THE MAORI WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 276, 2 April 1869, Page 3

THE MAORI WAR.

+. • The following despatch from Colonel Whitmore, dated March 26, givei the latest actual news from the front : — In continuation of ray last report I have the honour to inform you that on the 21st, finding the natives exhausted, I could not move beyond Ret" Dnatea, which is no great distance from Taiporohenui, but more in the direction of my intended operations and closer to the bush. Here I directed four days' rations to be issued to the troops, and on the 22nd moved at 7 a.m. by the direct track to Tiro-tiro-moana, where I halted the Europeans, except the corps of guides, and left them in bivoupc with Lieut.-Colonel Lyon. I, myself, proceeded with the Wanganui, No. 8 A.C., and the guides by the track believed to lead to Te Ngaire. No guide could be found to show us the way, but Major Kemp, with his usual intelligence, made it out correctly. After a few hours marching by an excellent bush track and over an almost level though wooded country, we came to the edge of the Ngaire swamp. Pre viously, at about two miles from Tivo-tiro-moana we got traces of the enemy, and although, as he has done throughout his , flight, he had caused his people to scatter and , avoid the track as much as possible, still we found a camp and a halting place which induced us to believe him to be before us. It , is unnecessary to describe Te Ngaire very . particularly, my means of examining it having been limited — but the part I could Bee i did not justify the accounts sent to me from ' many sources of its extraordinary difficulties to approach. ' The swamp, perhaps in winter time a lake, is a rush morass with toi-toi growing along its edges. The distance across the part I saw is 57 or 60 chains. The opposite bank to the " place where I struck it was apparently formed by a promontory or island of which the side nearest to me was cleared, and on which the ! large kaingas were clearly visible. I did not doubt that I had Titokowaru and his fugitive force Tjefore me, an 3 nothing but the physical - difficulty of passing the swamp to prevent 3 my at once attacking him. However, I wished to be prepared to overcome the diffi-

culty, so I sent for the European force to assist me if labour was required. LieutColonel Lyon received- bis orders that evening, and marching at daylight, reached my bivouac at 1 1 a.m. on the 23rd, and an escort of ammunition arrived later in the day.

During the night of the 22nd I caused the swamp to be reconnoitred by a few natives, ; and ascertained that the surf ace was treacherous and that ia places near the south bank, by the line the enemy apparently had taken, a very few of the men at a time could pass without danger. As I felt that in that case I could not justifiably avtempt a surprise, unless the opposite shove could first be seized, I resolved to wait day and search for a more favourable spot. All the morning of the 33rd the edge of the swamp was examined, and at leDgth I decided lo send a party across from a spot some hundred yards from an eel pah, where the swamp was narrowest, to gain the bank and entrench themselves, while with ladders or hurdler I enabled the force to cros^ the swamp without sinking by the regular track.

