EARLY WHNGANUI.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13434, 22 July 1911, Page 12

EARLY WHNGANUI.

Thursdya, March 11, 1809. SALE OF GUNPOWDER. Wc arc informed that throe barrels oi gunpowder wore handed to Maoris yesterday by tlie authorities. One of them wont over to Putiki, one up the river, and one was being carried about through the town yesterday afternoon.

LATEST FROM THE FRONT. The intelligence of an attack upon the escort between Patea and Wairoa readied town last night. Messrs Dale and Taplin were witli the escort, and were swimming their horses across the Whonuakura when the volley was poured in from the top of the cliff. From the report, it was calculated that there could not be many less than 100 Maoris. The escort were with eight drays, and a. Hock of sheep, and was composed of forty Armed Constabulary and twelve mounted troopers, under the command of Lieut. Hunter of the Patca Rifles. The men were trying to find a proper place to ford when the ambuscade opened lire. The position selected by the Maoris is about the most dangerous along the whole- coast, and the escort had only the shelter of the drays to preserve it from a close and destructive fife. After the first volley, one man was seen to fall from his horse, hut whether killed, or only wounded, those who came away could not say. It is to he hoped that Colonel Wliitmore heard the firing from Wairoa, or that it was found possible to send an orderly hack to Patea for assistance.

[The above report is as we received it last night.] AUTHENTIC NEWS FROM 'JTtE FRONT.

Captain F'orster and an orderly arrived in town this afternoon and they report that the escort from Patea was fired on by an ambuscade at the mouth of the Whenuakura River. The. men returned the fire, crossed over the pack horses, (they had no drays with them) and had only one horse hit, and a tin of coffee put out of shape. They came on to Wairoa, without beinff further interfered with. We are afraid the gentlemen who ran away must have been too frightened to have known what was taking place.

THE WAR. (From our Special Correspondent.)

Wereroa, Monday. Tlic position of 11k> natives was found yesterday by Captain Swindley, who was accompanied by the scouts, Arnwas, and kupapas. They arc supposed to lie in force near Okutuku. They over-ran Ihe trail. On several occasions the scouts have only been separated from them by a ranpe. The last heavy rains had driven them out of their encampment. Colonel Whitmore says that ho imagines that, li'om the sixe of the camp, they must muster about I0l)() men. women, and children, as it is at least four limes as la roe as any camp he has yet had. Al length the loreo in tjm bush have cut a pood track out of the bush, and have pot into the open country. The track leads out close to Monrad’s house. Kemp is out with the kupapas to-day. He seems very anxious to make himself perfect wilh all the dill'crcnt tracks, and the nature of the country. i Tuesday. Colonel Fraser and his parly are. (o proeeed to Wairoa to-day. by the inland track. 'I he Aranas and kupapas return to this camp, as also Colonel Lyon fjv.m I’apatupu. Colonel Whitmore will proceed to Wairoa to-day, accompanied by his staff. Three mortars and some happape drays have left. To-morrow, headquarters; accompanied by all available font's here, proceed also. Captain (i. McDonnell leaves lyaraka and takes command here with about fiftv men. Capt. O’l lalloran relievos Capt! Forster at Nukuinaru.. There are about thirtv men at; that post. The pontoon lias been hronpht down herefrom Papatnpn. There is a most unusual amount of sickness now in camp; there are about sixty men in hospital suffering principally from camp fever—some of the eases very severe, and one it is loan'd will he fatal. The arrangements are most complete, and every attention is paid to the patients by Dr. Brown. The worst eases will be sent to Paten, as it is nearer from than W’anpanni. Xow that the Waitotara is crossed, the old contract for supplying rations ceases, and that of Messrs Beamish and Dale commences.

THE KAi IWJ TIUKIJ’. i' hear that Captain Hryce has olfered the .services of his troop to Col. Wliitinore in any district on this coast they may he required. Saturday, March 13, 1869. THE KING’S MESSAGE. The followin''.; is “a full translation of the Kino’s letter which was conveyed down tin 1 Wanganui river a few days since hy the native. Richard; “A stretchinp; forth of the hand durimr tlie year to the, friends in the island which I love. 1. Oh people! sleep! do not turn round upon me ; the island sleeps. 2. Oh people within the pale of Kingi.sm, sleep! 1 will conduct you to the house of your ancestor—of Israel. 3. Hie wave of the rapid will hereafter return to its state of calm. “Tawhio.”

TTJK AVAR. (From our Speeial Correspondent.) Headquarters, Mareh 9, IWi!). Tlu' fovci' (('it AA’airoa to-day and -proceeded to AAairoa, Init nows liavine been heeeiyed Lliat tin' enemy had taken up a position at I’ntaihi, they moved on and eneampod on the flat known as Norman’s flat. 01. Lyon remained at AAVreroa, and the artillery at AA r airoa, but are shortly expected to arrive.

