IMPORTANT FROM AUCKLAND. CAPTURE OF ORAKAU.

121 Maoris killed and 33 taken. 16 Soldiers killed— s2 wounded. Maungatautari evacuated.

The s.B. Rangatira arrived yesterday from Auckland with news of the defeat of the Waikatos at Orakau with heavy loss. We have gathered the following account from the c Daily Southern Cross ' of the 6th and 7th instant. On the 30th ult. the natives were observed to be fortifying an old pa at Orakau. This place is three miles from Kihikihi in a south-westerly direction, and five miles from Rangiawhiain a north-westerly direction : in other words, taking Kihikihi and •Rangiawhia as the base of a triangle, Orakau would be the apex. There is a road from Rangiawhia, and there is also a road from Kihikihi. The pa is a square stockaded redoubt, rifle-pitted within, and situated some little distance from a small swamp in the rear, which extends towards Rangiawhia and is sheltered on the south by a strip of bush. The attack was to be from three sides at once. %t half-past 12 o'clock on the morning of the 31st, a for je of about 280 men under command of Major Bbpth, started from Te Awamutu in the direction ofTKihikihi. At 6 o'clock in the morning a second body of troops, numbering about 600, left Awamutu or Orakau, under Colonel Leslie, 40th. Two 6pounder guns were also taken. Brigadier-General Carey was in command. On arriving at Kihikihi, the force was further strengthened by reinforcements from the 65th, under Ensign Chayter, and militia, under Colonel Haultain — numbering in all about 150. About 4 o'clock a third force started from the redoubts at Rangiawhia and Haeirini, composed of soldiers from the 65th and militia, under Captains Blewitt and Gower. This force advanced through the bush to the north-east of the village. The whole arrangements for surrounding the place suspected were admirably carried out ; and the enemy in seeking to draw the troops into a trap, were themselves caught napping. On the force, under the Brigadier-General, arriving at the village, five Maoris were seen, but who quickly made use of their logs 5 and, in endeavouring to escape, came across Major Blyth's party, and one was shot. The others got away. As the troops advanced towards what ultimately proved to be the masked pa, a few natives showed themselves on the gentle slope on which it was situate aud fired a few shots. The 18th and Forest Rangers were in front, and at once charged the natives. A company of the 40th, under Captain Hinds, furnished the supports. The Maoris retired as the troops came up in skirmishing order, and on nearing some flax bushes it was theu discovered there was a post and rail fence, rifle pit or trench, and parapet. The strength of the position was naturally concealed by the grove of trees and flax bushes. Captain Ring had advanced to within four yards of the rifle pit, aud the troops with him, when a heavy volley met them and eight fell killed and wounded, including the brave captain himself, who was mortally wounded. The troops retired a few yards, but were quickly reinforced by a few soldiers under Captain Hinds, and again the charge was made with an unsuccessful result. Captain Fisher led the third attack, and was then dangerously wounded in the back. The 6-pounder guns were afterwards brought into position, and under the direction of Lieut. Carre played upon the pa for about half an hour. Major Blyth's force, and the supplementary force from Rangiawhia had now taken up their assigned positions, and the pa being thus effectually surrounded, the Brigadier-General gave orders that a flying sap should be commenced, and this was accordingly done. During the night reinforcements were received making a total of about 1500. The Maoris in the pa were estimated to number about 300 ; the leading«chief being Rewi. The sap was continued during the whole of the night without serious molestation by the Maoris. During the course of Friday the firing on the part of the Maoris considerably slackened, and as sensibly increased on our side, owing to the protection afforded by the gabions enabling the soldiers to fire at close range at the pa. The wounds which occurred to our men in the trenches were in many instances entirely owing to the sufferer's want of caution, in exposing his head too long a time over the gamUns when desirouß of getting a shot at aMaori.^it few were said to have been ' wounded by Maons firing from trees round the pa. An immense^wpenditure of ammunition took place on our side ; no less than 40,000 rounds of Enfiold ammunition being served out during the day. Dr. Mouatt, Deputy Inspector General, arrived from Pukerimu about noon ; and the wounded were likewise attended by Dr. Spencer of the 18th, and other medical gentlemen connected ■with the various regiments on tho field. A large number of Maoriß showed in the bush, and on the ranges on the Rangiawhia side j and continuously fired, to warn their brethren in the pa that they had arrived as a reinforcement. About midnight a chief was heard addressing the rebels, urging them to make a sortie upon those in tho trenches, and his harangue was so effectual that about 40 Maoris sprang upon the parapet as a first step towards tho attack. But they did not proceed further, for Capt. Herford of the Militia prepared those near him to resist them, and no sooner were the dark bodieß of the rebels visible on the top of the parapet than a heavy volley met them, and they fell back in utter confusion. The sap meanwhile progressed with unabated vigour, and by noon of Saturday near upon 500 yards had been completed. The General and Staff arrived from Pukerimu about this time. One of the 6 pounder guns was also placed in position in the sap, about 20 yards distant from the paling, and being loaded with grape was repeatedly discharged, and hand grenades thrown over whilst the gun was again being charged. It was about this time that Mr Moinwaring and Mr Mair were instructed to propose to the rebels that they should surrender. This was accordingly done The firing ceased for a few minutes, and the natives being called to give their attention, were informed that these were the words of the General. He had seen their great bravery and admired it ; but that if they continued fighting they must all be killed. He would, therefore, ask" them to surrender, and they should be treated well. A chief then answered — " Friends ; this is the word of the Maori. They will fight on, for ever, for ever, for ever." On this determined response being given firing was recommenced, and a soldier throwing his cap over into the trench and following it, about twenty others composed of militia, forest rangers, and regulars led by Captain Herford succeeded in crossing the paling and getting into the trench 5 but here a deadly volley met them from Maoris crowded in the place almost as dense as they could be packed, and out of the twenty, ten were either killed or wounded. Capt. Herford was shot through the eye, Ensign Chaytor, 65th, shot in the side. When the Maoris had discharged their pieces they ran as fast as they could out of sight; but those of the attacking party who were able retired, and brought back with them the dead and wounded, a few rifleß, and other mementos of their visit. Four o'clock had now arrived, and the end of the sap being within two yards of tho trench on the north side, a heavy fire of grape, rifle bullets, and hand grenades having been kept up, the rebels must have come to the determination to retreat. They appear to have slunk quietly from the north-east corner, and,passing through the scrub, emerged in the open on the south side, entrusted to the safe guarding of the 40th under Col. Leslie. The cry was quickly heard

