LATEST FROM TARANAKL

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 316, 30 October 1860, Page 3

LATEST FROM TARANAKL

A From the Wellington Advertiser, Obtober 2L) % " IMPORTANT FROM TARANAKI. :

We have just received intelligence from Taranaki of a rather move stirring and exciting character than has lately fallwu to our lot to record. This will be found detailed in the following letter of our own correspondent. [FROM OUR OWN COKRESPONDENT.] New Plymouth, 16th Oct., 1860. Dear Sir,—The Sea Gull sails for Wanganui to-day, and as the wind is fair, and there is a prospect of her reaching Wanganui in time to catch the Overland Mail (there is no vessel likely to sail for Wellington for some time), I write a few lines in addition to.what you will see published in the last Taranaki Herald.

On Thursday last the General, with a force of nearly 1100 men, and one 8 inch gun, and two 24-pounder howitzers, opened fire on the three rebel pas at Kaihihi, I enolose a sketch of the whole affair, which will give you an idea of the position of the pahs (very stroug pahs) and our position, and which I trust you will succeed in getting nicely engraved and published in the Advertiser. The guos commenced bombarding the pahs at 11 a.m., and kept it up till dark, with considerable effect. In the afternoon a party of rebels took up a position in the corner of a bush to the left, and I am sorry to say with effect. They fired—particularly one man with a rifle—hotly upon the engineers who were throwing up a breastwork, and erecting a platform for the 8-inch gun in front of Orongomai hangai, at a distance of 250 yards, wounding Captain Paisley, R.E.; Sergeant Howatt, R.E.; 3 soldiers, and 1 militia-man. These were outonly casualties during the whole affair. On Friday morning there was no firing from the pahs, and, under the smoke of the two howitzers, they wore rushed by the troops, civilians, and friendly natives, and found evacuated. The fire of the previous day had been too hot for the inmates, and the 8-inch gun must have astonished them. The rebels evidently made a precipitate retreat in the night, for they left a large quantity of potatoes, kumaras, &c, and seven carts, and a rifle. We can form no idea of the loss of the enemy—blood was seen in one of the pahs, and a newly made stretcher found, oa which wounded or killed had apparently been carried. The round shot and shell made great havoc in the pits and trenches of the pahs. Several of the under-ground chambers, into which the shells had fallen, had been thrown into one; The pahs were very ingeniously fortified, and had evidently been intended to stand a regular seige. A few hours, however, proved to the enemy that their pahs were not proof against our appliances, and I believe that the Southern rebels have received a blow which will para'yze their energies for the future, and has proved to them the folly of trying their strength with us. I don't think we shall be troubled much more by the Tatanakis and Ngatiruanuis. They are running out of ammunition, two or three nails were tied together, evidently intended to supply the place of a bullet. The General intended following up the enemy to Warea, but news reached him of the coming of a strong force of our northern friends, the Waikatos, and as there is but a small force at Waitara and in town, he gave orders for returning to head quarters, and the expedition all arrived on Saturday evening.

There is a rumour in town to-day that the advanced guard of the Waikatos have arrived at Waitara. I believe 850 will be down before another week has gone. They consist of Upper Waikatos —the lower Waikatos are to " watch Auckland." I hope they will all come here; we cannot lose much more; we have the forces here, and let the battle for the Queen's supremacy be fought out at Taranaki. What can be said in justification of the raid of these northern rebels ? What pretence have they ? Is it not unprovoked aggression ? Why did they c®me before, and maraud and murder ? Simply because they have been petted too much, and require chastising. God grant that our arms may be successful in asserting the rights of our beloved Sovereign, and punishing and completely subduing a horde of rebellious savages.

A large force will march to Waitara in a few days, I hope the General will allow the Waikatoa to erect a pallor pahs on Taylor's land, and then attack them. Let them all come, I repeat.

( From the Wellington Independent.)

