LIFE AT THE FRONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 102, 22 January 1870, Page 6

LIFE AT THE FRONT.

[ We often hear glowing accounts of the manner in which the forces at the front pass their existence, but as the Government only like things to appear that represent everything couleur de rose, it is but rarely that we obtain a plain statement of what is going on, and how it is carried out. We have been favoured with some extracts from some letters from one of the force now supposed to be in pursuit of Te Kooti, and their perusal may give our readers some idea of the operations. It appears that they have suffered great hardships lately, as in a letter dated Tokano, 22nd November, it is stated that they have had to eat a Hauhau's horse, and to live for three months without tents. Their letters had just then been lost through the orderly being swamped on the road, and the men had to pack their provisions on one occasion on their own horses for 65 miles. "For the last three months," he writes, " there has been perpetual motion, and latterly starvation combined. I am quite accustomed to that sort of thing. The old nag, poor fellow, is reduced by hunger and hard work to a skeleton. There is a probability of our going back to Napier shortly. I wrote long letters to you a short time ago, which have been duly squashed and returned to the writer. Our much-talked-of (Jjggings have proved to be no go — nothing payable. We are now camped on one of the finest spots in the Taupo country (Tokano), an ancient Maori settlement and mission station. Splendid feed for horses, &c, any amount of hot springs, and a boiling spring running through the camp — no trouble to boil spuds or meat — and on a cold morning a fellow can get out of his blankets and lie down in warm water. Very jolly this ! The warm water quite astonished the horses when they first had to cross it. This is a delightful place after being frozen in the bush about Tongariro." The weather is blamed for the non-success of the operations and the taking of Te Kooti, and hints are strongly made that a good deal is due to the officers, who try apparently to do their work, but who fail to do so owing to the fact that they know they would be most probably thrown out of employment on the termination of the campaign. On the Bth inst. the forces were stationed at Tokano, near Taupo, having moved there from Potu, a place situated six miles from Kaimanawa. They were raising subscriptions for a fund to pack from Napier all necessary ingredients for a Christmas pudding, which it was proposed to boil in one of the hot springs. Tokano is to be made a permanent outpost, and two boats are commenced for the transport of men and stores from one part of the lake to another. Te Kooti is said to have shown wonderful ingenuity in moving his men about the rugged country through' which he has taken them, badly equipped as they wsre. — " Wairarapa Mercury. 1 "