The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-13 00:00:00

THE SuN, LONDON, TUEO')AY EVENING, OCTOBER 13, Xe 46.

We are concerned to add that a halt struck Thomas
Roseman, Mr.--Beulcott'a servant., in the act a.. getting
cut.ot bed.— The ball passed through his body, inflicting
A mortal wound, and lodged in his back, from which it
was subsequently extracted by Dr. Galbraith of the 99th.
Mr. Boulcott himself rarrowly escaped the setae fate..
Immediately on receiving the dispatch informing. Um
of what had cccurred, Major Last dir«ted 50 meu of the
99th Regiment to pruceed to the stockade at the Hutt
bridge, with instructions to Captain Hardy, the officer
in command, to advance with his men to the support of
their comrades; and shortly afterwards proceeded him-
self to the scene of action, in company with Major
Richmond. On his arrival he found the rebels had
crossed the river, and unds r the protection of the stand-
ing bush they kept up a straggling fire on the troops.
The order was now given for the soldiers to advance in
extended line, and drive them out of the bush. Epuni,
who accompanied Major Last, was very much struck
with the gallant manner in which this manoeuvre was
executed. Throughout this and the following day (Sun-
day) the rebels remained in the Hutt, occupying the
ground on which the troops mere formerly encamped,
about half a mile beyond Mr. Boulcott's section. On.
Saturday they robbed M`Hardie's house, killed his pigs
for food, and took away or destroyed all his property.
In obedience to a message from Rangihaeata they re-
turned to Porirua on Monday.
During the whole a' Saturday the town '''of Welling-
ton was in the most painful state of alarm and excite-
ment. Families were flocking in from the Hutt. Fa-
thers and heads of families were sending their wives
and children to Wellington as a place of safety ; and
rumours of all kinds were in circulation. At one tltile
it was believed that the party of militia and police sta-
tioned at Tibata as an outpost, about three miles above
the camp, were cut off by the natives. In the early part
of the week Major Richmond, disregarding the warnings
he had received from different quarters, had, from mo-
tives of economy, disbanded the militia in Wellington,
and reduced the company in the Hutt to 25 men, and
but two days previous to the attack had informed Mr
Turnbull, the only acting officer, that his services would
be dispensed withe S thatton Saturday morning, the
men at Tihata were only under the command of a ser-
geant. Fortunately, however, they succeeded in effect-
ing their retreatrand joined the troops without meeting
with any opposition. ,17
Every assistance was rendered by Captain Stanley.
Two of the Calliqpe's boats were sent in the afternoon
of Saturday to INtoni, one with arms, and the other to
bring away the women and children to Wellington.
The wounded, who received every attention and assist-
ance from Dr. Turnbull until the arrival of Dr. Gal-
braith, were also sent over to Wellington to be placed in
the hospital. The slain were buried on Sunday, on the
field of battle.

Various measures of precaution and defence were now
adopted—among others, that of arming the natives.
Epuni's offer, which was before treated with coldness
and indifference, was now eagerly embraced, and, with a
little solicitation, the old chief was persuaded to arm
with his tribe and fight with the settlers against his old
enemy. Accordingly a hundred stand of arms were
sent over to Petoni for the use of his tribe. On Monday
the natives of the pass at Waiwetu, Pipitea, and Tearo,
were also supplied with arms, though the manner in
which this was done by the superintendent was calcu-
lated rather to repel them than to enlist their services
heartily in the cause.
The natives are placed under the command of Mr.
David Scott, who will act as the organ of communication
between them and the commanding officer. They are
inteided to form a sort of guerilla corps, fighting with
the enemy after its own fashion, and falling back on the
troops in case of need for support and assistance. ,
Great dissatisfaction was felt by the natives at the
miserable description of arms .supplie d to them from the
Government stores. The equipment of a New Zealander
for the fight is very simple. A good musket, and a ear-
touch° box to contain his ammunition, strapped round
his waist, are all that he requires. But so little prepa-
ration against any emergency has been mate by the
superintendent, that a great portion of the muskets de-
livered to the natives were returned as unfit for use, the
ammunition had been formerly wet, and was unservice-
able; and there were very few cartouche•boxes for the
supply of our allies : the greater part of the cartouche-
boxes given out to the natives were obtained from
the company's stores. It will hardly be believed
out of, the settlement, that although the militia
have been called out since the destruction of
Kororarika, now a period of fifteen months, and
have been more or. less employed during this interval,
they have not even yet been supplied with scabbards
for their bayonets. The greater body of the natives be-
longing to the pas in Wellington went over to Petoni on
Tuesday, and are now encamped between the stockade
and Mr. Boulcott's section. The number of friendly
natives tinder Epuni amounts to nearly 250 men. They
bad a war dance on Wednesday evening,• and speeches
were made by the chiefs expressive of their determina-
tion to make common cause with the settlers. " Why,"
they said, "should we wait until some of our own
people are killed before we take up arms ? It is true we
may remain here and not be attacked, but are we to
allow our pakehas, our friends, to be killed before our
face ? No—we will show our love to the pakehas, and
identify our interest with theirs."

