TE PAPA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 155, 12 May 1864, Page 4

TE PAPA.

[j'Uom orn own con::vsri»Ni>ENT."' May 7A party consisting of the "Defenco Force, urn- fi-pv. Armstrong inm, and COO ofthofiSth ivct., the whole i?nd*r the command of Lieut. Col.-Greer, left ramp for the purpose of reconnoitring the enemy's paon the "Wairoa riv«*i\ The troops wore i'i rri«d imtoj-s tlio 'Waikaivao lord by tlio boats of the men-of-war In the harbor. without am* casualty 1 < vond the drowning of one of* the* 1 Foree horses. Lieut, fieneral Cameron having joined the paity with a large staff, the rente -was taken alonp: the beach as far as the* vill-'irt* of flank skirmisherboinir thrown out alon# the hiijh hank running parallel to the c-ns: live, with tin* TVfcnc" Force i:: advance. At Otnr,i",tai the troops tiun»"<! ml;n-1 and inarched for some d : stance over beautiful country, nt 'ly in cultivation by tin* natives, wh- t- • in s a" placed tin- mitYap-d e< Ml -va> .-till .-I t!:':inir. N'i" natiw- \v-ii- sroi; «.n !::»• lne- 'f ni.nvh. At noon, it be: nir i' and ih:.t, owiiilt T-> tin- ciivu - ton.- nature of thei oad, J !•< pa was still at >ueh a dir- 1 \:. as would pK-vent tk«- rt Turn ««f the mf ntry to eov.i that niirhr, a halt was *■;:IK-*.! at the vii! <<f liu.i f\M:irtarau:o i.«l th*- nun hoi-.-. had th-;.! dinners. The Ot-ia iM' then -h-termim d on t*' in'.M fit the pa, takiuir th<-1 >«*!\ iu e Force n-, hu < -<o:" Accordingly they start- d.aini ii'era rapHrideott vnhoi'd i» r.rtnilos o!ui:duiai ? mr feme.-imt!y arri\» d Patcn'wld {the:? b'-l j»rt\ uidrh ;• pP'-M'Mi ■be »*v « u*. ted. "Within afe w \ avdc l . the nali.-adinL'. the I >eifii<*' Forco w;.;; m» in line, and t 'up?. (»ivav»-> rode np to thr i'enee. in an instant )>•• di--mounted, and Mas seen walking round thriiiirstaii'. I!i* example was soon tVPr>\ved b\ others, ineludimr the ].t.-<Tci:eral and staff. Mia- p.» was found tnaiiiruh'r shape, or na-re pr-pr-rly an 1., rillrtl ]>ii!ed and iralleritnl all nana!, uith a «leej) >nu;n , «* k«.e;> in tin* eentn*. 'J'iie ditrh'-> w« i; <h-eper thin usual, ivr.deriu'_ r it neee.»j'.ry to .net platforms to enable the natives to fire ovor their «»wi: parapets. Outside th« ditehe.s was a closely wattled ti-troe i»alisatlii:L;' v.?i*v sliirbt, but (juit<.* enoni»h t-> elitcl: a nisli. all was an i..d" fence, about six !'ei_t bevnd the inner Ii:c!were several la houses "within the ]ia, one of M'hich appeal's to have been used as a I' lnnr , HnOn<jfi. where d»ubti'*s.s their plans have been discussed, and the annihilation of the pakeha resolved upon. The order was at once wn to demolish and fire tin- fencing, which was d<".ne with irreat s]»irit, and j-ome oi tiie liouses set alight: tiie liavinir been pulled dov/n was brrikeii up and east into the flames. On tlio river W air* a, whjeh il«'>ws within two hundred yards of tlu- pa. a water mill laus been fleeted, lumbers of iine horsi-s were seen near at hand, but not u sinule native was visible. 'I he work of destruction so i'araeet-mjdished. the party re-turned to the main bodv, who wi-re f«<und awaiti!iL r them at liuria, the village en the we>t side of tlie camp from which it is separated by an arm of the sea, fordahle at low water. It was nojn this place, that the fir.-l shots were fired liv the natives in Tain antra, 'lite troops returned to eamp about t p.m. L'pto the jjresent time nothing has been heard o! the enemy. It is rumoured that a small party of thoni are ocecupvinir a pa at Tepuna. beyond the "Wairoa, and on the road to Mauujzatauta] i; but the ffftrientl impression i< tiiat they liave retired to t-heii'mountain fi«stne?..-es to await the reeoverv o{ tlieir wounded, ami to arj'aniie their plans lor the future.