yesterday. The events of the week will be seen in another column, under the head Huirangi. A letter from the camp says:— '

" The usual works bave been goinar on at the sap. On Monday nL-ht the guard in No. 8 Redoubt were entertained until about 2 a.m. by Oapurona, who was urging hfs people most vehemently to attack them, and said they were very weak in it He s»id the Governor had done him all sorts of injury, and that he (flajiurona) would scatter our bone's over the Waitara. He failed about the attack, and said the VVaikatos were no- good, because they would not come on. Several of the men in the redoubt knew his voice anil what he said quite well. They fire a good deal every night. Yesterday the sap got through the hollow which has been entirely commanded by the pa and the hills close by, and has ascended the gentle slope to the pa, and the work is not so difficult and dangerous. The rebels fired very well, and kept.up a continual shower of bullets about the heads of the working party a& the head of the sap until about 12 noon. At this time they got a shell in a corner, ; of the ditch of the pa, which seemed to do great execution, and they were quiet until about 3 p.m. Suddenly about 4-30 o'clock a most tremendous fire was opened. The natives had rept up in the fern, and were close, and in largo force along the bush and thick cover to the edse of the ei:ff over the river, only about 40 yards to the left of the sap. In a moment the men were at the'work, and such a fire waa kept up until half-past six o'clock as baffles description. The artillery were at the parallel, and did capital service under Lieut. McNaughten, R.A., with a 2^-pounder howitzer, v cohorn, and some hand grenades (the latter were thrown from near the bead of the sup). They were at last silenced. We know nothing of the native loss, as they were so close to the cover they con'd have fallen down the cliff" killed or wounded. The sap is getting near the pa, and a few days will finish it. I think the natives will all leave and go on towards Kingi's jia, as the whole country is filled with a continued line of rifle pits in that direction. The 64th and 70th regiments are on their {way from India; they left in January, and may be expected here about the end of this month. (9th ) No news since my last. Weather wet and miserable; no casualties."

The Niger and Victoria left Waitara on Saturday evening for Manukau, it is said to bring down Captain Mercer's battery of Armstrong guns and the artillery corps recently arrived there from England. Tamati Kaweora returned from Waireka to-day, where he has been detained several days by the rebels. He reports that the party who attacked the Rifle Volunteers on Sunday week numbered 30, and that the person in the friendly native dress was a man named Komene of Ngatiruanui, whom he saw at Waireka. That no natives were killed or wounded, and that they decamped directly Komene was fired at, who, he says, narrowly escaped, as two l>u le',s passed close to him.. As traces of a body having been dragged away, and blood was found upon the chickweed, Tanuti's report is not to be relied upon. He informs us that a large number of sheep and cattle have been driven South, and several of both are daily killed and eaten by them. Manahi, the murderer, has gone South, being pouri (grieved) about the stock of the Moturoa farmers having been killed and driven off. Tamati says he was detained at Waireka, having, as they said, offered Waiaua (a pa on the Taranaki coast) as a landing place for the troops, and was ultimately released on denying having done so.

Monday, 11.—The schooner Parininihi from Mokau arrived this morning. Wetere, master, informs us that W. Thompson, Tarapipipi, was at the head of Mokau river waiting for canoes to bring him down.' He has about 50 followers. Tamihana and others of Wi Kingi's people have gone to meet the Waikatos. The Waikatos have made up their loss in killed since the commencement of the outbreak to be 170.— An escort of military, militia, and rifle volunteers with supplies, under Colonel Young, 65th regiment, was despatched to Oniata this morning. They arrived without interruption. On leaving for town a volley was fired-at them from Ware's Inn, a distance of 1000 yards, which was answered by a few shots from the stockade. Natives are still busy on their defences on Waireka hill.

Tuesday, 12.—The I.C.R.M.S. Victory arrived at two p.m. from Nelson and the Southern settlements. H.M.S. Fawn arrived from Waitara to embark Mr. Parris, the Native Commissioner, who had been previously requested by telegram from the General to proceed thither. Itisjstated that William Thompson, Tarapipipi, has arrived at Waitara, and hoisted a flag of trace, and that Mr.Parris is sent for by the General to ascertain the intentions of the Waikato chief. Th c Victory with the homeward mails, and several passengers from this port left for Sydney at about nine p.m. H.M. colonial steamer Victoria from Manukau arrived at Waitara this evening.