Ran-gihaeata is busily engaged strengthening the de-
fences of his pa at Pawaitanganui, and thinks, now that
the Ngatiawas are arming against him, that affairs are
assuming a more serious aspect. After these defences,
which are on the plan of those at- the north, are com-
pleted, he intends to send out parties to kill and plunder
in every direction. The natives say he openly expresses
his determination "to continue to kill white people ;
that when he is himself killed, he may previously have
obtained a great utu. He is determined to continue
fighting ; he will never end."

-We "have thus endeavoured to give a succinct but
faithful narrative of the events -of the past week. We
do not pretend to decide where responsibility rests, but
it must rest somewhere. Te Rauparaha, in a commUni--
cation lately received from him, distinctly states, that on
their visit to Porirua last week he said to Major Rich-
mond and Major Last, " an attack will be made on the
Hutt ; when you reach (Wellington) take precautions ;
concentrate the people."* Major Richmond was re-
peatedly, 'deliberately warned, from various quarters,
that an attack was contemplated. What measures were
adopted to ward off the blow ? What is intended to be
done ? The natives have engaged heart and hand
with the settlers from motives honourable to both
parties, and their present conduct is the most satis-
factory refutation of the calumnies so often repeated
by those who, wishing to excuse the . conduct of the
local Government with reference to the land claims,
have asserted that the settlers of Cook's Strait were
the oppressors of the native race. We do not repeat
idle reports ; we are satisfied, from our sources of in-
formation, that we express the honest sentiments of the
great majority of the natives in the neighbouring dis-
tricts, when we say that in thus committing themselves
to this contest, of which they could have remained un-
concerned spectators, they have been actuated by a sin-
cere good-will towards the settlers, and a desire to up-
hold the supremacy of the Government—that they have
made common cause with us in a spirit of justice, and for
the maintenance of peace and good order. They know
that Rangihaeata is actuated by a savage thirst of blood,
by an insatiable desire of destruction—that he is at the
head of a band of robbers and murderers, the outcasts of
every tribe, who herd together for every evil purpose,
and that the safety of the community depends on their
being put down. They know that he has only 200 men
at the uttermost under his command, that at present
there is little probability of his being reinforced. Epuni
has 250 warriors armed and eager for the fight, and
the Ngatiawas at Waikanai and Queen Charlotte's Sound
who will join them number 600 more. We repeat,
what is intended to be done ? Will ,the authori-
ties take advantage of the present feeling of the natives
in their favour, and crush this common pest, or will
they suffer their zeal to grow cold by inaction and delay?
We warn them—for the public good, and the present
crisis requires us as public journalists boldly to proclaim
the truth—we warn them that the natives are unable to
account for the delay that hiss already taken place. They
say if it had rested Ni ith them, not one would have re-
turned to Rangihaeata to give an account of the conflict
on the Hutt, and that if it had been their quarrel they
would have ended it in a week, and they suppose the
pakeha to be afraid or unable to defend himself. We
warn them_ of the mischief occasioned by the wasting
of precious time—of the reports which the emissaries of
Ragihaeata will circulate to our prejudice—of the ef-
fect of these reports at the north, exaggerated as they
will be in their progress. We warn them that the mur-
der of the Gillespies was no common crime, to be dealt
with by the ordinary tribunals. It was a deliberate
challenge by Rangihaeata. The challenge was repeated
when the boats were fired upon at Perirua—it was re
peated when Gillespie's hut was burned, the day pre-
vious to the attack, although the authorities remained
unacquainted with the fact—it was repeated in charac-
ters of blood on Saturday. Whether Rangihaeata will
be permitted to complete his defences, and deal indis-
criminate ruin and destruction through the land, or be
signally arrested in his career, depends entirely upon
the use they make of the present opportunity. The
time is passing. God grant we may not have to record—
The time is past!

In consequence of the report of Tr attack k on the camp,
the sheriff; in the absence of his h
any
superinten-
dent (who had gone to the Hutt without
the. e
leavingJettlers
j
instructions behind him) called a meeting of th
on Saturday afternoon at Barrett's Hotel, for
pose of adopting measures of defence. Mr. Revanse pur-
pose
ing been called to the chair, Mr. Lyon said that he had
been requested by the sheriff to explain that the magis-
trates had, in the absence of his honour, requested the
officer in command of the militia to call out the whole
of that force, and that they had applied to Captain
Stanley, of the Calliope, to land the marines and small-
arms men.
Mr. Vincent and Mr. R. Davis then moved a resoln-
tion that a deputation should wait upon his honour to
ascertain what steps he intended to take for the protec,
tion of the town; and that Captain Daniell, Mr. Boul-
cott, and Mr. Lyon, should form such deputation. The
gentlemen named, however, immediately declined wait-
ing upon his honour on the ground that Major Rich•
mond had proved himself utterly incompetent to dis-
charge the duties of his office, and had so grossly neg-
lected the warnings given him that they deemed it not
merely useless to hold any communication with him, but
that they were unwilling id any degree to induce a be-
lief that any confidence could be placed in the superin-
tendent. Other parties were then proposed, but they all
declined to form part of any deputation to his honour the
superintendent.

