TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 350, 15 February 1866, Page 2

TARANAKI.

MARCH OF GENERAL CHUTE FROM WANGANUI TO TARANAKI. (From the Taranaki Herald.)

G’STOBiX Chute having determined on the altogether extraordinary and unprecedented but excellent plan of coming on to Taranaki through the bush behind the mountain, the following force left Ketemarac at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, tho I7th: —Major General Chute and staff, including Colonel Carey, D.A.G., Col. Gamble, D.Q.M.G. and Captain Leech, A.D.C.; 247 of the 14th, under Colonel Trevor, 72 of the Native Contingent, under Ensign Macdonnull,44Forest Rangers under Major Von Tempsky, 38 Artillerymen, under Lieutenant Cirre, with Medical Staff, Commissariat Transpert Corps, &c., making up the total number of 514 men all told. Three days’ provisions were taken on a large number of pack horses. Before proceeding very far three villages were come to and destroyed,, and when the bush had been fairly entered a small party of (armed) rebels were met, and two of them were shot by tho Native Contingent, who also captured a little girl whom they have since adopted—another one was subsequently shot by one of (he Forest Rangers (Duffy), who, by being behind the rest of the company, got a chance he would not otherwise have had. It is a very note-worthy fact that the little girl on being questioned said they had met a party of fugitives from Ketemara, who told them to go back as tho soldiers were coming along the line, but they not believing such a thing possible, treated it as fiction, with the result already stated.

The road for the first few miles was like an avenue, but afterwards it narrowed into an ordinary bush line, so that tile pack-horses could not get along until tho supple-jacks and under-bush were cleared away to make the line wider. This made the progress tediously slow, but General Chute determined to go on in spite of tho gloomy forebodings and advice of some of his counsellors. It is true that, owing to the slow progress, tho Genera! and his men had to eat three horses for want of anything else, but they came out on this side of thirty or forty miles of forest, a little more hungry, perhaps, but in no other respects worse than when they entered it, having accomplished the boldest sr.it most original move that has been made during the war.

When Ike extent of General Chute’s success became known, a public meeting was hastily called, and it was resolved unanimously that ho and his men should receive a public reception, and a committee was appointed to carry this into effect. A handsome triumphal arch (the first ever put up in Taranaki) was erected on the Huatoki Bridge, under the able superintendence of Mr Henry, it is about 20 feet high, and consists of three arches —one over each footway, and the larger one the full width of the roadway, the whole decorated with flowers and foliage. An address was also resolved on and drawn up, and as it was felt that (he able General could do nothing except through his army, a substantial dinner was yesterday given to the 500 men composing the force. The day was also observed as a public holiday. We were very near omitting one most important fact, which is, that in coming away General Chute left orders with the officers at the different outposts to continue harrassing the enemy on their own account whenever they thought proper. Wo have done badly hitherto, not because we have had no successes, but because our successes have been at long intervals, and have never been followed up. Yesterday, General Chute went on board the Ahuriri and proceeded beyond the White Cliffs to Tongaporutu and Mokau, but without discovering any pas or seeing any considerable number of natives. He returned again in the evening. This morning at 10 a.m., General Chute at the head of his force, arrived in town on his way southward. When arrived at the arch on the bridge, he was met by the Superintendent of Taranaki, who read an address to Major-General Chute, in Inch he said:—

‘‘-I have been deputed by the inhabitaitants of this settlement to express to you their sense of the benefit you have conferred on them and upon the Colony by the operations just now successfully concluded between Wanganui and Waitara. Without entering on any invidious questions it is allowable for us to state the fact, that the recent march through the bush inland of Mount Egraont is the first place in which a body of regular troops has been led for days together through the difficult forest of Zealand. Having from the begining of (he present troubles maintained that the war coald not bs ended beyond the chance of it rekin-

dling until our force# should habitually'penetrate the bush in pusuit of the enemy, it is peculiarly gratifying to us to sea the happy issue of these first bold movements, and we are bound to acknowledge the practical sagacity which dictated and the courage which undertook and executed the operation.” General Chute returned thanks in a short address, thanking the people of Taranaki for this expression of their good will and for their hospitality, and then after the cheering was over the column moved on, each corps being cheered as it passed under the arch.