BATTLE OF MAHOETAHI.

(As described by one of the T.V.R.C.) On the 6thof November (Tuesday) a body of men were marched out to co-operate with Major Nelson from the Waitara in ord^r to take possession of and form a stronghold on the hill upon which an ' - old pah was standing; its shape was a parallelogram. Tlie 65th rushed the right side, whilst the Volunteers (greedy devils, mustering only 103) took the whole of the left to their own cheek ' after approaching the pah from the Bell Block! from which the town force received some addition, an advance was made towards the enemy.. An order was afterwards given, extend soldiers to the right, Volunteers to the left." Under a heavy fire for a short time all remained quiet ; when the word was given, fix bayonets and charge, and a noble charge it was, our own Major, F. R. Herbert (I) being one of the first men in the pah ; the actions of the right it is not at present in my power to describe, "all honor" to tho soldiers notwithstanding. On the left we charged and most of the killed and wounded on our part were not ia distance off more than ten or twenty yards. Amidst all our troubles and heavy fire we looked and saw the brave and fighting Major Nelson coming from the Waitara with a flanking party. As to the number of the enemy, so many reports are about that I shall say nothing about them, but content myself by giving the loss, viz. — Enemy 89 killed, wounded, and prisoners. Volunteers 103, in the | field, 2 killed and 7 wounded. Soldiers 600 in the field, 2 killed and 10 wounded. You will see by this that the Volunteers have as usual done their duty. 59 guns have been taken from the natives. Another resident, reports that among the killed were two of tho most influential chiefs of tho Wai" katos (I think ofthe Ngatili'ua.tribe) whose names I have been informed ate Te Porotu or Te Porutu aud Hacopo. Their bodies were brought into town on Tuesday afternoon, — 4 prisoners were aho brought in, 3 of them wounded. The names of those killed belonging to the I Volunteers, are Frank Brown, (son of the Rev. • Mr. Brown) and a young mau named Edgecomb* I was also informed by another Volunteer who was at the engagement, that 70 guns had been picked up, mostly double barrelled It was reported in town on Wednesday that some soldiers left in possession of the pah fired on the Maories during the night,. when they returned to recover their dead, and that a number of the Maories had been killed ; which report would seem to be confirmed by the news brought into town just as the Wonga was on the point of sailing, tbat 17 dead bodies had been picked up in addition to the 85 reported on the previous day. I was told that not above half of the soldiers were brought into action ; it was said that the shells made frightful havoc amongst the rebels' A Block House was being erected at Mahoetahi/ ' and to be occupied.