NELSON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 264, 17 October 1861, Page 4

NELSON.

The Buller.—The Mary arrived

yesterday from the West Coast with several passengers returned from thence. She does not bring any gold this trip as the Gipsy will follow with it in a few days- The accounts by her arc not so encouraging as heretofore. A Maori has arrived in custody, charged with the murder of his wife at the Bullei* River. It is said that they were travelling up the river together, and the woman made several attempts to lag behind for the purpose of making off with another Maori. The husband knowing her intention, turned back several times to hurry her forward ; and at length, struck her on the head with an axe, and killed her. She is said to have been of the Waikato tribe.—Colonist, 26th Sept. Tarayaki War. —The following racy description of Capt. King’s lecture on this subject at Nelson, is taken from the Examiner of 2oth ult. On Monday evening a lecture was dedelivered at the Provincial Hall, in aid of the Nelson Institute, by Lieutenant A. King, of the Taranaki Militia, late Aide-de-camp to Majoi's-General Gold, Pratt, and Cameron. The subject chosen was, “Stray Scenes.and Sketches from the Battle-fields of New Zealand.” The lecturer, who by the way did not observe military punctuality as to time, describee! the principal engagements of the late campaign; if one had not been previously in possession of the true state of the disastrous mismanagement, to which alone was owing the fact that British troops failed to make any serious impression on their dark-skinned foe, we should have thought, while listening to the lecturer’s glib description of the “unequalled military commanders,” “highly deserving and brave officer's,” “the gallant, undaunted Tigers,” and such, like appellations, that a really glorious campaign had just ended, in which the ably officered military had reaped new laurels ; had defeated their enemy ; quieted the district ; and, above all, saved our rough-hewn volunteers from disgrace and/ death. Vividly did he picture t]ie scenes of destruction of the houses within gunshot of the town, jjbut h,e failed to describe the only figure required to complete the picture ; a commanding officer who, while destruction raged around him, refused to allow his clamouring men to attack the enemy. In speaking of the first outbreak of hostilities, the lecturer unwittingly described the whole campa ign. “ The first shot,” he said, “ had been fired. The Maoris fled to their war-pah and defied us ; the British soldier i quietly aiuaitgd orders ,”

Again, in describing the subsequent engagement, be said, “ Our troops attacked in tbe most gallant maimer, thundering in shells, rockets, and shot, but, being at 1000 yards distance, they were out of range. Subsequently, they moved their guns into position at 600 yards, .and battered away, the guns going pop, pop, pop,” [a kugh]. “People may ask,” he said, “ why was not the pah taken '? I say, that 211 could not take a pah defended: by 2,000 Maoris.” A Voice : That is not true; there were only seventy Maoris there. The Lecturer : I have said there were 2,000. A Voice : There were but seventy. The Chairman : I cannot permit these interruptions, they are unseemly. A Voice : They may appear unseemly, but Taranaki men cannot thus allow falsehoods to pass current. Silence having been restored, tbe lecturer described the much talked of affair at Wairelca, in the course of which he said “Colonel Murray left the Militia entirely sui rounded by Maoris, and returned to town for assistance and orders. Colonel Gold at once ordered troops to their relief, but, before tbe order was executed, the joyful news flew quickly through the town that the Militia had arrived,” A Voice: No thanks to Colonels Murray or Gold. The Chairman : I qannot permit these interruptions.. A "V oice : I will leave the room then. I was in the action, and know well how we were deserted by Colonel Murray and left to do what we could for our lives.

Another Voice : No troops were ordered to our assistance.

The lecturer next spoke of the expected attack by the natives on the town, m which he fully described the wailing of women, the howling of dogs, the confusion everywhere apparent. Of Matarikorikohe said, “At daylight men were asleep, myself among the number, but were roused by the enemy’s shot whizzing around us. There must have been 1,100 men there. Firing on our side quickly commenced, cannon boomed, rifles cracked, and a hot engagement lasted until; dinner time, when it temporarily ceased. The Maoris, during the engagement, nearly hit our gallant General, but he was saved by Colonel Wyatt bobbing down his head.”

Thus .the, lecturer .continued .hisideS--criptioh qf the camphigfl, and, haying fihished’ tiiat‘peitiohrojf it, he next gave a personal description of the officers,, comparing General Pratt to “ the gallant Sir Charles Napier, slow but sure.” He spoke with affectionate remembrance of the renowned sap, described its slow but sure approach to the enemy. But prudently said nothing of the sap-roller carried away in triumph by the Maoris, of the grog offered to the troops, of the more than once destroyed head of the sap, of the fire lighted beneath the gabions. He said however one thing in which we presume everyone will agree with him, “That when General Pratt s tactics are understood and appreciated, he will be considered to have deserved the title of K.C.8.” A Voice : Don’t, I can stand anything almost, but not that sap [laughter.] Having described bis superior officers, the lecturer said, “ and what shall I say of myself 1” referring, we presume, to his gallant exploits at Malioetahi, so graphically described in the Taranaki Punch.

In the course of the lecture two persons, for interrupting, were requested to leave the room, several voluntarily left, saying, “ they would not listen to statements so untrue and at its close, something was said about thanks to the lecturer, but it was prudently not put to the vote.