THE SEAT OF WAR.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 99, 9 October 1863, Page 5

THE SEAT OF WAR.

RENEWED HOSTILITIES IN" TARANAKL

(From the News.) . .. . On Sunday, September 12, there, was an alarm in town which kept our population in a ferment of excitement during the day. Early in the. forenoon a report came in that some of our peoplo who had ' imprudently ventured into the bush in the neighborhaod of Messrs Cowling, Looney-, and Brugle's sections in search of strajed cattle, had been fired upon and were missing. It was some time before any reliable account of the extent of the mischief done was furnished, when the facts proved to have been these. — Several, persons, we believe" six- in number, had left the town upon the erraifd before mentioned. The whole paity included Messrs. Wheeler, Samson, R. Langman, T. Langman, Howe, and Sole, the last three having started first, and being perhaps a mile in advance. On nearing Mr Elliot's farm on the .Omata. road the three first named heard firing going on in the bush, and were just then joined by two of Mr Elliofs sons who were mounted and who immediately returned to town with the news followed' by the three pedestrians they had overtaken. The whole of the men were without arms and consequently the very worst was generally anticipated. The alarm bugle quickly muscered the Militia and Volunteers in the square, and without knowing the extent of the difficulty to be encountered., the men mustered on the moment were led by Captain Atkinson in the direction indicated by the information received with instruction to halt at Mr Elliot's place until more stiength should be brought up, and this we believe was done. In the meantime T. Langman and Rowe had found their wny to that spot, the first witli his arm shattered by a shot, the latter uninjured. Then came tiie information that Hole was unaccounted for and the neighboring bush, was scoured 'to ascertain if possible his fate, but a though the broken ground between the scene of ihe ambush and the end of the Gmata block at Hurford's was sc ached over, no traces of S.ile could be found, although the footsteps if the natives werb followed to some distance ; fef<<s one caught sight of at Burton's hill. So'e, who is lame, had h nvever tha good fortune to escape his pursuers and concealed himself for a time and was recovered by a party of the 57th Regiment, taken out by Col. Wareenby a different road, so relieving all remaining anxiety. We have no means of ascertaining the number of natives 'concerned ; the shots fired are described as ranging between -ten and forty; discrepancies we decline to deal with. The accident is bad enough as damaging a young man of respectable character, but it is here proper to remark that, the imprudence of these persons going so few in number and unarmed might, had the enemy been in forcj been the cause of heavy loss to both of vhs parties taken to their assistance on so sudden an emergency The escape of the men is little short of miraculous, and should be a caution against risking the throwing away of life for such consideration. A very different afiair came off on Tuesday morning, near the scene of thj Wairau murders in which the natives so wantonly recommenced hostilities and will show like retribution. It had been observed from Poirtoko 'that the natives who occupy the pahs on the ranges, and who have of lace greatly increased in numbers, had for some days been traveling backwards and forwards between the pahs and the beach, with what purpose was not; discovered, and it was determined to ; see ff any-thing could be done with th.e-.in ; and before three o'clock of the mornings before mentioned, Captain Russell with a party of the 57th Regiment,, in number about seventy, moved from the redoubt at Pontoko in the direction of the recently abandoned one at Oakura with the intention of intercepting and attacking them '"should they 'again venture. At Oakura the party wirs d'i'vidtd and thirty men under Sergeant Haskett were left in fie deserted redoubt, the rem-iinder moving forward to a Covered spot in the road the natives had been accustomed to take. They remained closely .concealed until after eight o'clock, whan a paity of natives was seen advancing headed by a man sup posed to be of consequence from the decorated spear he carried, and came within a. few yards of them and then apparently discovering traces of footsteps was turning to go back, but too late to save himself di companions: ho was shot through the head as he turned, and four others are uescribed as being dead near him, an-J the isnpressiozi is that many others were wounded, of which no observatioa could be taken. The spear of the dead chief was captured, but as other parties were seen swarming down the ranges it was deemed prudent to fall back at once upon the suppoit, which was done in good order. However, by the time they had reached the gully, between them and the redoubt, some sixty or eighty nativesappeared in pursuit, but a steady fire opened upon them from the redoubt drove them back, and the force consolidated again returned to Poutoko without any loss whatever. The success of this adventure proves that, met in his own crafty way, the subtle enemy is no match for his well arrred opponents. And we have to thank Captain Russell and two officers associated with him on this occasion, Messrs Manners and Powis, for. having broken the spell. A lemarkable good shot was made by Sergeant Hack ett who kept the redoubt, which knocked over a gigantic fellow who was rushing forward, which rolled him over and over down the precipice, at a distance calculated at over 250 yards.