NATIVE OUTRAGE AT WANGAROA.

West Coast Times, Issue 209, 21 May 1866, Page 2

NATIVE OUTRAGE AT WANGAROA.

During her last trip down to Wangaroa (a port between tho Bay of Islands and Mongonui), on tho 30th March last, Captain Delane, of the Hira, had as passengers, from Auckland, two young women, half-castes, but who have been brought up by and among Europeans. One of them was tho daughter of the late Mr James Whitakor, and she went down to Wangaroa on a visit, having received intelligence of the death of her father. The other woman, also a halfcaste, accompanied as an attendant. Upon the Hira leaving to return to Auckland, Miss Whitaker and her companion went on board, intending 1 to return to their home, but while the vessel was beating down Wangaroa harbor sho was boarded by a canoe containing fifteen natives, who, forcing their way down into the cabin, seized the two women, threw them into their canoe, and carried them off to their settlement. Captain Delane, who behaved most nobly in the affair, though having no means of preverif ing the forcible abduction of the women from his ship was determined that they should not, if possible, be left with their captors. He at once landed, and having secured the assistance of a chief named Paul followed the natives and their prisoners to the settlement, and ultimately, through tho aid of Paul and a payment of £5 in money, rescued tho poor girls from the horrible fate in store for them, and got them on board his vessel without delay, and made all sail for Auckland, for even at this time another party of natives were collecting in their boat on the beach for the purpose of overtaking the vessel and capturing tho women. It is a great pity that the men-of-war lying in harbor do not occasionally take a trip round the coast, shewing themselves to the natives. At Wangaroa, for instance, the natives are very insolent and disorderly, from the simple fact that {Jthey never see any evidence of British power. Did a man-of-war occasionally visit these harbors on the coast the effect upon the native mind would be a salutary one, and such visits would give confidence and support to the settlers. Wangaroa is a particularly neglected district. There is neither a Magistrate nor a Justice of the Peace in the district — no constable, and not even a minister of any denomination. — "N.Z.. Herald."

" Woman's Rights" will have an organ in Paris. A new journal is announced under the title of the " Columbine," the editor of which is Mdlle. Suzanne Lagier, with Mdrae. de Chabrillan for sub-editing, which is to advocate the equality of the sexes.