THE ONEHUNGA EXPEDITION. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1977, 17 November 1863, Page 3

THE ONEHUNGA EXPEDITION. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Late on Saturday night, November 7th, a party left Onehunga in the steamer ' Lady Barkly,' commanded by Capt. Hunt, consisting of Lieut. Parnell, Ensign Harris, and about 50 men, on special service. The expedition was accompanied by Dr. Weekes, and Mr. Bice from the native office. Running aground on the Pipi bank off Mangare point, the steamer started again at 5 o'clock on. Sunday morning, against the flood tide, and having made a pleasant run to the Waiuku estuary, she took some canoes from a creek on its West bank, and came to anchor just above the needles. A despatch was sent up by boat to Capt. Lloyd, the officer commanding the Waiuku volunteers, and the result wa9 that an expedition was planned for the purpose of catching any hostile natives on the peninsula, extending from Waiuku to Awitu. This peninsula was nearly north and south about seventeen miles, and has a breadth of about six, from -the shores of tho Manuk T au to tho West coast. Its northern extremity bounds the entrance to the harbour and contains the settlement of Awitu. <The land is of the most varied charaoter, comprising the Native Eesorves, of known excellence ; the semi-mountainous kauri forelt, much that has been never trodden by the foot of man ; and, \infortunately, much of that o*bld tertiary clay which the natives have always been so ready to sell, and^jtvhich has 1 broken men'» hearts find pooketi in 'attempts to

