THE NEWS BY THE "AIREDALE."

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1496, 12 February 1861, Page 2

THE NEWS BY THE "AIREDALE."

By the Airedale, ; this .mornings we haye^ papers from Auckland' -to the* 2nd, fron_>W Taranaki •; to the,' :sth, aiid^ irqro N&3: son to the Oth iista.h&; .',.'. • '.. '"'.» -. . ' . ''£s£* Nothing new from , Taranakij thejf3^i< neral iB proceeding witli Jus^ap. Ade&Jt

"tainty that a deadly strife was waging about the advanced positions in the neighbourhood of Huirangi. ■_ The General— Colonel Carey, and the indefatigable and kind-hearted Dr. Mouat were all stirring. The Adjutant-General Colonel Carey, and Dr. Mouat, with two mounted Volunteers— a party of four, started full gallop for the front — that is to the scene of action, redoubts No. 3, _ and 5, about 600 yards from the Peach Grove, and I judge some 3 J miles from the Waitara camp. It was between twilight and morning— a dewy, cool, and somewhat cloudy one, and a sharp pace was kept up the whole distance. The fire increased in fierceness every minute until the cleared plain in the immediate vicinity of the first or great redoubt, Kairau, was reached. Here the wind blowing gently from the East or S. East; was just strong enough to lift the dense smoke of tjie heavy firing about 50 yards campwards of the No. 1 redoubt, and the bare dwarf fern stalks which had survived the late burning off loooked in the haze a3 much like rebels as anything else, and the terrific yell that had greeted our ears not long before for a moment induced the impression that the redoubts were surrounded by a line of Maories, a moment's pause sufficed to reassure, and on pushed the party and made a successful charge into the smoke. The Colonel just halted to exchange a few words with Colouel Wyatt and passed on t? the scene of the late conflict — or better expressed, conflict, for the firing still' continued on both sides, and the voices of the cambatants could bo heard in yells and groans of wrath or pain, and probably of both. From the deep gully on the left, a basin of nearly a mile in circumference, extending on the left front of Kairau, from the signal station at Matarikoriko, to within 50 yards of the forest patch opposite to the Peach Grove at the entrance of the avenue leading to Hapurona's pa, and bounded by the Waitara river, to which it is a ready retreat, the Voices of the enemy could be distinctly heard. And extending along the skirts of the. forest for a mile the Maori fire was . continued at intervals, and it was not deemed advisable' to proceed beyond the ridge of the gully in case of ambuscade, for which the country affords peculiar facilities. One fellow had just been dragged in as we arrived, who had fallen, some yards in rear of the redoubt, and dead and wounded men could be now .and then seen between the retreating ambushed enemy and their raging assailants, who seemed indeed to be almost beyond the restraint necessary for their own preservation. — k. glance round told the tale of victory and triumph at once, and the short note despatched to the camp, probably contained more welcome tidings to the General than many a more potential looking despatch. The General was just about starting, and at once mounted for the field. Some little delay arose from thr ambulance horses being absent without leave — in fact on the loose — which, considering the solemnity of their office, was, to say the least, inopportune :- they were soon caught and the front was soon gained without interruption. Many were the desires expressed to follow them up with a deaisive charge, but the General, probably thought a hard day's work, followed by a night's anxious watching — for an attack was expected by many, and this followed by a morning's hard fighting was sufficient for the present ; and so also thought the Colonel, after reviewing with scrutinising eye, as is his wont, every point. The firing was still kept up by our skirmishers wherever a discomfitted Maori or the puff of his piece could be seen along the edge of his pits. Just at this time one splendid shot was made. From a short line of rifle pits upon the right of the Peach Grove looking from the redoubt, a continuous fire had been kept up, although without effect. The shot alluded to silenced this fire — the ball struck the solid earth and raked the pit in a most beautiful manner.

Although not altogether lacking the feelings of humanity, the scene in the trenches and about the redoubts (the Beries 3, 4, 5) was by men whose friends and neighbours have been cut down and murdered by this ruthless and savage race looked upon with grim satisfaction. And this feeling is not incompatible with keen regret that it should be matter of mcessity, surrounded as we are by their murdering bands to strike indiscriminately •with the iron heel, or fall one by one beneath their far-reaching and deadly fangs. Some thirty lay dead in the trenches desides two dying in hopeless agon : .es — writhing in the death struggle and beyon all aid — still scowling on the Pakeha, who examined their wounds, with closely knit brows nnd finely clenched teeth, their thick lips stretching outwards seemingly expressive of the intensity of unconquerable energy and implacable hate and rage. I here one lay with half his knee struck off and the remains horridly swollen and lifeless, and a rifle bullet wound in liis temple or cheek which well nigh blinded him. Another lay outside the trench fearfully wounded in the back and groin from which his bowels protruded, he belonged to tho tribe of Tamati Tiraurau of William King's crew, and lay in the last stage of exhaustion, he merely murmured now and then, but veiy faintly " kakino" as he placed hia hands on the lower part of his body. This man was all anguish, and totally subdued. The two before described although struggling with death, t cowled on their captors all the scorn and enmity of their natures. And now began the work pf gathering up the dead who were laid side by side on tho Western or North- Western side or rear of the redoubt, and a more ghastly mutilated bloody spectacle could not be imagined — the wounds were of the most terrific nature, probably from the fact of their jbeing crowded in the trenches for the assault. This night attack upon our redoubt asems one of the most daring attempts conceivable, and nothing but thejr ignorance of our powers offensive and defensive, worked upon, probably by their wily and slippery ally William King, can account for an act so suicidal. This does lessen the cool, persevering, dogged courage with which the attack was sustained : — they must have crawled up during tlie night, and- patiently awaited some pre-concerted signal for. the attack — cutting foot holes in the parapet. with their tomahawkes along the whole of theuNorth-East face of the redoubt wliilo the- parapet was lined with sentinels inside. A grave was dug for the 39 Maories and they were buried on the field about 400 yards in advance, and to the left of No. 2 redoubt during the afternoon. The Rev. Mr. Wilson was expected by tjie '•' Maid" afternoon but did not come. Two of the*. dead' ''were-' sent to town, as you are aware — said fo be chiefs, and three wounded men were sent to the Waitara camp and placed in one of the whaies — two died during the night and following day— ono has since had his leg taken off. Chloroform was administered, and he has not quite recovered from its effects ; but ho is doiug pretty well, as he is able to take his pipe between his dozes. One of the four found wounded, and who was brought out on a stretcher to accompany his fellows, made them understand that ho could not bear the removal. He was in form a perfect Apollo: fair, and without the tattoo, and beardless save a small moustache : his neck, face, and head a perfect mqdel. There was nothing repellanfc. about hi 3 countenance, but something like quiet resignation. He died during the night. Engineering operations are still' progressing at the front..