LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 376, 31 December 1863, Page 3

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

We understand that, at a meeting of the Bridge Committee held yesterday, they agreed to take charge of the Wharf.

The Colonial Defence Force Dramatic Club performed at Howe’s Assembly Rooms for the first time on Tuesday evening, before a respectable but not full audience. The first and last pieces were Box and Cox, and Romance under Difficulties, as announced, but the burlesque of the Lady of Lyons had to be withdrawn at the last moment, in consequence as was stated of the indisposition of some of the performers. The farce of the Double-bedded Room, which was substituted for it, was however highly creditably performed, considering that it was got up at such short notice. The acting as a whole quite surprised us, and is far superior to anything that can geuei’ally be met with from amateurs. The dresses are capitally got up, and the disguises so good that, one of the performers went thi'ough his part unrecognised even by his own mother. The sight of stalwart men in women’s attire, and the exaggerated motion which the actors impart to their expansive crinolines, must have greatly amused the ladies of the audience and perhaps may give them some idea of the appearance their own modern costume presents in the eyes of the male sex. The military band, which did duty in the orchestra, elicited the warmest praises by its performance, and proves the pains which Sergeant Hey wood and his companions have taken to perfect themselves in the use of their several instruments. The Club will perform again this evening, and as we can safely promise their audience a capital evening’s amusement, we hope the attendance will be such as to prove to the actors that their efforts to please the Wanganui public are duly appreciated. The native who brought yestei'day’s mail reported that a letter had reached the Ngatiraukawa from Hapi, Heremia’s brothel’, containing an account of a sevei'e engagement at Totarapuku, some miles above Ngaruawahia. The detail, as given to diffei’ent parties, seems to vai’y a little, but the following is the outline On the 21st inst. the troops (whom a native report little credited last "week asserted to have reached Watawata) attacked the pa at Totarapulcn and defeated the natives, who, after losing 150 men, retreated to a hill on the road to Rangiaohia, which they regard as sacred; that General Cameron followed them up, and that a regular pitched battle took place, in which 2000 Maories were again beaten -with a loss of 300 men. The fighting, from first to last, is said to have extended over three days. Hapi is also reported to have strongly urged Ngatiraukawa to remain quite quiet, as Waikato was completely crushed. As so unfavourable an account comes from a Kingite soui’ce, our natives appear quite to believe it, and Mi’. White, who knows the neighbourhood well, informs us that the accurate description of the locality seems strong evidence of its truth. Pehi’s reci’uiting seems to have turned out a decided failure, and he is said to be returning to Taranaki with very few more men than he brought. There is also said. to have been quite a quarrel between him and the Taupo people, in consequence of' the latter’s refusal to accompany him in fetching Hori Patene’s l’emains, unless the party went unarmed.