The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-14 00:00:00

CHINESE EMIGRANTS.

Another matter of importance at Canton is the
difficulties which are said to be arising in the way of
the emigration of coolies to the West Indies. Mr.
Austin has threatened to shut up his depot unless some
difference is made between him and the Spanish agents.
A more serious difficulty is that a number of peasants,
who were coming down to Hong Kong to emigrate,
were stopped on their way by the mandarins.

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

(From the New Zealand Gazette of Nov.
_7, 1860.

THE BATTLE Or MAHOETAHI.

The Taranaki Herald, dated the 10th of
November, has the following :
The most brilliant and desperately contested action
ever yet recorded in the annals of New •Zealand was
fought on the 6th of November, at Mahoetahi. On one
side were arrayed the Waikatos, resolved to win the
day, and deluded with the notion (since expressed by
one of the, prisoners) that they had only to fire a few
rounds to accomplish this ; and on the other side our
own forces were arrayed, equally resolved to conquer,
and allay the presumption of the enemy. The main
body of the Waikatos lay in a raupo swamp well concealed
from observation, and another body occupied an entrench-
ment on the crest of Mahoetahi Hill, in which were'some
intrenched whares. The 65th detachment which had
formed the advanced guard during the march from
town, now formed a line of skirmishers, under Lieuts.
Baillie and Toker, at• the base of the hill, and extended
towards their right. This body was commanded by
Captain Turner. The Rifle Volunteers continued this
extension towards the left, under the direction ofrMajar
Herbert ; and the 40th Regiment, commanded by Lieut.-
Colonel Leslie; were massed in .colUmns, 'forming the
reserve ; while the detachment 12th Regiment, under
Major Hutchins,
,which had formed' the 'rear guard
during the march, now remained in charge of the bag-
gage and spare ammunition, &c. The detachment Royal
Artillery, under Capt. Strover and Lieut. M'Naughten,
tendered, as usual, important service.
The whole force was commanded by Major-General
Pratt, C. 8., who, throughout the engagement, occupied
a foremost place, and was much exposed to the hot and
rapid fire of his, determined enemy.
The WaikatOs' commenced the action by firing the
first shots from 'an old entrenched position in the crest
of the Mahoetahi Hill. This was quickly returned by
the skirmishers ; and, after a short fire, the 65th and
volunteers rushed up the hill, and.stormed that,position.
In performing this service they were exposed to heavy
flanking fires, but it was not until they had entered the
entrenchments that they experienced any loss. Within
that confined space a heavy fire from the entrenched
whares laid law a gallant son of the Rev. H. H. Brown,
a volimteer, not sixteen years of age, and Private F.
Rooney, Light Company, 95th Regiment; while further
towards the left Mr. Henry Edgcomb, aged twenty, also
of the volunteers, received his mortal wound. Here
Captain Turner' was struck in the face, by a,musket ball,
and Colonel Sillery slightly wounded. A rush was
now made on the where, and the bayonet speedily
silenced all further annoyance. This service was accom-
plished by the 65th and Rifle Volunteers. Some shells
thrown into the Raupo Swamp caused the Waikatos
to quit their lairs, and now commenced the work of
extermination ; for a detachment of the 40th, under
Major Nelsony-and a company of the 65th, under Lieu-
tenant Talbot, from Waitara (the latter advancing in
beautiful skirmishing order), came up from the north
side of the bill, and the light company of the 65th,
led on by Lieutenant Urquhart (then forming a flank
guard), closing on their centre, together with a good
show of Rifle Volunteers, the rebels were almost sur-
rounded. Men dashed into the swamp, and a hand-to-
hand ehcounter followed, and the bayonet and the butt-end
of the rifle, when the bullet had missed, speedily convinced
the brave enemy that the avenger was at hand. They
commenced their retreat, still fighting with desperate
valour, and in one of these encounters Private M'Givern
met his fate, though not before the enemy had felt the
effects of his prowess. They gradually got in the Hui-
rangi road, followed by a party of the 65th, under Lieu-
tenants Urquhart and Talbot, their retreating footsteps
marked by pools of blood, and a storm of shot and shells
bursting over and among them. In their terror they
threw away their arms and pouches, and any articles of
clothing that impeded their flight, and their pursuers
followed them to near the Waiongana River, when
fatigue alone compelled them to desist, for the day had
been intensely hot, without a breath of air.
The melee in the swamp had been a succession of des-
perate hand-to-hand encounters, and many instances of
courage were exhibited on both sides. Private Gilligan,
65th, chat ono Waikato, and brained another with the
butt end, of his rifle, Many other daring acts were
witnessed, but must remain unrecorded, as the individuals
could not 'be identified. But the bayonet played a con-
spicuous part in the exciting-scene,
When all but the dead and mortally wounded Waikatos
had disappeared, a reconnoitring party, under Major-
General Pratt, composed 'of 12th,, supported by,6sth,
proceeded to Ngataiparirua, and came in sight of "a' pah
having a red flag flying, but it was speedily hauled
down, and a white flag, half-mast high, succeeded it.
The party then proceeded round by Puketakaure, and
thence returned to Mahoetahi. In the course of the
afternoon, after having buried in one grave some 28 or
29 Waikatos, the main body returned to the town
(having left a strong force to retain possession of the
field of battle) laden with the Maori spoils, in the shape
of double-barreled guns, ornaments, shawls, &c., many
battered and bloody, proving that they had not been
parted with willingly.
On the, force passing the town barrier, loud and con-
tinued cheers proved to them that their conduct was
duly appreciated by their countrymen. The list of ca-
sualties will prove who bore the brunt of the day :-
65th Regiment, 2 killed, 10 wounded, 1. officer wounded;
Volunteers, 2 killed, 4 wounded; 40th Regiment, 1
wounded.