FROM A CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki, 7th Oct., 1860. There 13 a report to day that Major Nelson (acting very differently to his superior, Col. Leslie) attacked the rebels at Waitara yesterday with his small force, and shot a chief. We have not got particulars. The Tasmanian Maid grounded on the north bank of the Waitara during the freshet caused by the late rains, and was only got off yesterday, so that we have no communication. The Wonga Wonga has been employed reconnoiteriugj the coast as far as Warea, preparatory to the intended attack upon Kaihihi. Everything is still grossly misinana ged. Have you ever heard of such a proceeding as that on the 29th ultimo ? Can you believe that 500 British troops were. chased by a handful of Maories for two miles, without engaging them ? You must, for it was the case! What Col. Leslie was thinking about no one can imagine. I am told that he ordered his men not to fire, »nd made them " double" while the natives followed them two miles over a level open country; that two guns loaded with grape were also chased ; and that it was only when five men were severely wounded, and the natives were within fifty yards of the rear guard, that the men in self defence fired and checked them ? I hear Major Nelson who was in charge of the rear guard was raving, not being allowed by his Colonel; to engage the exulting foe! It is said that Colonel Leslie had orders not to engage the enemy! Can you understand such orders at this stage of affairs ? Isn't it monstrous to send troops out with the bands of the commander tied in such a way! It is. confidently stated that every Maori could have been either killed or taken prisoner with little difficulty had Colonel Leslie engaged them. It is sickening to hear of such proceedings.

The expedition to attack the northern rebels at Kaihihi I believe starts to-morrow. It is said the enemy is in a strong position, and I quite expect that our "brave" army will return as they went—in fact, it will be another great picnic! The Maoris must have a good opinion of us. Well may they despise our power, and believe they can ' drive us all into the sea."

CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL OF EVENTS. Saturday, October 6.^-A party of 30 men, under Lieutenant Wrixon, 65th regiment, proceeded to-d»y, a3 an escort to carts, to Rata Nui, Captain CUailes Brown's farm, four miles in the forest, for timber. The barque in the offing was boarded this morning by the pilot boat. She is the Balmoral, for Callao, ten days out from Sydney ; but meeting with a strong S.E. gale in the strait, bore up uuder the land. Intelligence received from Waitara that the Tasnunian Maid dragged her anchors during the flooded state of the river occasioned by the late rains, and has been run on the north bank of the Waitara. The Wonga Wonga started at eleven this morning to reconnoitre the . coast towards Warea, and returned at four p.m. Weather fine. Sunday. — The steamer Airedale from the Manukau anchored at twelve, noon. She brings Auckland papers to the 3rd instant. . It is rumoured that Governor Brown has tendered his resignation in con-

