THE THAMES EXPEDITION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1994, 10 December 1863, Page 8

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 Waikuto from the east coast tribes and northern sympathisers. It consisted of one thousand men of all arms, of the 12th and 70th Regfs , 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 but 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, Waiheke Channel, from

the 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 iuconvenienced 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 inteution was to land atPokorokoro, aud 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 ranrch on to Mere-Mere, and form a junction with the troops at he yd quarters. This line of posts has not yet been formed, however. The delay vhich we have noticed, hiudered 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 bad 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 aud left, 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 existence of these rifle-pits, tufts of grass having been placed along the breastworks to hide the rests for the guns and the disturbed soil. The channel had been staked by the M aoris, and all the boats save one grounded. This caused considerable delay, and if the Maoris had held their ground, they would have crjused considerable havoc. They had evueuated the place, however, and by all appearance only a few hours previously. Colonel Carey! with a portion of the 12th, 70th, and 2nd Waikato Regiments, lauded at Wakatiwai, and after a difficult cross-country march of thirteen miles, arrived at the Mauri position after the landing of the remainder of the forces had been effected. The evacuatiou of the place is attributed to the ' friendly' communications of the chief Saul, who was taken on board the Miranda at Tihuti, and landed with ' his bill full of news' at Wukatiwa. another settlement, the inhabitants of which, being exposed to our cruisers, do not find it convenient to declare open war. Otherwise, they are in a state of active rebellion. These 'friendly' natives tried to persuade the military to re-embark and proceed to Pokorokoro, as the natives there, to the number of three hundred, were unprepared for resisting an attack were without defensive works, and could be taken by surprise. Failing in this " friendly " advice, after numbering the force by which the flank movement was to be carried out, three of them rode off in the direction of the enemy's encampment, and doubtless the evacuation was consequent on the timely intimation that the position would, in all likelihood, be attacked in front and rear simultaneously. And here we must express our unqualified disapproval of the system pursued on this expedition, of leaving nothing undone to inform the enemy of our numbers, armament, and intentions. The think is mischievous in the extreme. It can do no 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 resulis, we cannot do better than j adopt the language of our own corres- j poadent in another place : "The Thames >. expedition from the slart 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.