On Sunday last a large canoe with thirty natives,
loaded with provisions, fur the supply of Rangihaeata
and his band, was seen in the eastern arm of Porirua
Harbour, approaching his pa. The police-boat immedi-

* The following is the original of Rauparaha's letter :
" Kihai i mate nga pakeha na kua ki atu ano au ki a to Riti-
mona raua kJ) to Rati kei Ileretaunga to heaki air e tee, kia
tualic• huihuia att; vga pakeha"

ately gave chase, and Vern rapifily gicinii.g upon thl:l#
when the canoe reached a point teyond which-the part‘
stationed at Poi irua %ere fbrbidd‘n by Major Last am,'
the superintendent on flick last visit to that station t.
pass in pursuit .ot the natives, and they were, therefiire,
reluctantly compelled to turn back. The rebels imn.e-
diately landed, and taunt, d their pursuers with eoars.
and insolent gestures of mockery and defiance, and after.
wards manned their canoe, and in derision pretended te
chase them, taking care, howeVer, net to pass the charmed
line. They have.since circulated reports along the coast
that they chased the pakeha boat, and nearly succeeded
in capturing it.
In consequence of the reports in circulation on Tues-
day, and the apprehensions entertained that the tow!
would be attacked by the rebels;.applicaticn was niade
to the superintendent by the settlerS for arms, and other
measures adopted 'which we have above related. In
order -to secure the inhabitants frcm any sudden
attack, a strong line of picquets, of the military, volun-
teers, and militia, encircled the town, and patrolled
the outskirts, extending some distance on the Karori-
road, and strong parties of militia were, stationed for the
protection of the powder magazine. Captain Stanley
also landed seventy men from the Calliope to assist
the settlers in the event of any attack. It is intended to
adopt these judicious precautions every night. On
Thursday night, although it rained very heavily, the
volunteers and militia cheerfully turned out in discharge
of their self-imposed duties. The outsettlers at Karori
and Porirua have also been armed and are on the alert.
From the number of armed persons passing and re-
passing, the town presents quite a warlike appearance.
Yesterday morning a detachment of marines were
landed from the Calliope, under orders to proceed to
Porirua, to reinforce the troops at that station.

Accounts were received from Yorirua on Thursday,
which state that the rebels did not lose a single man it,
the late attack, and that only one of their number was
wounded. They_ boast also that they were on the point
of making tr second attack when Major Last arrived.
They boast also that the party under Kaiparetehau did
not exceed sixty men. In consecjeenee of recent events,
eight of the intruding natives belonging to the Wan-
p-,anui tribes, who were staying at Marin, have joined
Rangihaeata. -

(From the same Journal.)
We must not, however, omit to chronicle the facts
connected with this outbreak of the Maories, and the
most prominent among them is that full notice of their
intentions was given to those whom they attacked. A
fortnight before Te Rauparaha informed Major Rich-
mond of what Rangihaeata was going to do; and indeed
so widely had it been published, that no Madri was
ignorant of it, and many settlers were also acquainted
with it. The chief Epuni, a staunch friend to the settlers
ever since their arrival in New Zealand, personally in-
formed his honour the superintendent that the hostile
natives were going to make an inroad upon the Hutt,
and requested that he and his followers might be supplied
with arms in order to repel them. This application was
rejected by Major Richmond in a manner extremely
offensive to Epuni, and an offer on the part of Colonel
Wakefield to supply him with arms was treated in the
same manner by the superintendent. This intelligent
officer was informed by other persons of undoubted
credit of the mischief about to happen, and treated all
his informants in the same manner, by appearing not
to believe them. Cognisant as we must presume Major
Richmond was of the intended movement on the part of
Rangihaeata, not a single measure of precaution was
issued on the subject, and everything remained precisely
as it had been since the governor left Wellington. The
result has been that a fourth of the number of the troops
at the upper station on the Butt has been put hers de
combat, and the whole settlement is threatened with
destruction.

Died, on the 21st inbtanc, at the residence of J. BOul-
cott, Esq., Te Aro, to which he bad been removed,
Thomas Hoseman, aged 25 years, of a musket-shot
wound received in the engagement on the Hutt, on
Saturday, the 16th instant. An inquest was held on the
body, before Dr. Fitzgerald, coroner, when the jury re-
turned a verdict of " Died from a gun-shot wound."

In consequeEee or information received from the na-
tives of Rangihaeata's intention to make an attack, the
troops at Porirua were under, arms all Wednesday night.
Since the late reconnoissance of Rangihaeata's pa, an
order has been issued to assemble the soldiers at Porirua
under arms every morning at daybreak. It is reported
that Rauparaha has sent to Rangihneata a portion of the
sugar and-flour he lately received as a present from
Major Richmond.—May 16.
We learn from Akaroa and Port Cooper that the na-
tives are very troublesome to the settlers there refusing
to allow them to occupy the land, and demanding exor-
biuint rents from the owners of cattle stations. It is
said that they are acting under the advice of Charley,
who has been down to the southward, and has told them
that the natives at Wairarapa got high rents, and that
they should imitate their example. This is the
same native who, it will be remembered obtained
a present of a set of sails, &c., from his excellency the
governor.