sequence of Sir G. C. Lewis's despatch on the war; and that an attack upon Auckland by the Waikatos was . apprehended. Monday.-' Ropiha visited Mataitawa on Saturday, where a party of Wi Kingi's allies, the Puketapus, are located, with a permisston from the District Commissioner (Mr. Parris) for Matiu, the brother of Raniera, the assessor, who had expressed his desire to join the friendly natives, to accompany him back again. Ropiha returned this morning, bringing with him not only Matiu, but.six other rebels, with four women, who, for reasons best known to themselves," have come over to the friendly side, and amongst them Hoera Pirere, or Big Joe, Manahi's brother, who, it seems, has como over in a fit of vexation occasioned by some quarrel with his southern friends. On the receipt of the intelligence that Big Joe was one of the party, Mr. Parris requested a number of friendly natives, with Tahana and Raniera at their head, to proceed to the spot where the rebels were (on the edj;e of the forest, near Smart's farm), and bring him in by force, if necessavy, and make him prisoner. An eye witness, who could see the proceedings from the pah at Waiwakaiho, saw Raniera's party advance. On nearing the bush they fired their pieces in the air as a token of amity, which was returned by the rebels. Others were seen to join and salute each other, firing off more guns, and after the lapse of an hour or more, the whole were seen to leave the bush and come , towards the friendly pah at Waiwakaiho. Firing was still kept up during the march, and on crossing the Waiwakaiho bridge all the women from the different pahs congregated and set up the most dismal howling imaginable, taken up afterwards by the men. When the lebela arrived at the pah, Big Joe was seen to be the leader, marching past with great coolness and audacity, and on coming within a few yards of the resident natives, they also took up the howling, which was was kept up by both sides, without intermission some of the old hags vying with each other who could howl the loudest, for two hours. When this Maori mode of greeting was subsided, rubbing noses and more crying commenced, which ended, all sat down, when Mr. Parris, who had ridden into town when the pa/ty had crossed the bridge, came up and addressed a few w ords to them, at the conclusion of which Big Joe stepped forward and laid his tnu«ket at Mr. Parris' feet, and was followed by the rest, and the muskets were taken possession of by a policeman. Not • a word was spoken by the rebels during the whole affair. About this time a party of military arrived under Lieutenant Chevalier, 65th regiment, when Mr. Parris requested Big Joe to follow him. Big Joe, ap-" parently knowing all about it, got up, cast a look at the military, cooh took off his cartouche-box, handed it over to a native, and placed himself between a file of soldiers with fixed bayonets, and marched into town apparently under the impression that it was a mere matter of form. As the party approached the town, numbers of the townspeople were on their way to see the murderer, Manahi'a brother, the notorious rebel Big Joe; and by the time the party reached the barrier, gate in4)evon-street, there was scarcely room to get through the crowd, who were groaning and hissing at the prisoner. Joe, however, never winced and maintained his bold and defiant look; he was then jlodged in the gaol and ironed. The other six rebels and four women are left at large at Waiwakaiho ; they are, Matiu and wife, Uenare Tikiku, Heta, wife and child, Ranierra, Te Koweti, wife and child, Wi Te Maihe, and Huihana (Joe's wife) and two children. Why the whole were not made prisoners of war, is not Btated; and we shall be glad to hear why, the whole of them being rebels in arms against her Majesty's authority, one only was captured It has not the merit of conciliating the natives, who, finding us bo ready to " rub noses " with our en mies, impute the act to cowardice. With reference to Big Joe's antecedents during the war,, it will be sufficient to copy the following from the Journal of Events :— "March 31, 1860.