THE THAMES EXPEDITION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1993, 8 December 1863, Page 4

THE THAMES EXPEDITION.

From the Southern Cross, 30th Nov. An expedition, on a large scale, was got up for the Thames, known to be the rallying-place for the rebels, and the way by which supplies of men and food went to the Waikato from the east coast tribes and northern sympathisers. It consisted of one thousand men of all arms, of the J2th and 70th Regts , the 2nd Waikato Regt., and the Colonial Defence Corps. The expedition was under the command of Colonel Carey, of the 18th Royal Irish The embarkation in Auckland was delayed for several days, owing to the unfavorable nature of the weather; but on Monday, the 16th November, the troops and horses were put on board H.M. s. s. Miranda and Esk, and the hired steam transport Corio. The colonial steam gun boat Sandfly, and the sailing transport Eliza, with commissariat stores, accompanied the expedition Four cutters, taken up by the commisariat, went down in charge of the convoy. This expedition lay in Huruhi Bay, Waibeke Channel, from >ho Monday evening of embarkation until the following Sunday afternoon, because the wind blew from the north west, aud while it remained in that quarter Captain Jenkins, the senior naval officer, would not risk a lauding. There was nothing to have prevented a landing being made on Tuesday morning nor do we think the weather, except for a few hours during this week of inactivity, could have at all inconvenienced the boats used in landing troops at Pokokoro, if the attempt had been made, but it was not made, and the result was that the expedition so far has been a costly demonstration, and nothing more. The intention was to land at Pokorokoro, and erect a redoubt there to command the navigation of the Thames channel ; then to move on to Paparata, a wellknown Maori post, and take up a position there; and, after garrisoning both redoubts, the remainder of the force was to march on to Mere-Mere, and form a junction with the troops at he.td quarters. This line of posts has not yet been formed, however. The delay which we haye noticed, hindered the undertaking being carried out in time to be of use in connection with the advance movement ef General Cameron, along the line of the Waikato. On the landing being effected, it was found that the rebels had prepared a warm reception for the boat's ciew attempting to go ashore at Pokorokoro. A line of traversed rifle-pits, commanding the landing, with flanking-pits on the right and ieft, had been constructed, and great ingenuity had been shown to hide the fact from a landing party. Nothing, at first sight, appeared to indicate the axistence of these rifle-pits, tufts of grass having been placed along the breastworks to hide the rests for the guns and he disturbed soil. The channel had aeen staked by the JVI aoris, and all the joats save one grounded. This, caused sonsiderable delay, and if the Maoris lad held their ground, they would have SBUsed considerable havoc. They had >vacuated the place, however, and by all ippearance only a few hours previously, Colonel Carey, with a portion of the 12th, 70th, and 2nd Waikato Regiments, anded at Wakatiwai, and after a diffiiult oross-country march of thirteen uiles, arrived at the Maori position after he landing of the remainder of the forces iad been effected. The evacuation of he placets attributed to the 'friendly'

jpmmuqipations of theohief Saul, who; was ta¥eu oiibpardj'ttie Miijaiijla at TihvitJ, ap4Jaftdflflrwi» 3fIK!SR' M 1 of < news' at W&Wiwa. .lanuther,, seji|ile^e,nt, < the inhab^taius ,q£yhiftn, v .b!?ing Il expoped j lo'Our cruisers, do not.fifld .inconvenient j to 1 •declare, jope.n,i .ffM« ; ' oQ^r.wis^.jfo^ are :J iulft)slato.pf'aetive.t6he.llion,,,hiThese, \ friendly' native's tried I ito^ perfeuade uthe military to re-bmbark and -i t©i Polioro'|ibrh';^ l/ thbn l ftti^6isi(he ! r l 6,' to 1 the 1 !■ dumber , of 'ijbree' ", ; ! ' We|re! jfcta pire- ' ; | ifo'f-'rfis.is/ing'ftn a^cV we're. without dpfen^iye Wfi>*,sivan ( a W.lf .bpr.^rt/.'by, , suijorise..; Failing in., jtbis , .'f.frieindly ",,. advice,' 'iaftSr nurnhferiug 1 Uh© ifprce • by,, wbiph tlie'fla'Bktnolve'ment'was 1 tobe car^ ■ ried oUt, thre^of thetin rold6"oSF"ifj" l the ■< direction ftmV! ] e'tim^; 'drife'abip'ale'ilt 1 , ■ (Ltm dflqb.tje^s. the consequent! PP, itbe ij[fl ?l eiy^rjM,ipafiqo,that,t l ti.e t ! pos^tioin waaldjJn.alLlikiaUhooji,, bs (i at-?, i t^ediitt fnon|ti.anid>reiar i-simultarieously. . , And here we 'irmit express "dur'Uriquali* 1 ! fiaddiWpflrbWr'ttf W fysliexh pursaedj 1 dri>thS"Vp le'<3ittf)h'1 e'<3ittf)h', Jil 6;f i 'iVdVitt^'tt^hTng ' Wdonejp, |t^fo/;rji. t^e (li epemy „pf 'numb l er!j, 1 , layffta,tr1 ayffta,tri lerj|1 erj|t fc |,a,p,d,,, intentions, Ttie thindcis rotisobievous in the extreme. It cam d 6 rib good, and we know that very often it does a great deal of harm. The Thames expedition was the most imposing demonstration since the commencement of the wars. In summing up its results, we cannot do better than adopt the language of our own correspondent in another place : " The Thames expedition from the start to the finish has been a mess and a jumble, and has ended, not in smoke, but in nothing. There has been a good deal of ostentation, but nothing has been done.