THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 357, 26 March 1861, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NELSON, TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1861

Our Taranaki news, although to a late date, is still of an unsatisfactory character. Mail has succeeded mail, and nothing decisive has brightened the monotonous details, although each might be expected from the tenor of its predecessor to be the likely one to impart the intelligence so eagerly looked for, so conclusive of the events that appeared inevitable from accounts previously received. But, au contraire, possession of the most elaborate details of the long-expected •latest intelligence' has in each case up to the present moment left an unsatisfactory and uneasy feeling of uncertainty; the only i ncontrovertible and distinct occurrences being anything but those of a cheerful character, or accompanied by a paean of victory ; consisting of the death of leading colonists, worthy officers, or the destruction of the property of the settlers, through the protracted nature of the struggle, the unsuitableness of the method, or, as some affirm, the iuefficiency of those intrusted with the unravelling ot the difficulty. Some j are of opinion that a system of guerilla j warfare would be preferable to the present, j On this subject we point to some coire- j spondence that took place last September between the Governor and General Pratt, by which it will be seen that the latter, considers.such a system inadmissible. Mean- j time the winter work appears cut out for them unless a speedier termination is arrived at than the aspect of affairs at the present moment promise; and as if in confirmation of this we see that a despatch from his Excellency orders an increase in the pay of the civilian forces to 2s. 6d. per di<*m for privates, 3s. and 3s. 6d. for corporals and sergeants, and needful clothing. With the^ experience of last winter before them much ; of the suffering caused by inadequate clothing may at least be obviated. Our extracts will show the close proximity of the sap to the pa as well as the three days' truce that took place. It has been stated that one of the proposals of the enemy during these negotiations was that they should be allowed to remove between one and two hundred Maories from the pa seawards, they being unable to transport them overland to the Waikato: this however was not acceded to. The Armstrong guns, arrived at the scene of hostilities, bad been brought into play, but have yet to earn their character for thorough applicability for use in this qlifficult country. On the 18th instant the sap had reached within twenty yards of the rifle-pits, and Hapurona's pa would seemingly be stormed shortly after; so that probably the news hourly expected may at last tell us of the long looked for crisis. Lieutenant M'Naughten, of the Royal Artillery, who had from the commencement of the war highly distinguished himself for courage and activity, was killed on the 17th. While in the act of kneeling to point a gun a ball grazed his wrist and entered his breast, causing immediate death. The fate of this deservedly esteemed officer is universally lamented.

By proclamation, the Provincial Council of Nelson i§ appointed to meet at the new buildings, Bridge-street, which is therein designated * Provincial Hall,' on April 30, at one o'clock in the afternoon. The various offices aie being rapidly finished and occupied by the several governmental departments ; the exterior is also fast approaching completion, and altogether the appearance is really of that admirable kind as to make it at once a work of architectural credit to the province as well as one adapted to all the business transactions of a Government. The session is not likely to be a protracted one, as but little will probably have to be transacted; besides which the General Assembly will meet shortly afterwards, but no mention of the place of meeting has yet been officially made.

MARLBOBUGH^-We have received the Marl' borough Press ofthe 9th and 16th, from the former of which we extract the following :—lt will be in the recollection of most of our readers that about nine or ten weeks since a sailor named Nicholas, belonging to the Gipsy, \va3 robbed of upwards of £100 at a house in Blenheim. From information that was received at the Blenheim Police Office, Sergeant-Major M'Artney was despatched south, to apprehend a man named George Thompson (a runaway sailor from a vessel that had been at Canterbury), who had been in the company of Nicholas on the night of the robbery, and had since been spending money very freely, and been seen with a considerable number of sovereigns in his possession. On the 22ud ultimo, SergeantMajor M'Artney succeeded in capturing Thompson at Kaiapoi, near Christchurch, Canterbury; but in consequence of the prisoner being lame, he is to be sent ft om Lyttelton to Blenheim by water.— Two prisoners, named Johnson and M'Carron sentenced to thiee months' imprisonment with hard labor, have been sent to Nelson gaol.—A very slight shock of earthquake was felt at Blenheim last Thursday afternoon, about half-past two o'clock, and at about twelve o'clock at night a rather smart shock was felt, which lasted about three seconds.

English Fish.—The tench which were brought from England to Tasmania, and placed in the the reservoir of the Gardens of the Royal Society in Hobart Town, have greatly increased in size. Cobwebs.—ln the Indian Lancet is a communication from Dr. Donaldson, recommending the web of the common house spider as an unfailing remedy for certain fevers. It is stated to be invaluable at times when quinine and other antiperiodics fail in effect or quantity, not only from its efficacy, but because it can be obtained everywhere without trouble and without price. This rertiedy, it is observed, was used a century back by the poor in the fens of Lincolnshire, and by Sir James M'Gregor in the West Indies. Dr. Donaldson now uses cobweb pills in all his worst cases, and is happy to say he has never lost a patient from fever since he tried it. This is certainly the cheapest specific «ver made known to the world. As a styptic the cobweb is w«ll known to every schoolboy.