The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-27 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.
WINDSOR, FRIDAY.—An inquest was held yesterday even-
ing at St. Leonard's, the residence of the deceased, near this
town, before Rupert Clarke,'Esq., one of the coroners for the
county of Berks, upon the body of Madame la Marquise
Elizabeth Sophia d'Harcourt, who expired at half-past seven
o'clock that morning, from the effects of a large quantity of
laudanum, taken in mistake.
The first witness was Caroline Jackson, a nursemaid in the
family of Lord and Lady Emelyn, who was staying on a
visit at St. Leonard's at the time the unfortunate event took
Place. She deposed as follows :—On Monday afternoon, at a
few minutes before two o'clock, as I was going out of the
nursery I met the deceased, who was coming out of her bed-
room ; she said to me, " Jackson, oh dear, I have taken
laudanum instead of my draught ! Tell them, quick What
must I do ?" I ran down stairs and told her maid; and then
I went to Lady Emlyn, and took the baby while her ladyship
went to the deceased. I continued with her during the af-
ternoon. She was walked about, and appeared to be sensible.
A dose of mustard and water, and also thirty grains of
ipecacuanah, which I weighed out myself, were immediately
given to her. She did not remain in her bed• room ail the
afternoon. She appeared to be perfectly sensible until she
went down stairs, and out into the air, about four o'clock in
the afternoon. She then became totally insensible. The
ipecacuanah caused her to be sick within a quarter of an
hour after taking it.
Similar evidence having been received, Mary Hughes de-
posed that La Marquise expired that morning at half-past
seven o'clock.
The CORONER summed up the evidence, and observed that
this was one of those lamentable cases which was purely of
an accidental neure. He considered, from the whole of the
tenor of the evidence, that the jury could arrive at no other
conclusion.
The jury immediately returned a verdict of " Accidental
death, from taking laudanum in mistake."
The remains of the deceased will be interred by the side
of those of her husband, the late Marquis d'Harcourt, in the
family vault of Sir Richard Harcourt, at Aldbury Church,
Hertfordshire.
La Marquise was in the 76th year of her age.

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.
(From last night's Gazette.)
Admiralty-office, June 24, 1846.
Dispatches were this day received at this office from Cap-
tain Charles Graham, of her Majesty's ship Castor, ad-
dressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty, of which the fol-
lowing are copies :
Her Majesty's ship Castor, Kawakawa, River,
Bay of Islands, New Zealand, Jan. 13, 1846.
Sir,--I have the honour to forward to you, for the infor-
mation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, copies
of my letters, No. 6 (of the 9th of January, 1846) and No. 7
(of this date), to his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief on
this station, agreeably with the Admiralty instructions, page
89, article 56.—1 have the honour to be, acc.,
GRAHAM,
Captain and senior officer at New Zealand.
To the Secretary of the Admiralty, London.

Her Majesty's ship Castor, Kawakawa River, Bay of
Islands, New Zealand, Jan. 9, 1846.
Sir.—l have the honour to report to your Excellency, the
proceedings of the squadron under my command since my
last communication, dated the 15th of December, 1845.
His Excellency Governor Grey arrived here on the 18th
ultimo, and it being his wish and intention to advance into
the country to punish the rebel chief named Kawitti, sta-
tioned in a Pab, as mentioned in my last letter, No. 4, I im-
mediately landed the seamen and marines of this ship, with
proper officers, amounting to one hundred and eighty-eight
(188) persons, with arms, ammunition, rockets, &c., and
ordered Lieut. Otway, who commanded them, to place him-
self under the immediate command of Commander Hay, of
the Racehorse, whom I instructed (or rather confirmed the
orders of Sir Everard Home) to act with all the naval force,
under the direction of Colonel Despard.
Her Majesty's ship Calliope arrived at the Bay of Islands
on the 31st December, and I have, according to your orders,
detained that ship.
I have ordered the Osprey round to the Hokianga river,
to protect British subjects, who are under considerable alarm
from the unsettled state of the country.
I shall feel it necessary to detain the Calliope, North Star,
and Racehorse for the present ; and, in coming to this deci-
sion, I have to inform your Excellency that I do so after due
consultation with his Excellency the Governor, from whom
I learn that affairs in the south of this island are in such a
state as may possibly require an extraordinary force and
exertions to quell insurrection, even if our proceedings in this
district are successful, and peace results.
Her Majesty's steamer Driver has not yet arrived; but I
shall take the earliest opportunity, after warlike affairs in
this part of the island are over, to establish coal depots for
any steam-vessel of war which may arrive.
I send a copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Admi-
ralty, agreeably with the Admiralty instructions, page 89,
article 56.—1 have the honour to be, &c.
C. GRAHAM, Captain.
To his Excellency Rear-Admiral Sir T. Cochrane,
C. 8., Commander-in-Chief, &c.

