THE NATIVE OUTBREAK.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 86, 24 August 1868, Page 204

THE NATIVE OUTBREAK.

THE WEST COAST. «

THE FIRST MOVE AT THE FRONT. The following! letter is from the correspondent of the Wanganui Times. Camp Waihi, I2th August. 'We- have ; commenced operations and so far the result has been satisfactory. Having ascertained that the enemy is stroDgly entrenched in an almost impregnable pa at Ngutu o te Manu (Beak of the Bird,) Colonel M*Donnell determined to destroy all the villages on the edge of the bush from which they had retired to that stronghold, so : as to leave no hiding place when he would be prepared, to drive them out of it.

On the lQth we left Camp Waihi in two divisions. The first consisted of 150 men commanded by Colonel M‘Donnell, Major Von Terapsky and Captain Buck. The 2ud division composed of the Wellington Rangers, European Contingent, and No. 3 division in all 130 men, commanded by Captain Page and bis men, keeping in the open ground until they reached Katotauru, then taking the right hand track towards Ngutu o te Manu they approached to within a short distance of it where they halted until daylight, making a demonstration to entice the rebels from their stronghold. Captain M‘Donnell (the Colonel’s brother) accompanied this division, with an old friend of his, Ensign Hira, formerly of the Native Contingent. Close to the entrance to the track leading to Ngutu o te Manu stood the village of Kato-tauru. That place Capt. Page and his men burned and totally destroyed. The natives in. the bush, and also at the Bird’s Beak, yelled and called for them te come on but they did not dare to come out and fight. After daylight' the division pushed further on 'and burnt a village close to Ngutu o te Manu and fired a few shots to entice the rebels out, so as to enable the first division to get in behind the; pa. After about half-an-hour the natives made their appearance, yelling and calling for our pen to come on, but as Captain Page had orders not to do so unless he heard an attack on the other side of the pa, the men worked on under a fearful down-pour of rain until Major Von Tempsky came up to recall Capt. Page, when they started on their return to Waihi, which they reached at 5 p.m. Meantime the Ist division went round to the left for the purpose of getting to the rear of Ngutu o te Manu, but owing to the darkuess of the night and dense bush missed the track. At 5 o’clock in the morning of the 11th they struck on the track, but the rain which had been falling heavily for two or three hours now came down in torrents. The men were wet to the skin for two or three hours previously, and. one of the officers had. severly sprained his ankle by a fall of a log. The division marched on Mawhitiwhiti, a fine place, with unusually well-built houses from which the Hau Haus used to rush out and kill our men. The whole place was,destroyed by our men, and Mawhitiwhiti is now a heap of ashes. When we drive the rebels out of Ngutu o te Manu they will riot have a place along the whole range of bush to shelter themselves in. The men were anxious, too much so, for a brush. The men of both divisions marched well, considering that many, of them were untrained, though very willing and anxious to learn. After ■ the river Waiugongoro goes down from the effects of the rain * * * * * * * * * and as soon as it allows us to cross, and the weather favors us; we will make a dash at Ngutu 6 te Manu.

A Court of inquiry is sitting on Major Hunter’s case. but he is not Under arrest. Just as we were about to start on our expedition'Dr B 2 was reported incapable and placed under arrest. After .we started Lieutenant C—— shared ,< the same fate. it rer gret that; both arel men well fit for their work, and I hope they will sobn again fie.at. earliest authentic intelligence of. the next move. ’ / ? / from -the Froptj; but wei ,arrival -of the more - important hews thski

may be hourly;? M'Donnell had .commenced' to > burn down • and. destroy the villages; from the Ketemarae clearing, on to the farthest extremity of the bush in which those haunts of the Hau Haus were situated, and whence they used to sally forth upon their predatory excursion. Then, *if attacked arid routed from the stronghold," ; to which they have/'rethey ;y.ili ;i lind ; no! shelter in their former abodes. '• The result of this move,?a few days will suffice to place us in possession of.;;