OCCUPATION OF MATARIKARIKO, THE POSITION TAKEN UP BY THE WAIKATOS AT WAITARA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1490, 18 January 1861, Page 4

OCCUPATION OF MATARIKARIKO, THE POSITION TAKEN UP BY THE WAIKATOS AT WAITARA.

(Ffom the Taranaki Herald ) Ojf Friday, the.s?Bth of December, the expedi tion which had for some, days previous been warned to stand in readiness for the field, and had been detained from the'state of tbe weather ( started at between 4 and" s a.m. for the Waitara, where, without let or hindrance, they in .due course arrived early in the day, t\nd fixed i tbeir tente for the night*, after which orders j were issued for upwards of a thousand tp be in

readiness at half-past 3. a.m., the next morning to fall-in I foady^ for their marching with their camp equipage.^') din' compliance with these orders, accompanied with a long train of carts with provisions and ammunition, with 2 24 pounder howitzers and 2 12-pounders, the force under the command of Major-General Pratt started towards Matarikoriko, and arrived between 4 and 5 a.m., at Kairau, the second pa which was destroyed by the force under the command of tbe General in September last. It is situated upwards of a mile to the fight front of tbe Blockhouse, and in their route the force passed the blockhouse, now occupied by the British— the Puketakauere, the pa before which so many of the brave 40th fell in endeavouring to storm ; after passing which, the leading companies of the 40th were sent as i ; skirmishers to tbe right and left of the road. The progress through the high fern was extremely tedious, fatiguing, and difficult; tbe fern on all sides was even with the men's shoulders, whilst in parts it was between 7 and 10 feet in heigh th. Nothing of moment occurred until they had passed Kairau, when symptoms of the appearance of the enemy became evident by the moving in the high fern o f various black heads, immediately after which an irregular dropping fire was commenced and : kept up by the skirmishers in the front. In the meantime the Naval Brigade,' under the command of CommodoTe Seymour, and the 12th, under Captain Miller, had charge, as a right flank guard, of tbat part of the road facing the dense bush to the right, whilst a portion. of the 40lh and 65th took the left towards Matariko riko ; the rear base was protected by the 65th. So. soon as the outline of the intended redoubt had been planned by Colonel Mould and Capt. Mould, Boyal Engineers, strong working parties were furnished by the various detachments, some of whom were employed cutting fern to give stiblity to loose earih alone to be found, form ing the embankments that others were engaged in erecting. A desultory fire from the front base was still kept up, and occasionally from I the left base; when at about 7 a.m., the enemy I iv considerable strength was descried 'creeping through the fern, from whence they commenced a heavy and continuous fire, not this time with bad powder and common-fowling pieces, but from, if judged by the whizzing sound of the bullets, well constructed rifles, which was met on our part by asmartfusilade. The artillery, under Capt. Strove/. and Lieut. McNaughten, being in a position to coyer the left and front flanks, sent from a 24-pounder howitzer a round shot, which was followed by two shells, in the direction of the Matarikoriko pa. The shells were thrown with beautiful precision, oue of "which burst within a few feet of the pa just before reaching the ground, the fragments of the burst shell shattering the palisading. Between 8 and 9 a.m. the enemy, who had ensconced themselves iv their most ingeniously constructed rifle pits a few hundred yards to the left of the position taken by us at the Kairau pa, poured a continuous series of volleys, which caused the working party to rush to arms. In less than a moment after the first volley, picks, spades, &c, were dashed down, urms grasped, and the compliment returned with compound interest, but immediately afterwards tools were again brought into requisition, nnd the works eonliuueT;d in the face of a heavy fire.

After a while, as if the* enemy stayed for the refilling of their pouches from their rear, a cessation of 'firing ensued ; but, at about half-past 12, they again opened upon our, front, endeavouring in the meantime to advance upon the working party, hut. this was most effectually checked by the withering volleyspoiiredin upon, thera by our troops. Finding themselves foiled they retreated to their pits, from whence, for the next two hours, the bullets in. excessive numbers were flying around our skirmisher?, who could not see a single man of the enemy ; in f„ct, it was like the fable tales of old of con» flicts with invisible enemies. .About tbis. time the enemy endeavoured, by a movement from their left, to create a diversion from our front by attacking in considerable foice on our right flank, but the Naval Bri'ga le and 12th boldly repulsed this, and, at the same time, Mr. Scott, of the Naval Brigade, threw two shells from the 12 pounder howitzer with such accurate precision tint the contents, by the bursting of the shells, were spattered actually in the centre of the advancing euemy, which at once put a check on the attempts of tbe enemy in that' direction. Notwithstanding, on our front tbe fire was almost incessant, until some time late in the afternoon, when a lull ensued, which was not agaiu disturbed until after dark, when again the euemy commenced attempting to stay the progress of our works by pouring volleys in at intevvals. The artillery much relieved our front base by their judicious fire, throwing, ns they did, shells which,' Bursting immediately over the rifle pits, scattering, as after investigation pioved, devastation and death around. Notwithstanding, the enemy still kept up their lire without the slightest relaxation. The troops forming the front base, which had heen reinforced by a company of tlie 65tb, returned the enemy's fire with actual showers of bullets. From the covered position of the enemy in their, pits, their fire necessarily flew over the heads of the skirmishers, wounding and slaying those. in the rear base. As a matter of course, the call for the doctor became more frequent, as the intensity of the enemy's fire increased.