Camp, in front of Kawitti's Pah, New
Zealand, January 12th, 1846.

Sir,—l have the honour to acquaint you, for the informa-
tion of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, that, in
obedience to orders from Captain Sir Everard Home, of her
Majesty's ship North Star, whose orders you confirmed on
your arrival, I landed with 130 seamen under my command
on the 13th ultimo, and placed myself in communication
with Colonel Despard, commanding the land forces at the
head of the Kawakawa river, destined to march to attack
the Pah of the rebel chief Kawitti, situate in a thick forest
on a mountain, fourteen miles from the head of the river.
Two 32-pounders and one 18. pounder gun were landed from
her Majesty's ship North Star, and a 12-pounder howitzer
from the Hon. East India Company's ship Elphinstone.
Our whole force advanced on the 22d ultimo to a position
about half way to the Pah. On the 23d I received a rein-
mrcement of 150 seamen from the Castor, under your com-
mand, with another 12-pounder howitzer. On the 27th' the
forces advanced, and the guns were brought forward, with
astonishing exertion on the part of the officers and seamen
through a most difficult country, to a position about 90j
yards from the enemy's Pah ; shells and rockets were
thrown in occasionally until 'the Bth instant, when another
32-pounder was brought up, and roads having been cut
through the forest by the pioneers, two stockades were
erected by them, assisted by the seamen and troops. Breach-
ing batteries in the stockade were erected ; the one dis-
tant 300 yards, the other 140 yards, from the rah. On the
10th, at 11 A.M., fire was opened from the batteries, served
by seamen, under the direction of Lieutenant Maxwell
Falcon, of the Castor, Alleyne Bland, of the Racehorse, and
Leeds, of the Hon. East India Company's ship Elphinstone,
with the howitzer, and Mr. John Nops, master of the Race-
horse, with the 18-pounder ; Lieutenant Egerton, of the
North Star, directing the rockets. The fire was continued
with little intermission till 9 am., on the 11th, when our
friendly natives having ascertained that the two breaches
were praticable waved us on to advance ; an assault was in-
stantly made by the seamen under my command, in conjunc-
ion with the land forces and natives ; we were scarcely in the
Pah, when the enemy made a desperate attempt to regain it,
and a severe action ensued, which lasted nearly four hours;
they were finally repulsed in the most gallant manner, and
retreated to the wood. I enclose a list of the seamen and
marines killed and wounded, and regret much the loss of so
many brave men. I beg to bring before the notice of his
Excellency the Commander-in-Chief the following officers
who accompanied me to the assault, with their respective
divisions of small-arm men, and made themselves otherwise
extremely useful :—Lieutenant Robert J. Otway, first of the
Castor; Alfred J. Curtis, of the North Star; Arthur R.
Henry, of the Racehorse; Eden and Ralph, of the Hon. East
India Company's ship Elphinstone; and Mr. Lock, mate of
the Castor; Mr. Charles S. Forbes, midshipman of the North
Star, attached to the rocket party ; and Mr. Grove, my aide-
de camp; also Assistant-Surgeon Broughton, of the Elphin-
stone ; and the following medical officers, who• attended to
the wounded in the camp : viz., Mr. John Kidd, surgeon of
the Castor; Mr. William M'K. Saunders, assistant-surgeon
of the North Star; and Mr. Pritchard, assistant-surgeon of
the Castor.
I cannot conclude this dispatch without expressing my ad-
miration of the conduct of every officer and seaman engaged,
which is fully confirmed by the general order of the Colonel
commanding, of this day's date, a copy of which I enclose.
Mr. George Don Murray, midshipman of her Majesty's
ship North Star (the only officer struck), was severely
wounded early in the action, when leading his subdivision of
seamen.
The arrangements for the victualling of the naval portion
of the force engaged was conducted by Mr. Kenneth
L. Sutherland, paymaster and purser of her Majesty's ship
North Star, to my perfect satisfaction. I beg to add, that I
have received the greatest assistance from Lieutenant Otway,
of the Castor, and second in command of the naval brigade.
I have the honour to be, &cA.,
GEORGE JMES HAY,
Commander of her Majesty's ship Racehorse.

