LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2820, 8 April 1869, Page 3

LATEST FROM TARANAKI.

COLONEL -WniTMORE's CAMPAIGN. — EETNFOKCEMENTS SENT FKOM TARANAKI. — TITOKO WARU SURROUNDED. The " Taranaki Herald" of March 27th says : — A mounted native rode into town yesterday morning, and was the bearer of a despatch from Colonel Whitmore to Major Brown, in which he requested that a force might be sent from this district to assist in cutting off the retreat of Titoko Waru. We are informed that in his despatch Colonel Whitmore states that he has Titoko Waru nearly surrounded, and that with a reinforcement from thi9 direction, he will succeed in entirely crushing him. The Colonel also states that the rebel forces were never before so entirely ab his mercy ; that they are without provisions or ammunition, and from their position he believes the rebels cannot escape, if their retreat is cut off on this side by our forces. The present position of Titoko Waru, as far as we can gather, is by the side of a large swamp — at a place called Te Ngahere or Te Ngaire, — wbich lies between the Patea and Waingongoro rivers, (about twelve or fourteen miles inland, northward from the coast.) The rebels, therefore, cannot escape, unless Colonel Whitmore is mistaken as to their whereabouts, or Titoko Waru manages to give him the slip and get to the JNgatiawa j country. Major Brown, the officer commanding, has accordingly collected as large a force as possible, which will leave early this morning, under the command of Major Stapp, and will consist of four companies. The Armed Constabulary, under the command of Capt. Gudgeon, and Lieut. Davis ; the Militia, under the command of Capt. M'Kellar, and Ensign Carrick ; the Cavalry Volunteers, under the command of Captain Wilson, Lieut. M'Guinness, and Cornet Bayly ; and the Bush party, under the command of Capt. Kelly, and Lieut. Hursthouse. From the well known efficiency of the Taranaki corps, and the bravery of the officers who go with them, we may expect to hear shortly of some decisive action being taken against Titoko Waru, if he is in that part of the country which Colonel Whitmore has stated. The only fear we have is that Colonel Whitmore will spoil all by his unbearable temper. It is no secret that he is trying the patience of all who are in any way connected with him, by his intolerant conduct. He might be a strict disciplinarian, .in fact a martinet, and no one could find fault ; but we believe that Colonel Whitmore goes beyond this, and censures his officers aud men when there is no necessity for it — or the blame rests solely with himself. The Wanganni papers assert that there are numbers of people who make out that the fight at Otoia was neither so decisive, nor so well managed as it was represented ; but whether it was so or not, there can be little doubtthatTitoko Waru's force is now broken up, and that he is attempting to make his way by the back of the mountain to the Mokau ranges, to join Te Wetere. We understand that Colonel Whitmore, after the (ifrht at Otoia, offered a reward of £1000 for Titoko Waru's head ; £15 for any of his chiefs ; and £5 for any of the rebel Maoris heads. Major Kemp, and several from the native force, together with some Europeans belonging to the Armed Constabulary, volunteered to go on an expedition and to bring in, on these terms, as many prisoners —or their heads — as they could get. They started accordingly, and succeeded in securing three chiefs' heads. More would have been brought in, but the Europeans who accompanied Major Kemp, not being equal to the task, the force had to return sooner than they otherwise would have done. Colonel Gorton arrived here on Tuesday last, to make arrangements with the officer commanding for provisioning any force that may be sent from this district to assist Colonel Whitmore. Having accomplished that object, he again took his departure for Piitea on Thursday.