Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"I feel most deeply impressed with the magnitude and difficulty of the task which has devolved upon me; and I must in the present crisis look, not only to yourselves, but to the inhabitants of New Zealand generally, for confidence and active assistance.

"You may rely that my sole aim and object shall be to settle upon a sure and lasting basis the interests of yourselves and of your children, and to give effect to her Majesty's wise and benevolent desires for the peace and happiness of all her Majesty's subjects in this interesting portion of her empire, and upon which the regards of so large a portion of the civilized world are now anxiously fixed."

The new Governor immediately adopted active measures against the refractory native chiefs. On his arrival at the Bay of Islands, he found that negotiations were pending between his predecessor and them; but as these seemed likely to lead to no good result, and the chiefs were preparing for offensive operations, he demanded an immediate answer to the proposals of Captain Fitzroy. Further delay taking place, the Governor broke off the negotiation, and forthwith commenced hostilities. On the 14th of December, a body of about 1,100 men, consisting of soldiers and sailors, assisted by a number of friendly chiefs and their tribes, marched under the command of Colonel Despard against the strongly fortified pah or camp of Kawiti, one of the rebel chieftains. Colonel Despard's first care was to erect two stockades in front of the pah, upon which he mounted his artillery.

During the construction of the works, shells and rockets were thrown into the pah; but the de

cisive attack occurred on the 10th and 11th of January. "On the morning of the 10th," to quote the narrative of Colonel Despard, "our advanced batteries being completed-(one within 350 yards, and the second about 160 yards off the pah)-a general fire was commenced from all the guns, with the view of opening a breach into the place; and several rockets were thrown into it at the same time, for the purpose of driving the enemy out. The fire was kept up with little intermission during the greater part of the day; and towards evening it was evident that the outer works on those parts against which the fire was directed were nearly all giving way; but the numerous stockades inside, crossing the place in different directions, and composed of much stronger timbers, were scarcely touched. Towards evening our fire slackened, and was only continued occasionally during the night, to prevent the enemy attempting to repair the breaches that had been made. On the following morning, the 11th, no person being observed moving within the pah, a few of our native allies, under а chief named William Waka, a brother of Tomaiti Waka Nene, went up to the place, for the purpose of observing whether or not the enemy had evacuated it. This party entered the breach unopposed; which being perceived from the nearest battery, a party of 100 men of the troops, under Captain Denny, was pushed up rapidly, and, together with the natives, gained the inside of the stockades before they were perceived by the enemy, who at the time were sheltering themselves from the fire of our guns on a sloping piece of ground in one of

their outworks. Our parties had scarcely gained the inside when they were noticed by the enemy, and a heavy fire of musketry instantly poured in upon them. The stockades, however, now became our protection; and, strong reinforcements being immediately brought up from camp, possession of the place was secured, in spite of all the efforts of the enemy to drive us back, being obliged to retreat and shelter himself in a wood opposite the east face of the pah; where, the trees being extremely large and forming complete breastworks, many of them having been cut down previously, and evidently purposely placed in a defensive position, he was enabled to maintain a heavy fire against us for a considerable time, until, a doorway in that face having been broken open, the seamen and troops rushed out and dislodged him from his position. He, however, still continued to keep up a fire from the woods, but more with a view to cover his retreat, and enable him to carry away his wounded men, than with any expectation of renewing the contest. The attack commenced about ten o'clock A.M., and all firing had ceased about two o'clock P.M. The extraordinary strength of this place, particularly in its interior defences, far exceeded any idea I could have formed of it. Every hut was a complete fortress in itself, being strongly stockaded all round with heavy timbers sunk deep in the ground, and placed close to each other, few of them being less than one foot in dia

meter, and many considerably more, besides having a strong embankment thrown up behind them. Each hut had also a deep excavation close to it, making it completely bomb-proof, and sufficiently large to contain several people, where at night they were completely sheltered from both shot and shell. The enemy's loss has been severe, and several chiefs on their side have fallen: the numbers I have not been able to ascertain, as they invariably carry off both killed and wounded when possible. Several of the former were, however, left behind; and it has been decidedly ascertained, from a wounded prisoner, that the chief Heki had joined Kawiti in the pah on the afternoon preceding the attack."

Our loss on this occasion amounted to twelve men killed and thirty wounded. The result of our success was the immediate submission of the hostile chiefs, which was publicly notified by a proclamation of the Governor, dated the 23rd of January. A free pardon was thereby granted in the following terms:-"The Governor has thought proper to give effect to Her Majesty's earnest desire for the happiness and welfare of her native subjects in New Zealand, by granting a free pardon to all concerned in the late rebellion, who may now return in peace and safety to their houses; where, so long as they conduct themselves properly, they shall remain unmolested in their persons and properties."

CHRONICLE.

CHRONICLE.

JANUARY, 1846.

MATEUR THEATRICALS.

3. -The distinguished literati whose admirable performance of Johnson's Every Man in his Humour, is recorded in our Chronicle for 1845, p. 145, this night represented Fletcher's comedy, The Elder Brother, at the St. James's Theatre, for the benefit of the much esteemed actress, Miss Kelly. The comedy went off exceedingly well. Mr. Forster as Charles, the Elder Brother, Mr. Charles Dickens as Eustace, the younger, Mr. Mark Lemon as the uncle, and Mr. Douglas Jerrold as the servant Andrew, deserved and obtained much applause. The amateurs played, as an afterpiece, the farce of Comfortable Lodgings, in which Mr. C. Dickens, as Sir Hip. pington Miff, proved himself a first rate farçeur. The other characters were capitally sustained by Messrs. Mark Lemon, Forster, Stone, Leech, George Cruikshank, and Wells. In emulation of the Authors, the Artists got up a representation on behalf of the Artists' Benevolent Fund, which, unlike most imitations, met with great success. The play chosen was Morton's comedy, The School of Reform. As might be anticipated, VOL. LXXXVIII.

the characters were admirably costumed. The principal and most difficult part, Tyke, was played with a degree of power and pathos that would have established the reputation of an actor by profession, and with an air of naturalness that only spontaneous feeling and histrionic skill combined can produce. The audience were taken quite by surprise; and, but that the person of Mr. Topham, the water-colour painter, was well known, it might have been supposed that an actor of celebrity had been engaged to fill this important part. The Yorkshire dialect, and the half-clownish, halfswaggering manner of the cunning country knave, were admirably well assumed; and the alternations of roguish cunning and remorse were expressed with homely truth. Mr. Topham has not sufficient physical power to give full effect to his conception; but what his personation wanted in force was supplied by feeling: his expression of the agonizing tortures of mind that choke the utterance of Tyke, and make him writhe with anguish, was intense without rant. The wild, frantic burst of joy, dashed with shame, with which

B

« AnteriorContinuar »