-
The officer commanding the. force acting against the rebel
chiefs Heke and Kawitti has the greatest satisfaction in con-
gratulating the whole of the force at the brilliant success
that has attended their operations of the last few days.
The capture, by assault, of a fortress of such extraordinary
strength, and defended by so brave and determined an
enemy, is of itself sufficient to prove the intrepidity and gal-
lantry displayed by all concerned, whether seamen, marines.
troops of the line, artillery of the Hon. East India Corn
pany's service, and the volunteer pioneers; and it will be a
most pleasing part of his duty to bring such conduct to the
notice of his Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, and
through him to that of her Majesty and his Grace the Com-
mander-in-Chief.
The Colonel cannot conclude this order, without express-
ing his admiration at the brave and intrepid conduct dis-
played by our native allies on every occasion since these
operations commenced, and more particularly during the
assault of the pah, on which occasion their bravery was fully
equal to what might be expected from the bravest of her
Majesty's troops.
The Colonel commanding feels the greatest regret at the
loss of so many brave men as have been killed and wounded
on this occasion ; but it will be considered as an alleviation
by their friends, that they have fallen while nobly perform-
ing their duty to their Queen and country.
(By order) C. P. O'CONNELL, A.B.M.
List of Killed and Wounded at the attack made on Kawitti's
Pah, at Ruapikapika, on the 10th and 11th of January,
1846.
Her Majesty's ship Castor—Seven men killed; ten seamen,
two marines, severely wounded.
Her Majesty's ship North SMrtar—One marine killed; two
seamen severely wounded ; . Murray, midshipmen, in-
cluded.
Her Majesty's ship Calliope—One marine killed ; one
marine severely wounded.
HerA.laiesty's sloop Racehorse—One seaman severely
wounded
I severely w lion. East
India Company's e°nipany's sloop Elphinstone--One sea-
man

Her mateasytyo'sf
Excellency
Sir,—l have the honour to forward to your .
t Jan.or,K 1a27 alksaiza River,
ship
Islandsea,
a copy of Commander Hay's letter to me, descriptive oif
.
the services of the naval and marine force under his con
mand at the operations against the insurgent natives in
this neighbourhood ; and, in doing so, it is my pleasant
duty further to report to your Excellency that, although
I eapltvnarse nofotit,prbenstenint
omnyeseolff the
bthe
ePrai
ehe, as tti
lit,lifer u cce sful
having
been in the camp during the last three weeks advancing,
and having consequently witnessed the great exertions of the
officers, seamen, and marines of the ships under my com-
mand, and those of the Hon. East India Company's
ship Elpbinstone, in assisting in getting up the guns through
a very hilly country, and other heavy work in erecting
batteries and conducting the fire from them, in breaching,
shelling, and rocketing the Pah, &c., and the weather hav-
ing been very wet, causing the roads (which had to be cut
through woods and over hills in a hitherto untraversed
country) to be very difficult, also all hands having had to
live under what shelter they could temporarily contrive out
of the bush, I consider their conduct worthy of the warmest
admiration.
The unwearied zeal, exertions, and attention to their re-
spective departments exhibited by Captain Sir Everard
some, Bart., C.B. (te whom I apponated the duty of defend,