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Observer, Volume 4, Issue 89, 27 May 1882, Page 164

During the night handgrenades were thrown into 1 the -western redoubt, the whares set on fire, and next morning the charred remains of two of the enemy were found in the embers. Before daylight the position had been mined by the Engineers (or Sappers and Miners as they were then called), there was a storming party ready, and in a few minutes more a wide breach would have been blown in, and the bayonet would have done the rest. The men had made their wills, a colour ergeant who crept along behind the crouching ranks, having taken away the cartridges to prevent the menfiring and shooting each other, and received the hurried depositions of the stormers. As a rule, a soldier hasn't much property to bequeath. A few memos. in a note-book do the business. The bolt was ready to be launched. One word from General Camcvon would have sent hundreds of men at the throats of the Maoris like bloodhounds from a leash. But, just as the first faint streaks of dawn were visible in the east, up went a stick or a spear with a dirty white rag, some said it was a petticoat, dangling lazily in the breeze above the breastwork. It was a complete capitulation. Even had there been a white flag flying on board the steamer the Maoris could not have seen it. The fact is, the natives " caved." They could not run away to the bush as they usually did, leaving an old woman and a dog as mementoes ; they knew that the dread of Exeter Hall rendered them sure of quarter, and they " saved their bacon" in the nick of time. When some of the newspapers blamed General Cameron for not shooting the * prisoners out of hand, he grimly hinted thathe would have far less compunction about, " stringing up" a few special newspaper correspondents. Of the two a. Maori was rather better off than the " special" of those days.