There is, again, very bad news from New Zealand. The
natives exiled to the Chatham Islands, headed by a "Han Han" prophet, escaped from those islands on the 4th of July, seized an English vessel, and compelled the crew to navigate them to Poverty Bay, in New Zealand. There were in all 163 men, 61 women, and 71 children, not, one would say, a very formidable force. 130 volunteers, under Colonel Whitmore, pursued them on landing, and hung on their track without any success in retaking them,—the pursuit being, as a whole, full of disaster, especially in its ultimate failure, which is a great encouragement to the natives. On the west coast there has been still greater disaster. Two engagements have occurred, in only one of which we were successful, and in the other (on September 7) defeated with considerable loss,-14 dead (including five officers) and others (number not known) wounded. The natives appear to have been strongly posted in rifle pits, and to have fired from the tops of trees also, on our advancing party. If the colonists did not immediately gain some great success, there would be much reason to fear another general Maori revolt.
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