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Taranaki.

The handful of rebels, whom our commanders love to term “ the enemy,” appear to be a perfect bugbear to their military minds. There is no enemy properly so called. A few bands of roving savages, bent on rapine and murder, who are far more afraid of us than we are of them, and who always decamp with alacrity, no matter how many, when a handful of our men appears in sight. There is no more chance of the poor creatures attacking the town than there'is-o'f the General conquering them, which of course is no chance at all.

It is not men we want, but simply brains ; this is evident to the dullest comprehension. The truth is, the Native's never will be conquered unless very different tactics are adopted. We want a good military road through the province, and bloekhouses placed at convenient distances, and the Natives must be hunted out by guerilla parties, and followed up, harrassed and worried, until they are fairly worn ont; this is the plan ; without some such, 50,000 men will be utterly useless iu subduing 1000 savages. It is calculated that there were no more than .100 or 150 Maories in the engagement yesterday (some , say, not nearly so many), and yet we could do absolutely nothing with 1400 men and 6.guns. If the Natives can fight in the bush, so can we ; and until our men do follow them up through the forest, It is mere folly to suppose we can ever conquer them. The. war never should have been commenced, unless it. was iuiended to carry it through to its legitimate results; and every one must have known, that to get at the Maories w r e should be obliged to follow them into their retreats, lives of many brave men. This is the,pnly way .to bring this war to a close.— -Taranaki Correspondent of the Southern Cross, t :, r

[From the Herald’s ‘ Jurnal of Events.’

Saturday, Sept. 15.—From Bell Block w e hear that natives were seen about the sites o

the destroyed pas, Tima and Te Puke, yesterday, aiul' a report is in town to-day that they are on the block this morning driving off stock. We have to correct an important mistake in our Journal published in the Herald, of this date. We have stated' that the pa to the" right of Huirangi, destroyed; by Lieut. Urquhart and 40 of the light company of the 65tli, is named Manutahi. On referring to the map it is. seen Manutahi is. further inland, and that this pa is called. Kotewaionaha. Manutahi is near Kingi’s stronghold (Mataitawa) and is one of his outpr defences.

Sunday, Sept. 16:—.Weather w.et; the Tasmanian Maid arrived from Waitaaa this morning. Captain Seymour, R.N., has come up in her, and succeeds Commodore Lpring in command of the Aaval. Brigade. H.M.S. Fawn arrived from Wellington. Monday, Sept. 17.—A native, reports, that in the skirmish at Huirangi a native named Te Poka was shot dead, ami Te Herewina, Ngara, and two others', badly wounded. He also states that thirty men, consisting of Huirangi and Wi Kingi’s natives, engaged ; and that Hapurona himself shot Ramsay,, and secured his body.. Wi Kingi’s yuni (encampmeut of women and children) is some distance in the forest; the men : are at Mataitawa, Manutahi, &c. The greater part of Wi Kingi’s natives are suffering from influenza, and Ropiha says two-thirds of them are prostrated with it. During the skirmish a party of fifty men of the Ngatimaru tribe were in ; reserve, having left their settlement in the interior on hearing the artillery. Ropiha says he saw several several soldier’s rifles at Mataitawa,. and some natives wearing the coats, cross-belts, pouches, &c. Ail officer’s sword was in Wi Kingi’s hands. The traitor Waka and Ills party were at Mataitawa. Ropiha tells us, that immediately after the affair at Huirangi, W. Kingi sent messengers to Waikato and other parts, praying them to hasten to his support. The friendly natives are busily employed in building a large pa at the Ilenui, on Mr. Horne’s land on the south bank of the river. Another party of friendly natives occupy a pa recently erected near the /Paiwakaiho bridge, which they have engaged to guard. At the usual parade this morning of militia and volunteers, Capt. Watt read a letter from 32 ladies of Lyttelton, dated 2nd August, to the volunteers. of/this province, expressing sympathy, and advising the shipment of some clothing to them.

