EXPEDITION TO THE EAST COAST.

Press, Volume VIII, Issue 931, 1 November 1865, Page 2

EXPEDITION TO THE EAST COAST.

GREAT SUCCESS OF THE FOREST RANGERS, AND COLONIAL TROOPS. TWO PAS DESTROYED, AND l OVER 500 PRISONERS TAKEN. The correspondent of tho " Wellington Advertiser " of Oct. 30, writes : — " Camp Waiapu, Oct. 2. " Soon after daylight this morning a large steamer was seen here in the " offing," standing in towards the shore, and upon a nearer approach she turned , out to be H.M s.s. Brisk, having on i board the Forest Rangers, under the command of Captain Westrupp and Lieutenant Ross. She also brought down Dr. Grace and Mr. Deighton, the Resident Magistrate, and his interpreter. No time was lost in landing the troops, who, with their luggage, were all safely located in the whare set apart for them, by mid-day. The steamer immediately afterwards left for Oootiki, having previously fired a complimentary salute of three guns. ■ But short grace was given to the new arrivals to view the beauties (if any exist) of this part of the country, for an order was immediately issued for all the troops to fall in at two a.m upon the following morning, to proceed against the rebel pa, Pukemaire, distant from here about six miles. The announcement was received with the greatest enthusiasm, and it was difficult to procure the few volunteers requisite to remain in the camp, " all were so eager for the fray." " October 3. "At two a.m. this morning, at the first sound of the bugle (I think rather unwisely sounded, considering the expedition was to have been a surprise), the troops to a man fell in | immediately, and after a few preliminaries set forth on their march. They had on their way to cross two rivers, and though this naturally damped the outer man, it damped none of their j ardent courage. Towards daylight they reached the position they were to take up before the rebel pa, and the charge having been sounded, with one cheer the men crossed an intervening ploughed field, and took up their several positions in skirmishing order, under cover. Captain Westrupp here had charge of a party assigned to him to attack the right flank of the pa, and nobly did he sustain his duty and ground throughout the whole day. Lieutenant Ross had also detailed to him a party for the left flank, and equal credit is due to him for his coolness under a most heavy fire and most disadvantageous circumstances. The remainder of the men (except a body of friendly Natives attached to Captain Westrupp's party, and who acted most gallantly throughout) were keeping up a steady fire under the immediate command of Major Fraser, in front of the enemy's stronghold, at a distance of some 400 yards. A quick though [ steady fire, was immediately returned i from the rebel pa, and as will be seen with some effect. Soon after the action commenced it began to pour i with rain, and continued without '< mission throughout the whole day; : but, {notwithstanding this, the men t. continued firmly and unflinchingly at their posts, which is the' more creditable as many of them had ' never been under fire before. About i ten a.m., Captain Westrupp's party i made a breach in the right flank, and i some of his party, amongst whom was j conspicuous Corporal Watts, of the 1 Volunteers, actually entered it, but - meeting with a high breastwork they were arrested, and reinforcements not i being forthcoming, they were unable to < take any advantage of* the great one J i they had gained. At this period many i personal acts of bravery took place, 1 but where all acted so gallantly it f would only be invidious to particu- i larise. The reason why reinforcements s were not sent up to this party was in r consequence of the men having.; run t short of ammunition, and the waggon bringing up the reserve "stuck in the ■ mud;" be this so or not, in my humble t opinion it was the cause of our not p taking the pa by a coup de main. The t rain increasing in torrents, and being f short of ammunition, about half-past a twelve Major Fraser determined to g retire, and the retire was Bounced; r all the troops, both Colonial and Na- c tive, retiring coolly aud regularly, thee Forest Bangers covering their retreat, n and being of course the last to leave n the ground. We know of nine rebels v lulled, and there must have been fc

