The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-17 00:00:00

The War in New Zealand:

(From the Times Correspondent.)
WELLINGTON, Aug. 14.
The Wereroa pah—that constant bugbear for
months past-u-has at last fallen into our hands, and
under such peculiar circumstances as to warrant my
entering into more than ordinary detail. When I
last wrote Governor Grey had gone to Wanganui,
in the expectation of receiving the submission of the
rebels, who, notwithstanding their professed desire
to capitulate, were daily haggling as to the terms.
Their offer of unconditional surrender, if the Gover-
nor came in person to receive it, proved, however,
as illusory as those previously made to the friendly
natives. As after offering them a free pardon (any

murderers only excepted) the Governor learnt from
undeniable evidence that their only desire was to
gain time, and that their agents were actively
and not unsuccessfully scouring the country for
help, there appeared to be no other alternative for
his Excellency but to be willing to be befooled by
their insolent caprice, or to carry matters with a
high hand. To get immediate possession of the pah

somehow or other, by cajolery or menace, by grant-
ing terms however favourable, or by force, was alike
the absorbing desire of Governor and Ministry. In-
dependently of their both entertaining the strong
conviction that " the worst possible effect was being
Produced by the murderers, fanatics, and turbulent
natives being permitted to remain unmolested for so
many months in close proximity to a British settle-
ment, and in the presence of a large British force,"
the Governor was anxious for its possession, because
General Cameron could not, or would not, take it
with the troops at his present disposal ; and the
Ministry were no less anxious, because they looked
upon its continuance in the hands of the rebels as
the main obstacle to the close of the campaign. The
unfortunate antagonism which had for months per-
sonally and officially existed between the General
and the Governor nerved the latter to task his powers

to the utmost, while the desire to intimate to the

approaching Assembly that one great obstacle, inthe
mind of his Excellency, to his agreeing to the practica-
bility of the removal of the troops had been overcome
stimulated those of the Ministry. After due conside-
ration, the Governor resolved that at all risks the pah
should be captured. Having formed this determina-
tion, the Governor took stock of the means at his dis-
posal, and found them scanty enough—too scanty to
warrant his proceeding unless he could get the assist-
ance of the military, real or pretended. On the 19th
July he wrote to Brigadier-General Waddy, in com-
mand of the Wanganui district, inquiring whether
General Cameron's instructions would permit the in-
vestment and reduction of the pah without the delay
of &reference to head-quarters at Auckland. On the
some day General Waddy replied that he could not
undertake that operation without such reference
being made. This would have effectually damped
any less resolute man than Governor Grey can be,
when he wishes to play his own ace or draw that of
a political opponent. If the troops could not act, he
would do the work with them, but fall the pah must.
The risk to the small colonial force was, however, so
great. that he determined to make a second appeal,
and accordingly requested Gen. Waddy to move up
a force of 400 men as a " moral support, and also a
detachment of artillery with heavy guns and mortars
for the purpose of .breaching and keeping down the
_ _ _ _

fire of the pah, while the colonial forces assaulted it.

" Without you do this," wrote the Governor,—

" I fear a large and absolutely unnecessary loss of the
lives of the Queen's subjects, natives and Europeans, will be
incurred, which would seem to be wrong, when a large force
nndet your•command, intended by the Queen's Government
fur the suppression of rebellion and the preservation of the
peace in her Majesty's possessions, is close at hand."

