THE NATIVE OUTBREAK.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 2723, 25 August 1868, Page 4

THE NATIVE OUTBREAK.

EVENTS PRELIMINARY TO THE FIGHTING-. i (fkom ovr own cobeesponkent.) Camp Wuihi, August 4. Piie Wellington Rifles, under Captain Buck, are ilaily expected to arrive here from Patea, and rthen they do come the Wellington Bangers will probably be moved back to Wuingongora, which i.s a most important post, and one Colonel McDonnell sees the necessity of retaining. The redoubt- issituatedon ucliff almost overhangingfhe mouth of the Waingongora river, and commands a wide extent, of country. It is only five miles from Waihi, and the Rangers will be handy when required to take the field. For the last couple of ■ lays the camp has been out of meat, but the men, seeing that the Colonel and hiß officers were ia the same fix and in no way responsible for the misfortune, bore the loss of their dinners without resorting to the Englishman's privilege of grumbling. Since I last wrote the rebels have not shown up, but as at any moment some enchanted prophet or other might dream a dream, and see in a vision the desirability of attacking Waihi, every preparation is nightly made for the reception of an enemy. Poor Corporal Walsh, No 6 division Armed Constabulury, died this afternoon from the effects of the wounds caused by the explosion of his revolver. August 5. Tfc is to be hoped that the people of Wellington, and the colonists of New Zealand generally, do not chute at the apparent delay in commencing offensive operations on the part of the Field Force. Any delay that may have arisen is nob uttributable to the Colonel, who, with his men, ia evidently most eager to be up and doing ; but entirely to the fact that the native rising has assumed an entirely different phase of late. When the force was enrolled it was believed that only a few natives were disaffected, but recent events huve clearly demonstrated that the disaffection ia more wide spread than was anticipated. Tho escape from the Chathums of the prisoners, and the late unfortunate affair at Turo Turo Mokai have tended to encourage the deluded fanatics in arms against us, and to make them deem themselves invincible. IMn not nuturally of a despondent nature, but I see clearly that the only way by which to check disaster and nip a rising rebellion in tho bud is for the Government to accept the opinions of Colonel McDonnell, to give effect to his wishes and to permit him to raise as many men ns he thinks fit, and to use them in any manner that seems to him most desirable. Of course I have no means of knowing what is on the i-iirds or how the Colonel here is Mipported ; but unless he has entire and unlimited powers I would not give much for our chance of bringing the murderers of Cahill, Squires, and Smith to justice, and at the same time bring this rising to a i-peedy and successful close. This morning a party fifty strong, under Lieutenant Hastings, was des« Hatched to make a second inroad on Kutene's village, in order to loot potatoes and firewood. They returned this afternoon, with thr^o drays full, but had not the luck of meeting the rebels, who might easily have come over from To Ngutu-o-te-Munu, whsre they have made their headquarters, and where if all reports are true, they have a tremendously strong position, which will huve to be. taken. I have no doubt, from what I can see of the spirit of the men. that it will full, but I fea- not without a very heavy loss on our side. Many of the force well know they will lose the number of their mess, but are determined to follow the Colonel anywhere. 9th August. The Wellington Rifles, under Captain Buck, Lieutenant Fookes, and Ensign Hertzell, arrived to-duy. They were speedily followed by tho Colonel and his stuff, who have now come up to stay. The Rifles appear to contain a goodly number of Wellington men and seem a fine body. What they, and the. rPßfe of are made of, will very soon now be tested. 