several wounded; but it is with great regret that I have also to report two deaths upon our side, and three severely wounded, viz.:— " Killed in action, Private Greaves; died from exposure and exhaustion, Private C. Brothwicke. " Wounded —Severely in arm, Ser-geant-Major Smith ; severely in arm and body. Sergeant Hodjjcs ; severely in arm, Private Welsh. " I am much pleased to say that all these are doing well, aud are quite out of any danger. " October 5. " To-day were buried both poor Greaves and Brothwicke; all the troops and a large concourse of Natives attending at the solemn rite. Major Fraser read the burial service; after which the men dispersed to their several quarters. " Preparations are going on to secure the capture of the pa next time it is attacked, and the men are all in good spirits. The Forest Rangers have " raised" several horses, and racing takes place amongst them every evening. They appear to be just in their element. Their only grief apparently being the absence of their old commander, Yon Tempsky. Of course, it is natural for men who have been so long with him to have a very high opinion of him, which he undoubtedly deserves. The result is that they broadly assert that if Yon Tempsky had been chief in command, the pa would now have been ours. " October 6. " A sad accident occurred here today. The schooner Success arrived here from Napier, and brought up in the bay. As the whale-boat was putting off to her she swamped, and fonr of her crew jumped overboard into the heavy surf. Two reached the shore comparatively unexhausted. One was rescued with much difficulty, and was insensible (a Mr. Green, storeman, here.) The other, Henry Moore, of the Volunteers, (a man beloved and respected by his comrades), was, I regret to state, drowned. It appears he was a splendid swimmer, and, as he sank all at once, it is thought he was seized with the cramp, or was struck on the head by a wave. His body has not been recovered. " October 9. " Last night, at 11 p.m., the Forest Rangers alone, under the command of Captain Westrupp and Lieutenant Ross, went out again to meet the ( Tuparua Natives, and surprise the ■ rebel pa. At daylight they advanced ; against it; a volley or two was fired , into it, but no response being made, i it was rushed and carried; but lo and : behold! the enemy had flown and ; taken everything available with them. It was truly a most formidable double pa, one leading into the other; rifle-pitted, trenched and massive earthworks, not to speak of paliisading. It ' is now a heap of smouldering ruins. Tons upon tons of wheat and maize were scattered over the place and in different whares, the enemy having ripped open the sacks prior to their departure. They left a notice saying that they only left the pa because " they had no caps left for their guns !" and this I believe to be true. " October 10th. " A party of Military Settlen Volunteers, and natives, under th command of Captain Biggs and Lieul enant Tuke, left at 5 a.m. this morning to follow up the fugitives. The Forea Bangers and other Volunteers, <fee starting on the same errand, thoug! by a different route, at 9.30 a.m., wit] a ration of two days' Turn and biscuit trusting to find kai kai on their road The former reached Kawa-kawa th< same evening, and came upon th< rebels, who instantly took to flight Captain Biggs' men were so fatiguec that they could only make one charge but they killed two rebels and woundex others. " They started next morning at X o'clock a.m., and about five miles frbn Kawa-kawa they encountered a bod] of rebels whom they drove into then pa, situated upon an almost inaccessi ble hill, and after some sharp firing the white flag was run up aud the consequence was that some hundred and odd stand of arms were given up and many prisoners. In the meantime Major Fraser and the Forest Rangers and other troops had arrived at Kawakawa, and remained there until the prisoners were marched in ; they number in all, men, women, and children, over 500, and are 227 fighting men. The great prize of the day has been the notorious scoundrel Black Bob, whom we have here safe and sound. He was trying to slope, but it was no use, for with a rifle at his ear he had to make his salaam before Captain Biggs. "Whilst this expedition was away, the schooner Success brought down 57 of the Taranaki,Volunteers from Opbtiki, who return, I believe, on Monday. " Sunday, October 15. "The troops returned to-day all right from the expedition, bringing their prisoners with them. I forgot to mention that we had a man of the name of *'Diercoffe" wounded in attacking the- last in two places, but he is doing well; also a friendly Native, slightly. The name of tb£ pa was called " Hunga-hungartautarL'* fit will be. gathered from this that, the colonial and native troops bavergallantly done their duty, and withciut wishing to be invidious that the Forest Rangers have added anew to their former laurels. Long may these troops ivork in unanimity as they ; nb*y do, Mid soon will then be the band of •ebellioh not only rent assunder, but >c torn to shreds. "October 16. \ All hands ware out on parade this norning, and the prisoners marched >ast them, walking under and saluting he British ensign. After this the riendly Natives danced the war dance, md a great amount of speechifying « as jot through. Fifteen of the chief ingleaders of the rebels were then ailed to the front, a guard formed on ach side of them, and they were aarched off the ground to a whare, rhere they will remain under guard j intH they start for Napier—probably j o-morrow in the schooner Sxuxeu.*