The military force of these colonies is to be greatly
augmented; a staff of a deputy adjutant•general, and a
deputy quartermaster-general, together with a brigade-
major for New Zealand, have been appointed. The
deputy quartermaster general is to be stationed in New
Zealand.

On Saturday last the militia in Wellington were dis-
banded, and we believe it is intended to reduce the num-
ber stationed at Taita to 25 men, who will be placed
under the command of Lieut. M'Donogh.

WANGANIIL—By the Catherine Johnstone we have
received the following communication from Wanganui:—
" The Victoria brig arrived off 'Kai Here on Wednes-
day evening, April 29. There being no wind, she an-
chored there for the night, and landed Mr. Symonds and
party. On the following morning they arrived in Wan-
ganui all well. The natives had a full meeting at the
Missionary Pa, Putiki, on Monday last, which ended in
their unanimously agreeing to complete the sale of the
land, On Wednesday the surveying party, accompanied
by some of the principal Maori chiefs, commenced a
survey of the boundaries, in which they are still en-
gaged. The probability cf a satisfactory termination to
the Wanganui land question is now greater than ever;
yet several difficulties have to be overcome, and the
gentleman to whom the affair has been committed will
have no easy part to perform; but from the judgment he
has hitherto displayed, we have every reason to hope he
will be successful, and that my next letter to you will
announce our right to a Crown title."

NAVAL; COURT,MARTIAL.

PORtSMOUTH, OCT. 12.—A court-martial aw d
on Saturday morning on board her Majesty's ship
Victory, in Portsmouth harbour, to try Lieut. Henry
Alexande - Story, senior lieutenant of her Majesty's
steam-frigate Retribution, for having, on the 13th of
August last, confined one of the crew of that ship in the
coal-bunker, without having an order for so doing from
his captain, the man having died while so confined. The
court was crowded with officers.

Before the proceedings comtnenced, Litut. Story ob-
jected to Rear-admiral Parker, and Captains Pasco and
`Chads, sitting as members of the court, they having
previously conducted an inquiry into. the circumstances
of the case, by order of the Admiralty, and the present
court-martial being ordered on their report. The court
was cleared, and the validity of the objection allowed.
The three officers referred to then rose and withdrew.
The court Was composed as follows. Admiral Sir Charles
Ogle, president; Coinmodore Sir Francis Collier, Cap-
tains Ellictt, of the .Eurydice; Shepherd, of the St.
Vincent; Williams, of the Avenger; and Stanley, of the
Rattlesnake.

Samuel Arnold sworn—He was doing duty as master-
at-arms the 13th day of August last, on board the Retri-
bution. H. A. Story was then first lieutenant of that
ship, and E. Redpath was captain of the hold. About
ten o'clock pn the morning of the 13th of August last he
received an order from Lieutenant Story to place E.
Redpath on the platform in the coal-hole. He was to
be visited and reported to the officer of the watch every.
hour, and let out to have a wash and get an airing be-
tween one and two, P.R. Having received this order,
Edward Redpath was accordingly placed on the platform,
under the grating in the coal-bunker, on the port• side,
about half-past ten o'clock, A.m. I again saw him about
one o'clock, P.M., when he came out of the coal- bunker.
He was then in the head, and he appeared to be very
well in health. I next saw him about half-past seven,
P.)!., he was then sitting on the platform. I observed
him then through the grating as I was going aft. I did
not see him again until he was taken out of the coal-
bunker dead. I went immediately for the surgeon.
Edward Redpath was sober when.l .placed him in the
coal-bunker, and to the best of my kuovvledge he con-
tinued so while there. Re-was put there for being drunk
on the night of the 12th of August. Ihe ship was, at
the time, on her way from Gibraltar to Corfu. I have
not been more than five months in the Retribution. I
have known two cases beside the one in question of per-
sons having been put in the coal-bunker for punishment.
The man could net have fallen from the platform on the
coals where he was found, as it was a distance'of some feet.
I never heard it hinted by any parson that it might be
dangerous to place a man in the coal-bunker. Redpath
did not complain to me of his punishment, or make any
remarks thereon ; he merely said to me that he was
afraid that he would be disrated.

