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Lieutenant Toker, with his reinforcement, arrived most opportunely, and was prepared to give me any assistance I might require. I am happy to be able to state that, owing to the cover afforded by the Stockade, I have no casualties to report. The Maoris, as usual, fired lugh, their bullets passing through several of th tents. I have, <fee, J. S. Talbot, Lieutenant, Commanding Detachment 65th Regiment, Razor-back. lieutenant-Colonel Carey, C.8., D.A.G., Queen's Redoubt.

No. 20. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 11th September, 18C3. It is with very great regret that His Excellency the Governor directs it to be notified that he has received from Lieut.-General Cameron, C.8., the following Despatch respecting the death of Captain Swift, of the 65th Regt., who was regarded by the Lieut.-General as a very gallant and promising officer, and wdiose loss the Governor feels assured will be deeply lamented by the inhabitants of this Colony, in whose defence he was engaged when he so nobly fell in the discharge of his duty. Alfred Domett. lieutenant-general cameron, c.b., to his excellency sic geoege gbey, k.cb. Head Quarters, Queen's Redoubt, 9th September, 1863. Sir,— I have the honor to inform your Excellency that about 4 o'clock p.m., on the 7th instant, I received intelligence from Captain Swift, 65th Regt., commanding the Redoubt at Tuakau, that the pa at Camerontown, in which a quantity of Commissariat supplies had been stored, prior to their conveyance by canoes to the Bluff by the friendly Natives, had been attacked, and the stores captured and destroyed by the insurgents. Captain Swift stated also that he had started with a party of fifty men to scour the bush in the direction of Camerontown. As I foresaw the probability of this small party being beset in the bush by superior numbers, I arranged -with Captain Sullivan, R.N., that a force of 150 men, under the command of Colonel Murray, 65th Regt., should [be embarked without delay in boats at the Mangatawhiri, and proceed to Tuakau, with instructions to move in support of Captain Swift's party. I herewith enclose an account of the engagement, given me by Lieutenant Butler, 65th Regt., who is now in the Queen's Redoubt, having been severely wounded at the commencement of the action. No report has yet been received from Color-sergeant MacKenna, on whom the command of Captain Swift's party devolved when both officers were disabled, as that non-commissioned officer is still at Tuakau. He appears to have acted with great judgment and courage, and to have secured the confidence of the men at once by his admirable conduct. Your Excellency will, I feel sure, share in my admiration of the conduct of the whole of the detachment, animated as they were by the noble example of their commander ; and that you will join me in lamenting the loss which the service has sustained by the death of so gallant and promising an officer as Captain Swift. Colonel Murray, wdiose report is enclosed, returned with his detachment this morning, and as four men were still missing when he left Tuakau, I ordered a detachment of 100 men of the 40th Regt., under the command of Major Blyth, to march there this morning and occupy the post during the temporary absence of an equal number of its garrison, who were to proceed in search of the missing men. I forward herewith a copy of the return of the casualties on this occasion. I have, Ac, D. A. Cameron, Lieutenant-Geueral. His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B.

Enclosures to No. 20. STATEMENT made by lieutenant butleb, 65th begiment. The firing at Camerontown was heard at Tuakau a little before 11 am. on the 7th, and th friendly pa could be plainly seen in flames. Not long after five friendly Natives of Kukutai's people

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