Mr. Deighton then addressed som* observation to ■ *:e remainder, with regard to tU.r r*ertion, & c ., and wished to know if they gave in their adherence to thf Queen. A unaaimous assent was the response, and the act of swearing them in as true and loyal subjects of her Majesty instantly commenced. The women are in a great crying meeting at the present moment. • " Too much credit cannot be awarded to the chief Morgan for the prominent part he has taken throughout the war upon the side of the British, and the , aid he has furnished to us, both by hi , personal influence and the men of ha tribe; and though last, far from least are the chiefs and men belonging to Puparoa, who have always acted moat . gallantly, and been of the greatest service to us. " The war upon this particular part . of the coast may now be looked upon l as completely crushed, and may the ( day never again appear when by the { influence of a few crafty fanatics, un- { reflecting men may be led away from ; their aUiegance and every social tie, to '. take up arms against their own kindred, r and to wage war, murder, and rapine agaiust the white race, instead of living |in peace and amity with them, and k reaping the products of as fine a , country as God ever bestowed on a \ human race." l ANOTHER DECISIVE TTCTOBr. , The same paper states that the subjoined was handed to Captain Seymour by a gentleman who had been present at the scene of action. It will be seen that the number of killed and wounded on this occasion is entirely omitted. It is probable, however, that such was not known at the time of the departure of the Rangitira : On the 12th instant the Hau-haua evacuated their position at Matata, and proceeded towards Te Teko, where they took up their quarters. The • Arawas, accompanied by the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Mair, followed on their track, and arrived at Te Teko on Tuesday, the 17th instant, where they found Te Ua strongly encamped. No other means presented themselves to take the pa than by sapping, so they commenced at once to drive. At three p.m. on Wednesday, all the rebeU asked for a truce, and had twenty-four hours granted to them. On the 19th, at noon, fighting commenced, and ere nightfall, Ngatikapakaiao had effected a lodgment within a short distance of the pa, which effectually cut off all communication with the river, A heavy fire was sustained on both sides the whole time. At four in the morning of Sunday, the 20th, the Pai Marires seeing all their means of escape cut off, asked for a truce to treat for terms of peace. The only terms granted was unconditional surrender. At seven the same morning they marched out and gave up their arms. Te Ua, the prophet, and twenty-eight of the men implicated in the atrocities of Mr. FuUoon's murder, are in charge of the -Arawa police; the rest, some fifty-four men, are in the custody of the Arawa tribe, This important victory will be a most decisive blow against the Pai Marat party. It is reported that Kereops is to be given up either to Major Stspp or the Arawas." . . The Tauranga correspondent of the " New Zealander," under date October 20, says : —lntelligence has just been received in camp of a most pleasing and satisfactory kind, to the effect that the Arawas, in conjunction with Mr. Mair, 8.M., are following the trail of the Hau-hau murderers, who recently evacuated their fortifications at the Matata. Portions of the Arawas wore dispersed in every direction after I left that district, and they have been so far successful in securing about forty or fifty totara canoes, which had been secreted in various parts of the swamps, which abound to a very con-: siderable extent all at the back of that district; they also, from this circumstance, got on their track, and whils thus pursuing it came across ten casks of powder and a quantity of property, which must have been left, or rather abandoned, in their confused escape. Amongst the property which was found was some of the missing property, letters, <&c, of poor Mr. ifulloon. " 7 .