The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-18 00:00:00

£254,575 3 8

THE NEW ZEALAY-15 WAR.

ISIF_,LBOTRNE, JAN. 25.
The troops under General Platt have achieved
another important success against the Waikatos,
allies of Kingi, at Taranaki. Alarge body of that
tribe, after the defeat of some of their party at
Mahoelaki, had occupied a very strong position at
a place called Matarikoriko, a few miles up the
Waitara river. Its natural pcsition was one of
great strength, and the natives lud fortified it with
great skill, and had established Heir usual defences
of rifle pits and trenches.
The troops were moved into position early on the
29th of December, and an intrenched camp was
thrown up. As the natives ha'e no artillery this
method is certain to succeed against them with
very little loss on our side, and Etter a few repeti-
tions will, no doubt, thoroughly iishearten the in-
surgents. The firing lasted 22 hours. The native
loss is estimated at 135 killed, 11;2%4uding 25 *omen,
70 wounded, and 15 missing; while that of the
troops is only 3 killed and 22 wounded. It is said
that the natives asked for a tuce to bury their
dead, and urged also that they sid not wish to fight
on Sunday (Dec. 30), and that Gereral Pratt yielded.
This opportunity was seized by the Waikatos to
abandon their stronghold, when the troops took
possession. General Pratt in his despatch mentions
the retirement of the natives, and the taking pos-
session of the pah, but does not a lude to the truce,
but several other accounts mentiot it, and I have no
doubt it was urged, as it is quits, consistent with
native sagacity. The Waikatos are now driven
back into a country which will scarcely feed them,
and our troops are in a position to keep them there.
Five chiefs were found among the killed. In the
captured pah a letter was found wrten by a
" friendly native," one of the " native assessors"—
that is, a sort of native justice of the peace, who sits
with the magistrates to decide tative disputes—
conveying Ind intelligence of the movements of the
troops. He has been arrested.
The following is a copy of the General's own
despatch written on the Monday immediately after
taking possession of the pah :
" Camp, Waitara, Dec. 31, 1860.
" Sir,—l have the honour to report, for the in-
formation of your Excellency and the members of
the Government, that the excessive rains having
ceased, I was enabled to move est from New Ply-
mouth on the 28th inst., in order to attack a large
body of the Waikatos, who had occupied a very
strong position at Matarikoriko, on the left bank
of the Waitara, and not far from Huirangi.
" My force, after _being joined by parties from
the Waitara Camp and the other positions, amounted
to 900 rank and file of all arms, which was all I
could muster, after leaving the town and other
posts in security, and required some assistance from
her Majesty's ships Cordelia and Victoria ; and I
note this in consequence of the great misstatements
which are circulated regarding the amount of force
at my disposal for aggressive operations. •
" Having halted at the Waitara Camp, now my
base of operation, I marched from thence at half-
past 3 o'clock on the morning of the 29th, and
reached Kairau, opposite the Matarikoriko mound
and pah, and 900 yards distant from it, at. half-past
6 a.m., and proceeded to throw up an intrenched
camp for the security of the troops during the sub-
sequent operations. This was done without moles-
tation, until about .9 o'clock, when a very heavy fire
was opened upon us from a line of rifle pits, extend-
ing for 600 yards, just 100 paces from us, and
running along the edge of a deep ravine between
us and the pah, having very precipitous banks, and
at the bottom of which was a dense forest and
swamp. Firing was opened upon us also from
skirmishers in the high fern nearly all round the
intrenchments. This was promptly returned by
our skirmishers, the troops, and howitzers ; and
heavy firing was kept up on both sides until six in
the evening, by which time the redoubt, which had
been carried on the whole time, being completed it was
garrisoned, and a portion of the force returned to
camp.
" Next morning (30th of December), at daylight,
on my troops reaching the redoubt, I found that
the enemy had kept up a constant fire during the
night, which was as promptly returned. They
had a white flag on the pah, and line of rifle-pits ;
and the redoubt was heightened and strengthened
during the day, without a shot being fired on
either side.
"On the 31st, at half-past 3 a.m., I again
marched out; but from the information which
reached me on the road that the enemy was leaving
the rifle-pits and retiring from the pah, and that
it was not unlikely that it might be occupied by
another party of the enemy who were known to
be coming up from the north, I at once sent an
order to Colonel Wyatt, commardinglhe intrench-
ment, to ascertain whether the rifle-pits and the
pah were occupied, and if not to take possession of
both without a moment's delay. This was im-
mediately done by a party of 200 men of the 65th
and Naval Brigade, under Colonel Wyatt and
Commodore Seymour, and on our force sighting
the pah, we had the satisfaction of seeing the
British flag floating over it.
"The result of these three days has been that
the proud Waikatos, who had threatened to drive
us into the sea, have instead been themselves
driven from one of the most formidable positions I
ever saw, chosen by themselves, and that too, with
singular sagacity, into the dense bush, and we
occupy positions to keep them there.
" Our casualties have been three killed and 22
wounded, which is small, consilering the shower
of bullets poured upon us for such a length of time.
" I cannot as yet ascertain the exact loss of the
enemy, but it must have. been great to have in-
duced them to suffer the mortification of abandon-
ing their pah and position without another struggle;
it is known that at least five chiefs have been
killed, among them Te Ahitana of Ngatiawa, and
Karira of Ngatiamniapoto, and further particulars
as to names and numbers will be sent hereafter.
" I have .now to bring to your Excellency's notice
thp Npunl D.45-.40, and troops of all
arms; their duties have been most laborious and
incessant, skirmishing through the high fern over
the head, fired at by unseen foes, and carrying on
the work of theintrenchment under heavy fire ; too
much cannot bo said in their praise.
" The officers of all ranks vied with their men in
carrying out their respective duties, and it will be
my great satisfaction to bring the names of many
of them to the notice of the authorities at the Horse
Guards."
Since the receipt of the above intelligence the
Bdn herald las published a short telegram fur-
nished the captain of a trading vessel to this
effect :—That she was off Taranaki on Jan. 10, and
saw a large bod 3 of natives—probably 600 strong;
that troops wereseen in another direction ; and that
afterwards shari musketry or rifle firing was heard
for a considerably time. This vague rumour reached
Melbourne on 'Monday, the 21st. The account is
by no means im)robable, but we have no account of
any action sincethat of Matarikoriko.
I mentioned it a former letter the agitated state
of the native mild at Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa,
and the many rtraours from different parts of the
country of tallier risings about Christmas—
rumours which I thought not inconsistent with
native habits. 1 have lately received some intelli-
gence from the slme quarter which seems to dispel
the previous anehension of a rising in the south.
The published Iccounts from Hawkes Bay are
equally satisfact'ry, so that the General has now to
concentrate his attention upon the north, whence
the Waikato horles approach.
A. warm disco ion as to the origin and present
character of the s'ar still continues to be carried on
in New Zealand. The champion of extreme native
rights is Sir Wiliam Martin, late Chief Justice of
the colony. He las had a great deal of intercourse
with the natives writes and speaks the language,
and is much respcted by them. The Governor's