The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-13 00:00:00

Ilae War in

ealand,

(From the Times' Corresptndent.)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 11.
Road-making, which the Weld Ministry an-
nounced as the cardinal point in their policy—a
measure stamped with the authority of the late
Iron Duke as the only one calculated to give perma-
nent security to a country inhabited by a warlike
ab°nal race—is now being attempted on the
West coast of this island. Preliminary to the actual
w01..1 of road-making the troops are taking up posi-
tions, and are meeting with the opposition a people
so astute as the New Zealanders were almost cer-
tain to offer. Waikato having become no longer
the seat of war, in consequence of the inability of
the natives to prevent the gradual occupation of
that district by the troops, the only course open to
the Governor was to direct the removal of the
troops to the one remaining seat of rampant
rebellion, with the view of impressing on the
natives of the west coast the same hopelessness of
further contention as it is now certain the Northern
rebels at length feel. Not that the Waikato natives
believe themselves inferior to our troops ; on the
contrary, they regard themselves as vastly superior,
man for man, and as having only been defeated by
the overwhelming numbers and numerous appli-
ances brought against them. Against the thousands
of soldiers, backed by the hitherto inconceivable re-
sources brought into the field, they feel powerless to
contend, and, satisfied with having made a noble
stand in the eyes of their own countrymen, they
have abandoned Waikato as the seat of war, the
few fiery spirits who still hold out having migrated
to the country between Taranaki and Wanganui,
through which the General is making his way.
The country between Taranaki and Wanganui is,
coastwise, about 120 miles in length, and contains the
very scum of the Maori race, the population present-
ing nothing of that true nobility of character which
distinguishes some of the Northern tribes. They are
notorious as the murderers •of women and children
and the mutilators of the dead. Although few in
number, unable to muster along the whole line more
than 800 to 1,000 resident men, they have hitherto
set at naught the efforts that the troops at Taranaki
have made against them, and there can be no peace
for New Zealand all the while their country continues
to be an impervious nursery of the most utter law-
lessness. To make simple war with the hope of
reducing them to submission is, under the present
system of tactics, absolutely futile. The primary
step is to establish military posts for the protection
of road parties, and to leave time and employment
for wages to do the rest. This is the Weld policy.
It is desired to have no fighting but that which the
natives insist upon. If they stop the way they are
to be pushed on one side, but if they keep at a
respectable distance they will not be interfered with.
The "sharp and short" theory was never, unfortu-
nately, anything else than the tediously long in
practice. Now the theory is to be as admittedly
BIM as- its development,,pu,st necessarily become.
The reoccupation of the Tataraimaka block, 12
miles from the town of New Plymouth, has been fol-
lowed by one small forward movement on Jan. 23.
The day previously Col. Warre and staff, Major
Atkinson, the Defence Minister, and Mr. Parris, the
interpreter, proceeded three miles southward to the
pah belonging to about 30 natives, whose represen-
tative chiefs had expressed their intention of sur-
rendering last December. They had erected a re-
doubt in true military style, from which they filed
unarmed, expressing their intention to live in
peace, and inviting the party inside, to re-
ceive the surrender of their arms. The sincerity
of these natives is strongly evidenced by
three of their number who had been concerned in
some of ;the local murders accompanying the party
to Tataraimaka and giving themselves up to confine-
ment as prisoners. Next morning 150 of the 43d
left New Plymouth to relieve the garrison at Tata- ,
raimaka, the 212 men hitherto garrisoning it march-
ing
on to Te Ngana, six miles southward, where a
redoubt was at once erected, to be eventually occupied
by military settlers. We have learnt to be very
thankful for the smallest mercies in connexion with
Taranaki, but a six miles onward movement, together
with the submission of 30 natives, and the surrender of
