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Acebuche by the commencement of the flood, with which she will probably reach Tarifa, under shelter of which she will anchor and again wait change of tide.

With the next flood she is under sail and working up for Tarifa, taking care always to keep within the limits of the counter current. If she finds this cannot be done, she crosses the strait and works up on the African coast with the favouring tide, and anchors in one of the places mentioned, when this is against her continuing on this shore until she reaches Tangier Bay. But the Spanish coast should not be abandoned for the African, unless it is found impossible to reach the island of Tarifa, either from there being much wind, or from this hauling to the S. W. At all events, Tarifa should not be abandoned until the vessel is off it, and the tide increases, or there is a certainty of weathering Point Cires, for if she falls to leeward of it, it becomes very difficult to gain the bay of Algeciras. Having weathered Point Cires, she will work within the counter current, and near the shore, to avail herself of some slants of wind which might come from the coves, and will double Point Malabata and gain Tangier Bay; from whence, availing herself of a single flood, it will be easy to regain the Spanish coast. A vessel once having gained the meridian of Tangier will find less current and more manageable winds, which are never so strong here as in the narrow of Tarifa.

If keeping the Spanish coast the vessel succeeds in doubling Tarifa, she will continue working up in the bay of Lances while the tide continues favourable, gaining perhaps as far as South of La Pena tower, from whence if she has not sufficient experience to work inside the Cabezos, she will cross to the African coast, to work up under that as above directed.

If after passing Tarifa the wind hauls to W.N.W. or N.W., she should by no means abandon the Spanish coast, rather anchoring off it when the ebb begins, and getting under sail the moment the flood makes, either working inside the Cabezos, if she knows how to do so, or if not, passing outside of them. The bearings and marks given previously, will point out the precautions to be taken for avoiding these dangers. If the wind hauls to W.S.W. or S.W. the Spanish coast should still be kept, even if she has to remain constantly under sail, for by crossing the strait for the African coast, she will run the risk with the wind so scant of falling far to leeward.

If from any cause a vessel should, with westerly winds, make the coast about Almina de Ceuta, instead of Europa Point, she may recover herself by working up on the African coast, within the limits of the counter current, keeping at anchor during the ebb. But all this world be very trying for vessels of any considerable draught of water, for the short and repeated boards they would have to make, are only practicable with spring tides. This can only be done with advantage by fishing boats and feluccas. But if instead of West the wind should be S.W., the gaining of westing would be easier, because the numerous coves of the African coast give good slants with S.W. winds, and the craft lays up better.

NO 4.-VOL. XXXII.

2 B

A vessel finding herself to the southward of Ceuta, with westerly winds, and desirous of taking Algeciras Bay, should work between Points S. Catalina and Cires, availing herself of the flood, and when off the latter should cross the strait with all the sail she can carry, not hugging the wind, so as to lose as little as possible in crossing, and she will perhaps reach it something to leeward of Point Carnero.

Generally speaking, vessels that can make free with the points, and are managed by good pilots, will pass the strait from East to West, whenever the wind (although foul) is manageable, and they can use the whole flood, and they will make the passage the more rapidly the nearer it is to spring tides. With neaps and westerly winds, no vessel of any size should make the attempt. The Spanish coasters when working to windward in the strait, against westerly winds, get under sail an hour after the moon rises, when the flood has gathered some strength.

The greatest difficulty is in gaining the meridian of Tangier, where the general current is not so strong, and the winds more moderate. If the vessel be bound to Cadiz, or another place on the Spanish coast, she has nothing more to do than to make a long board towards it, and work up off it. But if she is bound to the western coast of Africa, she should work along the African coast, between Tangier and Cape Espartel, and when she has reached this cape she can adopt any course that is desired,

JOURNAL OF CAPTAIN CRACROFT, C.B., OF H.M.S. "NIGER."-New

Zealand.

(Continued from page 123).

