Latest From the Front.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 163, 22 July 1901, Page 2

Latest From the Front.

WAIM AT A ATTACK ON OUR TOWN WATER WORKS.

(Special to Times.)

Brigadier-Genu ral Howard Kenway, by a forced march from his fortifications located in the Waimata mountains, mado a bold and dashing frontal attack on our Gisborne water works and Goneral Lysnar’s force in particular at about 4.30 p.m. on tho 9th inst. The immediate object of tho attack was to cut off the town’s Waimata water works supply, and so force General Lysnar for tho want of water to surrender and submit io Major-General Tovvnloy’s wator proposals, tho latter having his fortifications located at the head of tho WMbirorp Valley.

It appears that Brigadior-Goncral Kenway’s forces opened fire on Genoral Lysnar’s with a few maxim guns and tho ordinary mausers, tho maxims were antiquated and somewhat out of gear, but with all their defects they kept on belching forth a hail of leaden bullets which swept tho town and came sufficiently noar to General Lysnar’s forces to make him stand to his guns, with the result that ho brought his Long Toms and his pompoms into immediate action and planted shot after shot on the roof of Ivonway’s hartily constructed fortification. Major-General Townlcy with his forces during the whole time tho battlo was raging held himself in reserve and in readiness to dash forward should BrigadierGeneral Kenway make a breach in General Lysnar’s line of dofenco, but it appears from the latest despatches that BrigadierGeneral Kenway’s guns wore immediately silenced when General Lysnar’s wellserved guns got into action, and BrigadiorGoncral Kenway at once retreated with heavy loss to his fortification, in tho mountain passes somo twenty miles distant. During the whole battlo General Lysnar was ably supported by Lieut.-Colonol Whinray, the latter never once flinching from his position, and who heroically called to his men again and again to oppose tho invading forces with stout hearts and true British pluck. The only informatinn from Kenway’s fortification that has reached Lysnar’s camp sinco the attach is through a dark runner who was supposed to be convoying important proposals from fkigadierGencral Kenway, but to the horror and disgust of General Lysnar and his staff, when they opened the despatches thoy found it was merely a poetic wail regarding tho death and mystorious disappearance of an old cow, signed by “ P.T.K," It is considered probable that tho cow’s death was caused throughjthc lyddite sholls from General Lysnar’s Long Toms. It is quite possible for it to have been blown to space, and the commissariat officer in charge of Kenway’s fortification is trying to console himself that his BrigadierGeneral’s milch cow was drowned, when if he was only up to dick he should know it was blown to space. The Herald’s war i correspffilf!f !r 'ts at the front are anxious I that Major-General Townlcy's fortificaI tions at Waihirere should bo maintained at all risks, and with this object in view they have placed themselves in communication with tho House of Commons so as to obtain points from the Speaker to enable Major-General Townlcy to silence General Lj-snar’s guns. We are anxiously awaiting further despatches from the front, but the latest information 'that can be gathered from ths meagre sources available is that MajorGeneral Townlcy is in immediate poril nf an irresisible attack to dislodge him from his Waihirere fortifications, which, according to report brought into General Lysnar’s camp by reliable scouts, who have been making a careful reconnoitre regarding the stability of the Waihirere fortifications, it would seem that the army engineers in constructing and planning Major-General'Townley’s fortifications at Waihirere have overlooked some important details which will facilitate very largely the success of an attacking force ; it must also be remembered that General Lysnar’s forces are armed with the latest weapons which the scientific world has discovered, and it is anticipated that unless Major-General Townlcy retreats to some more reliable fortification in tho mountains his forces will be annihilated, and his Waihirere fortifications

will bo completely demolished. [The foregoing was found under the office door a ;the Times office. The rejurned troopers may know the author.]