On our left, a slight attempt had been made, to check which a dropping fire had been continuously kept up, aud this accounts for the large amount of ammunition consumed during the day. Had the fire in thisdirection not been incessant, the Maories could have creeped through fern so as to close upon us without being perceived.

By about 8 a.m. the redouht had been sufficiently raised to offer secure protection to the 40th Regt , who, after their fatigues and brave deeds of theday, were destined to occupy.aud protect the position for tlie night. The G; j ueral gave directions to the commanding officers to issue orders 'for the following movements: that on a signal being given, the skirmish eis were to be withdrawn from the front, the 40th into the redoubt, the 12th, 65th, and Naval Brigade on to the rear base; the ambulances containing the. wounded aud dead were also moved out of the line of fire ; the last-mentioned body returning with the General aud Staff to tbe Camp at the Waitara. During the night the. Maories with great determination advanced upon the now almost completed works of the redoubt, held as it was by the now weakened ' garrison, under 'the command ot Colonel Leslie and Major j^elsoti. Tbeir endeavours to disturb the progress of the engineering jperutiuhs met with that determined resistance which JSritish soldiers .know so well how to return to air opppsing foe, and there js but little roqm to doubt that the Maories, tempted hy the halfVdarkness caused by the moon, advanced beyond their usual fears of Taiftq } and met with perhaps a gqgater amount of casualties than had occurred the whole day, before.

Sunday, December 30.— Between 3 and _. a.m. the General, accompahiedby his Staff and

a large body of troops, left the Waitara off • Kairau. Before his arrival the cessation or filing had ensued, and white flags; were", shown ; *by the enemy.. Upon the General's arrival ;h'e directed the Bey. Mr, Wilson (who bad so kindly tendered his services) to communicate with the insurgents, and ascertain the meaning of their flags'of truce. It appeared that it was their wish that the Sabbath day should not be desecrated by " blood f consequently, beyond the completing of t^e works, nbfiring on eithe| side occurred, and the men rmarched; froira the^-' ? Waitara were not thrown out ,in skirmishing / order to the front, but were massed* iu' columns „ to the rear. : - : -.rv ..<-,.#

The Maories, I am happy to say, evinced so much confidence in our flag, that towards noon, without the slightest fear of the effects, of the guns from the redoubt, appeared in large numbers in front of the Matarikoriko, and oh a breastwork some 400 or 500 yards from- fluniQ right base; and although they. were armedi did P not annoy the men who' were gathering wilhia < immediate range of guns the potatoes around. Between' 4 and 5 o'clock; the 12th and' 40th,. being relieved hy the 65th and J^aval Brigade,- i returned ,to the Waitara; the' last mentioned . corps having, in their turn, taken qbargeof the - redoubt. Up to this time, nothing^ was 'known of the intended actions of the Maories, aud' these were, only discovered by "accident. A-D soldier, who had formed.! one of a i line of the' skirmishers on Saturday, left the redoubt to • seek for a cap he had lost on tliepreceeding day. After having found:itj he was tempted by the quietude around to advance, when 'he 'suddenly came upon some abandoned rifie pit,? In the bottom of one he found, a. tomahawk. He immediately returned and repbrfedthefact to Lieut.-Col. Wyatt, who then sent CajJt'Strange, Li'ent. Toker, and Adjutant /Lewis,: /to 'saunter to the spot, and if possible, to. ascertain 'the facts of the case. They shortly returned,, corroborating the. truth of the report. JhWpecting; avail true English must d of.the; flag of truce, the rifle pits were sacred until half-past four on. the Monday morning; consequently, the enemy has escaped through his low cunning, and can now boast, as tbe'lowestg'i'adesbf humau nature' can do, of having by cloaked pretensions overreached us, but this is of little consequeuce. For ray own part, I should be ashamed of the flag under which I live, if for one moment, whislt a truce existed, j was to" withdraw from my post. ' '; :.*

