THE FRONT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 156, 8 January 1864, Page 3

THE FRONT.

(From the Daily Southern Cross, January 6). Important movements are now going on at the Front, and it is not at all improbable that before long the public mind, which has enjoyed a somewhat lengthened repose, will be startled by an account of another engagement with the rebels. It may, or may not, be another Rangariri-—that will depend upon the strength of the native position, of which we have few particulars as yet; but it is seen from the General’s camp, a short distance beyond Whatawhata. Judging from information we have received, there would appear to be no doubt that the rebels—the Ngatimaniapotos—intend to make a stand. Reinforcements, it is said, have gone up to them from Waikato, and the rebels, it is stated, have not only one, but several, formidable positions, which, if not equal, vie in strength, with that of Rangariri. The Ngatimaniapotos would probably think prudence the better part of valor were it not that they find themselves so closely pressed by the General, who, with the troops which have moved forward recently, must now have nearly two thousand men at his disposal, exclusive of the Raglan force who are occupying the road from Raglan towards the General’s position This latter, as will be seen elsewhere, will be augmented by 400 men of the the 50th, who left the Manukau in the Alexandra, yesterday morning early. What will be the result of all this, time, of course, only can reveal, but there is every reason to believe, as we have said, that the General is on the eve of another engagement with the rebels, and which we earnestly hope will be still more decisive in crushing the rebellion. The following letter, which has been forwarded to us for publication, will describe more in detail the movements we have referred to :

Witukaramea, January 2. The General and forces, consisting of detachments of the 65th and 40th Regiments, left Ngaruawahia at 6 a.m. on the 28th December, being relieved by 180 men of the 12 Regiment. Arrived at Whata Whata, distant 13 miles, at 3‘30 p.m. same day. Left Whata Whata on the morning of the Ist of January, and arrived at the camp as above at 9 o’clock a.m. this day. The reason the general left Whata Whata was that there was too much bush around the camp, and three hundred men were on duty night and day in the bush. The place where we are now is a level bit of ground for camping upon. The 12th arrived here the same day; the force out here now being eight hundred strong. The marching here was very hard work. Whata Whata is 8 miles from Ngaruawahia, but the men had to march 13 miles before they got there—over hills, round swamps, across rivers, and back almost to the place we left, or nearly so, without a halt. I now learn this place is ten miles from Raglan and 17 from the rebel position. The General and staff saw it by the aid of a glass from the camp. The forces at present stationed at Raglan are to bo in the rear, and will furnish the guns, as they have better conveyance for them than we have. ” The little steamer Avon accompanied the force up the river. The stream becomes narrower (though .1 believe deeper) the further we go up; and I think the Pioneer might come up—but she would never turn to go down by the river again. She is at present of little, if any use to the force. Wo have' heard that she is broken down again—something wrong with her engine. The strength of the Raglan forces is to be augumented to a thousand men.