ACTION NEAR KETEMARAI.

Southland Times, Issue 582, 24 October 1866, Page 3

ACTION NEAR KETEMARAI.

(Condensed from the Wanganui Times, Oct , 6.) (From onr own Correspondent.) Te Whakumku, Oct 4. The rebels of late, evidently under the impression that our inactivity arose from the smallness of our number, regained confidence, and were constantly shewing near this post, and on the road to Hawera, lying in ambuscade for the unwary. Major M'Donnell determined to wait no longer for reinforcements, but to assume the offensive at once. Accordingly at dusk on Monday, the _ 11th inst., he started from his post with a smallhut determined force of 125 of all ranks. After a hard forced march we reach the rebels encampment, called upon the inhabitants to surrender; but they blazed at us out of the small doors and windows of the whare, several of which were shot proof, having their sides slabbed, and their roofs covered with earth. It took us a good half-hour to pull these places about their heads, and they resisted well. By that time not a whare remained standing, and the Hau-Haus, with the exception of eight men and a boy who had surrendered, were either shot down or burnt in their whares. Twenty dead bodies were counted, and the prisoners have since informed us that there were eighteen rebels in one whare alone, whose earth covered roof fell in when the sides had burnt, and from which only two men ran out. Our loss was three killed and five wounded.