LATEST NORTHERN NEWS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 220, 23 February 1866, Page 3

LATEST NORTHERN NEWS.

GENERAL CHUTE'S RETURN MARCH. By the Airedale, from the North further intelligence is to hand of opera tions under General Chute. .An extra of the Taranaki Herald of the 9th instant, states : — After receiving the address of the Superintendent of New Plymouth on Saturday, the 28th January, Genera] Chute started on his journey southward and proceeded as far as Oakura. The next day he went to the Hangatahau ; and on Monday, the 29th, arrived at Warea. On Wednesday he moved on tc Tipoka or its neighborhood, six or eight miles beyond Warea, and where the road turns inland at Waikoukou, the position occupied by the rebels. On Thursday, General Chute attacked Waikoukou on two sides, and took it : but the natives, as might have been expected from the nature of the country, retired without difficulty, and probajbly with little loss, after firing a volley or two at the advancing troops. Nevertheless the taking of Waikoukou is an undoubted success, because it has shown the rebels that they can have little hopes of finding a place to live in where they cannot be got at. The following is an extract from a private letter written by a gentleman who accompanied the expedition : — "We started at about three a.m. on Thursday, the Ist instant, in the following order : — Eriendlies, first ; von Tempsky's men, second ; General Chute and Staff, and 43rd, third ; and Artillery, last. The track, I understood from one of the 43rd men, was the same — at any rate, part of the way — Colonel Colviile went, and crossed a river about half-way up the track. We then went straight on. About five'orsixa.m., wecameoutat Waikoukou, after going some considerable distance through forest and bush. The call was then for the 43rd, the General having moved up to the head of the 43rd column. Just as we got up, we heard some siugle ! shots, apparently in different directions, from the bush, like warning shots ; then 1 heard in front more shots, and soon we came out in the open, and went on. to get under cover of a bank, the enemy firing away heavily over our heads. Then the 24th came up on the right of the 43rd, aud soon alter I saw the Staff waving their swords, and directing the men to the village. Part of the 14th and 43rd went, and 1 went with them into the village. There was no one in the whares when we got there, but some shots came from the bush, and so the men at the back returned the fire at the bush, which the General, however, soon stopped. The rest of the force, with some of the 14th and 43rd, had apparently gone round to try and cut off the enemy, and in about a quarter of an hour, everybody seemed turned up from somewhere. The 14th had oue poor fellow killed, and Corbett had two wounded ; I also saw two wounded friendlies. I never saw a rebel Maori, though 1 heard plenty of their bultets, and hardly anyone except M'Donnell saw any , but they kept up a heavy fire. The men behaved very well. The General is a very plucky fellow, and goes in for the thing like any other officer. After the enemy had disappeared, which, as 1 have said, they soon did, the men piled arms and destroyed a lot of cultivations and the villages. The next morning the General said there were ten Maoris killed. On the day following, the General went over to Opunake, on iiis return to Wauganui. On Monday, the 5 th, a small ibrce, consisting of part of the 43rd Light Infantry, under Captains Livesey aud Horan, and Captain Corbett's company of Bushrangers, went to attack the pah or kainga at Tautahi, better known, as Arawhititaua, The place was taken and destroyed, and it is said five natives killed. An important brigade order has been issued by General Chute, ordering all officers at outposts to harass the enemy as much as possible. I