three self-condemned murderers, wouldmake us jubi-
lant and ready to prophesy all manner of smooth
things, were it not that the Upper Waitara natives,
in the opposite or northern direction—the adherents
of William King—had so recently shown how deter-
mined they were to resist every overture towards re-
conciliation. These people reside to the north of New
Plymouth, and have hitherto been on tacitly friendly
terms with those of their own countrymen who pro-
fessed to be favourable to the Europeans, but when
William King heard of the Governor's peace pro-
clamation of last October his suspicions were more
than ordinarily aroused, and he at once declared
that it was but a bait covering a hook to catch him
with, and that henceforth, "his eyes were shut and
his ears stopped, so that he should not know any
man coming to him ;" in other words, that he would
have nothing more to do with the Governor or any
one friendly to him. At the end of December a
loyal native went to King's place to tellhim of the ar-
rival of some natives from the Chatham Islands. He
went unarmed, but with considerable misgivings,
and before reaching his destination was metby some
rebels who fired, wounded, and eventually killed him.
A week afterwards his wife and an adopted child,
alarmed at his continued absence, went to seek him,
and were likewise fired at, wounded, thrown into a
hole, and killed. The settlers were even more hotri-
fied at this barbarity than. they had been at the
murders that had been committed on themselves.
The rebels might be expected to murder settlers, but
to murder their own countrymen under such circum-
stances was altogether a new feature in the events
of this unhappy struggle, and convincingly proves
that with such an enemy swift punishment is the
only argument that can be of any avail. Yet that
even Punishment might follow decently and in order,
so that nothing might be left at which to cavil, the
Coroner directed the police to exhume the bodies
and bring them into camp for the purpose of inquest.
Military aid was applied for, the place of burial
being some miles within the rebel territory, but Gen.
Cameron, who happined to be at Taranaki at the
time, would not grant the request, and the loyal na-
tives of course regard us as not only incapable of
protecting ourselves, but devoid of the courage re-
quisite for supporting those who are willing to do
what they can to protect us. Murders of friendly
natives, under very similar circumstances, have also
taken plaee near Wanganui, where a loyal chief
named Rio and three others have been barbarously'
shot by their rebel countrymen.
New Plymouth is the northern basis of opera-
tions, and Wanganui, 120 miles lower down the
coast, is the southern. Into this latter place troops
and materiel have been pouring for six weeks past,
principally from the now quiet district of Auckland,
Gen. Cameron himself arriving on the 20th January.
Although the extreme number of natives that have
yet congregated in the neighbourhood of the opera-
tions to be presently narrated can scarcely be more
than from 400 to 600, the General has ordered out
the Militia to the assistance of large force of nearly 3,000 troops, and 200 of the rifle Volunteers
have been sent forward to garrison an outpost.
English readers will regard this posing array as
something like breaking a fly upon a wheel, and
must conclude that road making is progressing
rapidly, but the troops have done nothing of that
sort yet. Before the troops arrived an inland road
had been in construction towards the Waitotara
River by unarmed ordinary day labourers paid by
the Provincial Government. It had progressed about
14 miles from Wanganui, or within six or seven
miles of the newly-acquired boundary of European
land. Verbal opposition had been offered; the engi-
neers laying out the line thought it prudent to de-
sist, as the survey was considerably in advance, but
the labourers still kept at their work. To the Waito-
tara River, the boundary of the Queen's land, the
road would probably have been continued by a little
finessing with the 150 or 200 natives congregated
there, but beyond it there was little prospect of the
work being continued without coming to blows.
They declared that not a sod should be turned on
their own land on the other side of the river, and
with this view a pah had been constructed on a hill
commanding the passage of the river. The pah is on
a portion of a reserve made for the use of the natives