In answer to Captain WILLIAMS, witness stated
Redpath was to have been taken out at eight o'clock that
night.
By the PRESIDENT—Did you ever put a man in the
coal-bunker before?—Yes. Was that considered a dan-
gerous place?—Not to my knowledge.
By the prisoner—Do you consider that Redpath was
a sober man?—Decidedly not. Was the amount of
punishment less in the Retribution than in other ships?
—Much less. Has my conduct been harsh in using the
black list?—No, never. You have always shown a
great inclination to avoid reporting men to.the captain,
in order to• avoid a-greater amount cf punishment.
John Matthews, ship's corporal, deposed that the
man was put into the coal-hole between,ten and eleven
A.M. Witness gave him his dinner at twelve o'clock,
and did not again see him until seven, when he visited
him. He was then sitting on the platform. Witness
asked him if he was all right; he replied "Yea, yea."
When witness visited him at eight o'clock the man was
not in the .same place; he got a light and took the
bunker. lid-off and looked in and called out to him. Wit-
ness then went down to the after stoke-hole, and asked.
Thomas Rumley, the stoker, it he had seen him: he re-
plied, "No." Witness asked Rumley to go into the
bunker and look for him. Rumley went in, and called
to witness, "We had hotter fetch him up, for I think
it is nearly a case with him." . Wituess,.reported it, and
they then got a rope and put down, and hoisted bins on
deck. It is not customary to confine men in the bunker;
witness had known three cases in the Retribution, but
he never knew any bad effects result from it before this.
Never thought . it. was dangerous. - • •
By the PRESIDENT—II it had. been. a cold
.winter's
night, which would you .have considered the most le-
nient punishment—to be put to leek out on the weather
gangway, or confined in tha coal-bunker? Witness—l
would sooner be confined in the coal bunker.

By the prisons r—Had you orders to report the man
to the officer of the watch every hour?—l had not ; I
only made my reports at eight o'clock. Prisoner—Has
my conduct to the ship's company generally been harsh
or violent ? No.

Thomas Rurnley, leading stoker, deposed to finding
the man in the coal-bunker in a state of insensibility,
and corroborated the statements of the last witness.
Witness was not aware of any danger from confinement
in the coal-bunker, but said the candle burnt very dimly
when they wont in to take him out. _ _

By the PRESIDENT—Did you feel any ill effects from
being in the coal-hurler yourself?—l did, and have also
felt ill when in the bunker before.

By Captain WlLLuals—How long have you worked
in a coal-bunker at one period?—Four hours. I felt ill
at times when I worked there that time. I felt pains in
the head and across the eyes. When the coals will not
run out in the stoke hole it is usual to go in the bunker
to trim them. That happens every ten days when the
steam is up. In hot climates I have found ill effects
when taking coals in. Where the coals are dry, it causes
a stifling effect. I have been eight years and a half in
steamers. I have frequently known men put into coal-
bunkers for punishment in all steamers that I have been
in. It is a customary punishment, and I do not con-
sider it a harsh method of punishing.
By the prisoner—Were there not stokers in the same
bunker that day trimming coals ?--Yes ; all that day.
Has my conduct generally towards the shp's company
of the Retribution been harsh ?—No I I think Lieut.
Story has been very lenient, according to the crimes
which have been committed.
The Surgeon of the Retribution being sworn said, I
was called upon on the evening of the 13th of August
last to attend Edward Redpath. I found his body on
the port side of the upper deck warm, but I believed
dead. Doubtful whether he was dead or not, I resorted
to such means as I thought fit in suspended animation.
I made a post mortem examination. I found the appear-
ances on the body such as are known to exist on persons
dying from the effects of respiring carbonic acid gas. I
examined the body very minutely. I found the lungs
gorged with blood, dark in colour. The blood about the
heart and large vessels, was of a dark colour. The body
was generally livid ; in other respects it was healthy,
except rather an unusual quantity of serum on the brain,
and very slight trace of inflammation on a portion of the.
inner coat of the stomach. The cause of death was the
respiration of the carbonic acid gas.
By the PRESIDENT—Is such gas likely to bearespired
in the coal-bunker of a steamer ? Generally not. Do
you consider there to be any danger in confining a man
in a coal-bunker ?—No. Do you consider the effects, of
the coals having been moved about to produce an un-
usual quantity of carbonic acid gas ?—lt might do so.
Was the temperature of the coal-hole very high at the
time ?—From 76 to 80 degrees. Would a high temper-
ature tend to generate an unusual quantity of carbonic
acid gas in the coal-bunker ?—I believe that it might
disengage carbon from the coals, and so tend to form car-
bonic acid gas.
By Captain WILLIA.3IB—Have any of the stokers been
on your sick list from the ill effects of working in the
coal-bunker ?—Not to my knowledge. •
By Captain SHEPHERD—Had you ever been consulted
as to whether the bunker was injurious to health?—No.
Were you aware that deceased was placed in the coal-
bunker P—No.
By the. PRESIDENT—Have you ever requested any
precautionary measures to be taken by the stokers?—No.
By the prisoner—Do you think it probable that car-
bonic acid gas could have been formed where the man
was placed on the platform?—No. Under what cir-
cumstances could there have been danger?—Under
existing circumstances, his health being previously bad,
though he had not complained of his health to me.
Ile was generally a healthy man. Witness stated that
Lieutenant Story always rendercel him every assistance
in his, treatment of the sick.