Pa tea, March 10. To-day an escort, left licrc, composed of the Carlyle Stiflrs, and Pa tea 'Rifles, under the ■command of Lieut. Hunter, F'.iß., in charge of the commissary thuya ; they were also accompanied hv Father Roland, Mr. Dale, and Mr. Casey. The throe latter men were on the road in Wangamii, and had hardly crossed the Whcnuakura when a tremendous vollov was poured into the escort. Some of them .wore mounted. Sergt. Evton, ('O7--poral Dafeetly of the C.R.,' Sciycant Maiming, .No. 1 A.C.. crossed tlie Whcnuakura and bolted ; it is supposed thev went to Wairoa, Oteridge and another man were driving slice)) to headquarters for tlie contractor, and were a little in reai' of the" convoy when the volley was fired: Oteridße's : horse was shot under hint, and-before ho could disengage himself several H'au-haus rushed on him with tomahawks, hut ho was able to get clear of the horse before they reached 11 im; he fired one shot from his revolver, and then gave leg-bail; fortunately ho is a splendid runner, and managed to get away; he had a very narrow o«cftpe,Ja bullet: liming grased his left eye. The firing was kept'up for some time; and when'reinforeomonts arrived, under lit.-Col. St. John the natives hud retired. The horses

(Extracts from tho "Evening Herald," 1869.)

were taken out and the drays unloaded to form a breastwork ; the men who form-' el the escort numbered about forty, and, with the exception of the few who were mounted, behaved admirably. The enemy mustered, it is said, about seventy. Sgt. Middlemas, two troopers, and myself, passed the place about ten minutes previous, and J imagined then that 1 sawnatives. We had not been more than five minutes in the town when the escort was attacked. The enemy must have seen the convoy, or else would have iircd on us. March 11, 18(i<). On account of the attack on the escort yesterday, the force has moved here. The European portion will pitch their camp at Mr. Rooth's, and the Arawas and knpapas remain on the opposite side of the river. The men who bolted yesterday will be tried by general courtmarshal to-morrow. Lt.-Col. St. John will be President, and Sub-Inspectors Pitt, Gascoigne, Morrison, and Nortlicroft, members. Sub-Inspector Scannell will officiate as Judge Advocate. Fires have been seen in the direction of Otoia. and it is supposed that the natives will try and make a stand there, the position being .naturally strong.

March ,12. Lt.-Col. Lyon lias not yet arrived, nor the artillery, hut are expected to-day. A portion of the force will move towards Otoia to-night, the Europeans on this side, and the Aranas and kupapas hetween the Wheiiuakura and Patea. going by New Taranaki, should they see no natives .crossing by Tanrua’s pah. March 12, noon. Col. Lyon has just arrived with his division, and proceeds to headquarters. I have no doubt that we shall be engaged before to-morrow. J am afraid that 1 shall not be able to forward any regular communication, as J intend to follow the troops, but I will write by every opportunity. Monday. March 1,1. 186.9. A PI’ETTV NAME. The designation of the Hangitikei Cavalry Volunteers has been changed lo that of the “Alfred Cavalry Volunteers.” Could the volunteers not have found a more appropriate name for their soft souls, such as the “Ladies’ Volunteer Cavalry:-”’ TH E M AIL (From our Special Correspondent.) Kakaramea, March Li. Last night, at 12 o’clock. Col. Whitmore left Patea with a force consisting of about IUO men, and crossed the river, going in the direction of New Taranaki. After crossing that place, and having travelled about seven hours, we beard voices in the hush. The* knpapas and Arawas were leading, and immediately threw off their blankets and began lo reconnoitre. We got to within (ho hundred yards of the village before being discovered, and after some' three or lour hours’ hard lighting, drove* them away. We look two women prisoners, and file iiumher of killed and wounded is unknown. The casualties on our side aro three killed and twelve severely Mounded. A very large amount of loot was taken, everything there being left, and about, till in coin. All hands behaved admirably. Further particulars first oppo>tunitv.

VKTOIfY AT OTAITO. Our forces have gained an unequivocal victory, in the Maori stronghold—the bush. On Saturday morning 'at (i o'clock, while a dense fog hid from tinview objects inor<- than 20 yards distant, the force under the command of 'Colonel Whitmorc in perron, debouched from a narrow track into a clearing, where stood a village called, we believe, Ota-uto. Mr. .Mating was guide on the occasion, and as he and two others were approaching the clearing, they saw three Maori sentries eagerly itraiuiug Iheir sight to see what was coining, f or tbo ,|i, KH bad l>egun to hark. Alalinj and his two comrades fired and brought do*,, the three Maoris. A cry was immediately raised -'the J'akeha." and -100 nun rushw] out, naked, with nothing hut their poin-hex and guns. Our men rushed on and up a tremendous (ire. Tlu- IJau-hauK, men, women, and children, as quickly ut possible, dropped down into a steep ano. thickly wooded gully. Colonel Whilmoro cxli-ud-ed the meii 1o right and left, flankiiiy this gully. A terrific and close lire was kepi tip i'or ait'hour, at the end of which time (lie mist rose, and then the men fairly took the bush, and fought from tree lo tree with a valour never surpassed. For throe long hours in this way the fighting was furious. The Hauhatis tried to climb the trees, and wore quickly brought down; tin- women were taking off the dead and wounded ill the midst of the heaviest of tin- lire, and their cries were, terrible. There was no shirking among our men ; but there was a fighting tone, which bears'out all our remarks about the materials <>f which the Armed Constabulary is composed.. At the end of four hours the Ilau-haus bad retired through the dense undergrowth, leaving the bush fairly in our hands. Col. Whitmore had sent Lt.-Col. St. John up the opposite hank of the river to Gentlo Annie, which prevented the enemy from crossing there. The enemy was consequently forced hack wilh Kemp's volunteers, following him closely up. All behaved 'equally well-Armed Constabulary, Arawas, and Kemp's men (we do not refer to Mr. Booth's militia, of wjiioh we shall have a word to say at a future time). AVo captured all the Maori clothing—piles of if, which was all burntguns, tomahawks, revolvers, money, tents, axes, spades, and shovels; in fact, the whole of the enemy's baggage. Sown dead llau-hiius were found, and two women made prisoners. The attack was planned with consummate skill, and carried out withr.v'. a single mistake, the men being under thorough command during tlio engagement.