when the land was sold to the Government, or so that the Ministryand nearly the whole of the official
near to it that the natives no doubt deemed it to be departments are located in Wellington, the new
so. As soon as the troops arrived at Wa ag a nui an capital ; but the mercenary motive which has pro-
outpost was formed, and while waiting Gen. Came- moted the agitation, and the attempt which is thereby
ron's arrival Brigadier-Gen. Waddy made one or made to throw all the burden of maintaining peace
two reconnoitring expeditions. On .1 an. 11 a force on the Imperial Government, must be too palpable to
of 600 men marched to within two miles of the pah deceive the Secretary of State into an acquiescence,
already mentioned (Warlroa), where it halted, send- although the influence of Governor Grey is paraded
ing forward the 60 cavalry volunteers by which it by public speakers in its support. The agitation in
was accompanied. When about 600 yards from the Otago to obtain the erection of that province also
pah the natives fired a few shots of defiance, and into a distinct colony, but with a Governor limited
Gen. Waddy, having seen all he could see, returned by the advice of a responsible Ministry, does not,
to camp. The natives fully understood this intima- however, meet with individual local support. The
tion. They looked upon it as the usual preliminary to minds of very many revolt from the idea of any such
an attempt to drive them out of the pah, and knowing shabby method of clearing off from the Northern
from northern experience that an attack does not Island while hampered with a war and an increas-
generally take place for a few weeks after the first re- ing war debt, and a policy of increased powers to
connaissance they have, from that time to this, been the provinces is advocated instead. The cost of so
many petty governments, each with its little court,
strengthening it by every process known to Maori
ingenuity ; have sent out and secured assistance, would be intolerable. At the late Session of the
and the whole are seen daily working together with Wellington Council a petition to the Queen, pro-
more than the industry of bees. Nothing further was testing against breaking up the unity of the colony,
w
done by the troops, and indeed nothing further was was unanimously agreed to, and other provinces are
protesting in a similar direction. The necessity for
intended to be done until Gen. Cameron arrived,
Federal action which lately manifested itself so
and now if it is attacked at all (which I understand
is not likely) a comparatively weak position, garri- strongly in Canada, and the want of it which the
Boned by less than a couple of hundred natives, will Australians deplore, ought to be sufficient warning
be found to have been converted into the usual against wantonly destroying the Federal constitu-
strong fortification, defended by a number three tion of New Zealand, notwithstanding the specious
times as large. Our movements are slow and so
pretexts
advanced and the gubernatorial influence
cautious—" timid" would be the better word were believed to be secretly backing them.
it not liable tobe misunderstood—as to increase the Proclamations have been issued by which certain
toil and prolong the intended operations until the
rebel lands in the Taranaki province have been con-
time has elapsed when they can be of the advantage fiscated, amounting to a million acres.
intended. It is doubtful whether General Cameron The Victoria Cross, which we are glad to see by
intends to attempt any more pah taking while the every mail from England is graciously sent to deco-
natives_ rate some brave fellow's breast, has been recom-
vance to compel the pah occupants in his rear to are in them, but hopes by pushing on in ad
mended by the Governor, at the instance of Dr.
vacate quietly, or leave him to go on unopposed. Featherston, for bestowal on Haimona, a Maori chief
How bold and dashing the native tactics are the whose courage changed the fight at Moutoa (between
events of the 24th and 25th of January testify. the loyal and rebel natives) from an approaching
On the night of the 23d of January a party of defeat into a famous victory. We hope the Queen
will grant it, and that one or two of the most dis-
wereabout 30 natives with their women and children
on their way from Kai Iwi to join their friends tinguished among the European civilian forces may
at Waitotara, when they came at early dawn within come in for a similar honour, which in several cases
sight of the tents of the road party before men- has been richly earned. If the Queen could be
tioned. Their own statement is that they knew also recommended to extend to the most prominent
that if the Pakehas were frightened they would cut of her civil servants an occasional C.B. or K.C.8.,
and run, and they therefore only fired a blank volley, as well as to the officers of her army serving in the
but that before entering the tents, to loot them, colonies, she would fire an enthnsiasm most bene-
they fired low with ball in case of ambush. The ficial to the interests of the Empire. I write
labourers, many of them diggers from Marlborough, " Empire" advisedly, because the Empire sometimes
being mostly unarmed, naturally made the best of shares directly by the devotion of those whose lives
their way out of danger as soon as the first volley are spent in the drudgery of a Colonial Executive.
was fired, and the women then plundered the tents In this province, for instance, larger than many a
while the native men kept watch. When the camp colony, his Honour Dr. Featherston has filled the
was informed the cavalry were called out, groomed office of superintendent for nearly twelve years,
their horses, ate their breakfast, and arrived and obtained an honourable report. Ever since a
on the ground of course tDo late to be of any constitution was granted to the colony he has held
service. During the day (the 24th) 800 troops, that office, having been elected four times—the only
under General Cameron, marched onwards to instance in which such has been the case—and by
take up a new position. The tents were being his untiring exertion, personal courage, probity and
pitched after a toilsome march along the. sea coast tact, has not only prevented collision between the
(avoiding the newly made road because it ran races during periods of great excitement, but
through the bush occasionally), when the advanced has succeeded in preserving the most friendly