Early on Monday morning, a party proceeded from the redoubt, under the command of Commodore Seymour and- Lieut.-Col, ,Wyatt, slowly . and cautiously towards the Matarikoriko pa, ' and, on arriving within a short distancej rushed / forward and found.it empty, but full of rifle pits, connected with viaducts, so that itfa :i moment the defenders could rush toi tlie mass ' of dense bush below. 1 The flagstaff was climbed; and the British Aug fixed 6\\ 'that frorti which the rebels but n short 'time before had been flying. On .seeing this position I. thought,, if, , tbe Maories cannot hold it, they can hold nothing against the appliances' and munitions of war that civilised England can bring against tbem. To convey a correct idea of the defeqces of tbe natives without diagrams wbuld'be iilter- V ly impossible. : The rifle pits : are constructed in, '!;' form like the letter C, with a barik oh the far side slightly inclined towards i the' upper, part of • the letter; so that if an Attempt were madeat a charge the enemy wpnlU' quietly, ensconce themselves beneath the b^nd,. and, when over- - pressed, be ready to retire ;to a place of safety by some of the innumfeirable connections that link together the. varjoiis pits, oivl^may wstli 'greateir correctness call them subterranean dwellings;. The rifle pits, placed \\\ eichetph, ; wer.e situated ' out a few hundred yards to the left front 1 of out position at Kairau, being .almost in a'rigntiiha. from Matarikoriko. They consisted of chambers, measuring respectively 32) 74/ 104, 73 and 178 paces iv length. •■ •' ' V ' As to the number killed and" wounded' of'the^ enemy I have not the slightest idea, but this much let me state from personal observation that these defences were besmeared so.much with the remains of humanity as hot to allow for/ one moment any other idea to exist but that their loss has been extremely heavy. Our returns are given to the world, so that brave men that faVars known by- all. -/■ Besults of the late expedition are more than is generally understood. . B 3 the taking of the Matarikoriko we are enabled to command the whole of the country around. It is a position from which the 8-inch guns ©an send their messengers of warning over . those . beautiful flats, Which, in place of hein'g peopled, arid producing food for man, the natives have desecrated by blood. ' ' " '

But something should be §aid of individual dariug. Would that it was ia my power to" give honor to all who shone forth oh the 28th of December.: Suffice it to say that our General was everywhere, as was. likewise the Deputy Adjutant-General, who received a shot . that passed immediately aoross his breast,, tearing his cont aud ripping almost away .hia previously well deserved medals. Many other mstances may have occurred of which, in the hustle of the hattle fielil.T could not obtain cognisance, but one cannot be forgotten. In a certain position Dr. Neill* >uf the6stb, was > placed, and finding himself under pressing ' cW cumstances short of assistance, be rushed--accompanied by Corporal ' Mahon, with a stretcher, and, succeeded in bringing to the rear a wounded map. Dr. Neil! received » ™[ 'et across his knee, and one through tbe-oanj Where all acted so well we cannot iudividualise 16 any great extent, but -till oue force must be spoken of— Who do the 1 duty: better than the' Engineers? they are.;, only iknosvn" by f| a(tir ■ effects. I cannot forget our own mounted men, under Capt. Des Vctux, scattered, as they were* through tbe force, here, there, arid everywhere. " .. - •<-•„■•-■ '\ '= W. I. G. , ■>> : ' ."-

At a meeting af the Royal Atail i Steaui (West • India) Company on the 24th, a dividend of £% - per share was declared. Th> leoeipts, fronj freight and passage money, during^ the : ; past half year, have about equalled 'those of the ;ooii vespond jng period of 1859} while the expfendii >: ture has poiisiderably increased, owing to the-. , employment of larger ships. T The London Commercial Daily List says ±. -' that present appearances slidw that important; V trade is likely to be carried oh between this country and Japan, whicb,^ will, rio r doubt, to some extent supersede that of China; The \ public sales on the 24th, consisted of ; -ii^$^::r boxes Japan wax, besiues saltpetre and ; ':6ih^r-: goods. The wax brought as high as^^sf|^ and tbe saltpetre 40s. to 44s.^pri^ highly encouraging to impVri'ejv/. y ' : '' 'yKiy^- :''?; The French mail, steamer jqsjt. arritfed tit : ' '■■■?• Bordeaux frpm Brazil : 'WiD^s\._op6tt'b^;^pr' : i :^ another failure at Rio, for an airjouhtaflearly ai ! , large as that of Mr. Meliore;: SouM^repprtfe4-» -V; by the previous papket; •, Thejujm is" '(^mu^K-;!; and Co., and their \ liabilities -are '^we^tlf^lt They 'htfe^tiisftofcffi^ffi}^ their creditors 60<per;.^lt;1n^tw»%ears^^#a^ this has bee^aceepted^ihoio:;te security. /.The firmiweie i'in^.ibe:^6u|^|ffiSnp^|S "aiid hadau e|tß_irite'fiik^ i :?-^^^•;^*M^^

