LATER NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 625, 21 November 1863, Page 3

LATER NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

, sth November, 1863. , I have seldom or never had such a number of in- ■ tereoting events to record at^one time as falls to ray 101. by this mail. The lone, loojced 1 -' for advance of the - General has began, and we are" daily on the gui vivt for news respecting his motions. On- Saturday last, the Slat October, he took tho first decisive step in advance. Early on that day he embarked 60'J men on board the Pioneer (the new gunboat), and running past the position at Mere Mere steered boldly up the river for about nine miles, where there was a good landing place at a point marked in the map Lakapau. Landed, they immediately threw up a few field works, and planted the cannon they had brought with them so as effectually to command the road lending froia Mere Mere to Rangiriri and the Upper Waikato. The attack on the position at Mere Mere would have been made at daybreak ou Monday morning by tho General and main body from the river, arid by these six hundred men'in the rear. The natives saw that they could not hold the position for an hour, and | what was worse would not be able to leave it as usual. They first tried the effect of an attack upon the post atLahapau before daylight on Sunday morning. Ifc failed, and they were driven back apparently— to judge by the evidence of the' ground, with heavy loss, although the darkness prevented pursuit. In the attack we had one man killed, and four wouuded (not severely). Seeing apparently the hopelessna*3 of getting away in that way, or of successfully fighting, the natives made use of the only means left them by which escape was possible, and embarking in their canoes peddled off across the low swampy country in ' rear of Mere Mere, which was one' broad shallow sheet of water, owing to the overflow of the- river, caused by the late rains. It was quite impossible to prevent this, although the danger was foreseen, and all our efforts were not sufficient to prevent ' their getting ott unhurt, leaving of course their cannons as trophks of our success. Our advantage, however, is of too solid a sort to be represented by any auch trophies. Our real advantage gained at Mere Mere fc neither more nor les3 than possession of the whole Waikato territory as far as Ngaruawahia, as from & reconnaissance made a day or two ago as far as' Rangiriri, it is plain that no attempt will be made to bold that position which indeed is unittainable while we are in possession of the river, against which contingency it 3 defences, elaborate as they are, were not meant to , provide. There is nothing, therefore, to prevent [General Cameron from advancing as far at least as JVgaruawahia without any serijus detention from the natives. The Pioneer (gunboat.) ig invaluable in the meantime while the river is full, and from the long continuance of wet weather this year we may bops that she may continue to navigate the shallows with ease until the small boat now building in Sydney can take her plaoe on the higher par's of the river. One of the two new gunboats will, I believe, be put upon the Thames and Piako Rivers, and if so, the Maoris may very soon be reduced to extremities. , Of the Mauku engagement you have doubtless obtained some account at least ere this. Several ourious particulars have reached me from Maori sources, however. The natives were a picked lot of four hundred men, or rather more. They belonged to the Ngahmarapoto and Ngatiawa tribes, and were bent upon distinguishing themselves. They were very roughly handled indeed by Lieut. Lush and his small party of men, so much so indeed that they were all on the other side of the river by eleven o'clock the same night, with their dead and wounded. Of these they acknowleged to having lost about twelve and a great Chief in killed, and very many (so the Maoris Bay) wounded. So out up were ihey that to save their credit they have been obliged 1 to magnify the little band of 69 men and officers into a force of 500 men, of whom they killed 14, and wounded an enormous number. The men killed on our_ side were eight, and one severely wounded, who,is'now out of danger. It is needless to say that under the circumstances the only marvel was that any woundel men got off at all, The eftect has been very great upon the Maori mind, however, and the Governor has said that the little battle at Mauku is, in his opinion, the best thing that has happened in the war for bringingdown the pride ot the natives. No military man waa engaged at all. The new Ministry have fairly taken office, and declared the policy they mean to pursue. They are very strong in the House; and I believe these measures will render them so in the colony at large. The Military Settlement Scheme of the late Government is to be fully carried out, «nd we_ar,e to have 5000 men from the colonies and 15,000 front England as soon as possible, to be settled in the' WaikAto and Thames districts, and thence to Taranaki. The money to be raised on the lands of the rebels, to be refunded by their sale. The Taranaki (re-instalment money) not.' yet to be paid to the settlers, but interest allowedupon it until it should be practicable to re-settle the Province properly. Mr GilHes, the PostmasterGeneral, to reside in the Sdtfth, but the otter of a LieutenanUGovernor and a couple siy, : of the Bxecu" tive to reside always in the- Middle, Island, td;b&.,raaiie to the Southern members.. These are the prin cipal points in the policy of the new Government, , and I think they must meet with a general support on account, both of their moderation and ability. The Ek, steam corvette,- has arrived j the? Himalya is daily looked for with the 50th Regiment/fr^a India. ~ Yesterday we. had tns first expeiien'ce of a f«gular : whirlwind, never known in this eqluntry ai^^t^'aa .< >. settled. The storm was not broad, Kutwa^i, perfeotJy " irresistible when it did strike. 1 It swept ov« one £or- ' ncr of the suburb of Paraell, levelling trees, Jlio^gea;,''' —both of wood and brick, and utterly demolishing thjjj/ iron block-houses matid lately; by_. Government*!) , Some of the latter building being carried mpre;than;a>^.:! quarter of a mile ; the sheets,.of irou torn Jikelbwwfe: paper, into ribbands. Happily it ! toutcliedf^ai^f^ " :