The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-14 00:00:00

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iir-1
-i -7-er I\o* TZ
They have been driven from comfortable 1 silli_:s' ); ):744 i 44
work of from 10 to 15 years of arduous 1a:1:44,, -44) /;;Irsi
011 among strangers. Their farm-buildiAiri i)-7/C,,,
-.3.c.,,W
,unt, their cattle driven off by maeautOg ri -„-
pf the insurgent natives. Efforts axe making '4
!raise funds for their relief. Them, efforts
doubt not, be successful, though the • first
-.eking was held without due publicity, so . that
those persons here most attached to New Zile. land
were prevented from attending by ignorance of the
intended meeting

be?"
parties
here ti
will,

(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.)
SYDNEY, SEPT. 21:

The insurrection in New Zealand shows no signia
at present of approaching its termination, thought
the war may be said to have entered on a new'
phase. It is reported that on General Pratt's first
arrival he found himself somewhat hampered by the
restrictions placed on military movements by the
Governor. But he paid a visit to Auckland, and.
had a conference with his Excellency, and all diffi-
culties, if there had been any, were removed. He
returned to Taranaki at full liberty to act on his
discretion. His first act was to accelerate the de-
parture of the women and children to Nelson, ,so as
reduce the town to a mere military post. An attack
on the town has always been threatened by the
natives, and the necessity for leaving adequate pro-
tection for it, besides manning the stockades to the
north and south of the town, distant several mfles
from each other, was Colonel Gold's excuse for nog,
concentrating all his force to drive the natives from
their pahs. It is saidthat General Pratt quite jus-
tifies him in the general policy of,caution which he
has pursued. The force now in hand being, how-
ever, sufficiently strong and quite disposable, it WI'S
determined that the natives should no longer de-
fiantly occupy the pahs they had constructed..
Accordingly, on the 10th of September, the Cotn-
mander-in-Chief set out, 1,400 strong, to attack.
Wirimu Kingi on the Waitara. They left town in
the afternoon, and camped about four miles from
the- scene of anticipated hostilities. Early next
morning an advance was made, a few shots were
fired at the pah, which was then rushed, and found
empty. It was soon demolished and burnt, though
the strength and skill displayed in its construction
elicited the admiration of its captors. The enemy,
however, though they had deserted their artificial
defences, were not far off, and had taken refuge in.
their natural defence —the bush. This was soon
found out, for a party being thrown forward to ex-
amine. another pah close to the edge of the forest
was received with a sharp fire, in which one mats
was killed and two wounded. The fire was returned,
and the party fell back, but they did not bring
their fallen comrade with them. His body, together
with his rifle and ammunition, fell as a trophy to
the natives, as well as an officer's sword which was
dropped. The fire being kept up briskly from the
bush, shot and shell were thrown in vigorously on
the spot whence smoke was seen to issue, but with
what result it is not known, for the General would.
not allow his men to be drawn into the bush, where
they would be much more likely to get damage than
to do it. The tangled undergrowth of the forest
makes it particularly impenetrable •by an ordinary
soldier with his accoutrements, while the fern pros-
trated in many places by the prevalent high winds,
and matted together, forms an excellent cover for a
crouching rifleman. If the natives were not noto-
riously shoekiig bad marksmen, they must have
done much more execution, as they allowed the men
to come pretty close to the edge of the bush before
opening fire. The troops kept up their return fire
till noon, when they retired to camp, returning to
town the next day. How many natives there were
in hiding in the skirts of the bush it is impossible
to say, but it is probable that there were not
many. Some of Kingi's followers have returned
to their cultivations to plant their crops, for
they cannot afford to let the season pass over,
or they would be hereafter in want of food ;
and the party of the Waikatos have returned
for the present to their own country. A mili-
tary promenade to the south has been also under-
taken, and with similary nugatory results. The
enemy had every where disappeared, and the de-
serted pahs were destroyed. This is the position in
which matters stand at present. A military force is
assembled quite equal in numbers to the whole of
Wirimu Kingi's following, and far superior in
( quipment. But the enemy will not come out.
While the limited and scattered force was unable
to take the field and punish aggression, the natives
were bold. They built their pahs on Crown lands
or settlers' farms, and carried their maraudings to
within a mile of the town. But now that they are
overmatched in force they retire behind the margin
of the bush, ready to appear at any moment when
they can do so with impunity,and safe in their shel-
ter against any regular military attack. At this
rate the war may last for an indefinite time.
It is satisfactory, however, to find. that, in spite
of the inducements afforded by, an indecisive war,
the insurrection does not spread. The Walkatos, as
a tribe, have not joined Kingi, and it is confidently
affirmed that they will not. At the same time, they
are showing their attachment to the Maori idea by
electing the son of Potatau, their late chief, to the
office of King, vacant by his death. This is done,
too, in opposition to the remonstrance of the Gover-
nor. The king movement was tolerated in the first
instance as a harmless fancy, but recent events have
shown that it is capable of a dangerous application.
The Government would like to see it die a natural
death, but compliance with this view cannot be en-
forced under present circumstances.
The native conference near Auckland closed in
the middle of August, the results of which are thus
described by the .New Zealander:—
" The assembly of the native chiefs was
his Excellency the Governor, with the osewdinbyg
rspead t
eecho the
aMe translationamoreietingbyMr.
of which was s
the
eerwnaatrivdes
secretary) :
Zealand
conference chiefs from as
" My friends, Np
to ether. You have
eawrtsZeoaflaNned;
met g
chiefs ofll
ed assurances of her
rheacveeiv,
ef odr f trho
me firstme renewed
mn
eew,
Ma-
jesty's regard for your
thewelfa treaty of re,andyouhave
.heard
the guarantees given inWaitangi
repeatedo Majesty's behalf. Various matters
up
on were imperfectly or incorrectly
nwhich on hery
informed have been explained to you. Your atten-
tionhas been directed to the necessity of some
better administration of justice in native districts,
and a code of rules prepared by Dr. Martin (the
late Chief Justice of New Zealand) has been sub-
mitted td you. You have been invited to consider
the subject of mixed juries in cases of murder
where persons of the Maori race were concerned.
Suggestions have been made to you for defining
tribal boundaries to land, and securing individual
titles, with the view of removing many of the
difficulties at present surrounding native title. The
English law of succession to property, and the
manner of making a will as a means of preventing
future litigation, have been explained to you. You
have been requested to state your sentiments and
wishes freely, and to make known your grievances,
in order that (if possible) they might' be redressed.
The circumstances which have led to the present
disturbances at Taranaki have (at your request)
been explained to you ; and I think it right to
repeat that I was forced into this war by the ag-
gression of Wirumi Kingi, much against my will;
that I desire peace, but it must be peace based on
'the establishment of law and order in the place of
•
murder and outrage—peace which will enable the
Pakeha and the Maori to live together in quiet, and
without fear or distrust of each
of
othe r.
affecting the interests and welfare _ your
u r Nothingrace
has
been concealed from you, and I doubt not you are
to the Europeans which
quite sincere in the sentiments of loyalty to her
'Majesty and friendship to
I trust, therefore,
rove to have been the
tylovut t havethis se7ngi feenreernaceYweixlPlP
means of resteringandcsotnrevningetelidenoifnhgereNoinafiidesetnye,eB
between the two races.
desire that her our
y
to correctret any homes reassured, , and enabled ects should livepeace, you
false impressions which may still
linger in the thoughts of your people."
urnto
wiil

Mr. Rarey concluded his second. Government
class of twenty five at Aldershott, last Thursday, and sails
with Cruiser for America in the course of a fortnight.