The New York herald., 1870-01-03

same day Wreoonoerted) on which Henick would
have crossed the lake from TINS; but pnc,ame pro.
the illustration or Whitm0re's attack-the deserton
OF the Arawas, the inclemency Of tho season, and
the difficulty Of transit-are well known; We wnl,
therefore, merely chronicle the proceedings OF Her
rick's division, following It In ITS march from
Wairoa. This was itself an undertaking OF no
small dlficuity, and the troops, as they advanced,
had 10 cut their roads Tor the more ready supply
OF provisions by packhOrSe
called ''The Cup" or Te Kopo II n fertile tract
OF hand. contained by q bend OF the river whlcn
neary surrounds It, On the news ol Inc outpreak
the settlers had nearly all deserted their homes
living principally tn the bockhouse which they had
disposal OF the various detacnments as they moved
up. How far the law OF nleln and tuu1s ~ binding
not TO be discussed mere, but IL IL the writer's
opinion that there Will be great scarcity OF eggs IN
the cup for some sime to come The next naltlng
and Naikaretencke rivers, q hat and desoate PLAIN
enough, where redoubt was butt and some
Ien-abou. thirty IN nnmoer-were posted Under
the command OF Captain Corneld, an onicer
VINO had seen some service IN The imperial
army. Great scarcity Of wood and great
quantities OF rain characterized this wilderness OF
. places but au cOfltratre, ~ was always well sup
pied with provisions and necessaries which were
Forwarded thlther in canoes from the Walroa.
From hence we were moved on 10 Iukeranga, where
another redoubt WAS built IN q very desirable posi-
ton, with wood ana water equally handy and COM
manding fine view. Tins redOubt WAS placed In
the charge OF Sub-lnspeetor stopford, OF we'll
y,
men. II was In Oil respects q model ol engineering
SKILL no pains or labor having been spared TO render
lt stronghold VI the strongest class Hence we were
again pushed ON TO kiwi, crossing ea route the
track by which the enemy had retired after they had
finished their murderous VISIT to Sfohaka., Here the
natives OF the last named place Duiit themselves
pan, which, though not very strong as y
position, was yet very snag proteclon Ion
tricts-impervious TO the rain without, and equally
80 to che smoke within as the writer's eyes can bear
testimony 10. II was situated on the crown or hill
strength Of the force stationed here consisted OF
about thirty white men under the command OF Mr..
Witty whose name win be remembered with esteem
by all who had the privilege OF belonging To his
detachment ana Of about seventy Mohaxa natives
under their Chiefs Cooper and Onl. Here the lau-
| haus, with considerate forethouQht had prepared
good living for US In The shape Of several acres OF
| potatoes. which lasted throughout the whole CAM
paign. should have mentioned that the Mohaka
natives mad previously occupied the place, being
actually engages In fighting the insurgents on thus
! them on theirs. Seventeen or eighteen unburied
| Eaunau corpses bore ghastly testimony to the
/ result OF the fray, which, ON the arrival OF the
| Pakeha were submitted To an apology Tor burial.
Wnares OF varied shape and merits were speedily run
up Dy the white portion OF the garrison, and the
sound Of the axe and the falling trees was neard the
hve-long day. From here TO the shores 0f the lake
| was only distance Of eight miles. by the original
track it only miles; but owing to an orderly
| having been killed IN small bush by party Of
ammunition and letters. another road vast aken 70
avoid 1t, which was in coleman parance, "a c8u-
ton" to both man and beast Three feariuiiy steep
| these difficulties were surmounted three four
miles OF dangerous scrub country had to be traversed
ore the lake was reached. The position taken up by
| Colonel HerrcK was the only one winch the nature
| Of the country would permit, Tor everywhere else
the lake is surrounded by oush.covered hills Of
| great steepnesS. the bush reaching down To the
waters edge. IL was admirably adapted for garri-
son IN an enemy's country being naturally well pro-
| tected ana constituted for defence.
vast liquid mirror, ike the celebrated fount OF
Bandusia stendidi0r Ulto, rejecting It's surface
/ the lofty hills ana wooded promontories that sur
round and lndent its waters-such IL Walkaremoana
the lake OF the mountains It's altitude though
great, Is yet Inferior to that OF Lake Taupo being
should imagine, about 800 feet above the sea level
In rhe beauty and variety OF Its scenery 1t exceeds
the latter owing 70 the greater lrregular,ty and
| has none OF the interest winch attaches to Taupo
from its hot springs geological formation and other
truly ascertaiaed but conjecture places at about
thirty miles, while is average width would be aUout
u Is li9Dlo 10 sudden storms which lash lis usually
| tranquil waters into waves OF fury such as no
canoe could live In IL has ony one known
outlet, the Waikareeneke, which runs Out ol
tho lake by y suoterranean passa,e under
hill Tor q considerab distance AMI very steep
gradient, the water rushing through II with noise
Ike thunder and bursting into iXnL OF day through
natural rocky opening IN the NIL side. strong
| wind from the northwest accompanied by rain, mas
been known 90 raise the waters O! the
fifteen feet IN rs many hours. such Is brle dc
scpon Of the lake, on the southern shore OF whicr
Colonel HerrcK awaited the necessary preparations
| for all attack upon The enemy. The force actually
| at the lake never amounted 20 more than 100 Euro
/
The attack, AZ the Americans say, 'evcnrnated,n 81
| originally intended, 200 more Of the latter woull
have been sent up under RopaJa, and Captain scan
neilS men, OF No. = division, were close at hand
ready 10 sustain the reputation for pluck and genera
esprit du corps they nave 50 well earned. Two sinal
boats, q dIngy ana q whaleboat were sent uI
from Tie ArIki on sledpes drawn oy bullocks-i
Journey attended with some injury TO DOtn or them
| and sawyer5 and builders were set " work to con
sIruCt other two larger ones each capable OF carry
ing qua, and about eighty men. The landing wa
10 been effected unoer sle cover OF nght. tn,
attack being planned from Two sides, while tnt
h0witzers IN the boats would have played upon In,
pa In ironb There s no doubt that The result Of TIM
attack would have been certain victory to US hal
contingent circumstances allowed 1t 70 have beer
| made Dut II would have been dearly bought one
| aud the object gained far from equivalent Ia value
| 10 the price paid. The nest would have been taken
| but the birds would have down, or POSSIBLY enOug
would have retired to stronger position deeper IL
| tue bush, ana all our labor would nave gone fo
| nauElt. But circumstances would not allow vi al
attack being made az tlat season OF the year; and
the dlficulty III procuring PROVISIONS more tnan
| the Intervention OF the new government we ma
attribute the abandonment of the expedition.
The troops at the front, more particularly those q
XVII generally IN arrears or ratiOlS, NOR Cou!
back ratlons as rule, he issued when supply wa
| oDGaIned. speak rather under the marx when
say that Of them were tor two weeks destitute
OF such necessares AZ sugar and tca while tobacco
the only luxury soldier mas, was not TO be obtaine
for d much longer period. The native wild tobacco
| TO rodi, was used by some, bat IL made poor an
nause0us substitute for Barretts, while others lie
their pipes with crumbled biscuits, and, when
could be procured with tea These remarks are nc
| Intended 70 reflect any blanc on "tne powers tina
were" or on those In charge or the transport, bu
merely TO sh0w the lmpossDiilty OF accu muatlng a
the front sufficient STOCK or provislons TO enAbl
Colonel Herrlck to push the expedition across To
lake ana into an almost Inaccessible anu hostIl
country.