THE NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 1952, 3 September 1863, Page 3

THE NEWS FROM THE NORTH.

_____ In our last issue we published a brief summary of the intelligence brought by the Airedale, and we now subjoin fuller details of the chief points of interest. ATTACK BY THE NATIVES AT RAMA RAMA. Immediately on receipt of the telegram giving ;news of the above, a special reporter was despatched from the Southern Cross Office to Drury, who furnished that journal with the following account of the affair : — To-day (Tuesday) at about 11 o'closk, a.m., two men who were engaged felling timber for the purpose of clearing the bush from the Great South Road, observed several Maoris passing through the bush to the rear, and making towards the working party of the 40th Regiment, at the bend of the road on tbe right, beyond tbe camp at Williamsot.'s clearing The bush, at this place, comes out towards the line of road in a sharp corner, and was at all times a locality where an ambush could be easily laid. The two busbmen referred to threw down their axes* and ran to the road, for the purpose of apprising the escort, which was then coming up the line from Drury. The natives fired between 20 and 30 shots at them, but without effect. The busbmen made their way good, and reported the circumstance to the officer in command of the escort, who ordered an immediate advance. The Maoris in tbe meantime, went straight to that part of the road where the arms of the working party of the 40th Regt. were piled ; and the escort arrived just in time to see the natives carry off twenty-three stand of arms. The escort fired into the retreating party, killing two of the Mnories ; a third was sbot by a soldier through the exeitions of a dog of the bloodhound breed, wbicb belongs to one of the bush party, and which arrested the Maori, pulling him to the ground, and rendering it impossible for him to get away before the escort came up, when one of them shot him. The body of tbis native was lying on the roadside sbortly after the affair; the remaining corpses of the enemy were lyiug where they fell, off the highway a considerable distance. The enemy returned the fire of the escort, wounding private Laurence Clover, 18th Regt., Royal Irish, severely in the leg. Ths Maoris, on going up to the pile of arms, it appears took possession, firing a volley at the working party of the 40th Regt. killing two men on the spot. One of these is private Giveny, 40th regt., and another is a private of the same regt. whose name I could not ascertain. Giveny joined the corps in Melbourne. He had two bullet wounds in his body — one through the breast, another through the thigh. Thesecond of our killed was shot in tbe breast, i It seems that no commissioned officer was with the working party of the 40th, although it j consisted, I hear of 24 men ; but doubtless this circumstance will be carefully enquired into by the proper authorities. The Maoris made good their retreat into tbe bush, on the westward of the line of road, but encountered the fire from a party of busbmen, deeper in the forest than the men of the 40th, wbo had been warned of their danger by the firing around them. Whether any of the Maoris then fell is not known. The news of this raid by the Maoris was brought to the Drury camp by a carter, wbo was coming to tbe Land Transport stables. One company of tbe 70th, commanded by Captaiu Tovey, marched for the saene pf action, succeeded by Lieutenant Rait, R.A., and his mounted troop. All the troops in tbe camp were under arms. The troop of cavalry took the road to Makatu, to cut off the retreat of the Maoris, if they returned by tbeir former track, but as they retired by a line to the westward the troopers saw nothing of them. The company of the 70th meeting the escort, returned to camp. The dead and wounded \ men ofthe 40th and 18th, were conveyed to the camp in ambulance carts. This affair lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour. £JjThe natives came down from the east side, and most likely formed part of the war party encountered by the Forest Rangers at Paparata, as reported in yesterday's Daily Southern Cross. I have heard the number of the natives variously estimated at 40 to 100. The Defence Corps,, under Col. Nixon, a | company of the 18th Regiment, commanded by ' Captaiu Ring, aud a detachment of tbe Forest Rangers, under Lieut. Jacksou, went to the Hunua Ranges to-day, with what resnlt I cannot say. A portion only of the Defence Corps returned, the remainder ofthe force beingbent on prolonging their journey. A LULL IN THE WAR. The correspondent of the Southern Cross, wiites on the 22nd inst. from the Queen's Redoubt-. — There is nothing of importance to report from the front. Expectation, I see, has been raised in Aucklaud regarding an attack upon Mereraere, but I am not in a position to give any information on the subject. Whether it will be considered advisable to attack the enemy in his chosen position, aud when the attack, if determined on, will be made, depends entirely upon the General, who very wisely keeps his own counsel. I will endeavor, how» ever, to supply tbe public with accurate information, after the event and leave speculation to others. The enemy and our advanced posts exchange shots occasionally. The enemy were fired on, at a range of 1000 yards yesterday, and I believe with effect. The sentry, on tbe river guard, was fired at by the enemy to-day, from the flax swamp, but tbe range was too distant for harm. I suppose these interchanges of civilities will be the chief incidents of the war for some little time, varied occasionally by an , Armstrong shell ov shell-rocket from the Colonial steamer Avon. The correspondent of the New Zealander at the same place writes on the 2 1st inst. : — Yesterday (Thursday) evening the enemy were . noticed crossing the Waikato in great numbers, ' from Meremere to the opposite bank of tbe river. It is not known whether all have left tbe first mentioned place or not ; and several suppositions have been hazarded as to their

probable intentions. The desertion of their works may be only a ruse (they having probably returned at night) to draw the soldiers oh. Or it may be that a large party, and not all of them, are gone over to lie in wait for the steamer, as she always anchored near the opposite bank from tbeir position. .But the last and not the least probable reason for tbe desertion, if so it in reality shall prove, is tbis -. — That in their position they were open to the annoyance of being shelled by the steamer without beiDg able to do any iDjury whatever to us in return. __».