8 pC.?arp.
nhitnsgttoorni.
roefpotrltieedltteotrimbuetitoinia,t sttiaietesmaant
Lieutenant u tLe nuas
was found very ill. I knew of other men .having been
confined in the coal-bnnker. It was not done by my
order's. I was not reported in the log-book, nor did I
inquire into the circumstances.
By the COURT—Did you consider it a trivial punish-
ment, which the first lieutenant might adopt?—The
witness said he did not consider himself bound to answer
this question. The Court was cleared to consider the
point, and on being re-admitted, the question was again
put, when the witness replied, " Certainly not for a
trivial offence." Was it a trivial punishment for this
man's offence?—l consider it was.
it Did you allow the
lieutenant on former occasions to inflict the same punish-
ment without reporting to you?—No; Ido not ap-
prove of the punishment, but did not find fault. Did you
disapprove of it?—No, I did not. Are those in the black
list reported to you?—Not those who are put in by the
lieutenant's orders to avoid reporting them to me. The
crime which the man bad committed would have caused
him to be severely punished if reported to me.
By the prisoner—When you heard of my having put
men into the bunkers for offences which, had I reported
them to you, would in all probability have ensured their
being flogged, did you disapprove of my conduct in so
doing?—No, I did not. Did you think the system pur-
sued by me tended to decrease the amount of corporal
punishment?—Very much. Did you senction my use
of the black list without reference to you?-'.I did. Has
any complaint ever been made to you by the men since
I joined the- ship of my having confined them in the
bunker, or for having abused the authority vested in me
by your—No complaint has ever been made to me what-
ever. Will you have the goodness to state whether my
conduct as first lieutenant has given you general satis •
faction?—Most certainly. How long have you known
me?—Since you joined my ship as a midshipman, in
1828. Since that period have you ever heard anything
against my character. more especially as regards violence
and inhumanity?—Never in my life. On the contrary,
I have always heard you spoken of as a kind-hearted
and humane man; and since you have been first lieu-
tenant of the Retribution I m. ost gladly bear testimony
to the truth which I had previou!ly heard.
Lieutenant Bickford, second lieutenant of the Retri-
bution, being sworn, said the usual punishment was
watering the grog, and occasionally the first watch,
without appealing to the captain.
By the prisoner—What is the ordinary punishment
for such an offence as that committed by Redpath?—ln
ships that I have served in a petty officer would have
been disrated, and a seaman punishment with corporal
punishment.—This witness bore testimony also to the
19Uient NCI )11111161N conduct of Ideuteuant Story.

. 'his closgd the Gasp for the prosecution.
In his defence, Lieutenant Story said that he was ac-
tuated by the best motives in ordering' the man into the
coal-bunker ; as, had he reported him to the captain,
his offence would have exposed him to a much more
severe punishment. "No person bad felt more regret at
the death of the man than himself. He then called a
number of witnesses, both officers, petty officers, seamen,
and Marines, belonging to the Retribution, who all bore
testimony to his humanity, and his uniformly kind treat-
ment of the ship's company. • _ -
The Court was then clearel to consider the sentence,
and after an hour had elapsed, they found that Lieute-
nant Story had been guilty of punishing. the man with-
out first reporting him .to the captain; but, inconse-
quence of its being customary for first lieutenants in that
and other ships to place men in the coal bunkers for
punishment, without so reporting them, the Court fully
acquitted Lieutenant Story of any blame connected with
the death of the deceased.

THE CONDITION of the PEOPLE
OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS OF
SCOTLAND.

