The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-14 00:00:00

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The War in New Zealandetki Fi

(From the Melboutne Argus of the 25th April)

The Maori war is still being actively prosecuted. This
month two severe engagements have taken place, in one of
which the enemy met with a severe though not a complete
defeat, while in the other we experienced the first notice-
able reverse of the campaign.
The most important of the operations have occurred in
the Waikato district, where the bulk of the English forces
are assembled, and where General Cameron is in personal
command. After the seizure of the important settlement
entitled Rangiaohia by the English, and consequent Ethan--
donment by the Maories of the positions they had taken up
for its defence, General Cameron left camp for Auckland,
where, after long consultations with the colonial authorities,
it was resolved not to advance the troops further south,but
to proceed across the country and complete the cordon
across the Waikato delta. One of the principal reasons
for this course was that the east coast tribes and the Uppor
Waikatos, with the Maori King INlatuatora and the leading
rebel chieftain, William Thompson, were in position at
Maungatautari, on the eastern side of the delta, and it was
hoped to entrap and crush these tribes--thy owners of the
land we had seized upon. It was known at this time that
the Ngatimaniapotos—taken singly, the strongest of tho
hostile tribes—were erecting pahs in our front, but General
Cameron decided not to interfere with them. Their nearest
position was at Orakan, wherethey constructed works block-
ing up the main Maori track running to tho southern dis-
tricts, On March 22 General Cameron left Rangiaohia with
the following forces :-620 of the 50th Regiment, 529 of the
70th, 190 marines and sailors, 25 Defence Corps, 80 of the
65th, 50 of the Royal Artillery, and Capt. 3ackaon's com-
pany of Forest Rangers. These troops were joined on the
march by detachments of the 18th and 70th Regiments,
and with them the force numbered 2,000 •men. General
Cameron encamped at a place on the River Horatiu, called
Pukerimu, seven miles from the lofty volcanic mass to which
is given the name of Maungatutari. The enemy was found
to be skilfully and strongly posted here, and preparations
were at once commenced for an attack, artillery and sapping
materials being forwarded as rapidly as possible from Ngar-
uawahia. General Cameron was, however, diverted from
his plans by serious intelligence from the place he-had left.
The troops remaining at Rangiaohia and its neighbourhood
consisted of the 40th Regiment, and detachments of the 18th
65th, 2d Waikato Militia, and Captain Von Tempsky's
company of Forest Rangers. This force was under th
command of Colonel Carey, of the 18th, serving as briga-
dier•general. On the 30th March Colonel Carey recon-
noitered the Orakau position before alluded to, and on the
31st he marched all his available troops to the place. Ile de-
cided to storm the position, a strongly fortified earthwork,
protected by a palisading and ditch. The attempt was made,
but no scaling ladders having been provided, our men were
twice repulsed, after having gone close up to the works under
a destructive fire. The 18th and 40th suffered most, and
out of 14 of the former, who led the storming party, only
seven returned alive. Some vainly attempted to climb the
parapet, but the gallant fellows were either short or had to
desist, seeing how hopeless the attempt was. As the work
was too strong to be taken by storm, the wounded, dead, and
dying were removed, the guns were put into position, and
they commenced shelling the pah. Orderlies were de-
spatched to General Cameron for reinforcements, and Col.
Carey commenced a sap up to the pah. The assault having
been commenced, it was necessary for the prestige of the
British arms that assistance should be afforded. General
Cameron, therefore, had to give up his own plans, to return
back from Maungatautari, leaving his real enemies to aban-
don or strengthen their position as they pleased, while he
retrieved the disaster his subordinates had met with at an
outpost. The Ngatimaniapotos at Orakau, we are told, were
only 3,000 strong, and they were completely surrounded.
Yet, with the devoted bravery which this gallant and
chivalrous tribe has displayed throughout the struggle, these
men refused all terms of surrender, though when General
Cameron arrived with the reinforcements they were out-
numbered five to one.