guard, 80 men of the 18th, were fired upon from an relations between them. He was expected to have
adjoining bush, five privates and Lieut. Johnston gone home last month on behalf of the
vernment to negotiate the remainder of the two
Go-
killed, and four other privates wounded. A detach-
million loan, but so lengthened an absence at such
meet of the 50th was sent to support, and the na-
a
fives retreated without loss. This invulnerability juncture was thought unadvisable by his friends,
was attributed to their adhesion to the Pai Marini and he was induced to abandon his intention,
although many of them were sanguine enough to
faith, and they were emboldened to make on the
next day the most daring attack that the war re- believe that those who know his worth to the colony
cords. In front of the camp was a quantity of by repute would, from their personal acquaintance,
scrub, which was set fire to by the General's orders, have left no stone unturned to have had him sent
in order to prevent surprise. Under cover of the back as our Governor.
smoke from this burning, the natives crept up, and
the engagement of Nuktunaru took place. An officer
gives me the following account of it. He says :
" There has been nothing like it in New Zealand before.
The Maori plan of attack was admirable, and would have
done credit to any European force. It appears that our
troops were busy taking up a position for an encampment,
and pickets were thrown out in advance of each flank. The
Maories, from a neighbouring bush, watched these move-
ments, and at length sent out three distinct bodies, two to
drive in the pickets, and the other as a reserve to attackthe
camp. This attack succeeded most admirably, for they
drove in one picket belonging to the 18th before it could
fire a shot; the other one belonging to the 50th held its
ground and saved the camp ; but had the Maori reserve
come up it would have been very doubtful. It was as pretty
as a field day to see the cavalry charge. They went over
everything; but, unfortunately, the ti-tree was so thick
that a good many Maories escaped. You may imagine
what pluck these natives must hare had when one was
seen to seize, a soldier of the 18th and drag him bodily
away. One of the cavalry seeing this, however, came up
and sabred the native."
There have been 18 native bodies picked up, but
I do not believe the report that there were 70 killed.
After the first surprise the action was a constant re-
treat on the part of the natives, and they could not
have carried off many dead, and, though I doubt
not there were many wounded, yet Imuch fear their
loss was not much more severe than our own. How
severe that was the following list of casualties will
tell. The number of natives attacking was, from the
most reliable accounts, about 500. It has been stated
to have been 1,000, but that is ridiculous :
Krur.vn.-18th Regiment—Private James Brenny. 50th
Regiment—Privates John Murphy, Smith Hargreaves,
William Vine, George Poole, John Fisher, John Kenny,
Wm. Erwin, Wm. Land, Joseph Gold, Henry Paris, and
Robert Ridyard.
WOUNDED-18th Regiment—Private Trevors, mortally ;
Privates Thos. Lock, Daniel Wadkins, and Thos. Graham,
severely; Privates Thomas High and Patrick Whelan,
slightly. 50th Regiment—Ensign D.L. Grant, dangerously;*
Lieut. W. H. Wilson, very severely; Private John Lydon,
dangerously; Privates Arthur Poor, J. Cunningham, Jas.
Reardon, George Box, John Barley, and John Christopher,
very severely ; Privates Phelim' Brown, Thomas Dobell,
William Griffin, B. Hargreaves, Wm. Miles, John Flynn,
James Bleasdale, H. Handover, M. Burke, Robert Barrett,
and William Croat, severely.
No farther engagement has taken place. General
Cameron has reached the Waitotara river, into
which a small steamer has succeeded in entering
en
under the command of Capt. Cadell, of River Mur-
ray (Australia) celebrity, who has for some time past
been engaged in opening up the New Zealand rivers.
A further movement 'to the Patea river,. distant
about 15 miles, is contemplated, if the river can be
entered so as to afford facilities for commissariat
purposes.
The loyal natives up the Wanganui river, those
who fought so well when the rebel horde attempted
to pass down last year, are still as zealous as ever.
It occurs to me to state, in proof of the good fellow-
ship between the settlers and natives, between the
much maligned, " greedy, covetous, land-sharking
settlers," and the natives whom they are supposed
to have maltreated during the last 25 years, that
there is not a single soldier in the whole of the set-
tled districts of the Wellington province, the few
formerly garrisoning this city having gone to the
front last week, all the fighting being beyond the
settled province of the Wanganui district, which
does not extend more than 12 miles north of that
town. There is not a soldier within 120 miles of
'Wellington city, nor a man-of-war in its harbour,
though there are five at anchor in the port of Auck-
land. All the garrison duty is being done by volun-
teers, and not only are the natives quiet but friendly.
even Wi Tako, whose kingism was once such a bug-
bear, lately paid into the Treasury a,sum of £3O to
obtain the grant in aid towards a road his people
are making through the centre of his now friendly
settlement. I only hope that the calling out the
militia at Wanganui for service at the front will not
give the rebels occasion for regarding it as a set-
tlers' war. It is bad enough for the orators of St.
Stephen's to misname it a settlers' war, but it would
be far worse in its immediate consequences if the
clearer knowledge of the natives should become simi-
larly beclouded. But I am afraid that my hopes
will not be wholly realised, for only this morning
the Wanganui steamer startles us with the intelli-
gence that on the night of the 9th Mr. J. D.
Hewitt, M.P.C.,:ene of the settlers furthest out
from Wanganui (about nine miles), was brutally
murdered in his own house by natives, who carried
the stockades close by, the family off his head. Mr. Hewitt's
iln ervyshavianngt escapedto
providen-
tially been sent into Wanganui a few days ago for
safety. As the news of the outrage spreads it will make the out-settlers elsewhere very timid, and I
fear that if we hear of more such occurrences it will tend to panic.
The agitation in Auckland for a separation of that
province into a distinct colony, under the irre-
sponsible government of a governor appointed by
the Queen, is continued all the more vigorously now

