MEREMERE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 145, 23 October 1863, Page 4

MEREMERE.

We (Wellington Independent) are indebted to the Southern Monthly Magazine for a very clearly written description of Mere Mere, the present fortified position of the rebel Maoris. Very possibly many people feel naturally impatient and anxious to learn that the great coup of the war has been made through this place being attacked, but a perusal of the following quotation will show the necessity of employing a large force to prevent the escape of the natives when the assault is made. Jt is plainly this reason, as well as the late delay for the gunboat, that has caused the General to wait:—

“It may bo interesting if we give the public some detailed description of the situation of the great fortified position of Mere Mere now held by the natives, in front of our advanced posts, towards the Upper Waikato. This very strong position was well known to Waikato tourists long before an invasion of tho sacred river had entered the mind of the most fur-seeing colonial politician. It was then the site of a small Maori village, where travellers were wont to get a hospitable reception and leave to rest, if the insect tribes did not conspire too strongly to prevent them from carrying their design into execution. Its great natural advantages of position as a fortress could scarcely be expected to escape the military eye of the natives >vhen once reduced to casting about in their minds for the best means of repelling a European invasion. It was accordingly taken possession of by the natives in force, about the tenth of August and they at once set to work with great energy to heighten all its natural advantages, and to, as far as possible, obviate its defects.

The position of Mere Mere is formed by the extreme end of a ridge of hills that stretch in very irregular masses in a direction almost duo northeast, and only prevented from being parallel with the Waikato by that river’s taking a bend to the westward just above the village. On either side of this range the land is almost as low as the river bed level, and is consequently covered for a considerable distance with a dreary sea of rushes and swamp grasses, hiding an impassable morass, and only here and there varied, we can scarcely sav relieved, by the existence of belts of kahikatia or white pine trees, which grow grey, tall, and desolate looking, from the unstable soil along The river’s hank. The hill of Mere Mere itself"may he said to be unwooded, and merely covered hv scrub and fern, which afford but slight and insufficient cover against an enemv. It, however, rises with considerable abruptness from the river’s bank, upon which its abuts for a short distance, and forms even a good, although a very limited, landing place. Its slope, like that of all New Zealand hills, is not regular, but of that conformation which may be almost called terraced : and of this full advantage has been taken by the native engineers. At first there were but three lines of rifle-pits formed, although since then, great additions and improvements have been made in the plans of defence. The lines of rifle-pits may roughly be said to be three, although it can only be an approximation to the truth to speak of them as lines of pits at all, where every various slope of the ground is made use of to give another flanking angle. The first of these is on a level with the river, and would prove very troublesome, and even destructive, to any force attempting to land, unless covered by a heavy fire from.vessels in the stream. The second and third lines are so arranged as to command the face of the hill, and sweep, if need be, any enemy who had passed tho first line, back again in confusion. Probably, however, the first line being stormed, the principal danger would be over, as, when our troops could once form, it would scarcely be native mnsketry that would throw them into confusion, much Jess cause a retreat. The great strength of the place, however, lies in its inaccessibility from all but one direction. The belt of swampv land that intervenes between the base of tho hill and the Whangamarino river, although not wide enough to prevent our throwing shells into the position, is quite wide enough to render a passage across it impossible. If, therefore, the natives are to be prevented from escaping, the only way is to secure the path to Paparata, which goes along the ridge of hills, and involves necessarily a long detour for our troops through a difficult and hostile country. That this will be made and that the General will, when the fitting moment arrives, storm the position, is by no moans a matter of doubt; but at present, it is, and the probability is that it will hereafter remain the most interesting locality upon the Waikato, as being the most formidable position that presents itself for defence by the natives, or for storm by her Majesty’s forces. Our sketch, it will be observed, was taken from the river, on the second occasion on which the Avon gunboat made a reconnaisance of the position. The lines, as we have said, were at that time only in progress, and to form a correct idea of the defensive works of Mere Mere, the reader must so far task his imagination as to suppose the rifle pits very considerably multiplied, especially from the slope of the hill towards the left of the picture.