THE DEFEAT OF OUR FORCES.

Colonist, Issue 1165, 4 December 1868, Page 7

THE DEFEAT OF OUR FORCES.

(From, The Nelson Colonist, November 10.) Again does the telegraph supply us with intelligence of a very gloomy character from the seat of war at Patea. Again have our forces been defeated, and for the third time within a few weeks,—to say nothing of the Hawke's Bay misfortunes—we have suffered three serious defeats at Patea, the first being the capture of Turuturumokia, when tho garrison was tomahawked in the night; the next the fatal fight at Ruaruru, when Yon Tempsky and so many otheis were killed; and on Saturday at Okutuku (Otioa probably), where an attack on a native pa once more resulted in disaster.

Last Saturday morning Colonel Whitraore, with a body of 380 men, composed of 300 Europeans and eighty Friendly natives, stormed a pa which ■we believe to be Otioa, in the native tongue, and called by the soldiers " Gentle Annie." It is strongly fortified with earthworks, and wo believe bristled with rifiepits It is situated about seven or eight miles in a northerly direction from the Wereroa redoubt, and not very- far from our recently occupied, but some weeks ago abandoned, redoubt ot Kakaksramea, on the Patea river. This strong pa Btands nearly on the edge of the bush. It appears to have been well garrisoned, for the fighting lasted about four hours, and is described B3 "desperate" on both sides, the tide being turned against us, (just as a body of our men were on the point of taking the place,) by the arrival of strong reinforcements to the rebels. Major Hunter, whose brother was killed at Ruaruru, led the storming party, and died in the gallant act; wiping out with his blood anyremnant of reproach whichniightyet hare existed respecting any alleged delay in obeying Yon Tempsky's order to send the troopers from Waitn to Turuturumokai. Poor Hunter died on the field, and with him seven others, while twelve more are " missing ;" a horrible word when we think of the cruel cannibal foe who^ tortures wounded men. Ttventy-one more were wouuded. It is said that all the wounded " that were seen" were brought away by our forces. Let us hope that some at least of the twelve missing men may have got shelter in the bush, and may yet find their way to camp. The retreat was orderly, although our men were closely pressed by the foe, who followed them for some six or seven miles, but do not appear to have done much harm, as almost all the casualties are reported to have occurred in storming tho pa.

Colonel Whitmore renewed tho attack on Sunday morning, so that any hour may bring us further news. This second attack will, we hope, be proved by the event to be judicious, as the rebels would not be likely to expect it to follow >o quickly alter the affair of the previous day. We trust, therefore, that the telegraph may convey to us better news as to the Sunday's enterprise.

The rebels are evidently being largely reinforced by other natives, all of whom may be said to be trained to bush fighting, besides inheriting that inatinotive alacrity of movement which the experience of centuries of forest life bestows upon an aboriginal race. With such men to cope with, armed with British weapons, supplied, there is too much reason to fear, with British ammunition, and well acquainted ■with the drill of the British soldier, our hastily raised und briefly drilled volunteers are—there is no use disguising it, the fact will not be hidden—not fit to meet the rebels in the bush on equal ground. It is not the time, perhaps, to criticise the wisdom or otherwise of this attack on a fortified rebel pa, with such materials as Colonel Whitmore has fit his command ; but, while admitting that the orderly retreat and the few casualties that occurred whileit was going on, are evidences of a brave body of men judiciously handled—yet it cannot be denied that the period of drill which tho volunteers undergo before meeting the enemy is all too short to produce that amount of bush experience which it is necessary that every man should possess who engages iv such ■warfare.

This defeat, the latest in a long list of disasters, is not only serious in itself but it is still more so from the fact of the influence which it is certain to exercise on the neutral or quasi-neutral natives, as well as Borne of thoee who profess to be friendly.

The best test of the self-reliant policy ia beginning to appear, and its result hitherto has been failure. We require a return of General Chute and a body of soldiers, well-disciplined and trained to arms, who will act on the offensive, and not merely garrison the towns, which is all that the soldiers of the solitary regiment in New Zealand are permitted to do. Almost ever since the body of the soidiers have left, the Maori has been concentrating his force, and preparing for the present too successful campaign ; and through these successes he is becoming more dangerous and defiant than ever, while we appear less able to meet him and are getting our officers cutoff in detail, and volunteering is all but stopped by the loss of life and the horrible fate which awaits any unfortunate prisoner that may fall into the hands of the rebel. If his Excellency the Governor were to represent the deplorable stato of native affairs to the Governors of Victoria and New South Wales, and to General Chute, commanding the land forces in the Australias, we might possibly get present help which is much wanted; while a proper representation to the Home Country of our inability to manage the natives, may lead the Imperial Government to a sense of the shame that attaches to the country which permits its sons to be driven back and its settlements ruined by the incursions of a savage and implacable foe. Eight millions sterling was not deemed too much for England to spend on the Abyssinian campaign, to rescue a handful of prisoners, chiefly German missionaries and their Abyssinian wives and half-caste children ; but little appears to be thought of tho sufferings of New Zealand, peopled by British subjects, shedding their blood to carry out a war brought upon them by tho Imperial policy towards tho natives, a war which is destroying fine and once flourishing settlements in the North Island, and pressing the whole of New Zealand under a great burden of taxation. It is merely a commercial idea, but still perhaps it might not be without some effect if it were strongly represented to the home authorities that,- ia addition to moral and sentimental considerations, New Zealand consumes some five millions sterling per annum of British manufactured goods.