THE RECENT DESTRUCTION OF TE NGUTU-O-TE-MANU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 228, 4 February 1869, Page 3

THE RECENT DESTRUCTION OF TE NGUTU-O-TE-MANU.

•" ♦'•" " ■•■' ' Through the courtesy of the Government yre. (New Zealand Advertiser) are enabled to publish the following despatch from, Lient.--Col. M'Donnell to Colonel Whitmore, detailing his recent raid on TeNgutu-o-te-Mahu, and the. discovery of , the remains of those who fell in the former attack on that ill-fated spot. It is dated Patea, Jan. 19:— I have the honour to report, for the information of the officer commanding, that I left here on the afternoon of the 17thinstant, with the mounted natives under Kemp (some 60 in number), Captain Richardson, Ensign M'Donnell, and Mr 800th,R,M., -with the purpose of proceeding to the Ngutu-o-te-Manu and destroying it. We reached the redoubt at Waihi about 10 p.m., remained there that night, and proceeded the following mqrhing to the a Ngutu-crte^anu. the appearance of ,' the pah when we ; got there I should say, ho one had been the-e for a fortnight. Everything had been stored i or taken away. y\The pah is surrounded by a double palisading, about 12 feet high, each stake about 6 inches in diameter-; the outer or screen fence is raised two feet off the ground, so as to allow the defenders to fire from .lhe inside without obstruction. This outer .fence is away from the inner one, haying a .pace between the two of 18 inches. "XThe inside of the pah is deeply rifle-pitted and staked, and at short distances they have built banks of earth about 5 feet square, and 3 feet in height, and have securely fenced them round with short stakes. The whole of the fencing of the pah is securely lashed with strong vines and supple-jacks ; around and inside the pah are huge rata trees, from which a deadly fire can be poured upon the assailant, and it was from these trees that the gallant Major Von Tempsky and Capt. Buck, with most of the men killed, were struck down.' The side or rear of the pah which is not fenced slopes away to' a 'small

stream a few paces djstant,-but is next to impassable fronil the deqseanais o£t undergrowth, ivjjjnes and creepers that form a jungle, -;The Ngutu is, from its position 'and ihe forest that surrounds it, one of the most formidable places I ever knew natives to hold, and it seems now a miracle to me- that- we did not sustainmore loss than we did when we attackedlt/ ' *. , " There were so_ie 60 or 70 whares (most of them new) which I caused to be burnt. The palisading I did not destroy! ; it would have taken more time than we oould afford, to cut it down and burn it ', and should it again be occupied, information as to its formation and strength is now known. Several large potato pits full of potatoes were found. These we uncovered, ans ttye.flwt wet, weather will destroy^theinU X, A:. >.'.* }(X regret to say that the report that reached me about the burning of the bodies of those left on the field is too correct,' hnd a more horrible and' > 'revolting • spectacle > oould not have been witnessed. We found the remains of two large fires or altars ■ outside the pah, and a small one inside at the foot of a rata tree. The Charred rem_ins : of huhian bones and skulls atfe"aChAof.^Bw;flre-,-wlth other signs horrible to ! think of, "told a 'sickening and awful tale. I fear the story related of poor Corporal Rapell, N°- 3 Division, relative to his being burnt alive is true, and most likely took ;., place at tbeAilpot of the rata tree mentioned above. There is no doubt the dead were partly eaten and partly offeree^ up as a sacrifice by the infamous Titokowaru and his .bandV* ( , : On bur way back to Patea the natives caught 12 horses, supposed fo belong to the enemy. ■Wawent.tp Otoia (Gentle Annie) and burnt every -house there, some §0 in number. Otqia js not such-a strong place as one would suppose, but it might be made so by a little trouble . There is no fortification there at present. :',',"