The natives were all Ngatihauas, a powerful tribe of
Upper Waikato, the same who sought to make a dis-
turbance out of the Maori foan I dead at Patumahoe.
The total. loss of killed and wounded is reported by

The friendly natives to be 71. Some wounded must
have escaped, and, dead, probably yet lie in the high
fern. As ascertained by us, their loss is 42 killed;
wounded, 2 ; taken prisoner, 1; making a total of 46.
The natives killed were all Waikafos.
On this occasion we can give a more satisfactory
account of casualties than we have been able to do on
previous occasions :

KILLED.

65th Regiment—W. M‘Givern. F. Booney.
Volunteers—F. Brown, H. Edgecombe.
Wooing. _

Lieut.-Colonel C. Sillery, D.Q M.G., slightly.
40th Regiment—E. M‘Kay, slightly.
65th Regiment—Capt. Turner, severely; Sergeant J. Knight,
severely; B. Boyhan, very severely; T. Coleman, severely; P.
Connolly. severely ; IL Gibson, slightly; D. M'Briertv, very
severely ; W. C. Ray,, severely ; R. Whitlow, severely ; G.
Wilmot, very severely ; J. Lalley, dangerously; Corporal W.
Roberts, slightly.
Volunteers—J. Ward, slightly ;• R. Dingman, slightly ; W.
Vercoe, slightly ; T. Valle, slightly.
The following insulting letter was forwarded to the
British authorities by a New Zealand chief on rebellion :
" Pulcekob%r Nov. 1, 1860.

"Tp MR. PARRIS.--FRIEND : I 'hare, heprd your
word. Cenie to fight the, that is very good ; come
.inland, and let us, meet each other. Fish fight at sea-7
come inland, and stand on our feet ; make haste, make
haste, don't Felon. it. Thiit is all. I have to say to
you—make haste.

" From WETINI TAIPORUTIT,
" From Ponoxonu,
" From all the Chiefs of Nagatihaua and Waikato.

TEE SAN FRANcisco NEVi SILVER AllNY.S.—Aceounts
from San Francisco to the 9th of November shoW that
highly sarguine expectations are still entertained of the
results shortly to be derived from the Washoe Silver
Mines. •A respectable and cautious merchant, who had
hitherto looked with doubt on alt the statements regard-
ing them, now Writes' that the testimony which has
reached him on the subject leaves little rdom for dis-
belief. It is averred that the quantity exceeds both in
extent and richness all previous mining experience.
"Persons perfectly conversant," it is stated, '• with the
mine 3 of Mexico and Peru say that there can be no com-
parison between these and theiWashoe mines, and the
main trouble at present seems to be that the ore is too
rich, and therefore too difficult of reduction."

OFFICIAL DESPATCH OF LORD ELGIN.

SUPPLEMENT TO TEE LONPON GAZETTE

OF FRIDAY, JANVARY 11,

SAYURDAY, JANUARY 12, 18G1.

