TARANAKI.

North Otago Times, Volume 1, Issue 13, 19 May 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

TARANAKI.

Near about the time the troops were attacking the Gate Pah, at Tauranga. the Maoris at Taranaki had surrounded and attacked our redoubt at Sentry Hill. They were, however, repulsed, with considerable loss. We extract the following from the " Herald," of the 2nd inst. :— From an early hour in the mornin?. the natives had been heard shouting and chanting their war songs at Manutahi, md subsequently, from the sound, they appeared to be getting nearer, and about 8 o'clock they seemed to have reached the ford of the Waiongana, and here thev commenced yelling more like a pack of dogs than anything else. Shortly after this, they were seen by the sentries'in the redoubt emerging from some bush which hides the Waionsjana ford, and which is distant about 800 yards. They advanced along the road in great numbers, estimated at 300, and probably not less, and made slowly but steadily for the redoubt. Captain Shortt, 57th Regiment, who was in command (Major Butler being at Mahoetahi), with very great judgment, ordered his men, 75 in number, to lie down under the breastwork of the redoubt, and kept the sentry marching to and fro as usual, as if no danger was expected. The Maoris advanced till the leading men were about 150 yards off, but there they halted as if rather doubtful. Then Captain Shortt gave the word ; the men sprang up, and opened a murderous fire with their rifles and two cohorn mortars. The natives drew back a little, but stood the fire remarkably well, taking such cover as the high fern and irregularities of the ground gave them. They returned the fire, but with hardly a hope of hitting any of our men, protected as they were by the breastwork of the redoubt ; Drummer D. Hurley, wounded in the shoulder, being the only casualty on our side. Indeed, it seemed, after the first, more as if they were fighting to cover the retreat of their parties carrying off the dead and wounded, though cue man, who must surely have been mad, came close up to the redoubt, and was shot within twenty yards of it. But when Major Butler arrived from Mahoetahi with reinforcements and ordered a charge, the last of them soon ran, leaving behind them 34 dead and wounded, three of whom, including Big Joe, were taken alive ; the other two, Meihana and Wi Patene, howover, died shortly after being brought in. The aff.iir was not known of in town till 10 o'clock, owing, it is said, to the negligence of a signalman ; but when known, Colonel Warre ordered the Bushrangers and^ Captain Stewart's company, 57th Regiment, to march for Sentry Hill, and proceeded there himself, and interrogated ! Big Joe as to the cause of this seemingly mad attempt. The account we have heard states that they came expecting that our men would come out and fight outside the redoubt, as they did at Allen's Hill on the 2nd October ; that on coming near and seeing no stir in the redoubt, they thought it must be almost empty, and that they could, therefore, take it easily. This accounts for what looks at first sight like mere madness, for they might as well try to take the Tower of London as Sentry Hill in broad daylight. When Colonel Warre arrived, he sent Henare Matena to Manutahi with a flag of truce, to say that they might fetch °the bodies of their dead if they wished to do so. Matena was received very civilly; the natives were in a great state of grief, the women, &c, howling. He went into the pah at Manutahi, and saw Tamati Hone Oraukawa, of Ngatiruanui, and a large assemblage of Taranakis, Ngatiruanuis, Puketapus, and Wi Kingi's people. They declined to accept the Colonel's offer,

saying they were afraid. Ilenare was told that Hare Te Ilokai, one of Wi Kingi's chief fighting men. was vgaro (missing). Ilenare having foiled in his mission, returned, and the flag of truce, which had been kept flying at Sentry Hill during his absence, was pulled clown, the Union Jack hoisted, and the Bushrangers were sent out to look for the body of Hare Te Ilokai, but only found two gnus and a few tomahawks. Poringa Kingi was the head man of the hostile Taranakis , had a great taste for fighting, and did all he could to keep the tribes hostile to us. Manahi is another wellknown man, and was supposed to have been concerned in the Omata murders. Hapeta was for a longtime seivant to Mr I. N. Watt, and wounded some months since on the ground where he has now met his death. Teopira is said, to be a son oi'Tamati Hone, head chief of Ngatiruanui Tupara Keina (Tubal Cain) was a leading chief of the Puketapu section of the Ngatiawa tribe. We hear it is not true, as was reported, that Big Jack was present at the fight ; he Avas away, we believe, to the north of Waitara at the time. It is impossible to estimate the number of killed and wounded taken away by the natives themselves.