bring it under cultivation. The Awitu district was opened some four years ago to the forty acre settlers, but almost all have left it since the war. Eebcl natives having been seen prowling about, a little campaign was decided ou to explore the country from south to north. Captain Lloyd and 30 men would leave Waiuku after dark, and by a night march, partly through the interior and partly on the native beach track, proceed to a native settlement, Piakura, where he would wait for our party arriving across the country by another route. Monday morning broke on us fresh and fair, and all were eager for the fray. The march was almost one unvaried ascent from the Waiuku river, and after a tramp of about two miles of uncertainty, we struck a track which we imagined would take us to our rendezvous. Entering the bush, we soon came on a snug little (but abandoned) native villago, and at last we saw Piakura on the heights, looking green and peaceful. We had reached the last ascent. Three dogs which accompanied us became restless and ran forward. "Halt!" was hushed back from the advance guard on the brow of the hill; the pulse, quickened. "Advance, quick march !" reached us in commanding tones, and the wail of Maori pigs echoed from the hills. Captain Lloyd's party were in peaceful occupation, and the only slaughter that took place was the slaughter of hostile pork. Piakura is an exceedingly pretty place, and enjoys in common with other native settlements, the most fertile soil of the district. About a dozen whares are picturesquely scattered about, making up a tout ensemble in which some temperaments would be content to spend their days unseen, unhonoured, and unknown. Late in the evening a despatch came up from the ' Lady Barkly f to this effect :— " The flagstaff at the Manukau Heads has been cut down by natives, and the life boat and whale boat taken away. Catch them, if you can. One of the natives has six toes." It was arranged that we should proceed at daybreak on our march through to Awitu, the steamer intending to go round to tho Heads and await our arrival. Tuesday night. — Had littlo sleep at Piakura. At half-past one, orders were given for breakfast, and as soon as the trees began to be defined against tho eastern sky we were off. Pioneered by Mr. Mnctier, au intelligent Awitu settler, svo found ourselves after about three miles' march, on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. A precipitous descent of some 600 feet brought us to the beach, and we had scarcely taken up our march when one of the ofliceis exclaimed that lie distinctly saw against the sky a man move from one cover to another. Wo were dogged, then. We could do nothing but march on ; indeed, a few good rifles might have picked vis all off, the impracticable cliff being on one side find the ocean on the other. The beach is almost [i straight line for miles, and where we struck it we could see Mount Egmont and Woody Head to the south. As we advanced along the beach, Ihe north head of the Manukau, with its pilot station, and Paratutai opened out, but the flagstaff was gone. Hero and there a mass of cliff and trees had fallen, and formed obsturclions to our march, and occasionally we met wi th fragments which recalled to us the sad tale sf the ' Orpheus,' not the least remarkable of ivhioh was a mass of iron machinery strangely washed up to high-water mark. After a quick and uninterrupted march of some miles we arrived at a stream of water, running out of a deep gorge in the cliffs, forming a natural pass. Through this we wound our way, ascending a high range of sandy hills, and entered on tho improved farm and good grass of Mr. Mactier. A halt of an hour here took place. Our march then took us through Arrowsmith's to Bowden's clearing, tho land being sandy but very good, as evidenced by tho grass and the appearance of th* cattle still remaining about. From Bowden's we had n fine view of tho Manukau entrances. The blue sea was quiet ; white breakers pointed out the banks nnd clearly defined tho bar and tho middle channel. Close under the land lay the Southern Channel, as bright and smooth as a looking glass. When will its buoying be completed? Are we to wait for another catastrophe ? We now entered the forest, an almost unknown region. Silently we crept along, with an occasional halt of some five minutes, sounded from Captain Lloyd's whistle. At one of these stoppages it was reported from the front that native tracts were seen, and among them the track of the six toes. We were now all on the alert, and tramped through milesof bush, until we come to an opening known as Palmer's Clearing, where little remained of civilization, but English flowers run wild. The Awitu valley lay beneath us some thousand feet, and to the West rose a wall of forest to a greater height than where we stood. An obscure track led us down, which sometimes obliged \is to take long jumps, at others to cross a kind of knife edge, a slip on cither side of which would have sent us down many hundred feet. After mastering the difficulty of a deep swamp at the bottom, we cautiously and rapidly pounced on the village, but the place was empty. The ' Lady Barkly was lying under the opposite shore, and came across to our signal. We had executed a forced march of from 25 to 30 miles — mountain, forest, and swamp — in eleven hours, including stoppages, and found that the birds had flown. Not a man there that would not rather have fallen in with three times our force than have been thus disappointed. The men behaved admirably. Many of them were in sedentary employ meut, some had shortly before been on the sick list, and others from the suddenness of their embarkation, were badly booted and foot-sore, yet all did their work cheerfully. Tho ' Eclipse ' was employed in reinstating the flag-staff, and tho 'Lady Barkly had spent the morning in visiting the South Head, where- she had found the whale-boat tomahawked but had not seen tho life-boat. Wednesday.— Started for Eangariri Creek, where lay Hatipa's big canoe. This canoe, about 70 feet in length and most ekborately carved, was found under a shed built to protect it. It cost £500, and would carry 150 men. She wa3 launched and taken in tow up the Waiuku creek. In the afternoon Captain Lloyd landed with a party, and soon surprised a native village, taking nine men prisoners, 7 or 8 guns, 6 tomahawks, and some pouches of Maori-made ammunition. A number of women and children were living there. No resistanco was made, the inhabitants being completely taken b^ surprise. They were declared to be " friendly" natives, and not a shot was fired. The party, drenched ith rain, marched on to Waiuku with their prisoners, and spent the night in tho block-house. Thursday.— Steamed up to within a short distance ot Waiuku. This is evidently an important post, and should be efficiently guarded. We found during our march to Awitu, Mr. Puckey and a party of friendly natives (including some of our prisoners) had mndc a raid on some canoes in the Waikato, and smashed them. Nothing was done this day, the men being tired, the weather too was worse. Friday.— Waited for a despatch to know what was to be dono with the prisoners, Captain Lloyd being desirous of retaining the Onehunga detachment until he heard from town. Dropped down to Waitangi with very bad weather. Orders came in the evening to let tlie prisoners go, but to detain their arms. Why embarass everybody by keeping a few straggling Maoris within our lines. Before any attack, the interpreter has to decide -whether the Maori is friend or foe, and if taken, he has abundant time to run away. Saturday 14. — Much thunder and rain in the night. Visited Purchase and Ninnis's deserted flax mill, which presented the melancholy appearance of choice flowers blooming amidst t scone of desolation. The' Maoris had strippec tho house. Dropped down to Haraka P/oini with the intention of returning home but th< gale blew so fiercely that we could not cross th( entrance with the canoes. Sunday. — Tho gale still continuing, and th< men being in a wretched state of discomfort, ii was determined to return without attempting to find Home cnnoei which hud broken away h

the gale. On our way we passed the deserted homes of Messrs. Garland, Featon, Graham, Logan, and Moore, sprinkled along the Manukau borders of the Awitu district. Wo arrived without further incident at Onehunga at two o'clock. It is evident that in this mode of .warfare the natives have it all their own way. Our want of secretiveness, our noise, and fires, tell them plainly where we are. If they are in overpowering numbers, they lay an ambush ; if not, they are off. Instead of running after the deer, wo should place ourselves where the deer is likely to come to us. We hope, however, our expedition has not been a tiseless oae. We. have shown the rebels that they are not safe from attack m one of their most impregnable fastnesses, and that all we ask of them is not to run away.