Foreign Office, January 12, 1861.
The folloWing. de*tteh ‘vas received this day
from the curl of Ingin, Her Majesty's High
mmissioner and Plenipotentiary in China :

Tien-tsin, November 13, 1860.
3fy Loun,-4 bar.ci: the' honour to enclose herewith
the translation of a dcsvat'eli Which received from the
Prince of Kung on the 2nd of thi;3ntonth, embodying an
edict from the Emperor, which direds that the treaty
of Tien-tsin of the year 1858, and the convention' of
Pekin of the year 1860, shall be published
throughout the empire.. Your lordship may remember
that by the terms of the last article of the convention
in question the withdrawal of her Majesty's forces
from Pekin is made contingent, inter alia, on the
issue of an imperial edict to the above effect, and
that this stipulation was the subject of a correspondence
between Lieutenant-General Sir Hope Grant and me,
the copy of which was transmitted to your lordship in
my despatch of the alst ultimo. The language of the
edict forwarded to me by the Prince of Kung is very
full and satisfactory. It amounts to a ratification and
adoption by the trriperor of the treaty and convention
in the most public form. I must add that the prince
has shown every disposition to give effect to it. The
documents referred to have not only been published in
e.rtenso in the _Pekin Gazette, but have also been printed
on placards. These proceedings will, it may be hoped,
go fat to ensure the faithful execution of their pro-
visions.

The despatch in which the prince communicated to

me this edict was preceded by another, in which he
enclosed, and requested me to forward, letters respecting
the cession of the Kowloon Peninsula, the payments
due at Canton on the Ist December next, and the legis.
lation of emigration, which had been addressed by him
to the local functionaries, whose duty it will be to see
these measures carried out. A translation of that des-
patch is also transmitted herewith.
On the 7th instant Mr. Bruce reached Pekin, having
hastened up from Shanghai, in complianCe with my re-
quest. His arrival was most opportune, as it was very
impor taut that before my departure from the capital I
should be able to confer with him on various matters,
and more especially on the subject of the place of re-
sidence for the future of her Majesty's representative in
China. Mr. Bruce informed me that he was perfectly
willing to take up his abode in Pekin at once. On con-
sultation with Baron Gros and Gen. ig,natieff, however,
I found that the latter was about to leave Pekin for the
winter, and that the former was of opinion that it would
not be advisable that M. de Bourbillon should establish
himself in the capital until the spring. I considered it
therefore tobe my duty to advise Mr. Bruce to return with
me for the present to Tien-tsin, and to remain there
until a suitable residence should be provided for him in
the capital. In order, however, that there might be no
misapprehension on the part of the Chinese Government
in reference to this point, we selected a house which we
thought might be adapted to the purpose, and which
was procurable on easy terms, and we accepted the ser-
vice of Mr. Adkins, one of the student interpreters, a
very promising young man, who volunteered to remain
in Pekin, and to superintend the arrangements necessary
for putting it in order. I think it right to mention
that Mr. Wade, Mr. Parkes, and Mr. Morrison severally
intimated to me their readiness to stay at Pekin, if I
thought the public interest would be promoted by their
doing so.

Having taken these measures I wrote to Prince Kung
to express to him my sense of the good faith which he
had evinced in the matter of the publication of the
treaty, and to inform him that her Majesty's forces
would at once retire to Tien-tsin. I added, that I pro-
posed to pay him a visit, with the view of taking leave
of him, and that I should bring with me Mr. Bruce,
who had just arrived at Pekin. I enclose a copy of the
letter which I addressed to the prince on these subjects,
and of his reply.
In introducing Mr. Bruce to the Prince of Kung on this
occasion, I was especially desirous to convey to the latter the
impression that the rank and authority of the former was in
no degree inferior to mine. Accordingly, when the visit
which I had offered in my letter took place, after con-
versing for some time very amicably with the prince, I
requested the interpreters to inform him that with us
the person representing the Sovereign always holds the
highest rank ; that peace being happily concluded
between the countries, my task was at an end ; that Mr.
Bruce, therefore, resumed his functions as the Queen's
representative in China, and that I proposed, with the
prince's permission, to cede to him the seat of honour
which I was then occupying. On the following
morning the prince returned our visit, and I pur-
posely absented myself, in order that Mr. Bruce might
receive him alone. They had a long and some-
what interesting conversation, in which, as in several
interviews which he had previously had with me, the
prince showed much less reserve than the provincial
functionaries, with whom we have formerly dealt, ever
dared to do, in discussing delicate questions, such as the
advisability of the mission of a Chinese Ambassador to
England. Mr. Bruce took occasion to state that his
correspondence would be henceforth with the Chinese
Minister for Foreign' Affairs at the capital, and that
though he was returning to Tien-tsin until his residence
at Pekin was prepared for his reception, he would be at
hand, and ready to come up at any time if public busi-
ness required his presence.
Before the prince left I entered the room to thank
him for having paid me a visit of adieu, and we parted
on good terms.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) ELGIN AND KINCARDINE.
The Lord John Russell, &c., &c., &c.