THE WAR IN AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1999, 22 December 1863, Page 3

THE WAR IN AUCKLAND.

ATTACK OjST MAORIS NEAR PAPARATA. Intelligence readied town yesterday that Captain Jackson's company of Forest "Bines had. fallen in with, and engaged, a party of Maoris, within a few miles ot Papakura. On inquiry we find that that the affair took place a long distance back ;n the bush, in the direction of Paparata. The following are the particulars, so far as we can ascertain them : Captain Jackson and Ensign Westrupp, with twenty-eight men of the Forest Rifles, left on the 11th, for the purpose of scouring the bush. They did not Hill in with any natives until Sunday morning, when the action took place. On Saturday evening tracks were discovered, and these were followed up with success. About daylight on Sunday morning smoke was seen in the bush at a distance of from four to five miles, and a n advance was cautiously made with the view of taking the natives by surprise. The advance was conducted in silence, until the sound of a bell was heard, and then the voice of a man singing, as if engaged leading the devotions of the encampment. A consultation was held as to whether it would be better to divide the party and make two attacks ; and it was finally determined that the party should keep together, and attack simultaneously. The Forest Rifles thereupon crept stealthily forward, Ensign Westrupp and a few men in advance. As the Maori encampment got nearer, two colored men, who were of the party, took the lead; and these succeeded in getting pretty close to the natives before they were discovered, and as the man on the watch did not give the alarm, it is supposed he thought these men were friends coming to them. The advance file had then got to within about thirty yards of the natives, and Ensign Westrupp, we believe, ordered them to fire. The order was obeyed, and the Maori sentry fell dead. A rush was then made on the encampment, the entire party coming up and delivering their fire. The panic amongst the Maoris was intense.

One man stood upright, without making an effort to escape or defend himself, and was shot down. Another was wounded in tko shoulder by Private John Smith, formerly of the Wairoa Rifles ; and the native fired at Smith in return, but missed. He then clubbed his double-barrelled gun, and struck at Smith, who parried the blow with the barrel of his rifle, and closed with the native. Although the Maori was wounded, he would have proved match enough for Smith in this hand-to-hand struggle, but for Ensign Westrupp, who came to the relief of his man, and shot the native in the head. He fell, but again rose to his legs, when another man blew out his brains. That was the only instance of resistance shown by the natives, except a few shots, which did no harm. Four of the Maoris were left , dead on the field, and several wounded men were earned away, principally by the women of the party. There was an order given not to fire at any of the women. Two chiefs were killed, judging by the tattooing. One of these returned to the whare to get his spear, which has fallen a trophy to Captain Jackson, and was shot down ; the other was shot in the act of carrying away a box containing two flags, that have since been brought in. The Maories were encamped near a waterfall, close to the head of a gully, in a piece of thin, bush, and the wounded or dead were carried away through this bush by their friends. Tlau-o was a good number of women and children. The precise locality of the engagement is not known. It is somewhere in the Paparata district, however, and is one day's march, with the men loaded, from the second crossing of the Wairoa. The Forest Rifles having driven away the Maoris, examined the encampment, which. appeared to be a place used by the natives Ibx- storing their plunder, and which they doubtless beloved out of reach of the pakeha. There wr.-> a l-.v^e accumulation of plunder — silks, dre^ed, ribbons, blankets, shawls, and scarfs, — in fact an infinity of things carried away out of the houses of the Wairoa settlers. Amongst the property recognised was a scarf belonging to Mr Macdonald, a settler ; also the English regimentals of Ensign Johnston, of the Wairoa rifles. Property belonging to Mr Richardson, a settler, was likewise recognised. Part of v this spoil was thrown into the creek: the most valuable was brought back by the men, who gave three cheers on leaving the place. The four dead bodies were covered" with. blankets, and left close by where they fell. We should add that it is believed three more were killed, from the way the bodies were seen to be carried by the women when out of range. The Maoris appear to have prepared for an expedition, having about 2 cwt of fern cake baked. Judging by the loot, they are supposed to be a portion of the sama party who dii so much damage in the Wairoa, and who are accountable at least for some of the murders. One of the natives lived a few minutes after he received his death wound, and he communicated the fact that they belonged to the Ngatipau tribe. The spoil taken from the Maoris consists of the chief's spear before alluded to, and of considerable value; a double-barreUedgun, tomahawks, and two flags. One of these is a red silk flag, about eight feet by five feet, with the following device : — Cross (f) and star (*) ; underneath the word " aseteroa." The smaller flag is white and red. Taking these facts into consideration, it is evident that some man of consequence among the natives has fallen. It is to be regretted that the Forest Rifles did not follow them up, and inflict greater punishment on them, which the nature of the country permitted ; but the men were tired and at a greater distance from their support than was pleasant. On the whole therefore a highly successful affair has occurred to en*liven the monotony of the war; and this time it is entirely by civilians. The attack in question proves that a party of Europeans, who take proper precautions, can surprise a party of natives quite as readily as natives can steal a inarch upon us. Captain Jackson and party returned to Paparata yesterday about noon. — Southern Cross, 15th inst.