children, Mrs. C. MoLean and daughter, Susaunah r Spinner, Catherine Moran, Mrs. J. Howell and daughter, Messrs. D. H. Munro, S, H. Saunders, ,o.A rnold, Samuel. Knaiston, John Short, Allan lioes, Edward Murrell.C. Davis, John Gcrodwtn, John Mills, C. K. B. Huddloston, Thomas Dickens, William Therre. SAILER. January 15, a. s. Robert Lowe, 1666 tons, Converter., for -New Plymouth, with detachments of the 65th Regiment, from Napier and Wellington. IMPORTS. In the Wo»y«. Wonga, Duncan and Veunell, Agents, — 18 bales wool. In the Pilot, Bethune & Hunter, Agents,— 3s 'bags refined Bugar, 5 cases cigars, 4 half chests tea, 22 bags coffee, 12 half chests tea, 5 half -tierces tobacco, 7 cases do., 10 hhds. brandy, 83,000 feet timber, 4700 pailings, 6700 shingles, -32 tons flour, 50 boxes candles, 5 casks rice, 5 do. harley, 6 bags walnuts, 6 nests tubs, 2 churns, 9 rolls matting, 10 doz. buckets. In the HildDuck, W. Bowler ; Son and Co., Agents,— l2s tons coal, 4000 bags fine salt, 400 do. coarse salt, 2 cases carts, 2 bales, Id qr. casks brandy. 5 hhds. rum, 15qr. casks do., 250 sperm candles, 120 boxes soap, 10 chests sago, 10 bags pepper, 20 barrels sugar, 50 chests tea, 100 half kalf chests do., lo half tierces tobacco, 2 cases flumels, 4 bales g?-ey calico, 4 case) long cloth, 8 bales cottons, ll cases print-, a hhds. colza oil. 20 drums do., 1 case caps, 4 cafes saddles, 20 qr. -tasks vinegar, 84 cases, W. Bowler, Son, and Co. ; 5 cases claret, o cases wine, E. Pearce ; 2 cases, SO hhds. ale, 10 barrels do., 10 hhds. stout, 20 qr. casks brandy, 20 -qr. casks wine, 25 cases whisky, 5 tierces sugar, 2 cases, 4 bales, 60 boxes soap, 100 boxes sperm candles, Bft drums oil, 10 . drums turps, 20 oases pickles, 10 do. jams, 5 cases Vinegar, 2 cases, 4 bales clothing, 2 bales flannel, '8 cases hosiery, 5 do. sardines, 3 cases prints, 20 cases wine, 1 case, 35 casks ale, 50 barrels sugar, $> casks porter, 100 cases geneva, 15 bdls. raisins, 20 cases currants, 20 kegs tobacco, 2 trunks, 2 -eases, 1 case rifles, 1 case cartridges, 472 bundles standards, 237 do. -galvanised iron, 3 cases, Levin . & Co. : 1 case, J; C. Crawford j 100 cases sherry. . -841 •oases, 13 bales, 1 bale stationery, 55 cases •brandy, 16 cases galvanised iron, 2 casks rivets, 80 kegs, 36 hhds., 38 qr. casks, 37 drums, 15 kegs tobacco, 5 do. do., 350 boxes, 400 bags salt, 10 qr. -©asks, 10 hhds., 25 iron drums, 25 tin cans, 2 casks, 7 chests, 1 cask, 8 pkgs., 1 wheel, 25 chests, 80 crates, 1 tierce, 8 casks, 2 pjpes wine, 20 bar- • __ls sugar/ 20 bags, 3 boxes stationery, Order ; 117 •eases, 34 bales, 20 bdls. spades, 5 trunks, 8 half tierces, 23 pkgs., 1 1 Casks, 20 grindstones, 8 bdls. "baskets, 85 kegs nails, 2 bdls. forks, 53 cases glass, Jacob Joseph & Co.; 47 boxes glass, 4 cases do., 20 cases sardines, 4 cases, 1 bale, 1 pkg.,' 1 box clothing* 12 cases wine, Bethune & Hunter; 1 case, -C. Seager ; 2 cases wine, Bishop of Wellington; 1 case books, Rev. H. Taylor: 1 box, H. _Jchultze} 9 Cases tinware, 1 pkg,, do., H. Read; 1 box, 1 