MAJOR NOAKES’S VICTORY.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1913, 23 June 1869, Page 2

MAJOR NOAKES’S VICTORY.

The Wellington Independent gives the following summary of Major Noakes’s success:— “ Despatches have we are informed, been received by the Government from Major Noakes’, giving some fuller details of the capture of 46 men, 37 women, and 40 children, of the Pukekoa tribe including its chief Tauroa. It appears that on the 9th instant Major Noakes left Patea with a force of 264 men, consisting of Armed Constabulary, Eifle Volunteers, Wanganui Veteran Volunteers, under Captain Kells, together with the Carlyle Volunteers, Ngatiporous, and some Wanganui Natives. On arriving at Makaroro, half of the force was left there under Captain Hawes, while Major Noakes pushed on with the Ngatiporous and Wanganui Natives, and a few Europeans under Captain Goring and Mr Blake. The party soon found tracks of the enemy, and on the fourth day of being out were close upon his scouts. On arriving at a village called Taitata, an envoy was met who came from the chief Tauroa, with a missive suing for peace. Mr Booth went back in the canoe which had brought the messenger, and pi'ocecded to where Tauroa was stationed with his followers, the messenger being detained as a hostage for Mr Boothes safety, Mr Booth not returning soon, Major Noakes, with 50 men, advanced to the enemy’s position at Te Kura, where a pah had been built. Major Noakes found Mr Booth there, and in reply to Tauroa’s desire for peace, said he would accept nothing but an uncom ditional surrender, at the samq time sending a portion of his force to cut off the retreat of the enemy in the rear of the pa. On this being done, the Hauhaus came out and laid their arms down at Major Noakes’s feet. Major Noakes then promised Tauroa that his life should be spared, and his men not destroyed. Thirty-one stand of arms and eighteen canoes were taken posr. session of, but the village was left untouched. It seems that these people had been watching the advance of our force for two days up the river, and first intended to fight, but surrendered at the eleventh hour. The prisoners have been given into the charge of the Ngatiporous. The Patea Eiver, up which the force went in their expedition, is very winding, and has several rapids in it. The. expedition suffered a good deal of hardship from heavy rain and cold when out. The prisoners, as before mentioned, were brought into Patea,

In the estimation of the Independent this success has proved very embarrassing, for they “ cannot help thinking that it would have’been better if Tauroa and his followers had shown fight, and thus enabled Major Noakes to exterminate them, leaving, of course, untouched the women and children. We clearly fight on unequal terms with those murderous Hauhaus. They show no mercy to prisoners; but fight d la entrance —killing, mutilating, and even burning all whites who may fall into their hands j while we, on the other hand, as in this case, accept the unconditional surrender of forty-six men who have been most active in the field against us.”