THE MAORI KING FLAG.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 358, 29 March 1861, Page 3

THE MAORI KING FLAG.

The following letter from Heremia and other prinoipal promoters of the King flag movement on the West Coast has been handed to us for publication. We are very glad to hear that they entertain feelings of good-will towards their white neighbors; but we should have preferred their expressing that good-will by an abstinence from questionable deeds rather than by mere words. The " eight hundred" is a slight exaggeration, the lowest European estimate being 200, the highest from 400 to 500. Wi Tako was not present, though many of his followers were. Pukekaraka, March 14,1861. Let this affectionate letter go on the northwind, forth to our Pakeha friends residing in Port Nicholson and its boundaries. Hail! Friends, under tht> protection of our Lord Jesua Christ, from whom we possess all good. Friends, listen, our work has been raised—namely, the colors of the Maori King. On the 12th of March it was raised, the men who raised it were eight hundred. These are the words of the Eight Hundred. First.—that it should be lowered again; secondly,—that next March the flag should be again hoisted; thirdly,—" do not run wilfully into evil;" Fourthly, —but if you the pakeha desire evil go to Taranaki; and if we the Maoris of this place or any other place desire evil< let us also go io Waitara ;"— Fifthly, do not render evil, places now lying in peace. Listen all of you men, who will fix these wordj from Wairarapa to Wangauui. These are the men whose words they are. [Here follow 23 signatures.]

Anotheb Attempt at Escape fbom the Wellington Gaoi,.—On Wednesday, the 20th March, wheu the turnkeys took the tea in f6r the prisoners, they discovered that one of them named Weston, alias Shields, was missing. They reported the circumstance to the warden, who immediately directed a strict search to be made in the vicinity of the gaol. This, however proved fruitless; notwithstanding the mosfc vigilant search. The warden feeling convinced that the prisoner must have concealed himself somewhere inside the gaol, it occurred to him that he had secreted himself iv the well. On looking at the well, however, the cover of which is fastened with a padlock, it appeared as usual; but still having doubts, he unscrewed tha staple, and on opening the lid' discovered the prisoner standing at the bottom. The warden called to Shields to come up, but he made no answer, and a watch was thereupon set over him, until he came up of his own accord. The well is 43 feet deep, but nearly dry at the present time. The prisoner must have had an accomplice who replaced the staple in its original position, after he had gone down the wel'... The warden then left to inform the authorities of what had occurred. Soon after he had gone, Shields came up to the top of the well; pulled away some of the bricks from the upper tier, and commenced knocking up the boards that covered

it. The prisoner was ultimately secured, and put in the cell he formerly occupied. On the return of the wardeo, he visited the prisoner, accompanied by his son aud two turnkeys. It was discovered that Shield's irons were off, and on being asked what had become of them, he said " I've eat them." He was then ordered to dress, preparatory to being removed to another cell in a; different part of the gaol. Prisoner demanded to know whether he was going back to his own cell again ; and the warden refusing to answer the question, prisoner refused to leave the cell. The warden then ordered the turnkey to bring him out; but as he was unable to do so by himself, the warden went to his assistance. He had no sooner laid his hand on the prisoner, than he turned round and gave him a severe blow in the eye. A scuffle ensued. The other turnkey who was standing at the door with a revolver, witnessing the assault, laid his revolver down on the table in the corridor, and went to their assistance. They at length succeeded in getting the prisoner out of the cell, and he observing the revolver lying on the table, snatched it up, and it was with the utmost difficulty taken from him. He then seized the warden by the hair of the head with one hand, and grasped him by the neck with the other, attempting to bite him by the shoulder at the same time. On their way to the cell, on passing through a pair of iron gates, he dashed the warden's head against them several times. He was finally overpowered and handcuffed. On the following morning the warden ordered the well to be emptied, and at the bottom succeeded in finding the leg irons worn by the prisoner on the previous evening, and also a knife which had been used by the prisoner at his work during the day. That part of the irons fitting round the leg of the prisoner, were found to be cut through by a file, and then tied together by a piece of wax-end. After the prisoner had descended the well, he must have cut the wax-end with'the knife. He had then lowered them to the bottom of the well by a piece of twine, which was found attached, to prevent the irons from making a noise when they fell in the water.