ATTACK ON A NATIVE PAH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 124, 6 April 1864, Page 5

ATTACK ON A NATIVE PAH.

LOSS OF 4 MEN AND 14 WOUNDED. Imi'oktant news arrived yesterday afternoon from tlie front by telegram. We were placed in possession of the same at an early hour in the. evening, hut, considering that the plan of putting 'forth hasty telegrams in second editions is productive of more harm than good—more especially when the names of those killed and wounded have not been received, —we waited for further information and reserved all that we could gather for this morning's issue, which we now place entire before our readers. We have also been favoured with the following extract from a letter received yesterday evening from an authentic source:— " Pukeriimi, 31st; March. ,; The Ngatimaniapoto have begun to give trouble on the road between Pukerimu and Awamutu, and the General is about to establish a post half-way, between the two places. Two of the Colonial Defeifcc Force orderlies were tired at a few days ago by an ambuscade of about thirty natives, but escaped unhurt, though the horse of one of them was wounded in six or seven places.

" Yesterday Major McNeil had a very narrow escape. lie went to Awamutu and on his return, when about half a mile on this side of Ohaupo, seeing some natives move about, he sent one of his two orderlies back to Ohaupo to letch up a detachment of 100 men who happened to be there, destroying and levelling the pah. Shortly afterwards a vollev was fired at them by about sixty natives" concealed in the fern. Major McNeil and the orderly immediately turned round and galloped back towards Ohaupo, but unfortunately the orderly's horse fell, threw his rider, and got loose." The natives pursued the orderly, yelling, and firing on him, but Major McNeil who had stopped immediately that he found the orderly was not following him, caught the horse and held him until the man came up and mounted. At this time the natives were not more than fift'v yards from them, but Major McNeil and the orderly were fortunate enough to escape untouched, and join the detachment which was coming up quickly to their assistance. The natives made their escape into the bush.

" Sometime afterwards a party of the same people allowed the native messenger to pass through with the mail bag untouched. " On the 30th a body of natives was observed constructing rifle pits at Otawhao, about three miles from Kihikihi. Brigadier General Carey, intends to attack them early this morning. General Cameron sent Brigadier General Carey a reinforcement of 300 men last night."

The telegram to which we allude is to the effect " that Brigadier-General Carey had attacked Otawhao pah, four miles from Kilukihi at daylight this morning (Thursday), that the pah was too strong to be rushed, and that he therefore had surrounded it and was sapping up with the intention of blowing it up. Our loss, up to the time the Brigadier wrote, was Captain Bing, 18th, dangerously wounded; Captain Fisher, 40th, slightly, -1 men killed, and 11 wounded. The General had sent a reinforcement of 300 men."

Late "last night the following communication was kindly placed in our hands by a gentleman who had received the same from a. friend at Te Awamutu : —

"All our uie& are away on. an expedition to Otawhab,-neai? Kihitihi. Captains King, 2nd Battalion 18th regiment', and Fisher, 40th regiment, badly wounded. A 1 good many casualties but Karnes not known.; The force have surrounded the natives and are" gapping up to'the pah. Large reinforcements are Reported to be on their way over from the General's catop to Otawhao."

We also learn from a pr'iYrtte' source that a rush had been made upon the pah, ( but that the beseiging party had been unable to carry She enemy's works. In the onset we regret to learn xhitt Lieutenant Chevalier of the 65th, who had only jfrrf recovered from a severe wound received at Raiigiri'ri', \Vas accidentally wounded .by the bayonet of one of our men. The dead body of a man of the 65th had been taken into camp at Te Awamiitu.—Herald, April 2. »_