CAPTURE OF OHOUTHI.

Bruce Herald, Volume II, Issue 49, 16 March 1865, Page 6

CAPTURE OF OHOUTHI.

(From the Wanganui Choronical, March, I.J On Saturday we announced in general terms that Ohoutahi hud been taken by the friendly natives, and a number of its defenders, including Pehi, Topili, Tahana, Hamarama, and indeed all the rebel chiefs of any note on the W mganui, taken prisoners. Since then we have learned the fallowing 1 particulars : — • It appears that on Thursday the enemy had seven redoubts thrown up, besides the pa, which was, of course their main position. Of these, two were on the right and left of the pa, two on a high ground, covered with bush, two to the left and in advance of the pa., and the remaining three on slight eminences in the lower ground near the redoubts occupied, by the friendly natives. In one of these positions a Hag- staff had been raised, and the ''hau-hau" flag was flying. On Thursday afternoon, after John Williams had left, a party of 30 to 35 of the friendly natives, under Kawana Paipai took one of these redoubts, killing six of its defenders. A council was held that night, and arrangements made for what was to be done next day. Li the morning, fifteen men. including Hori Elerei, Kawana, Paipai, and Horopapera, went up the hill on the right to make a feigned atcack on redoubts above. On arriving near the top, they formed themselves into two parties in case they should be rushed upon by the enemy — five in front and ten behind. They found some of the trees round the redoubt felled, and rlie five rushed forward and took shelter among the branches of a large tree lying with its root to the outside, while the ten took a position behind it. The redoubt was higher and the men in it fired on them but did no harm. In returning the fire they killed three. Fifty men then came

to their support. They rushed forward into the redoubt, where they found a whare out of which some men were firing". They poured several volleys into the whare and. then entered it when they found three or four bodies literally riddled. Topine or Mumuku had been there but skedaddled with some of his men when the fjrin«' commenced: his son was one of the slain. They set fire to the whare, and Kawana Paipai cried out in a loud voice, "to the flag- 5 to the flag-." While this had been going on other parties had attacked othertwo redoubts below, whose defenders had retreated to the one with the flag, this being* the reason for Kawana Paipai's command. His party rushed down the hill and with the rest opened fire on the i*euoubfc. One of them then said, " stop fire and charge." They did so, and were within a few yards of the flag-staff when a hau hau boy ran forward and began to pnll the flag down They fired at him and almost blew him to pieces ; tore down the flag and rent it into small shreds. The party holding the redoubt retreated, but were intercepted by some men led by Wirihana, and between the two parties several were shot down. The friendly na-. tives, led by Hakaraia, made fortheOhoutahi pa and began firing at it. Topia came ont and a ball pierced his right ann, he took an aim at his cousin but missed, and fell back into the ditch hit near the shoulder b} r ano'.her bullet. Wherever a head appeared above the parapet the Bring was directed to it. While this was going on, Wirihana, with forty or fifty men, had advanced to the l«ft of the pa, where there was a redoubt between it and the river. The enemy had also some men on a raft, in the river, made of some canoes. Wirihana's men were firing at them, when they heard in front a voice calling out " Oh Hori Kerei, when will light come out of this darkness ? " They ceased firing and a woman appeared with a white flag. They were about to fire on her, when Wirihana intercepted them, saying "its White's orders that after surrendering no one is to be hurt," but with difficulty he restrained them. The woman proved to be Pehi's wife, who asked to be taken to Hori Ivoroi. Wirihana sent ten men with her, and almost simultaneously with her arrival on the ridge where Iverei was, two white flags one above the other, were run up in the pa. The native assessors immediately ran round and ordered the firing* to cease. Mete Kingi, Kepa, Kawana, Paipai, and his 'ollowers came out in single file and halted opposite a row of friendly natives, They were unarmed. The assessors had great difficulty in restraining their foX lowers from violence, and it was only by repeated commands and threats that if any one disobeyed White would "wakawa" (try) them, as his orders were not to kill any after having surrendered, that they were kept quiet. Pehi and his people agreed to go to Hihuharama as prisoners, and then most of the friendly natives returned to prepare a whare for him. Mean-: while Pehi returned to his pa and lie and his men resumed their arms. A friendly native named Aropeta, about to enter Ohositahi, was accosted l)j r a native named Te Hariwe-ra, who had just come out, and told him not to go in, otherwise he would be murdered. Aropeta went and told this to Hori ICingi, Mawae, and Aperaniko, who quickly went into the pa and found that Pehi asserted the right to go elsewhere and fight, and that his defeat only obliged him not to raise a disturbance on the Waiir ganui. He went, however, to Hihuharama, accompanied by eighty other men taken prisoners, besides women and children. When the last account left, which arrived on Sunday evening, the rebel chiefs had not given up their arms, and a debate was going on, on the point raised by Pehi — as to whether his surrender in the manner in which it was made involved his. capture : fighting anywhere else but in Wan ganui. Fifteen of the enemy were buried by our people. Of the latter five were wounded — none of them, we believe severely. Hakaraia's son, a boy of about ten years, of age, received a ball at the lower part of his left ear which came out at the cheek and must have fractured the jaw-bone. The above was published as an Extra on Monday, and since then we have heard nothing with which to supplement these details. The arms of the men taken captive, came down la?t night ; and the men themselves are expected this evening or tomorrow,, not however, we are sorry to as prK

soners bufc as free men who propose to take the oath of allegiance. This puts them on so entirely different a footing that we fear the victory gained will not have so good a moral effect on the other natives as might otherwise have b:-en expected. Hori Kino-j, with 100 men, went up to Piperiki to have an interview with Topine (Mamuku), but before they arrived he had left. Some say that it was Topine's nephew and not his son that was killed. As we go to press, we learn that the wives of some of the captive chiefs have been brought down to Aramoho. This gives a much more favourable complexion to the affair.