The township of Drury is called after my old friend Byron Drury, late Captain of the Pandora, to whom this colony owes so much for his admirable survey of its coasts. It is pleasantly situated at the foot of a range of noble hills, commanding a superb view. Here is situated the mine belonging to the Waihoihoi Coal Company, a sample of whose produce I tested last March. The undertaking does not appear to be in a very flourishing state at present, although it is struggling manfully against serious difficulties, the greatest of all being that of procuring transport from the pit mouth to the place of shipment at Slippery Creek, a distance of barely three miles and a quarter. However, there is some prospect of a tramway being laid down, when the directors say they will be prepared to supply a hundred and fifty tons a week, and deliver it at Auckland at 32s. 6d. a ton, or 25s. at Onehunga.

Being desirous of having the most correct information of the state of the undertaking, I directed Mr. Rock, our chief engineer, to meet me here for the purpose of inspecting the workings. These are simple enough: a tunnel runs into the hill-side piercing the seam, which has

a slight inclination, so that the loaded trucks require very little force to propel them, and the drainage costs nothing. In some places the seam is thick enough to enable a man to stand upright; in others it does not appear more than five feet in thickness. Iron ore is abundant, and very rich in quality; a lump was given me taken out of the seam which was considered to contain full ninety per cent. of metal. Fire clay of a very valuable description has also been discovered in the neighbourhood, and altogether the prospects of Drury are very promising.

I passed the night at a very comfortable house, the Farmers' Hotel, and returned to Auckland via Papakura and Otahu-hu, taking the news to the Governor (brought by Dr. Patrick before starting) of a peaceful termination, chiefly owing to the tact of Archdeacon Maunsell, to the meeting at Patumahoe.

November 1st.-Notwithstanding the decision arrived at by the native assessors and chiefs assembled to investigate into the death of Eretta, the Maori found dead in the bush, who came to the conclusion that the unfortunate man shot himself accidentally, the more violent and ill-disposed natives residing in this immediate neighbourhood (Onehunga) have endeavoured to keep up an agitation on the subject, and have been roaming about in a state of great excitement in bands upwards of a hundred strong, armed to the teeth, each man with his double barrelled gun and tomahawk. They held a meeting at Pukaki last week, and although, thanks to Mr. Rogan's dexterity, and Bishop Selwyn's and the Rev. Mr. Purchas's influence, no outbreak took place, the country was on the very verge of being in a flame. The government, in anticipation of the worst, had sent a vessel up the Mokau Creek to bring the settlers away from that exposed locality, and they were actually on board, but were fortunately prevented from leaving, which would have exposed their property, homesteads, &c., to certain destruction. And now things seem to be settling down into comparative quiet; but it is impossible to shut my eyes to the fact that the peace of this province hangs by a thread. And here I cannot help adverting to a subject to which my attention has been more than once directed since this unhappy war broke out, namely, that whenever any disputes have arisen between the natives and the settlers, the clergy have been always applied to immediately to use their influence to prevent a collision. But notwithstanding the success that has so far invariably attended their efforts, they appear to have received little credit from those who have called upon their services: indeed the contrary has been the case, and with no little indignation I have heard language applied to the conduct of that noble minded man, Bishop Selwyn, even in a place which I consider the last where such language ought to have been tolerated!

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In that place it has become the fashion to heap upon his lordship very bitter aspersions for the part it is pretended he has taken with regard to the present war: there he is regarded as little less than a traitor, a turbulent priest, intermeddling with the affairs of state, denouncing the Governor, and countenancing the natives in their

rebellion. But what is the truth? So far from intermeddling with the Governor's policy, he had abstained from even offering an opinion upon it before the war commenced; and when he did so, after it was too late to recede from hostilities, it was only because he was asked by the Governor to give it. So far from inciting the natives to rebellion, denouncing the Governor to influential friends in England, or using any interest for the purpose of embarrassing his Excellency, he had absolutely refrained from writing home at all to influential quarters, lest he should be even suspected of having taken underhand proceedings. What a contrast indeed does his lordship's conduct present to that of some of his traducers! He values the opinion of his fellow countrymen, because he knows that his power for good depends upon their appreciation of his honesty of purpose, yet he carefully avoids any action by which he might appear to court applause. He evidently always acts upon the conviction that a straightforward course must bring with it, at some time or other, its own justification, and perseveringly does what he believes to be right, however much he may fall for the moment in public opinion. And so, in spite of the denunciations of a contemptible camarilla, there is no man who commands greater respect in this colony than the Bishop of New Zealand!