(From the Supplement to the London Gazette of Tuesday,
April 11.— Wednesday, April 12.)
WAR-OFFICE, Aritn, 12.
The Secretary of State for War has this clay re-
ceived a despatch, with its inclosures, from Lieut.-
Gen. Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.8., commanding the
troops in New Zealand, of which the following are
copies :

" Head-quarters, Camp, Nukumaru, Feb. 4.
"My Lord,—l have the honour to forward herewith the
copy of a report from Brigadier-General Waddy,C.B., com-
manding the field force at Wanganui, of a skirmish which
took place between ono of.our pickets and the rebels on the
evening of the 24th of January, and also of a general attack
made by the latter on our camp at Nukumaru on the follow-
ing day, when they were defeated with heavy loss.
" The celerity with which the troops got under arms,
and the spirit with which they met and repelled this sud-
den attack, was very creditable.

"Brigadier-General Waddy was very active throughout
the engagement, and showed groat judgment in the dispo-
sition of the troops under his command. I beg to recom-
mend him strongly to your lordship's favourable notice, as
well as those officers who are mentioned by him as having
particularly distinguished themselves in the action.
" The detachment of the Military Train were very gal-
lantly led by Capt. Witchell, and it was their steady and
well executed charge that put the rebels to flight on their
left attack.

" Colonel Mould, C. 8., commanding Royal Engineers,
was present, and Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, command-
ing Royal Artillery, directed the movements of the two
Armstrong guns.