case, T. Mason; 3 cases, G. Pickett and <io. ; 1 case books, Rev. J. Buller ; I box, W. R. E. Brown;' 2 boxes biscuits, H. Williamson; 1 pkg. medicines and books, Dr. Tuke; 1 case books, E. Bannister; 1 case, T. Shields ; 2 cases 4woks, J. Woodward; 1 piano, J, Chambers; 1 case, Owen and Pickett; 2 cases books, Rev. J. ! Warren; I case, H. Gaby,* 1 box apparel, J. • Hughes-; 1 case, J. H. Marriott ; l pkg. iron, J. ' ~ Moore; I case, T.Tuke; I case, B. L. Ingpen; I ; Saddle, H. J. Whisham; 2 cases paper, C. D. ! . Barraud ; 1 box, 1 case apparel, Dovereaux ; I . iipx do , John Glover ; 3 cases, 2 cases wine, E. A. ; Carlyon; lease revolver pistols and rifles, Tylie ; ' I case, A. S. Robinson; I case, S. V. Ashton; 5 ' casks, 2 cases, C.F. Barraud; 2 cases brandy, H. ' fit, Hfll; 17 cases, 9 -trunks, H.Nathan; I box ; apbarel, W.Wilson; 4 cases tonic wator.Scases j soda water, 3 cases lemonade, 3 cases rifles, revolvers and ammunition, 42 oars, I dog cart, T. Bishop; I case rifles, &c, C. A. Vailance; I case P. Laing ; 3, cases rifles, &c, C. J. Pharazyn ; 800 bags salt, 12 qr. casks sherry, 50 half cases* geneva, 60 cases do., 25 cases glass, 28 cases, I casebooks, ■■ 4 pkgs. , 6 casks, Johnston ifc Co. ; 10 hhds. brandy, : I box, 3 cases apparel, I case rifles, 1 case ammunition, Stuart, Kinross, & Co. ; 80 crates, 4 hhds. 4 casks, I parcel books, D. Anderson ; 6 cases tobacco, 9 casks soda, 151 boxes candles, 8 hhds. oil, 20 drums do., 200 bags salt, 1 case, I truss, W. L. Hirst; 12 cases, _4 qr. casks, 8 half tierces, 42 kegs, 100 boxes, ,20 packages, 12 octaves, 25 'cases brandy, 20 barrels, 2 casks, 197 bars 3 bdls. iron, W. B. Rhodes & Co. ; 163 kegs;' B9 pots, 36 grindstones, 33 camp ovens, ft boxes', 15 packages, 4 cases, 12 casks, 8 bundles, W. W: Taylor ; U boxes, 6 casks, 10 cases, 3 bales, W. Bishop; 17 stationery, 77 casks, 25 hhds., 7 casks clover seed, I boiler, I fly wheel, t6 drums, Si cases, 9 bales, W. G. Turnbull <fc Co. ; 2 bales, Smith di Co. ; 25 cases, 3 casks, 4 bales, 20 boxes, 6 half tierces tobacco, Taylor, Watt, & Co.; I box, J. J. Aldred ; 2 cases, Gordon Baillie ; I box, W. E. Thomas; I case, C. B. Borlase; I case, Mrs. J. Moore; 2 cases, S.Levy; I case rifles, <&C, T. R. Roberts; 3 bales, 3 cases, R. Stokes ; j&2 trunks, lease, L. Levy; I package, J. W. I&ylbr ; 25 kegs, John Varnhatn ; the remainder of cargo for Napier,

The Wonga Wonga left SwinbpurneV Wharf for Wanganui at 6 p.m. of the I6th, the wind freshening all the time whilst the vessel was proceeding 4 >wn the harbour, and on ar.ivingatPencarrow Head, fit was blowing a strong gale from the southward with heavy squalls and a high sea; made all sail on the port tack, and stretched over towards Sinclair's Head,— in a squall split the jib and foresail. The tide- setting the vessel in towards the land near the Happy Valley, hove about and stood back towards the Light House, and on getting the harbour open, there being no appearance of the weather moderating, bore up and ran in, and moored to Swinhourne's Wharf at 9-80, p.m.