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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 231, 24 February 1865, Page 3

THE WEST COAST CAMPAIGN. (From the Daily Southern Cross.) It -will bo seen by the Wanganui news tha General Cameron has not been long in making a forward movement, and has now established his head-quarters camp on the north bank of the WaHotara. The vain boasting of the rebels that they would bo able to successfully oppose his passage, has therefore ended as it might be-supposed it would ; General Cameron now having complete command of both banks of the river from the mouth np to within an easy distance of the Weroroa pa. As might bo supposed the movement was sudden, and effected under the cover of the night. The first division, accompanied by the General, marched from Nukumaru on the night of the 9th instant, and taking a westerly direction crossed the Waitolara about midnight near the sea, and was followed by a reinforcement, which arrived at head-quarters at an early hour next morning. Accounts differ as to the number of troops who crossed the river, and are now on the left or Taranaki side of it, but wo are led to judge that they are considerably over one thousand men. Here a redoubt was being erected at about a mils from the beach ; and almost immediately opposite it, on the Wanganui side of the river, and in an extremely defensible position, another was being constructed by the men of the 18th Eegiment. This flank movement on the part of the General was perhaps the last the rebels expected, for we ’ may suppose that, however futile it would have been, they would have made some attempt to oppose his passage of the river. By selecting, however, a fordable portion of the stream, and at such'a distance from the rebel position as would render it improbable that the rebels would be on the look-oiit, the General has secured a safe passage for his troops without a shot being fired, and now occupies two commanding positions which will' prevent the enemy making any effective movement towards the coast. Supplies can therefore be received by water without the necessity for employing large bodies of _men in transport duty. It is, of course, very difficult to surmise what the General’s probable movements will be, but it is not unreasonable to suppose that his first 1 step will be t% inflict summary punishment on the rebels who now occupy a position comm anding the road to Taranaki.