LATEST FROM THE FRONT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1033, 23 March 1869, Page 3

LATEST FROM THE FRONT.

VICTORY OVER THE REBELS. THE PURSUIT BEING FOLLOWED UP. CAPTURE OF THE ENEMY'S TENTS AND BAGGAGE. (From the " Wansanui Chronicle," March 15.) "Victory lias at length rested on the Colonial arms on the West Coast. On Saturday, the 13fch March, the enemy was surprised and driven from one of the strongest natural positions on the coast. Towards the end of last week tho enemy •was ascertained to have taken up a position at Otoia, or, as it is more familiarly termed " Gentle Annie," on the bank of the Patea. The choice is a good one. The pa is situated a few miles inland of the Patea camp, and is on the further side of the river. It is an almost inaccessible position and equally difficult to approach as to storm. The enemy, however, seemed determined to make a stand here, and so preparations were made in the colonial camp for attacking it. Late on Friday night Col. Whitmore organized his attacking force and while retaining command of the main body, detailed Lt.-Colonel St. John and a 1 strongcolumn to cross the Patea river, and make a detour inland to emerge in such a position near Otoia as would cut off' the retreat of the rebels, if they sought that mode of extraction from our hands. Another division acted as a reserve. Our information, as to the details, is as yet meagre and incomplete, but it would appear that Col. Whitmore and his storming party effectually surprised the rebels under cover of the mist at early dawn on Saturday morning, and he drove them into the masked fire of Col. St. John and his men. The loss on our side, so far, was four killed and twelve wounded, while the loss of the enemy must have been heavy — seven dead rebels, at least, were counted under the feet of our advancing columns. All the tents of a large encampment, and many arms of various descriptions, were captured, besides a number of women and children. On the first surprise a panic seized the enemy, who rushed in confusion from their tents and bolted down a wooded gully, from which they kept up a desperate fight for four hours, and at the end of that time they broke before a charge of Constabulary, leaving^ the number mentioned as killed in our hands. Mauy more must have been carried off. Kemp and his Kupapas continued the pursuit. Since the above was in type we received despatches from the Front, but they only substantiate the facts mentioned above. Otoia, or Otouto, is a clearing on the slope of a high and steep hill which rises close to the Patea river on tho western Bank, and was formerly the pah or village of Tarurua and his section of the Pakakohe tribe. The hill is partly covered with irregular clumps of bush, but towards its summit various extensive clearings have been made and cultivations carried on. There is a direct track to this kainga up the face of the hill, but there is also a secret, less frequented, and shorter byepath, which for some distance skirts the base of the hill and latterly strikes the main track near the village. In the angle formed by these paths there is a peachgrove, which naturally presents fewer obstacles for communication between the two than the bush which for tho most part clothes the sides of the hill and descends into the ravines at the side and rear. It will readily be supposed that tho rebels plumed themselves on security and strength in this position> when it is known that not above four Europeans were acquainted with the interstices of the road. By keeping in mind the disposition of our forces as stated elsewhere, some idea of the sudden nature of the attack may be formed when wo state that, under the direction of competent guides, the head of the attacking column approached the rebel camp by the less-frequented of the approaches, under cover of a thick fog, in the grey dawn of Saturday morning. A number of the Hauhaus, however, wero astir chanting their matin services or incantations ; they could be distinctly heard as our men crept cautiously along; but the outlying sentries of the enemy, three in number, were nodding in the cold misty morning over a smouldering fire, and on the foremost files making some slight noise in their advance, the three Maoris turned round mechanically and peered through the mist in the direction of the principal track. By so doing they faced away from the lurking danger and were all stretched dead by three true-aimed shots. There was a wild yell on the part of the rebels — of mingled rage and disappointment — those who were asleep started up naked and never had time to get clothed — in the first rush of conflict the combatants surged backward and forward, till the bulk of the rebels being compelled to retreat, the rest followed in confusion pell-mell into a deep gully at the base of the hill. The rebel position was occupied by our force, who poured volley after volley into the timbered gully, where the enemy remained for some hours, returning the fire with energy. The result of our fire is not known — most likely never will be known — as the enemy no doubt carried off their dead and wounded as long as they possibly could do so, uuder cover of tho fog and fire. It was however of a precise and withering character ; the men behaving remarkably well throughout. After four hours of it, the enemy were unable to stand it any longer, and the Hauhaus broke and scattered in all directions, making as best they could for tho inland bush. Our weary men were then called in for needed rest and refreshment. They had fought their way through bush and brake for fully nine miles. It is supposed there were about four hundred natives in the rebel camp, and one of the women prisoners confirms this calculation. The pa was full of stores of various kinds, blankets, tomahawks, powder, rifles, revolvers (both rifles and revolvers colonial property,) potatoes, flour, and even money — all that men could conveniently carry was taken away, the remainder was made into a huge bonfire. Kemp and his men resumed the pursuit of the enemy on Sunday morning ; how it has fared with him wo have not yet learned, but Col. Whitmore is evidently determined to give the rebels no rest, as the main body of his force was to be moved yesterday morning up to Manutahi inland of Manawapou, with the object we presume, of preventing their retreat into the fastnesses of the interior.