INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A JOURNALIST.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 235, 14 March 1885, Page 9

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A JOURNALIST.

C. O. Monteose (Nemo).

-CHAPTER LXXIII. — SkirmisJi mear Fort Maketu. — Cowardice "of the friendly natives — The Flying column at Tataraimaka. — Brilliant success near Fort Colville.

While the stirring events described in the Jast chapter were taking place in the Waithe war was prosecuted with no less .activity and success in Taranaki and on the .East Coast. A military post had been •established within two miles of Maketu, under the command of Major Colville, of the -43rd Light Infantry. About 4 a.m. on the 21st, the Major, .Ensign Way, and private Key, of the 413 rd, were crossing the river Waihi in a canoe when they were snddenly fired upon by some ."fifty natives concealed in ambush, at a distance of about thirty yards. Jumping out of the canoe into the water under a heavy £re the three succeeded in gaining the bank, and were pursued into the bush by the -enemy, who set up yells of baffled rage. .Arriving at ihe fort in safety, Major ColvSle out fifty men of the 43rd and 3rd Waikatos, under the command of Captain -Smith. The enemy had meantime recrossed the .river and occupied a position among the sand-hills and ti-tree, from which they ■opened up a brisk fire on the advancing troops, but a reinforcement of thirty men having been ordered up, under the command of Captain Harris, 43rd, and Ensign Way, .and fourteen Forest Rangers under Major JDrummond Hay and Captain Mac Donald, with a contingent of friendly Ara was. Major . . Hay attempted to cross the river, but the ■cowardly allies could not be induced to advance, and the plan had to be abandoned. As the orders given to Major Colville condined his operations within a certain boundary, lie was precluded from following up the ..retreating natives. He therefore withdrew to camp at dusk, leaving the friendly natives at Waihi to act as scouts. The engagements -lasted for six or seven hours, during which i;he following casualties occurred : — 43rd .Regiment, Prixate Evers, H. Church, andE. Shaw ; Royal Engineers, Sapper Mclntyre. <Captain McDonald also received a slight ■wound in the hand. The native losses, as was too common in these small skirmishes, swere unknown.

Colonel Warre, as described in a former g .chapter, having secured the rebel position at *- Kaitaki, he determined to make a reconnaissance of the country south of Tataraimaka, in order to ascertain whether the rebels had established any intrenched position .in that neighbourhood. For this purpose he organished a Flying Column, numbering upwards of 500 officers and men, under the command of Major Butler, 57th. Thinking it px*obable that the enemy would attempt some counter move against the town, the .militia were retained at their posts, and a vvigilan'l; look-out kept. The prudence of these steps was demonstrated a few days .later, when the natives fired on the sentries ..at Kaitaki, and approached within two miles -.of the town.

Major Baddeley, commanding Taranaki Militia, and Captain Woodall, 57th, imanediately got together a mixed force about 100 strong, composed of 57th and Militia, and started in pursuit, but the natives effected .their escape and the forces retnrned to town.

On the 22nd of April the enemy were again ireported as being in force in the bush near .-the river Wai wakaio. Major Atkinson's Comjpany of Bushrangers were placed between the roads, while two parties of the 57th, under ■Captain Woodall, were despatched to Puke•totara, and another under a Lieut, from Bell Block was placed in ambuscade to intercept jfche rebels should they retreat in that direction. But the track of the natives having T)een followed for several miles, it was found that they had retreated, and the force accordingly withdrew to town. In his despatch reporting these operations, •Colonel Warre paid a high compliment to Major Atkinson's Rangers and the new levies ifrom Melbourne and Otago for their pluck and endurance. Only one casualty occurred in this affair— Private John Dowling, of the .57th. being wounded. Some loss was in:flicted on the enemy by the demolition of the Puketawa pa, and the destruction of the ■surrounding crops.

On April 27th a somewhat sharp engagement took place at Folt Colville. About 4 ,<i.m. the natives opened a heavy fire on the -post, and H.M. ships Falcon arid Sandfly /proceeded to shell the enemy from their works. The Falcon occupied a position which enfiladed these Avorks from the whares on the right of the cliff, (but before she could open fire the natives •were seen retreating along the beach to the eastward. The Sandfly at once followed, -opening fire with the I2pr. Armstrong, the .enemy continuing their hasty retreat under cover of the sandhills. The extensive village sriinside and outside the Otamarako pa was Firing was continued until 3 p.m., when the Sandfly was sent to Tauranga, the Falcon proceeding to Auckland. In his report Captain Jenkins praised the conduct ■of Senior Lieut. Hope, in command of the Falcon, and Captain Hannibal Marks, com>inanding the : colonial steamer Sandfly. -Meantime. Major. Drumniond Hay had sent 100 men with orders to follow the enemy as far .%ag : ot^w'arak'auV an dintK"e afternoon he crossed -■^he~ J2oo 'men, leaving 150 to hold

Fort Colville. The force camped for the night at Waiheke, about 11 miles from Maketu, and being reinforced by 100 natives from the latter place, the total strength of the party now numbeied 400.

Next; morning an advance was made towards Te Awa o te Atua, when the enemy was observed retreating along the sand hills and taking up a position across a narrow valley between the sand hills and the cliffs with a creek iv. front, the sand hills on the right being lined with their skirmishers. Two hundred friendlies, under the chief Waimata, engaged the enemy, and a rush having been made across the creek, they retreated, many of them being shot while running away.

put of a total of about four hundred thirty-seven of the enemy's dead were found on the field on the 2Sth, and fifteen more next day, besides many more seen along the beach and in the swamp on the other side of the river. Their loss was estimated at fully one hundred killed, with nine prisoners.

Winiata received a severe wound in this action, from, which he afterwards died. There were six casualities on the side of the Queen's forces. Forty stand of arms were captured, with a quantity of powder and other booty. The Taupo and Arawa natives behaved very well in this engagement. In my next I purpose describing the disastrous affair at the Gate Pa. (To he continued.)