" Col. Carey, C. 8., Deputy Adjutant-General, Lieut.-
Col. Gamble, C. 8., Deputy Quartermaster-General, Major
Pitt, Assistant Military Secretary, and my two Aides-de-
camp, Lieut.-Colonel M'lsTeil and Lieut. St. Hill, were also
present, and were active in conveying orders.—l have, &c.,
"D. A. CAMERON, Lieut.-General.
g‘p.s. A plan of the ground is herewith enclosad.
"To the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for War, •
War-office, London."

" Camp Nukumaru, Feb. 1.
" Sir,—l have the honour to report, for the information
of the Lieut.-General commanding the forces, that, in com-
pliance with orders received from him, I marched from
Camp at Alexandeisfaun, on the 24th Jan., at 9.40 a.rn.,
towards the Waitotara river. The advance of the troops
was necessarily very slow, owing to the steep ascent of the
road from the beach to the sand hills at the Okehu river,
and the passage across these hills of the carts conveying
baggage and stores. The force reached this position about
430 p.m., the same day, when I formed the camp close to
the Paetaia Lake, and about half a mile from the small
native village of Nukumaru. Immediately after the camp
had been formed I ordered out pickets, and, as a picket of
the 18th Regiment approached a bush close to the village,
which I considered necessary to-occupy, it was fired upon
by a party of rebels, who quickly retired and took up a
strong position at the edge of the bush, further away from
the village. The men of the picket got under cover behind
a railed fence with a small ditch. Firing was kept up by
both sides till dusk, after which it gradually slackened, and
ceased altogether about midnigllt.
" It is with deep regret I have to report the loss to the
service of Lieutenant Johnston, 40th Regiment, Deputy--
Assistant-Adjutant-General, a most zealous and gallant
officer, who proceeded with the picket to see it posted:as I
had directed. He was mortally wounded soon after firing
began, and died next day at noon.

• "Seeing the rebels were in a strong position, and believing
they occupied it in considerable numbers, which might soon
be increased from the pah at Weicroa, about two miles off
I sent out a reinforcement of 100 men. The rebels retired
during the night, and next morning they were not to be
seen or heard in the bush.

" I have also to report that about 2 p.m. of the 25th of
January the outlying pickets were suddenly attacked by
the rebels in large numbers, who managed to approach under
cover of the high fern and flax plants unpercr3ived till close
upon the sentries ; after a short resistance the pickets were
overpowered and forced to retire. Immediately after the
firing commenced all the troops in camp got underarms, and
I sent a reinforcement to each picket of 100 men. The attack
on the left was at once checked, and the Maories were soon
driven back, but on the right they advan'cedwith great de-
termination, and pushed on through the village of Nuku-
maru. Into this bush the Royal Artillery, having moved to
our right at the same time as the cavalry, fired some rounds
from their two 6-pounder Armstrong guns, and the Maories
soon retired from it. Considering the very difficult nature
of the ground across which the cavalry had to move their
advance was rapid and their charge effective.
" Two wounded Maories were brought into the camp ;
one of them is Te Arawa, eldest son of Hine Pumipi Ngah-
, raamapoto, a leading chief and, I believe, a near relative of
Re wi. Both these men said that 600 Maories came on to
the attack of our position ; 22 bodies have been buried by
us, and I feel convinced they lost many more men, particu-
larly on the left. I have since heard on, reliable information
that the rebels acknowledge a loss of 70 men on the 25th
of January ; their loss on the 24th was not ascertained.
" I enclose a list of casualties, which S regret were heavy,
particularly on the left, where the 50th Regiment was
engaged.

" I beg leave to mention most favourably the names
of the following officers who were in action :—Colonel
Weare, 50th Regiment (who happened to know the ground
onithe left), most ably directed a portic da of his regiment in
the repulse and pursuit of the enemy.l.3revet-Major Locke,
50th Regiment,who was in command of the first reinforce-
ment sent out, fully carried out the orders 1 gave him.
Captain Witchell, Military Train, commanding the cavalry,
led his men most gallantly, and kept them well in hand.
Major Roche, commanding detachment of the 18th Regi-
ment with his force, took out a reinforcement of 100 men
to the right picket on the evening of the 24th of January.
Ile remained there during the nit, and Rithdrew his