November 5th.-Some very interesting evidence has been lately taken by a committee appointed by the House of Assembly to inquire into Mr. Fenton's proceedings when employed as a magistrate in the Waikato district, and the result has been an exposé most damaging to the reputation of the present Governor's advisers.

I believe firmly, that the native King movement, which had its rise in this district, might most easily have been nipped in the bud in its early stages, when its adherents were few, when only slowly, and one by one, not without much persuasion, chief after chief was won over to join it. In those early days, a vigilant, active, and sagacious native government might by judicious conduct, (even a few words of discouragement from the Governor himself,) might have prevented the accumulation of this political snowball, which through contempt or carelessness has been suffered to roll on, till its dimensions, swollen by discontent at the proceedings of our native department, bid fair to embroil this country in a war of races, the very result which, since the first day of its colonization, it has been the humane and consistent object of England's policy to avert. But a laissez aller policy seems to have obtained, and what are the results? A land league that in volves the very existence of the colony, on the northern island at all events, and our Queen's supremacy openly put forth as a possible casus belli! And where is this to end? Something must be done, and that soon, for these Waikatos are virtually waging war against us. A large party of their best fighting men went down to Taranaki not long ago to assist W. Kingi, and it appears to be the policy of the government to take no notice of it, but to allow them to expend their hostility against us there instead of nearer Auckland. This very significant fact is quite sufficient to indicate the channel into which the native mind has unfortunately been turned.

Thursday, November 8th.-The Victoria arrived yesterday, bringing intelligence of an action having been fought between our troops and the Waikato ratives who went down to Taranaki, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of nearly fifty men killed, wounded, and prisoners. They appear to have been taken by surprise in an old pah called Mahoetahi, situated on a hill partly surrounded by a swamp, about midway between the Bell Block and the Waitara; the affair lasted two hours; the natives made a stout resistance at first, but finding themselves surrounded, retreated to the swamp, where they were nearly all shot down, very few, it is said, succeeded in getting away. Our casualties amounted to four killed and sixteen wounded.

This news caused much excitement in Auckland: a perfect panic in one quarter. And acting under a vague impression that the Waikatos would exact "utu" for their losses in this province, an order was sent over to me this afternoon to start for Taranaki forthwith, and bring up as many men as I can stow for the defence of the capital, in case a descent should be made on it. Captain Norman of the Victoria, is directed to proceed on a similar errand.

Lit fires, and got everything ready for a start; but before the steam was half raised, it was blowing too hard to venture to move. An easterly gale (they come on very rapidly) had set in, veering as usual to N.E., and it would have been madness to have started a chain. The night that followed was fearful, the wind howled, and the rain poured down in perfect torrents.

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Friday, November 9th.-At daylight the gale had broken, but it still blew hard in the squalls. Slipped the stern chain, and before five o'clock the anchors were at the bows, and we stood down the Manukau. The weather was very thick, and we ran into a fog after rounding Popunga, but caught sight first of the Victoria, which got away yesterday just as I received my orders, and had to stop here, off the Huia, all night. I was just going to anchor also, as it seemed impossible to proceed, when the fog lifted a little, and we got a glimpse of Paratutai, so I determined to stand on and take the chance of seeing the marks, and the Victoria was not long in following us. About eight o'clock we crossed the bar, the water perfectly smooth, and made sail as soon as the course was shaped to a very light north-wester. Set all starboard studding sails and royals; the Victoria about two miles astern, but coming up gradually under all the sail she could set, and evidently doing her best in the engine-room. The struggle for the superiority of speed now began in earnest, the rate (a little under eleven knots) of both vessels being nearly equal. About 4h. p.m., while we were clearing out our fires, and the steam very low in consequence, she crawled up alongside, and eventually crossed our bows; but this was the last expiring effort, for she dropped astern again im mediately, and never came up afterwards, being full two miles and a half astern at nightfall.

About 8h. p.m. we saw the lights of Taranaki, and dropped the anchor at 8h. 30m., having been only fifteen hours and a half from One

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