(From the Times' Commissioner.)
DUNVEGAN (ISLE OF SKYE), OCT. 6.
The conclusions likely'to be drawn by an intelligent
and reflecting foreigner who might be ignorant of the
laws affecting landed property in Scotland, and of the
modern history of its' management, were such a one to
visit this part of the country, would in all probability
surprise us as much as they would instruct us. The
strange perversity with which we contrive to thwart
nature—the ingenuity with which we insure that land
which nature intended should grow food for man shall
lie a perpetual waste, and that man, whose labour
should make it " teem with fatness," shall starve in
idleness beside it, or be driven out to seek in distant
lands those opportunities for his industry which cry out
fir his industry at home, though we mark it not, fami-
liarised by its constant occurrence—would surely excite
the foreigner's astonishment.
I write to you now from the northernmost part
of the island of Skye, having traversed a great
portion of its length. During my short stay in it, in
the gardens of those gentlemen to whom I have
had the honour to be introduced, I have seen the
greatest luxuriance of vegetable growth. Such is the
mildness of the climate, combined with great humi-
dity, that vegetables, grasses, and flowers here, as in
Ireland, grow with rank luxuriance. In several gar-
dens I have seen fuchsias and dahlias growing in the
open air, with every other description of flower common
to England ; and strawberry-plants, vegetable-marrow,
and other kitchen vegetables, spreading with Profuse-
ness. But here labour and skill were applied, and na-
ture kindly aided man's industry. It is not the soil,
then, that is barren ; it is not the climate that forbids
vegetation. What a far different scene awaits you out of
these gardens of the rich ! This fine island, which is
sixty miles long, is at no part of it more than three
miles from the sea. Deep lochs stretch into it in every
direction from the sea, and the laud is thus divided
almost like the rays of a star-fish. Every loch yields
sea-weed and shell.sand for manure in abundance, as
well as fish for food. Yet from one end to the other of
this island, with all these facilities and capabilities, the
eye rests on scarcely anything but bleak hills, and vast
uncultivated tracts of land covered with moss and
heather, here and there dottul over by the wretched
black huts of the inhabitants, who exist wretchedly in
the midst of thousands of uncultivated acres, which only
want their labour, directed by skill, to yield them com-
fort arid plentyt
The foreigner would probably exclaim, " What a pity
it is that there are not more people to cultivate this vast
extent of land ! bow strange it is that in a civilised
country all this land should be thus left uncultivated 1"
But if he should be told that the few people that do exist
on it are absolutely a most starving for want of food, he
would no doubt exclaim, " Then, why on earth not cul-
tivate this waste land, and grow food for them as a re-
payment for their labour ?" (in ater still would be his
astonishment if told that it was the "civilised" state of
the country, or rather the laws of a civilised country,
prompted by and acted on by the selfislint ss of Mal),
which produced this desolalion and caused the want of
population. lie would naturally ask, "But how ?"
lie would cease to wonder when told what those laws
were, and he began to consider what was the natural
operation of cause and effect. Explain the Scotch
law of entail to him, and how the pride and stash-
ness of man, through it, had rendered vast tracts of
country unsaleable, affording no security for money,
whilst it but gave a life-interest to the possessor,
and often burdened him with charges which ren-
dered him, careless of improvement and helplessly
poor, inasmuch , as ho could neither sell nor
borrow money on his estate ; then explain to him the
provisions of the Scotch Poor-law, the effect of which is
to send off the youth and the vigour of the population to
give their strength to benefit other lands, whilst it leaves
the infirm and helpless chargeable on the land—" Ali, I
see," the foreigner would exclaim, as the light of this
precious " civilisation" broke in upon him, " the pro-
prietors of the soil have made themselves too poor to
cultivate it—to give employment to labour ; so the la-
bour that makes wealth goes elsewhere. Then, the in-
firm and helpless of the population being only left as a
burden on the poor proprietors, they try to get rid of the
people by clearing them off,' and proposing plans of
emigration to save their own pockets. This accounts
for the comparative thinness of the population. Ah, I
see. What an ingeniously perverse system of civilisa-
tion 1 How admirably calculated to exterminate the
people, to preserve the land in the condition in which it
was left by Noah after the flood, and to perpetuate
poverty, and helplessness, and misery! Surely barber-
ism is better than such civilisation."

