THE SEAT OF WAR.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 98, 7 October 1863, Page 3

THE SEAT OF WAR.

THE ATTACK AT CAMERONTOWN. J (proin the New Zealander, 21th Sept.) Wo liavo been kindly furnished with the fol owing extracts 'from a letter to a friend. They detail more fully the circumstances connected with the death of Mr Armitage at Serontown. From tho same source we also learn that the body of Mr Armitage was Stewards token to Gohanga, and buried lhcre * "September 11, 1863. This has been a week of great danger but T . yi n ,rive you an account in full. Poor Armitage left this on Wednesday, the 9th, very depressed at the kid prospects from Ins Innd transport corps, and I left same day. for Waiuku, by Otaud, not by Awaroa, as he, Armitage, had just heard of a warning to the N-ratiiipa to cease going to Waiuku. On going to the la on Saturday for the Sundays services at the military posts, a -Strong wind on Sunday deterred me from going to Tuakaa for afternoon service; Armita"e was at the Uluff, and feared the wind. I foOk -advantage of a lull and started, and to this, under God, 'I ascribe my 'life. Ho (Arniitago) came on caily next morning to Cameroinown, to sec the goods about to be conveyed up the river by the Bluff natives. Now change the scene. On Friday one hundred Maories came to Onewhero, and liiuiul a King native inland at Takihikahi ; lie told them about the goods at Cameron, offered canoes, and brought them to the Kakenga, two miles from the mission station. On Sunday evening they crossed below Cameron, and crept up through the -wood, and h: a'u 'd (showed themselves) just as Armitage had landed, lie, and Strand, and the blacksmith, ran to the canoe ; his people, who had not their f/uns irith them, ran into the wood. Armitago was shot through the heart, the 'other two Europeans fell into the river and have not been found. Ngatiwharoa, twenty in number, came in here. We, and all the Europeans, imm'.-d'ately came here for safety. Next day, Kgitinaniopoto returned, having had a skirmish with the soldiers — only two of them slightly wounded-— boasting of sixty soldiers slain. You may imagine now our anxiety — in all sixteen pakehas. They soon set to work at the pigs, oxen, and potatoes, not a seed potatoe "left. ""Next day their numbers swelled to three or four "hundred, and, not knowing what they intended to do, Waata sent them a message to go, but they only laughed at him; we had only fifty on our side, and two sides of the pi finished, the other two sides imfmched. At last an invitation came from them to-Wnatatogo see them. They strongly urged him to join as a "post for to strengthen AVaikato." He repied, "I will die first.' They said that if I had been there, i.e., with Mr Armitage, they would have killed me. They left this morning for Tuakau. A party is said to have been on their way to attack Waiuku, but when -tlieir chief, wbo is a relation of Armitage's wife, heard of his death, they turned back.