10 h August. We are gradually increasing in strength here. This morning the men of No. 5 Division from Turo Turo Mokai, and Bradahuw's Redoubt marched into camp, the Turo Turo party having been relieved by some local Militia, aud the poet at Brudshavv's temporarily abandoned. Captains Page, Browne, and Buck have been appointed to enquire into the truth of the statements made in reference to the late melancholy i»ff <ir at Turo Turo Mokai. They begin their labors to-morrow<> 12th August. At nine o'clock on the night of the 10th an expedition under the Colonel started to attack T« jNgutu-o-te-Manu. The force was divided into two parties, one being under the immediate comrao.nd of the commanding officer hi-nself, the other under Captain Page of the Wellington Rangers. The plan of attack was well matui'ed and admirable, but, as the best schemes oft times fail, the expedition was not successful, at least it had to return without meeting the enemy. It was the intention of the Colonel to attract the attention of the rebels in front by Captain Page's party while he took the village in rear. Nothing could be better, and all that was wanted was a guide to show the back track. A half-oaste woman who had been up it and professed to know the route, was taken but in the dark she missed the road, and the party had to return to camp after crossing the Waingongora river twice, and spending eighteen hours in tramping through the country in a drizzling rain. Of course the " Chief" and nil hands were disappointed at not meeting the rebels, but it is satisfactory to know that we will find them in a day or two. 13th August. I believe, indeed I may state as a fact, that before many days we shall march on Te Ngutu«o-te-Manu again and no doubt this time it wjllfiill. We shall, in all probability, all march together up the front, and at present only known traok, and currj it at the point o£ the bayonet. THE FIB3T MOVE AT THE FKONT. — DESTBT7CTIOK OF VILLAGES. The correspondent of the Wanganui Times writes on August 12th : — On the lOMi we left Camp Waihi in two divisions. The first consisted of 150 mencommanded by Colonel McDonnell, Mnjor Von Tempsky and Capt. Buok. The 2nd division composed of the I Wellington Hunger*, European Contingent, and No 3 division, in all 130 men, commanded by Captain Page. The whole force crossed the Waingongora river, Capt Pane and his men keeping in the open ground until they reached Kato* Mum, then taking the right hand track towards Ngutu-o te Manu thoy approached to within a short distance of it where they halted until daylight, making a demonstration to entice the rebels from their stronghold. Captain McDonnell (the Colonel's brother) accompanied this division, yrith an old friend of his, Ensign Hira formerly of the iVativo Contingent. Close to the entrance to the truck lending to Ngutu-ote Manu stood the.villngr of Kato-tanru. Thnt place Captain Page utid his* men burned and totally destroyed. The natives in the. bush, and also at the Birds Beak, veiled and called for them to come on but did not dare to come out to fight. After daylight the division pushed further on and burnt a village close to Ngutu-o-to Manu and fired a few shots to entice the rebels out, so as to enable .the Ist division to get in behind tho pnh. After about half an hour the natives made their appearance yelling and calling for our men to come bh, but as Ciipltiin P»g e had orders not to do so unless he he heard an attack on the o'iher side of the.pab, the men worked on under a fearful down-pour of ruin until Major VonTompsky cama up to recall Captain Page, when they started on their return to Waihi which they reached at 5 p.m.' Meantime the. Ist division went round to the left for the purpose of getting to the rear of tho Ngutu-o-te-Mann, but owing to the darkness of the night and dense bush, missed the track. At 5 o'clock in the morning on the 11th they struck the track, out the rain, which had been falling heavily for two or threo hours, now came down in torrents, The men were wet to the skin for two or throe hours previously, and one of the

officers had seriously sprained his ankle by a fall over a log. Tho division marched on Mawhiti"whiti, a fine place with unusually well-built houses from which tho Hanhaus used to rush out to kill our men. Tho whole place was destroyed by our men, and Mawhitiwhiti is a heap of ashes. When we drive the rebels out of Ngutu-o-te-Manu they will not havo a place along the whole range of bush to shelter themselves in. The men Were anxious— too much so— for a brush. The men of both divisions marched well, considering that many amongst them were untrained, though very willing and anxious to learn. After the river Waingongoro goes down from the effects of the rain— l had almost said curse that said river, but still it is a blessing — and a 8 soon as it allows us to cross, and the weather favors us, we will make a dash at Ngutu-o-te-Manu.