The Invercargill Times MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1363.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 13, 7 December 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1363.

At last the patience of the colonists has been rewarded, and a very decided and important victory has been gained over the rebel natives by General Cameron. The account of the battle of Rangiriri, brought by the Phoebe, will be received with the greater satisfaction, inasmuch as the events of the war, so far, have not been of a character favorable to the expectation of any great mili ary successes. The skilful manner in which the rebels cheated the General at Mere Mere, disposed one to expect that it would be a very difficult thing to come up with the enemy in any considerable body. Everyone expacted the Maories would make a stand at Mere Mere, and everybody was disappointed. Everybody was of ©pinion that they would not make a stand at the less formidable position at Rangiriri, and everybody has been mistaken. The fact is, the Maories are made up of contradictions, and they set at defiance all the ordinary calculationsand opinions ot Europeans. After the evacuation of Mere Mere, the great question in Auckland was, '* Where have the rebels flown to?'' and rumors of varying authority, and almost entirely speculative, were rife. Some expected the main force might make a sudden raid to the General s tear, and attack the city of Auckland — at that time almost without an armed man in garrison ; others ventured the opinion that the enemy would divide into marauding parties, and carry death and desolation into every unprotected settlement in the Island ; and many other courses of action were marked out for the mysterious force which could not be found. All 1 .lis time the rebels were snugly ensconced in their fortress at Rangiriri, strengthening their defences and preparing for the worst, if so be the General should compel them to fight. Rangariri, like every other Maori stronghold, possessed its back door in Lake Waikari, by which escape could be made, and we may thank a too blind confidence in the facilities they possessed for escape, for the natives remaining so long at Rangiriri as to enable them to be surrounded. The plans of the General were admirably conceived and skilfully carried out. Nothing could have been more complete and precise than the simultaneous appearance of the laud and water fbrcu before the enem * s position. Previous reconnaissances had given a very fair idea of the strength of the place ; and the position Rangariri occupies on the river, which at tliis point makes a wide bend, made its attack on different sides a matter of no difficulty. Fortunately the country intervening between Mere Mere and liungiiiri was tolerably op.-n, and opposed no difficulties to the march of a land force, and accordingly a force rather over a thousand strong approached the enemy's position on the land front, while another force aud powerful artillery was despatched by water. The combination was complete, and under the fire of artillery the assault on the enemy's front was made. Opposed to the troops were lofty earthworks, the construction of which would have not disgraced Todtleben, surrounded by a deep ditch, and bristling with the rifles of a courageous and despel ate enemy. On went the soldiers, when from every point of the Maori positiou a deadly fir was poure"\ The assailants wavered, but only for a moment, and with the impetuosity which aimits of no opposition, tbe troops stormed and cariied the position. Iv the meantime the other force had been landed from the gunboats, and had carried the outer line of earthworks on that side. Once inside the works, the troops made sad havoc in the enemy's ranks, and finding resistance hopeless, a large number fled to the lake in the rear, in the attempt to escape by w'licr, m ny of fiem were shot down. The main body retreated to an inner work — a sort of citadel, protected by strong earthworks, and assailable only on one side, and there only , by a narrow passage. In this fort four hundred desperate savages took refuge; it was night, but the moon jus:^ gave sufficient light for the assault. The command was given, and our men rushed gallantly on by the narrow opening by which only they could make the attack. But the concentrated fire of a hundred rifles upon that narrow space drove them back. Attack after attack is made and repulsed, each time with the loss of many brave men. Paylight dawns on the scene, and the General waits for artillery to breach the enemy's works. All is ready lor an overwhelming attack, when the rebels seeing that escape was impossible, surrendered atdiscretion. All is over, and the Natives to the number of about 200 are marched out as prisoners, and their arms delivered up. So ends the most important action which has ever occurred in this or any prevhus Native war in New Zealand. But it has cost a fearful price, and the advantages gained should, | indeed, be something great to compen- ! sate for the loss of so many brave men. The attacking force was decimated : 40 men and officers killed and 95 wounded, is a terrible loss in a force not exceeding 1200 men. The Maories fought gallantly, and appear to have lost the flower of their force. The death-wail will resound in many a forest and many a valley for the chiefs who have fallen ; and let us hope the blow may induce the misguided natives to submit to a power which they cannot withstand.

rf we are to interpret the act of William Thompson, in sending|his nvere, or symbol of command to General Cameron, as evidence of a disposition to submit on the part of the leading rebels, the termination of the war is not so far off. But General Cameron will make no terms with the rebels short of absolute surrender, and the delivering up of their arms. The General is now fairly in the heart of the enemy's country, and nothing now prevents his marching on tbe seat of Maori Royalty — Ngaruaivahia. We understand that the military settlements are tobe forthwith commenced, and redoubts erected as the troops penetrate the enemy^s country. The Waikato district will soon become untenable to the enemy, for his most extensive cultivations will be at the mercy of our troops, and we , have command of the lines of communication. We hope the end of the war is not far distant. The victory which has just taken place has done a good deal towards clearing the political horizon, and a few more such actions will certainly terminate this unfortunate contest. , __ — , — , .