EVACUATION OF THE POREWA. (From the Southern Cross Correspondent.) Friday, April 15th.

North Otago Times, Volume I, Issue 12, 12 May 1864, Page 2 (Supplement)

EVACUATION OF THE POREWA. (From the Southern Cross Correspondent.) Friday, April 15th.

Yesterday morning;, at nine o'clock, an expedition," composed of 5-50 men of the 50th Regiment, left Colonel Weare' scamp, at Maungatautari. for the purpose of visiting the pah at Porcwa, reported by the Maoris who come in on Wednesday to have been debited. Colonel Waddy was in charge of the expedition, and to enable suclwi large force to leave the camp at Te tiki o te ihi nga rangi, 100 men of the 70th Regiment proceeded from this camp to relieve a like number from guard who had been told off fur that duty. The settlements of Wharcturero and Porewa, which adjoin each other, being separated only by a small creek, are situate in an easterly direction from the 50th camp. They are nbout three miles distant as the crow flies. The country intervening between Te tiki o te ihi nga rangi and Porewa is comparatively level and low, shedding off gradually from the high Maungatautari range towards the river, which runs in a parallel direction. The Porcwa redoubt is situate at the foot of the slope proper of the Maungatautari range, and is seen with great distinctness bv the naked eye from the 50th position. The villages were approached without any signs of _ opposition beinir offered, and when well in front of the pah those foremost on the spot might have noticed a few natives moving away over the hills in an easterly direction, and driving before them eight head of 1 cattle. About the middle of the eastern ' face of the redoubt, a small flag was noticed to have been hoisted, but from its equivocal color it was doubtful whether intended as a white flag of truce, or the ominous black flag of the pirate. No rebel?, however, showed themselves, and the pah was quickly rushed. The troops were then ordered to break off for a few moments, and an exciting race now commenced after pigs, goats, and turkeys, which the rebels in their hot haste to get away had been unable to take with them. A number of kits of potatoes and wheat were found in the whares, and in one of the tenements near the flags were discovered three Maoris, old men who had been left behind from inability to undertake the journey as far as Taupo, or whither the rebels might have fixed on their departure to, They were poor decrepkl old men, representing the halt, deaf, and blind, and were not removed from their quarters. Colonel Waddy presented the one that was blind with a cigar, and when ho came to understand what he had ; in his mouth, he sucked at it with infinite 1 gusto. When questioned by t Mr Edwards, ' the Maoris stated that their companions had left the pah on Wednesday, having departed shortly after quitting the women and children. After a short diversion in search of loot contained in the various whares, the soldiers were ordered to break down the palings round the pah, and it was not without considerable hugging and tugging that the troops were enabled to throw it down. The first redoubt arrived at was in the shape of a parallelogram, measuring about 124 yards in length, by 1 0 or 15 yards in width. The parapet was not of such excessive strength as in the case of other redoubts which have fallen into our hands. A parapet and

trench had, within the lost fewvdays, been constructed from this redoubt to a second, receding further into the bu&h and closer to the ranges. This connecting parapet was about 'l70 yards in length: it had been finished in front, and a trench dug and palings fixed, but at the rear only about 40 yards of the parapet had been thrown up. The second redoubt was about 100 yards square, and appeared the oldest of the two. Whares for the shelter of the inhabitants of the redoubt had been constructed in the usual manner behind the parapets, and made ball proof by a covering of earth. Transverse parapets ran from front to rear and from the two sides. However strong the rebels might have made these redoubts, it is very questionable if they could have held them for a single day when once the guns had been placed in position on a commanding eminence a little to the east ; their only hope would then have been to make a successful retreat through the bush and over the ranges. The settlement appears to have been a very large one, at least judging from the numbers of whares dotting the landscape down to the river's edge, which was about a mile distant. There were two or three weatherboard houses, which gave a somewhat civilised look to the place. One of these appears to have been occupied by the village blacksmith and wheel-wright ; the corn mill was on the river brink, near the road leading toMata Mata, on the Thames. The village" place of worship Avas a neatly constructed building and appeared of recent build. When the troops had thrown down about have the works, the bugle sounded the " fall in." and all having mustered, a quick march home was effected by about four o'clock. The 70th then returned to this place. The course of the river on passing Maungatautari becomes very tortuous in places, and further impediments would have been offered to the safe steering of a steamer by a fresh and sandbanks.