TARANAKI. WAITARA. [From the Taranaki News] Kairau, 21st February, 1861.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1380, 5 March 1861, Page 3

TARANAKI. WAITARA. [From the Taranaki News ] Kairau, 21st February, 1861.

I had no opportunity of visiting the scene of pieEent opeiations until Sunday morning, when 1 was much struck with the great change visible in the features of the sunounding country. Immediately on passing through the often-mentioned avenue at the Peach Grove, a small swampy gulley crosses from the right bush, losing itself in the numerous gulleys winch slope away to the river on the right Passing over this, another small plain opens on the view covered with high fern — bounded on the right by the foiest, and on the loft by the valley of the Waitaia, which at every turn improves in its varied and picturesque beauties as one ascends To the left of the cluster of bush which forms one side of the avenue, and which is now fast falling befoie the busy axes of the working parties, a new road has been j opened and a substantial log bridge constiucted over the gulley befoie-mentumed Ascending from this bridge, on your left is as beautiful a scene ag can well be conceived. At the base of a wooded and precipitous cliff the river inns some fifty feet below, between banks of varied bush, so thick as- almost to eiclude the light The noi thorn bank is one gently undulating rauge of high steep cliff covered from the waters edge to the summit with dense bush, except wheie, here and there a land slip has disclosed a bare front of the deep led earth, or a substance which wears the appearance of chalk, and forming a strange contrast with the rich and varied foliage around. The near 01 south bank of the liver, from this point up stieam, ia of the same chaiacter as below Matankoriko, a flat of appaiently the most rich and fertile land almost level with the river, surrounded on the nght by a belt of higher giound giadually rising to the plain of Pukeiangioia Looking from No. 7 redoubt in the dnection of Ilapuiona's pa, a deep gulley e\tends from the forest to the river, and tra versing our line of approach Fiom this point the difficulties of our advance appear to increase at every step, both as regaids offensive and defensive operations Beyond the gulley last mentioned and about 200 oi 250 yaida up a somewhat steep hill, stands the lemains of Hapmona's pa — I say remains, although so far as the exterior is concerned, it is the same, but the pa seems to have been desei ted as a dwelling, and completely dismantled, all the what cs having been lcmoved horn the interior, and it might be leasonably conjectured that it is deserted , but this probably is meiely a ruke of the dark enemy To the left of the gieat pa from the head of our position m the centie of a thick knot of bush, which stands out prettily upon the edge of a precipitous cliff there is another veiy diminutive, but appaiently strong pa with a flagstaff. Whether this Ciow's nest is occupied or not is a queiy I ha\e watched it long and often, but have seen no sign of living thing about it The approach to tins, pa must be fiom the ieai, at least there is no approach visible m the front Beyond is a grand semi cncle of lulls and tremendous gullies One noble hill whieli commands the whole on oiu exheme left, sloping oft thence to the valley is partly cleared, but the lemamder is clothed m ft beautifully vanegated skut of dwaif bush amongst which the graceful Mamaku in veiy piomment. The fern and dwaif bush on the othei hills have been paitially burnsd by the letie.itmg enemy, that it might not afford covei to our approach — and the summit of eveiy hill fiom left to light, a distance of not much le»s than a mile, appears to be one lange of nfle pits. If I have succeeded m conveying any idea of oui poii tion, it lull be seen that the vantage ground still belongs to oui pertinacious and resolute enemy Under a desultoiy hre, which happily has not yet much harmed us, although continued with but small intermission fiom daybieak to dusk, our biave fellows have been labouung somewhat slowly from the last week's bad weathci, but surely approaching the fastness of the Maon , but there is no hope of our being able to move with the celcnty, piomptitude, and all-subdumg eneigy of those gentlemen who conduct their warlike opeiations m theoiy from an easy chan. The more we see and leain of the obotnuito enemy m oui fiont — the greatei the difficulties appear, in the piobecution of the stiuggle m which we aie engaged to a successful issue Do not misundei stand me, I write not this m a desponding spiiit — for with the above assuiance inci eases oui confidence in the mastei spnit, dnecting matteis here We have ]ust been si,i pi lsed this morning— Thuisday — by filing in the direction of JlataiikonLo, and one of tne mounted cscoit wa& despatched to learn the cause It appealed, that a body of natives —numbers un known, had approached and fiied upon the sentnes theie, and missing their aim had at once letued , their close pioxmuty to us m that quartei, while their forces should be engaged moie than two miles forwaid, is however lathei enigmatical thau desuable Thoie has been some sharp filing this morning — sharper than usual, foi films; goes on as I have mentioned, the whole day — and a soldier's day in tlnsquaiter, delving fiom dawn to eve is not ot lightsome horns. Many have been the nanow escapes, and our nieu now work amid the whu of descending bullets as if they weie giowmg used to it The hospital tent is pieiced by two bullets not two feet fiom the giound, but happily it was uutenanted. The cooking fnes too, appeal to be the target of our assailsnts, which now and then leads to stiange novelties in culinaiy matteis. Yesteiday, oneDnscoll of the Light Company of the 40th, was shuck m the knee — the wound not seveie , and to-day anothei has been hit but not badly, the ball fiist stiikiuc Seccombes horse, glancing off and wounding the man. Anothei of the hair- breadth 'scapes was Ooipoial Mace of the mounted escoifc. In the act of dismounting a ball passed, tluough his horses neck narrowly missing his head Oui pieseut movements tend onwaids; the sapping is now I should estnnate 200 yauls in advance of No. 7, and we have some idea that an attack is not distant. The AdjnUntGeneial and Col. Mould have been to leconnoitie the neighbomuood, and theie are other indications of a move.