TWENTY-FIVE STAND OF ARMS TAKEN BY THE NATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 139, 11 September 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

TWENTY-FIVE STAND OF ARMS TAKEN BY THE NATIVES.

TWO OF THE 40th KILLED

The Telegraph, Captain Pope, from England, via Auckland, arrived in port yesterday

morning, bringing thirteen passengers, ami about GOO tons of cargo. Ry this arrival we have Auckland papers to tlie 27th ult.

.Reinforcements were beginning to arrive from Australia, Lieut.-Col. Carey, 2 officers, 53 rank ami file having arrived in the Claude Hamilton from Sydney, ami more were shortly expected.

The New Zealand Volunteer movement was progressing favorably in Melbourne over 300 names having been registered on the 17th ult.

Nothing of importance had occurred at the seat of war, with the exception of the following skirmish on the 25th ult. To-day (Tuesday) at about II o’clock a.m., two men who were engaged felling timber for the purpose of clearing the bush from the Great South Road, observed several Maoris passing through the bush to the rear, and making towards the working party of the 40th regiment, at the bend of the road on the right, beyond the camp at Williamson's clearing. The bush, at this place, comes out towards the line of road in a sharp corner, and was at all times a locality where an ambush could be easily laid. The two bushmen referred to threw down their axes, and ran to the road, for the purpose of apprising the escort, which was then coming up the line from Drury. The natives fired between 20 and 30 shots at them, but without effect. The bushmen made their way good, and reported the circumstance to the officer in command of the escort, who ordered an immediate advance.

The Maories, in the meantime, went straight to that part of the road where the arms of the working party of the 40th regt. wore piled ; and the escort arrived just in time to see the natives carry off twentythree stand of arms. The escort fired into the retreating party, hilling two of the Maoris; a third was shot by a soldier through the exertions of a dog of • the blood-hound breed, which belongs to one of the bush party, and which arrested the Maori, pulling him to the ground, and rendering it impossible for him to get away before the escort came up, when one of them shot him. The body of this native was lying on the roadside shortly after the affair; the remaining corpses of tb.e enemy were lying where they fell, off the highway a considerable distance. • The enemy returned the tire of the escort, wounding private Laurence Clover, 18th regt., (Loyal Irish), severely in the leg. The Maories, on going up to the pile of arms, it appears took possession, firing a volley at ilie working party of the 40th regt., killing two men on the spot. One of these is private Giveny, 40th regt., and another is a private of the same regt., whose name I could not ascertain. Giveny joined the corps in Melbourne. He had two bullet wounds on his body—one through the breast, another through the thigh. The second of our killed was shot in the breast.