While the sap was proceeding, the guns were playing
upon the works with grape. The sap was run up to the
end of the palisading, hand-grenades were thrown in, which
must have done great execution, and one of the flanking
angles of the redoubt was blown up. On the afternoon of
Saturday, the 2d of April, the rebels, seeing no chance for
them except by escape, made a rush en masse from the
south side of their works, and, dashing through the
lines of the 40th—who, it would appear, were taken by
surprise, and made no effective resistance—made their
way through the swamp, flying for their lives. The works
being deserted our men rushed into them, and then fol-
lowed in hot pursuit. The rebels had got the start, but
were fired on as they fled, with great execution, for 101
bodies were found, besides 18 or 20 reported by native pri-
soners to have been buried in the pah ; 33 were taken pri-
soners, 26 of them being wounded. It is reported that
Rowi, the leadingNgatimaniapoto chief, is among the killed,
but the statement requires corroboration.

The fact of the Maories haviag burst through the lines
of the 40th has caused some surprise. Had this not
been allowed, every man in the pah must have been killed
or taken, and the victory would have been complete. The
conduct of Colonel Leslie, the commanding officer of the
40th, has been severely criticised by the Auckland press.
As yet, however, only hurried details of the affair have
been received, and until a full and correct statement of
the particulars comes to hand censure should bo with-
held. Under any circumstances, the action was a mis-
take, for the Waikato tribes, dispirited Ly its result,
abandoned Maungatautari, where it was hoped they would
be crushed, and fell back into the interior. General Ca-
meron's means of transport will not allow him to pursue
them this season, and hence another Waikato campaign
appears inevitable.

In this action Captain Ring, 18th Regiment, was killed ;
Captain Hereford, Militia, mortally wounded; Captain
Fisher, 40th, severely wounded; and Lieutenant Chevalier
and Ensign Chater, 65th, ws.unded. The total loss was 16
killed and 52 wounded.

The defeat we have alluded to occurred at Taraneki.
Captain Lloyd, of tha 57th Regiment, and 100 men, 50 of
them being Victorians, under Captains Page and Jackson,
and the remainder men of the 57th, while reconnoitring,
were attacked by a body of Maories, concealed in rifle pits.
The troops made a short stand, and then fled, Capt. Llcyd,
while endeavouring to rally them, received seven shots ;
six men were kilied and 14 wounded. Next day the bodies
of the dead were found with their heads cut off and carried
away. The killed are Captain Lloyd, Privates Dooley and
Saddler, of the 56th Regiment ; and H. Banks, J. Neagles,
and H. Hartley, of the Victorian Volunteers, Mrs, Lloyd
became insane on hearing the news.
The Waikato campaign being now virtually closed,
General Cameron is expected to proceed to Taranaki, where
his presence seems to be much needed.
The rebels have shown in force at Tauranga, on the east
coast, the first time they have ventured to put in an ap-
pearance in this direction. We have a strong force at Tau-
range, under Lieut.-Col. Greer, of the 68th.
The hopes of a peace being concluded during the winter
months now depend upon the rebels being pressed for food.
If they have cultivations of any extent to fali back upon, it
is hard to say to what length the struggle may not be pro-
tracted.

MARINE INVESTM ENT COMPANY.—Yesterday an
extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of this
company was held at the London Tavern, under the presi-
dency of Mr ii. Coffey, to consider the propriety of issu-
lag 10,000 additional shares under certain conditions, and
of declaring an ad interim dividend out of the profits of the
past half year, in anticipation of the dividend to be declared
at the first ordinary meeting of the company. The follow-
ing is the substance of the report :—With a view to having
the shares quoted on the Stock Exchange the directors and
their friends subscribed for the residue shares required to
be issued in order to secure this object, and in March last
the number of shares issued was 7,000. This step on their
part gave confidence to the public, and the consequence was
that the board was able to distribute rateably and at a pre-
mium of 10s per share, among the existing shareholders,
the 3,000 shares remaining of the first issue, and thus
£1,500 was secured as the nucleus of a reserve fund. As
the prospectus proposed that £l2 10s, or 50 per cent., should
be paid on the first issue before the second issue should
take place, it was now thought advisable only to call up £6
5s per share, or 25 per cent., and to authorise a second issue
of 10,000 additional. When the amount came to be called
up the profits for the past half year were ample to justify
the directors in declaring a dividend of 6 per cent. for the
half year. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the
report, stated that the directors had every reason to be satis-
fied with the progress which the company was making, and
he expected when the accounts were made up for the annual
meeting they would show even a larger dividend than they
were now about to declare. The motion having been
seconded, was unanimously approved. Authority was taken
to issue the 10,000 new shares, provided £5 5s per share was
paid on the first,issue; and an ad interim dividend was
de-
clared at the rate of 10 per cent., when the proceedings
term lusted.

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