—1t is positively asserted that Hoera Pirera, commonly called Big Joe, was with Manahi, during tue action on Wednesday, and that he and Manahi, with several of the Taranaki tribe, were concerned in the butche. ies on Tuesday last. Big Joe is Manahi's brother, and both were very loyal, as the phrase is, the other day ; and when Mr. M'Lean met Poharama's natives at the Kawau pah on the 21st ultimo, when they declared for the Queen, Big Joe, with great audacity, eot up and made a speech, expressing his intention to be a Queen's man, and entirely disapproving of tint conduct of Wi Kingi, &c." It it scarcely necessary to state that Hoera has been with the Ngatiruanui rebels since the outbreak. We are told by Ropiha that there were no casualties on the side of the enemy in the affair on Saturday under Colonel Lesde. He adds that Horopapera, Hapurona's son, had a. bullet through the sleeve of his shirt. Ensign Butler and a party of the 6oth escorted carts with produce from Bell Block to-day. Tuesday.-- Weather fine. The expedition to Kaihihi left the town this morning between 7 and 8 o'clock, and will encamp to night at Tataraimaka. The force comprises the following:—Major General Pratt, C.8., in command, Lieutenant-Colonel Carey, I). A.G., Captain Pasley, R.E., Lieutenant Foster, A.D.C.. Dr. Mouat, C.8., Colonel Mould, R.E., Lieutenant-Colonel Sillery, D.Q.G., Lieutenant A. King, A.D.C., D.C.G. Jones, D.A.C.G. Chishtt, Captain Strover, R.A., Lieutenant McNaughton, R.A., and 36 Royal Artillery; Captain Mould, RE., *nd 32 Royal Engineers; 157 men of the 12th Regiment, under Major Hutchins, Captain Miller, Lieutenants Lowry, Mair, Lieutenant and Adjutant Richardson, Ensign La Touche; 218 of the 40th Regiment, under Captains Hare, Messenger and Shawe, Lieutenants Gibson, Hobbs, Clarke, Ensigns Dudgeon and Morphy, Quarter-Master Barnes; 328 of the 65th Regiment, under Captain Strange. Lieutenants Bailie, Urquhart, Whitbread, White, and Talbot, Ensigns Pagan and Butler, Quarter-Master Withers, Assistant-Surgeon Neil, Staff-Assistant Surgeon Grace, Acting-Assistant-Surgeon Munay; 26 of the Naval Brigade, under Commodore Seymour, Lieutenant Battiscombe, Midshipman Wadlow, and ABsistant-Surgeon Edwards; 82 of the Miltiia and Volunteers, under Captain and Adjutant Stapp, Captain Richmond, Lieutenants Hirst, Webster, Hammerton, Jonas, McKellar, Ensign Stapdish; 14 of the Mounted Escort in command ot Captain Dcs Voeux; 150 of the Native Corps in charge of Messrs. Parris, Good, Carrington, and Wills. [It should be stated that many of our friendly allies held back for some time this morning, in consequence of the rebel Hoera having been consigned to durance vile, but the whole were eventually prevailed uppn to stick to their colors, and they overtook the expedition on the road.] Total rank and file, 1,043; exclusive of bullock drivers and servants. The Light Company of the 65th gave three farewell cheers, before leaving, for their late Colonel((Major Generalr r General Gold.) One 68----pounder gun, and three 24-pounder howitzers, and 50 carts laden with ammunition, and camp equipage and baggage accompanied the expedition, and the VV*onga Wonga, with extra ammunition, left during the afternoon to communicate with the forces on the land. It is thought there may be some fighting, the Ngatiruanui are reported to have come up to reinforce the Kaihihi rebels; and Wi Tako with men from Wellington, Otaki, Rangitikei, &c, to have joined. Wi Tako was at Pungairere. about ten miles beyond Warea, last week. This chief has been preparing for this for some time, having sold all his property at Wellington. Firing was heard in the forest this morning in the rear of the flua, and as the garrison has been much weakened by the departure of the military to the South, every precaution has been made against an attack. Persons residing outside the lines are to sleep in town; no troops are to go outside the lines; and inlying piquets are again told off to be under arms during the night, and to parade at tour o'clock in the morning, until lurther orders. Wednesday.— One of Mr. Rundlo's lads, riding out to V'aiwakaiho this morning, was advised by the friendly natives at the Henui not to go on, as a war party, with Wi Kingi at their head, were at Waiwakaiho. It appears, however, that there is no ground for alarm. From personal enquiries we have made of these friendly natives we learn that after Hoera was taken prisoner by the military, a woman started off from Waiwakaiho, to Mataitawa, and informed the rebels that Hoera was taken to be shot, and Matiu and the rest to be lodged in prison. Thirty natives, headed by Ihaia Te Wharepa (Wi Kingi never stirred from his place), immediately left to come for utu, and on reaching the Hua (or behind the Hua), detained jtlweft white* vto were^ufc », Urn*. trad), who