Wednesday, Sept. 19. The expedition south assembled, and left the town at 7 a.m., consisting of the following men, in command of Major Hutchin, 12th regt., 157 of the 12th regt., under Capt. Miller, Lieuts. Richardson, Lowry, Mair, and Ensign.Hirst; 270 of the 65th, under Capts. Strange and Barton, Lts. Bailie, Pennefather, White, Talbot, and Ensigns Pagan and Butler ; 17 men of the royal artillery, under Capt- Strover,- R.A., and 2 24-pounder howitzers, and 2 rocket tubes, 24 and 12 pounders; 13 royal engineers, under Capt. Mould, R.E.; 68 militia and volunteers, under Capt. H. Richmond, Captain and Adjutant Atapp, and Lieut. Morrison; A. McKellar, Hirst, and Jones, and 10 men and one sergt. mounted corps; Capt. Pasley, R.E. (Staff), and 50 friendly natives, under Mr Good, accompanied the expedition. We un derstand thrt the main object of this movement is to destroy the pas erected by the rebels on the Tataraimaka block, and have not heard whether the troops are to proceed further south. H.M.S.A. Niger, from Manukau, arrived ; Commander Blake and some of her officers landed. Commander Blake appeared in good health and spirits after his dangerous wound received at IV aireka. He was loudly cheered when he landed. We regret to state that Captain Cracroft is ill, and was unable to come ashore. The Niger, we hear, will remain for a short time, and the intelligence she brings, that there is no pre sent intention to remove any portion of the Naval brigade, is hailed with general satisfaction. The overland mail from Auckland came in to-day. In the following extracts from a letter from Waikato, dated the 13th instant, it will be seen that the new king has been set up :

“ Epiha and his party returned home two days ago. Epiha refused to allow his people to take any part of the plunder from the Taranaki farms, but they report that the Ngatiraaniapoto have brought away sheep, cattle, horses, carts, ploughs, &c. I cannot say what the future movements of the Waikatos will be. /Report says that if Waikato approves of what has been done- they will return, if not, they will not. Take Waikato as a body, and they are opposed against moving to Taranaki. There are restless spirits, but the general voice is against joining in the war. Potatau’s son, Matutaera, was set up as king at Ngaruawahia on the 24th, very few natives being present, only leading chiefs. The new Maori king is decidedly for peace, and not for war. He is very friendly to Europeans.” The mailman reports that 400 Waikatos were preparing to leave for Waitara, and met W. King’s messengers, who would. doubtless hasten their movements. Another letter from the north reports, that the Taupo chief Te Heuheu is likely to join Kingi. Friday, Sept. 21.—Five of the mounted corps came in to-day from the camp of the expedition south, and our correspondent has sent us the following particulars of the movements of' the forces since they left tbwn: “ On Wednesday we reached the flat piece of table land on the north side of . the Oakura river, where we encamped, owing to the river being too high for crossing. On Thursday morning (yesterday) at 5 o’clock, tents were taken down, and by 6 we were once again in marching order, when, after great sport in crossing some of the rivers, we reached Mr.

Greenwood’s farm, upon which eight pas, most of them'of considerable’ stfe igih, were destroyed by soldiers and volunteers. After some delay, scouts came in and reported that a pa inland of Porikapa’s on the sea side was occupied by the rebel natives ; consequently Major Hutchins, with the guns, rocket tubes, the 65th men and volunteers, started forth to reconnoitre the position of the pa. The Major, deeming it too late to attack the pa with his present force, returned to the main body. We did not see a native, hut no sooner had we commenced pitching tents, than a party of natives came out of an ambuscade, and fired several Volleys into us, which was returned by the soldiers.”' We are informed that the rebels have taken up a. posit ion in a pa about 600 yards in rear of Kaihihi,.. which Major- 11-utchins- is preparing to attack, and has sent for-reinforcements anil a heavy gnu, which, we hear, will proceed tomorrow, or next day, as the guu.is.to comeup from Waitara.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC18601018.2.10

Bibliographic details

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 213, 18 October 1860, Page 3

Word Count
1,476

Taranaki. Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 213, 18 October 1860, Page 3

Taranaki. Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 213, 18 October 1860, Page 3

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