Gin. Waddy consented to comply with this re-
quest, but it does not appear that the whole of the
troops arrived sufficiently early to be of essential
service. Late that night (19th) reports came up
from Wanganui that large numbers of hostile natives
had made their appearance at Pipiriki, a post 65
miles up the Wanganui river, held by Capt. Brassey
and a colonial force of 271 men, and that, taking
advantage of the absence of the loyal natives at
Wereroa, they had occupied a position commanding
the river and preventing the sending upcommissariat
supplies. While every confidence was felt in Cap-
tain Brassey and his men, the necessity for send-
ing relief was imperative, and, as that could not
be done until the force before Wereroa was
at liberty, there was nothing else open but to push
on the attack as quickly as possible. The Governor
was fortunate in having a native orderly who knew
the country about the pah from boyhood, and the
information already gained from him enabled the
Governor now to arrange his plans with the greatest
promptitude. The-pah had been constructed, as
they.ahnost invariably are, to resist only a front
attack, the rear being comparatively unprotected,
and Affording outlets for retreat. To gain the rear
a force must make its way through several miles of
difficult bush, a feat the. natives have learnt by ex-
perience to feel.confident soldiers would not be per-
mitted to attempt. The escape of the rebels by the
rear was to a large extent protected by a small re-
doubt they had thrown up on what is called the
Karaka ridge, and entirely so by it and a position
across the ""aitotara river. The Govegnor resolved
to occupy these two positions, and so, by hemming
the rebels in and cutting them off from their potato
grounds, place them completely in his power. The
-whole force on the ground consisted of 25 Wanga-
nui cavalry, 139 Forest Rangers, 109 natives, of
what is called the Native Contingent, and about 200
efficient friendly natives, with a few old men. At
2 a.m. of the 20th the chiefs were roused from their
sleep and the plan explained, and orders were given
to them and the remainder of the force to be ready
to start at 12.30, with the view of taking poses-
sion-of the Karaka heights, by which hour Lieut.-
Colonel Trevor and 100 of the 14th, and Captain
Nobblett and 100 of the 18th, were expected to
arrive—part of the 400 promised by General Waddy
as a " moral" support. They arrived earlier than
was anticipated, and took up a position about 1,300
yards from the pah, the colonial forces moving off
at the hour fixed, leaving only a portion of the
friendly natives in camp. It rained heavily, and,
although some of the men had had no rations that
morning, and it was doubtful when they would be
able to get any, yet the prospect of there really
beii4g work to do started them in capital spirits.
In the afternoon a supply of biscuits was obtained,
and some of the natives who had been left behind
carried 1801 b. in the direction of the Karaka heights
—a scanty allowance for the nearly 400 men already
steadily making their way thither. "I, however,
knew," writes Sir George in his despatch to Mr.
Cardwell, " that next morning they would obtain
on the Karaka heights the supplies intended for the
pah:" The result proved the correctness of his Ex-
cellency's information and judgment, for at 10
o'clock on the morning of the 21st news was re-
ceived that Major Rookes and his force has oc-
cupied the Karaka heights, surprised a party of
uatives on their way to reinforce the pah, and after
a alien resistance, captured 50 men and some
some women, 50 guns, and two kegs of ammunition,
besides supplying themselves with provisions., The
messengerapplied for an escort to bring these pri-
soners in, which force, composed of an equal num-
ber of the 14th and friendly
natives, was at once
sent, leaving only about 170 men o f both races in
front of the pah, and obli • d
to the nearest camp for
obliging the Governor to send
ar-
rived in a few hours at the "doubleiresoldiers, who noThe quick," under
the command of Major Roche2oo soldiers
from Wanganui, a moiety of the
assistance origin-
ally promised by Brigadier-General Waddy, do not
appear to have arrived, and the second
means
escape, the position on the Waitotara river
already
dof
alluded to, could not, therefore, be closed.
Mean-
while orders were sent to Major Rookes to harass
the rear of the pah at once, and to assault it at
noon of the next day (22d), at which hour a sham
attack would be =fie by the troops in front,
and such few friendly natives as could be
gathered by the return of the escort and from
other sources would have reached the Waitotara
river position, should the troops expected not have
arrived and taken it up. Further and authentic
intelligence was received from Captain Brassey rela-
tive to .his critical position, and the necessity of
acting decidedly induced the Governor to send off
to Patea for a reinforcement from thence of 200
troops. The heavy guns and artillery now arrived,