THAT TRUTHFUL HISTORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1395, 4 June 1883, Page 3

THAT TRUTHFUL HISTORY.

A member of the Kai-Iwi Cavalry writes as follows to the Auckland 'Herald' on the subject of Rusden's attack in his' history of New Zealand' on the Native Minister:— As I was present on this occasion and also in the attack on the Tau-ranga-a-hika pah, I can speak with the greatest confidence of the personal • bmgOT of Lieutenant Bryce, A short "BP of the whole affair may not, v be out of place. We left our camp, an near as I can remember, about twelve o'clock at night, and travelled a- long distance during that night beyond Titokowaru's camp. We returned the next day, and reached Hundley's place in the afternoon, all of us beiug much fatigued with the march. Some scouts at the top of the sandhills reported the presence of the enemy, and volunteers were called for to dismount. A number dismounted, thinking that they were immediately to set to with Hie Hauhaus. Coming to tho top of the hill we saw the Hauhaus flying towards their camp, Bryce gave orders to those on foot to sight for 500 yards and fire The Hauhaus were rapidly reaching their camp, when Sergeant Maxwell, Trooper Cunnabel, and Lieut, Bryce, with some others, rode forward and sabred about six men in the very teeth of the enemy. Great energy, determination, and pluck were required to do this, as the ground was very broken. Trooper Cunnabel, in fact, \m dismounted, and, as Mv Gudgeon says, "few succeeded in.reaching the enemy, as they were stopped by a formidable bank and ditch." A bugler of the Patea Light Horse was thrown, and his ankle was broken, In a few minutes the enemy came pouring from the camp, and it was found necessary to beat a retreat, as we were only a handful of moil in the presence of about 500 of the enemy, Lieutenant Bryce, how ever refused to retreat until he had counted the troop, A man was shot, and he refused to move, although the bullets began to come about us, and the enemy were gradually cutting off our retreat. After counting the troop two or three times, he found he had made a mistake, and wo trotted off, At the attack on the Tauranga-a-hika pah, Lieut. Bryce's coolness and bravery were • admirable, He rode about as quietly as if on parade, looking after his men, and directing them where to fire. Sergeant Maxwell was shot here, and if the enemy had got possession of his body Bryce said that he would not have left the pah till he had recovered the body, Mr Rusden has, unfortunately, made an attack upon as brave a man as ever stepped. 'Lieutenant Bryce was always the first to step for ward, no matter what tho danger or what the odds, to rescue any of his men. Men like these do not. attack bands of women and children, and cut them down gleefully. However, plenty of men who have served under Lieutenant Bryce will lie ready to come forward and testify to his bravery. I Way mention that, after the affair at filandley's, the whole of Colonel BPhitmore's camp turned out and gave three choers for the Kai-Iwi Cavalry as we rode through their camp on our way back.

The Times states that the general scheme of raising the Austral was I settled in London by the managers, I who were guided by the advice of Mr John Stansfield, M.I.C.E. The Austral is insured in London, Liverpool, • Glasgow, and Paris for upwards of .£200,000 A colony of Franciscan monks and nuns is about to settle at Clevedon, in England. The largest hotel in the place has been bought for the new monastery, and a villa with extensive grounds has been secured for the nunnery." An old farmer, A, J. Wing, was frightened to death at Somerville, Ohio, Tho boys, knowing he was in . mortal fear of a negro who threatened to shoot him, for a practical joke, had one of their number concealed where he was passing and fired a shot. Wing ran a short distance and dropped dead An inquest revealed fatty degeneration of tho heart.. A remarkable instance of avarice has been brought to light, An old soldier of the' first Empire, aged 90 years, has lived for a length of time in a miserable hut near Harvre, in • apparently the most abject poverty, and without tasting butter and bread , for the last four years. Having recently given signs of insanity, his • relations'appealed to the authorities to sequestrate any property he might possess; and to their astonishment they, found hiddljii" in different places 4000 , .•fr&a M 6 (old coins; of : which 1 one is and- 500 francs in pieces of five centimes. . •