But if such be the habitual condition of the population
of the highlands and islands of Scotland (and I do
not think that the truth of this description will be gain-
sayed), -what must be their condition now, when even
that scanty food, on which they contrive to exist in ordi-
nary years, in many parts has entirely failed? Even at
the tables of those who could purchase potatoes if they
were to be had, and at the hotels, I have not seen pota-
toes at dinner above once or twice during the last fort-
night; boiled rice and other vegetables have taken their
place.
I am assured by a large proprietor here, intimately
acquainted with the condition of the people of the
island, that out of a population of about 26,000, fully
20,000 persons depend for existence on the potato crop,
and that there is not above a month's consumption of
oatmeal grown in the island remaining. Neither is
there any employment whatever for the people, to
enable them to purchase food out of the profits of their
labour. The rental of the island is about 26,0001. a
year, or about 11. for each person. If the support of
20,000 of these poor people is to be derived from the
land, it is quite clear that the rental cannot support
them. This, then, is a great and peculiar emergency;
and, however much it is to be lamented that the island
is in such a state of uncultivation as to afford no em-
employment to the people, and that the proprietors can-
not give that employment, however willing so to do,
still it is incumbent on the Government to see that the
people do not starve.
One most wise measure of-the Government, and admi-
rably calculated to meet the peculiar condition of High-
land proprietors, so far as it extent* is the recent sta-
tute, the 9th and 10th of Victoria, c. 101. This statute
authorises the Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury,
upon the application of commissioners appointed to
carry the Act into execution, to advance out of the Con-
solidated Fund 2,000,000/. for Great Britain, and
1,000,000/. for Ireland, for the purpose of draining lands;
such advance to be made a prior rent-charge on the lands
drained, at the rate of 61 per cent. for the period of 22
years, when the principal is calculated to be redeemed,
and the rent-charge is to cease.
The execution, or carrying out of the Act, is, however,
subject to considerable, and no doubt, necessary delays;
whilst the emergency which presses is immediate. For
instance, by the Bth clause no advance of money can be
made in compliance with any application until the same
has been submitted to, and sanctioned by, the Com-
missioners of the Treasury. By the 16th clause, if the
Commissioners sanction the application, then the plan,
estimate, and specification of the proposed drainage must
be submttted to the Government surveyor appointed;
and by the 18th clause,.no certificate for the advance of
money shall be issued until nDtice of the application for
the advance shall have been published two successive
weeks in some local newspaper, and in the Gazette, and
until " two calendar months shall have elapsed from the
publication of the last of such advertisements," in order
that persons having charges upon the land should have
the opportunity of dissenting from such application if
they should think fit. Though these are very proper
-precautions, they consume much time, and are not fitted,
nor were they intended, for the present pressing emer-
gency.
Again, though draining will enormously benefit much
of the waste lands, and render them fit for cultivation,
yet in a majority of instances draining alone will not
suffice. The land wants trenching, and fencing, and
liming to make it properly productive, and to make it
give an adequate return for the outlay expended upon it.
But the poor proprietors, or a majority of them at least,
cannot afford a single pound for either trenching, or
fencing, or liming ; the poor people on the land neither
can nor will work for nothing. Hence this Act, though
a most-excellent measure, was not calculated to meet the
present emergency, nor yet does it go far enough in its
useful provisions.
Another and more serious view to be taken is, that
probably this failure in the potato crop may be per-
manent ; at all events, it behoves both proprietors of
land and the Government to take some precautionary
steps to avert such a calamity next year. Should
it turn out that the potato is becoming extinct, other
food must be grown as a substitute. But it will require
at least double the quantity of land now sown with
potatoes to produce a sufficiency of food to supply the
place of potatoes. This land in the highlands and islands
of Scotland is lying waste in abundance, by thousands of
acres; but the proprietors cannot of themselves gene-
rally afford to employ the labour upon it in trenching
and fencing, as well as draining, w hich will bring it into
cultivation, and the people will no do it unless they
are employed. Without some enabling measure, there-
fore, there is every prospect of a recurrence of dearth
next year.
Several proprietors with whom I have had the oppor-
tunity of conversing, express their readiness to charge
their estates in a similar manner to that authorised by
the statute 9 and 10 Victoria, c. 101, fur these objects, if
they can only get the money, satisfied that such im-
provements will immensely benefit themselves as well as
the people and the country generally. They urge the
necessity of an immediate advance of money for these
objects, in order to give employment and the means of
- obtaining food to the people; such advance to be sanc-
tioned by a retrospective Act of Parliament.
The proprietors, and the people too, with seeming
justice complain, now that Government grants are the
order of the day in Ireland for public works, " Why
should not we be also relieved ? We have suffered as
much by this calamity 113 the we are quite us

roor ; our people live in huts as miserable, and subsist
(-Meth, on pbtatoe,,, illicit have now failed them ; why
shou.lii we riot also get_pubje_grants as w ell as the Irish?
Is it laceause we are .peaceaLle and obey the laws—be-
cause we have neitherloldiers nor police among us, and
because we &knot perpetually shriek out our complaints,
but suffer in silence, that we are ,to be passed over and
suffered to starve unaided, whilst the Irish, who are no
worse off than ourselves, are rewarded for their turbu-
lence and defiance of all law by grants of public money?'
Such observations are quite general here, and are natu-
ral enough.
The people themselves' are extremely well conducted
and peaceable. But, appalled ,by the prospect before
:them, they are beginning , to discuss questions
which excite unpleasant apprehensions. They are
beginning to question the unlawfulness and sin-
fulness of helping themselves to food from the sheep
of tie farmers on the hills, nether than that they should.
starve. Such feelings can only be allayed by prompt
measures of relief. For the sake of the people them-,
selves such relief ought not to be eleemosynary, but in the
shape of employment which will enable them to purchase
food. There is here . the .greatest facility fer employ-
ment calculated to be productive of permanent profit and
advantage, 'but there is no capital—no means of setting
it agoing ; and withoUt that employment being given to
the people the prospect is frightful. They are abso-
lutely without food, or the possibility of getting it.
The chief proprietor of this part of the island is Mr.
M'Leod of 111.‘4eod ; in the parish of Duirinish, in
which this village stands, there is a population of 3,000
souls entirely depending upon him, the food <in- which
they relied having failed them. It is hardly to be ex-
pected that any one proprietor can undertake either to,
support or to give employment to so many persons out
of his own means. Mr. M'Leod has, however, com-
menced marking out allotments for the people, and
giving them employment in draining and trenching, re-
lying on the aid of the Government. The efforts, how-
ever, of any one individual are feeble, and insufficient to
meet such an emergency ; and, however much we may
deprecate the existence of such a state of society aB here
prevails—the want of persevering industry of the people
and the absence of all enterprise—or the unwise and in-
judicious laws which have tended to such a result, yet
the people must not be permitted to starve, nor be al-
lowed by the pressure of want to be driven to acts of
desperation. The prevention of these evils is the duty
of the Government ; and by its efforts to meet the same
mischiefs in Ireland, where there is a louder complaint,
it would be unfair to assume that it will shrink from
meeting the difficulty here, when that difficulty shall be
made known, backed as it is by that best of all recom-
mendations, a peaceful, a well-disposed, and deserving
people in want.