The Armed Constabulary worked hard all day, and constructed a light sort of ladder with three large poles tied with supplejack lashings, and about fifteen feet long by two feet wide. Ab soon as it grew dark. Major Kemp sent a party of scouts to explore the swamp, but they were unable to hit off the line the natives had used in coming to the eel weirs. I was therefore compelled to abandon the enterprise for that day. Next day (the 2Kb), I determined to cross nearer the eel weir, and gave up my intention of sending two parties. I therefore caused the | natives to clear a track in that direction, and | sent back the Armed Constabulary to clear a road to my position for the packhorses. In the evening I had all the ladders carried to ! the eel weirs, which were about a mile from the main track to the eastward. All this time the troops had been prohibited from lighting fires by day, and the utmost quiet was preserved. The enemy apparently took no precautions, and seemed ignorant of our proximity. We heard a man cry out, " Now this evil man will cause the Wanganuis to come down upon us" — a speech we attributed to one, of Ahitana's people, whom we know to be at Ngaire, living peaceably, and who had refused to join Titokowaru. The " evil man " was believed to refer to the enemy, and this speech satisfied me that he was in one of the kaingas. Later we heard a woman cry out, " Come hither, come hither, ye brave, come hither to the food" — a speech which seemed to refer to fighting men. Lastly we perceived that the natives were carrying timber, evidently for a pah, and this seemed conclusive as regarded the presence and intention of the enemy. At nizhtfall I prused fifty Wanganuis and Arawas, under Sub-Inspector Gundry, across the swamp at the eel-weirs, and had the whole of the natives employed till 1 1 p.m. in carrying and placing the hurdle-ladders on the line. The Europeans then marched to the spot, and the native force crossed without accident or noise. The Armed Constabulary brought more ladders across and passed the swamp, the last arriving at 4 a.m. on the 25th of March. I now caused the force to be awakened, and leaving Lieut.-Colonel Lyon to hold the crossing in the entrenchments thrown up by the natives, so as to acsure our retreat in case of neeecsity, I advanced by the bueh as silently as possible. It was growing daylight when we reached the kaingas, the native force being disposed so as to surround it. The Maoris at the kaingas, when we were close to ihem, perceiving us, rose, and many began to make off. Others, however, ran towards us, calling out " haeremai," and holdiDg out a white flag, while those apparently escaping hesitated and seemed disposed to return. At this moment we discovered Kawana Paepae and Apereniko among the natives at the kainga, and I was embarrassed what to do, more espn cially as most of those escaping appeared to be women. I therefore myself ran down with Mr Bcoth to the kainga, and was met by Ahitana's son, who piotested that all the people were either bis own or another neutral tribe from Oraukuku, a place I had never heard of before. I immediately asked him why he was preparing a pah, and he answered plausibly that he feared, as Titokowaru was broken, he might be in danger from his pursuers. He admitted also the speech about the " evil man," and said it referred to Titokowaru, who had been across the swamp three days before. Meanwhile, the men sent to surround the place, had halted, and the people had crept uway by the edge of the swamp; but Tukarangi (Ahitana's son) undertook to bring them back, and sent a man with one of mine for that purpose. As these continued absent, and as Mr Booth had discovered from a seemingly half-witted old man, that Titokowaru's people, or some of them had been at the kainga, I despatched the Arawa to bring in the people who had left it. Unfortunately, an hour had elapsed when the Arawa (on the return of the messengers without the people) started in pursuit; and as we have uniformly been unable with an hour between us, to overtake the enemy, or even come up with his women, and as he is travelling light, having lost all his food and baggage, the pursuit of the Arawa was fruitless. The trail lay towards Te Ngutu, and it was followed to the track of General Chute's march. I cannot describe to you the vexation and disappointment of the force, which, after overcoming the difficulties of disguising its presence, bridging and passing the swamp unperceived, and effecting the surprise of the kainga, believed itself to have been duped out of its reward ; but I trust the Government will consider that, even at the price of losing the opportunity, it was well not to have broken faith with Ahitana, on whose neutral or friendly disposition, it is said, that the Taranakis depend, and who is closely related to the Wanganuis, who feel great sympathy for him. ■-" I cross-examined Tukerangi, and learned from him that Titokowaru had determined to " die on bis own land," at Te Ngutu, where

he ia at present ; that ten of his men, whose names lie gave, had been at his kainga when I arrived, but that he had been afra'd to tel me 60. I felt the greatest inclination to disarm this young man and his followers, but refrained because there seemed to be every likelihood of the rert of his people returning, and I ordered him to leave Te Ngaire (under pain of bis neutrality being hereafter disregarded) and go to Kelconatea, where he has another kainga. I moreover insisted on his showing me the trail of Titokowavu acrosa the swamp, which however he has to-day proved unable to to. I confess, I greatly disbelieve all his statements, and feel sure that the women I saw were those of Titokowarn, whose rear guard at least, if not he himself , slept the previous night at Te Ngaire. If I am right he has probably gone to Ngatimanv, Nevertheless I shall explore Te Ngatu, where I can see no fires at present, and if he is not there (and lean find no trail aa yet leading in that direction) he must have gone to the Upper Waitara (Ngatimaru) a semifriendly district. Whatever happens the Government may feel satisfied that Titoko Waru's influence it wholly gone, and that he ia hiding from the punishment of his crimes. To pursue him in this vast bush is a work of great difficulty, but improved as are the European and native troops, one , from which I should not flinch for a moment, were I not doubtful whether such a course might- not place fresh tribes in the field against us, which st present are not likely to be encouraged by his failure to espouse his cause. ■■•<■.•<; a . I feel, however, that it is due to the troops to say that the bulk of the force is now fit to go anywhere, or do anything that Europeans can be expected to do. They cannot track a fugitive Hau-hau as fast as he can run away, especial ty in a wholly unknown country, but they have shewn throughout these late operations that they are no longer at all intimidated by the bush, are quite able to make their way in it at a moderate pace, and that they can live in bivouac for weeks at a time without inconvenience, if required, in any weather.