The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday. NAPIER, MONDAY, 22ND JANUARY, 1866.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 343, 22 January 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday.

NAPIER, MONDAY, 22ND JANUARY, 1866.

“NULLIUS ADDICTUS JDBLAB.K IN VERBA M.VGISTKI.”

MURDER OP MR THOMAS POAH. Findikg our space this morning totally inadequate to give a fair account of the murder of Mr Thomas Foan on Friday morning last, we purpose issuing a second edition this evening, which will also contain a full report of the evidence taken at the inquest held on Saturday last on the body of the unfortunate deceased, and. at which a verdict of “Wilful Murder” was returned against Kichard Farrell.

THE WAIROA CAMPAIGN. The intelligence to hand from Wairoa is of great importance, and serves to illustrate a time-honored proverb, which teaches that fortune interposes to protect the brave from the consequences of their own mismanagement. Another occasion for the effectual quelling of the rebellion on this coast has been lost, and our gallant allies saved, by little less than a miracle, from total annihilation. We have received from that district several distinct accounts of the engagement, —a specimen of which we place before our readers this morning, and beg to call attention to the fact, noted by each of those correspondents, of the difficulties thrown in the way of the independent press by the officers, and the fact of their obligation to persons of the native race for the information they are able to furnish to our columns. But if anything could mark the folly of these aggrieved personages in an especial manner, it is conduct such as this. They should know full well that it is utterly beyond their power to prevent the press from obtaining the information it requires, and the very fact of theii opposition lays them open to a degree of criticism that more conciliatory behaviour would spare them.

In the columns of a contemporary may be found just such and so much information as these worthy gentlemen wish to reach the public ear; but we may seek in vain there for the record of any error or culpability on their part, although it is well known that such success as has attended this campaign has been in spite of these errors, and owing more to the cowardice and madness of their foe than to their own skill: while an enemy that might have been annihilated has escaped to his fastnesses, from which he will again issue, to repeat the oft-told tales of murders, ambushes, &c., et sequel.

To resume the narrative of the Wairoa campaign from the point to which it was last brought by our journal, the escape of the Hau-haus to the broken and unknown country round the Waikare Lake, we proceed to state that on Thursday, the 11th instant, an expedition of 350 natives, under the command of Major Fraser and other distinguished officers, started in pursuit, having given the enemy ample time to prepare for their reception. After a march of some thirty miles during the remainder of that day, part of the night, and the following morning, they arrived at and walked into the trap set for them by their wily foe, in a narrow pass, rifle-pitted in terraces on both sides, and ending in a well-defended trench at the extremity. So well did the enemy conceal themselves that their presence was not even suspected by any one, until lured by the bait of a group of fanatics worshipping round a niu t visible through the gorge, they were fairly surrounded by the enemy, and had actually reached the trench at the extreme end when the attack was suddenly opened upon them, and at the first discharge five of the friendly natives were killed. Now, by the exercise of the most ordinary amount of skill and courage on the part of the enemy, the fate of the day could have been speedily decided. They were greater in number, had the advantage of position, and could have exterminated our people, but, strange to say, with all these advantages, they were paralysed with fear, and fired only at random. Ihe first onset being withstood, our people, after finding an attempted retreat impossible, took advantage of such shelter as the fern afforded them, and returned the fire towards the rifle-pits, though under great disadvantages as regarded the enemy. The number of the killed being augmented to twelve, and the odds being ** conquer or die,” they rushed the rifle-pits on both sides of the pass, from which the enemy were speedily ejected—driven first to their pa and afterwards to their canoes; so that the bulk of them are again at liberty, well armed and fully supplied with ammunition, to be heard of again shortly without doubt. The loss sustained by the enemy in killed and wounded is, beyond doubt, much greater than that sustained by our people, owing to the way in which they were routed and pursued. It is certain that the number of killed exceeded forty, of which some were shot while swimming in the Lake, and the number consequently not exactly known ; but it is to he feared that this loss will not dispirit them ; their confidence in their fanaticism seems unbounded, and this is a reason for their apparent cowardice in war, as th.y look for the defeat of the Pakeha rather to a miraculous agency than their own fighting. Our loss amounted to twelve men killed. -aud eighteen wounded, ail of the Native race.

There is yet one point on which we cannot trust ourselves to make any remark at present. We refer to the reported slaughter of four prisoners by the friendly natives on the following day, and in cold blood. Let us hope that, for the credit of our common humanity, there is some mistake in this report.