Wednesday, 13.—At two p.m. Mr. Newsham's house at Otnata, late in the occupation of Mr. Good, was burnt this morning by the natives. The building is within 400 yards of "the stockade. Some mounted volunteers arrived in the forenoon and report that the natives are seen gathering ballets at Te Arei, and and taking up potatoes at Mataitawa. Mr. Hay of the Native Department has been over to the rebel position accompanied by the Deputy Adjutant General. The Victoria and Cordelia" bad arrived at Waitara with a part of the Armstrong battery, two large mortars" and Captain Mercer. R.A., and a portion of his men. The Cordelia left for Sydney this morning from Waitara direct with the Auckland supplementary, and the General's mail for Australia and England. Hoera Tiki was surprised to-day on Dr. Neili's farm by a number of NgatiiUiinuis. Hoera is related to them, and whether or no, was not interfered with. He htates they told him that several parties of natives were posted at different points around the town, and it was their intention.to burn the houses outside the lines, and asked him to give them matches. Mounted men were sent to ail persons residing outside the trenches in cons quence of this information,-and to warn them to come within for the night. A telegram from Omata veports that while a number of the garrison of the stockade were cricketing in a field adjacent they received a voller from a strong force of rebels in the bush near Newman's tarm, within 100 yards, fortunately without effect. Thursday, 14.—The Tasmanian Maid arrived during the night, and has brought up the Auckland mail per Victoria. The Armstrong guns and mortars, &c, have been landed and put in readiness for service.' The flag of truce is flying. Mr. Hay is still in communication with Thompson, but Mr. Parris has not yet been near him. Nothing is known of the result of ■ Mr;-Hay's frequent interviews with the rebelsj but.it is believed that the truce will end to day. A letter from Waitara says:—" The maories were unusually quiet last night (Monday), not even having shouted in their ordinary way, as of late. The dawn of the morning revealed to our view a large white flag hanging listlessly from a staff on the right of the pa, and in ten minutes afterwards the working parties of the 57th and 65th returned to their quarters, having received orders from Colonel Leslie that they were not required. The maories are walking about on the open ground in front of the pa, and came down close to the head of the sap, which was carried yesterday within 80 yards ofTe Arei. The natives have been calling for an interpreter, but it is strange that they are also busying themselves searching and picking our bullets out of the earth. Letters have been sent down to the General.' 1

Friday 1 15.—Several houses were fired by the rebels last night, and between S and 6 this morning dense masses of black smoke gave notice that Brooklands, Captain H. King's residence, with outbuildings, barns, stabling, &c. was given to the flames. Not a vest ige remains except the masonry of the chimneys. Brooklands is overlooked from the Marsland Hill garison, and is not more than 600 yards from tho military Fort in the Currington road. The guard turned out, followed by the Fort Herbert natives, and some shots were fired, but it ia no part of the proceedings of these incendiaries to covet a meeting. Shortly after another fire rose in the Carringtonroad, supposed to be the lato Mr. Hursfchouse'a house, or one in that, direction. Several other houses in the Omata were likewise burnt during the day as flies were distinctly seen.—The Tasinanian Maid from Waitara'? Mr. Panis returned in her. The .Victoria was to leave Waitara for Manukau 'ibis morning. It is rumored

that the proposals for peace from W. Thompson on the part of the Waikatos are utterly inadmissable, and that hostilities will recommence to-day. Nothing1 certain however is known of the jit-oposrils made by Thomson. The Armstrong guns, and the mortars (2 8-inch and 2 10-inch) are to be moved to the front this morning. A large escort of 57th, and Goth, and militia under, the command of Major Butler, proceeded to Bell Block to-day, and returned with about 20 loads of Commissariat hay. Natives were seen on Smart's farm at Waiwakaiho from the blockhouse. Owing to the faultiness of the commissariat arrangements the escort which left town at 6*30 a.m. could nofc return to town till four p.m. the men nearly 200 in number) had been on duty the previous night for nearly twelve hours. Much fatigue might be avoided in these escorts if the hay were made up.in trusses ready for loading instead of waiting to do everything until the carts arrive.

Saturday, 16.—The Maid from Waitara brings intelligence that hostilities were resumed yesterday, the rebels firing the first shot. The 10-inch mortars had opened fiie upon the rebel position, as well as the Armstrong gSias, the rebels replying with volleys from their rifle pits"; The sap is being pushed forward ra. pidly, and it is confidently expected that Te Arei will be in our possession to-morrow or next day. The schooner Rebecca was signalled this morning from Manukau bound for Otago with timber.