that the rebels were retreating. General Cameron, Brigadier-General Carey, the aides, and the colonels, on the staff, were rushing about to warn and gather together the men to rush in pursuit. This occupied some minutes and all this time the archrebels were trooping across the open to the south, and not a 40th man appears to have* seen them. The Maoris must have jumped over the heads of the soldiers lining the road, cut out of the steep em bankment, and so passed into the swamp and high ti-tree. They wont out at a quick jog-trot- down the slope into the swamp. The Forest Rangers were soon leading the way round by the S.E. to head them, quickly followed by the mounted artillery under Lient. Rait. Then the bugles sounded to the soldiers to cease firing, and with tremendous yells the whole force dashed in pursuit. The Dofence Force and the Mounted Artillery succeeded in heading the rebels, and thus hemmed them in the swamp, and the work of destruction went on with great vigour until the troops were recalled. The infantry and Forest Rangers did great execution in the swamp, and it is said the latter were eagerly prosecuting the work when the infantry were recalled. Next day ninety-nine dead bodies had been found, and twenty-six prisoners, many of them wounded, were in our hands. Out of these, only fourteen dead were found in the pa. By one of the prisoners it was stated that Eewi was shot in the thigh before leaving the pa, and on crossing the Punio river he was again shot in the abdomen. His body was said to be lying in the swamp, and the Brigailier-General offered a reward of £10 to any soldier who might bring it in. The great inducement for leaving the pa is said to have been that they were dying for water. Numerical Return op KiiiLED and Wounded tn Action at Ohakau, bvom 31st March to 2nd April, 1864. Killed. 18th Regt. (2nd bat.). — 1 officer, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 8 privates ; total 6. 40th Regt. — 1 sergeant, 1 private ; total 2. 65th Regt. — 1 corporal, 1 drummer j total 2. 70th Regt. — 1 private. Forest Rangers. — 2 privates. Waikato Militia. — 1 corporal, 1 private ; total 2. Commissariat Transport Corps. — 1 private. Grand Total— l 6. Wounded. Royal Artillery. — 1 private. 12th Regt (let bat.).— 2 privates. 18th Regt. (2nd bat.). — 1 corporal, 1 drummer, 10 privates ; total 12. 40th Regt.— l officer, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 16 privates ; total 19. 65th Regt. — 1 officer, 7 privates ; total 8. 70th Regt. — 2 privates. Colonial Defence Corps. — 1 sergeant, 2 privates j total 3. Waikato Militia. — 1 officer, 2 privates ; total 3. Com. Transport Corps. — 2 privates. Total.— s2. Grand Total, 68. The following officers are among the killed and wounded : — Killed, Captain Ring, ]Bth Regiment; wounded, Captain Herford, Militia, mortally ; Ensign Chayter, 65th, in the side, and L ; eu*enant Chevalier, 65th (by falling on a bayonet). The' name of Captain Ring will bo read with deeprogrefc by all who remember how gallantly he has distinguished himßelf during the war. The remains of Capt. Ring, 18th Regt., were interred on the 4th at Te Awamutu. 4

EVACUATION OP MAUNGATAUTARI BY THE REBELS.

The following official telegram announcing the evacuation of Maungatautari was received at an early hour yesterday morning, and published by us in a second edition. "In making a reconnaissance to the Maungatautari position from the right bank of the Waikato river, we found it abandoned, and the natives returning up the left bank. The General has sent a detachment to occupy it."

120 REBELS KILLED AT ORAKAU. The following important news was 'also received by letter from Orakau : — " 101 Maoris have been killed, besides 18 or 20 reported buried in the pa. Thirty-three have been taken prisoners ; 26 of them wounded. Eewi has not been found." [Our readers will recollect this is the notorious Ngatimaniapoto chief.] In a letter from Kihikihi the number of tho enemy killed is stated at 126, and it is also stated that our men were still occasionally finding fresh bodies in the fern and scrub. Several women were in the pa, and some of them were killed. [We are informed on excellent authority that the number of Maori bodies seen and counted was 121. —Ed. T. Heralt I .] The Cross speaking of the conduct of the 40th says, "In yesterday's issue we expressed our belief that all that could be effected was done by officers and men, but we did not then know that the hero of the 'peach-grove expedition ' held in his hands the fate of the day." «