TE NGUTU O TE MANU.

North Otago Times, Volume XI, Issue 351, 2 October 1868, Page 3

TE NGUTU O TE MANU.

(From the Oamaru Times, lSbh Soptombor.) Te Ngutu o te Manu "will be classic ground in New Zealand, having already been the scene of two engagements between the Colonial forces and the rebel Natives, and will probably yet be the arena of a still greater struggle. Strong as the position has been made by its Native defenders, with rifle-pits and breastwork, and well-situated as it appears to be for a defensive position, the Maories will probably remain there awaiting another attack from our troops ; tho more especially that, in the recent engagement, they certainly got the best of the encounter. Serious indeed is the reverse we have sustained at Ngutu o te Manu — the indomitable and daring Von Tempsky, and Buck, who had already gained for himself and his little foi'ce a name for daring and dash, have fallen, with Palmer, Lieutenant Hunter and Rowan — and the loss to the Colony is an almost irreti-ievable one. The Maories seem to have defended their position with skill, and, perched in the trees, their sharpshooters managed very cleverly to pick off most of our officers. Our list of killed amounts to 18, including officers, and the number of wounded is probably much greater. The Colonial forces appear to have behaved very pluckily, but there is one remarkable fact which stands out in connection with this engagement — not romai-kable in the sense of its rai'ity, but, on the other hand, becaii.se ifc so often occurs — viz., that while the Maories reported fallen -were carried off by their friends, so that there is no means of ascertaining what execution our fire has i-eally done, our men had to leave their dead where they fell, probably to fall into the enemy's hands. The Natives, seeing us retire in this fashion, naturally claim the victory, and are greatly elated thereby ; and the recent reverse at Ngutu o te Manu has already had the effect of causing considerable accessions to their ranks. Such leaders as "Von Tejipsky cannot readily be replaced, but the rebels must nob be left in the blush of their triumph to glory over the defeat of the Pakeha. At whatever cost, they must be bevten and reduced to submission. It is not easy to do this — it cannot be done by a coup de main — the Natives are too wily to meet us in a pitched battle on an open plain, with no hills or bush for either party to retire to. They know better than to do that, and the war can consequently only be carried on by a sort of guerilla system ; yet we think that much more might be done than is done. Our troops should be armed with breech-loaders instead of the present cumbrous muzzle-loader, and something should be done towards cutting off from the Natives their supplies of ammunition. However large a stock they may have accumulated, the war cannot be indefinitely prolonged if they are prevented from obtaining more. It has been said, we do not know with what truth, that American whalers supply a good deal of this, and we can readily believe that, without blaming the Yankees, there are other men nearer our own doors who, for love of gain, will supply them with either lead or powder, and we think it would be well worth while for the Government to put a couple of armed vessels to watch the coast to prevent such a traffic. Stoj) the supply of ammunition and the natives must ere long give up this hopeless struggle. Bush tracks should be cut, too, wherever j>ossible, so as to do away with the inaccessibility of Native fastnesses. It is, of course, very easy to give advice, and the difficulties to be encountered are, we know, very great, still, unless some way can be found of inducing the rebels to submission, we see no alternative

but a gradual drifting into a war of races," which means the practical outlawing of the bulk of the Maori race, and the shooting down of the brown man wherever he shows his face, as was tiie case in various parts of America, and is now the case in Northern Australia. Such a contingency cannot be contemplated without a shudder, but it is, we fear, inevitably coming, and meanwhile it would be the more humane course on the part of the Government to do their utmost to strike a series of blows sufficiently decisive to convince the Native race of the hopeless nature of the struggle, and thus induce their submission. Let us at least in future, when we take prisoners, use reasonable precautions to keep them, and not place them in immediate proximity to unguarded stores of arms and ammunition, and then suffer them to decamp, use these veiy arms and aninrunition in lolling our best officers, and in routing our forces, thus spreading the flame of rebellion far and wide.