would no doubt have been butchered but for the following circumstance :—When Matin and the othera surrendered, two natives, named Hone and Tarurutangi, who accompanied, them, remained in the bush to here the issue of the surrender, and were communicated with by Heta, who went and informed them that Matiu, &c, were safe and with their friends, and that Hoera was only taken prisoner by the pakeha to await his trial.' Heta returned again to Waiwakaiho, and Hone and Tarardtangi started off to Mataitawa, and met tfc»' i/xua (lhaia Te Wharepa's party), who had the three white men, explained matters, and all returned home to their kainga. No natives, therefore, are prowling about. We also learn that, in Colonel Leslie's retreat at Waitara before the natives on the 29th ultimo,, Horopapera, Hapurona's son was killed by the fire of the rear-guard, and is buried. This is stated to have been their only casualty. It will be seen that Te Ropiha stated that Horopapera was only shot through the shirt sleeve.

Thursday, October li.—The Tasmanian Maid, detained in the river recovering her anchors, which she was obliged to Blip in the recent freshet, came up today, and reports all quiet at Waitara. H.M.S. Cordelia, from Manukau, arrived to-day, and brings our files of Aucklandpapers to the 10th instant (yesterday.) All quiet in Auckland. Jn some extracts we have made from the New Zealander and Southern Cross, it will be seen that the Waikatos have deter, mined on making another raid upon us. We may, therefore, shortly hear of the arrival of 400 or 500 Waikato rebels at Waitara. " H.M.S. Iris and Fawn are preparing for sea (says the New Zealander), " for particular service."

Four, p.m.—Two of the mounted escort have just arrived from Kaihihi with despatches, and report the troops are hotly engaged with the rebels; the former have taken up a position at 200 yards. Five of our force are wounded, including Captain Pasley, R.E., in leg; Sergeant Hnwatt, R.E., is severely wounded in groin; the rest slightly wounded J. Batten, Militia, slightly wounded.

Six, p.m.—The Wonga Wonga has just arrived from Kaihihi. A crowd of people assembled on the beach when the boat landed. She does not brinir any later intelligence than that brought by the mounted escort. A correspondent writes:■—

"October 11, iB6O. "Time will not allow of my entering into details, consequently you must be content with a rapid sketch of events.— On Tuesday evening we reached Bayly's farm, or what was formerly known as Fort Strange, where we camped. The next morning, with beautiful weather, we marched as far as our present head-quarters, which are situated Imlf-a-mile in the rear of the first, or bush pah. on the north side of the Kaihihi. To-day after the tents had been pitched and entrenchments thrown up, a reconnoitring party was sent out and many shots exchanged with the enemy. JTo casualties on our side; the enemy's unknown. This morning a party of Engineers, with fatigue parties from the various corps, with covering parties, went out to approach by entrenched lines and traverses, »> d form a platform for the heavy gun; the position chosen for which will command tha other two pahs in thH neighbourhood; the smaller guns within 800 yards of the pahs. Much firing on the field of battle. The casualties on our side ara reported to be five—Captain Pasley, severely in thigh; Sergeant Howatt, R.E., dangerously; I bugler, 64th, 1 sergeant, 40th; the others I cannot now learn."

We hear that the 8-inch gun and two 24-pound howitzers had opened fire at a distance of 200 yards, and that the shot from the former waa doing great damage to the pah. Friday, October 12.—The Cordelia steamed down to Kaihihi this morning at five a.m., and returned at ten. She did not communicate with the shore, but reports that the troops were in action, and that a pah appeared to bo in names. H.M.C.S. Victoria, from Wellington, arrived this morning with Colonel Wyatt, who assumes the command of the 65th, vice MajorGeneral Gold, «nd the I.C.R.M. steamer Lord Worsley, with the mails for England, from Nelson. The Victoria left at three p.m , for Kaihihi. with Colonel Wyatt, and the Cordelia at the same time for Manukau, with Major-General Gold. The Lord Worsley leaves tonight lor Sydney, much to our disappointment, an she goes before we can issue our paper, containing the latest intel igence from the seat of war. The return of the Victoria, or the Wonga Wonga, which left with ammunition and provisions this morning, is anxiously looked for Mr. Drummond Hay and a native came in to-day from VVaitara overland. No news. The Waikatos had not arrived, but were daily expected in strong force.

Six, p.m.—Two of the mounted escort have arrived from Kaihihi, with the satisfactory intelligence that the pahs (three in number) have been taken to-day, and destroyed by the tioops, the rebels having vacated them the night before. The pahs are described as being very strong, but were not proof against the 8-inch gun. The loss of the enemy is not known, blood was found in one of the pahs. The wounded in yesterday's skirmish are all progressing favorably. The forces will return to town to-morrow, in consequence, it is said, of a despatch received by the Genelal from Auckland by the Cordelia regarding the descent of the Waikatos.

Saturday, October 13.—-A message from the forces south reports them at Tatmimaka on their return to

;own,