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E.—No. 5

troops had great difficulty in ascending it. They are now encamped on the Koheroa, about 500 yards from the river ; and a redoubt will be constructed immediately which will command the navigation of the river, and secure the communication between the Queen's Redoubt, and the Stockade on the Waikato. The Troops were conveyed down the river in the cutter of H.M.S. ' Harrier,' and a few other boats, manned by a party of men from the ' Harrier.' Captain Sullivan, R.N., was kind enough to superintend the embarkation and landing of the troops. The boats above mentioned, and Captain Sullivan's gig, were brought overland the day previous—those of the ' Harrier' from Drury, and the others from Auckland; and were carried from the Queen's Redoubt down to the river during the night. The whole of these arrangements were under Captain Sullivan's immediate direction and supervision. I have also to inform Your Excellency that Colonel Wyatt marched from Drury with 300 men of the 65th Regiment yesterday afternoon, and reached Tuakau this morning. On their approach, the Natives abandoned the Settlement, and retired in boats across the river. The detachment is now encamped on a height overlooking the Waikato, and commanding its navigation, and a redoubt for 150 men will be constructed there. I have, &c., D. A. Cameron, Lieut.-General. His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.CB.

No. 4. LIEUT.-GENEEAL CAMERON, C.8., TO GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GRET, K.CB. Head Quarters, Queen's Redoubt, July 18th, 1863. Sir, — I have the honor to inform your Excellency, that at eleven o'clock yesterday morning, LieutColonel Austin, 2nd Batt. 14th Regiment, commanding the camp at the Koheroa, having observed a large body of Natives collecting on the hills in his front, instantly ordered his Battalion to get under arms and moved with praiseworthy promptitude against them, followed by detachments of the 12th and 70th Regiments, which had just arrived at the Camp as a reinforcement, the whole force amounting to about 500 men. A report of the circumstances reached me as I was on my way to the Koheroa, and I hastened towards the column, which I overtook on its march. After we had proceeded in skirmishing order about two miles the rebels opened fire upon us, and as we advanced upon them they retired along the narrow crest of the hills towards the Maramarua, making a stand on every favourable position which the ground presented. Some of their positions, which had been recently fortified by lines of rifle-pits, and which from the nature of the ground could not be turned, they defended with great obstinacy, and as we had no artillery in the field they could only be dislodged from them by successive attacks with the bayonet, which were executed by the 2nd Batt. 14th, with great gallantry and success. We pursued them from one position to another, a distance of .about five miles, until we drove them in great confusion across the mouth of the Maramarua, some escaping up the Waikato in canoes, and others along its right bank, after swimming across the Maramarua. A considerable portion of them, however, before reaching the Maramarua escaped down a gully to the left, seeking shelter in a swamp, and suffered severely from the fire of our men on the heights. As we had no means of crossing the Maramarua, I ordered the troops to return to camp. All the troops behaved remarkably well. lam greatly indebted to Lieut.-Colonel Austin, 2nd Battalion 14th Regiment (who was wounded in the arm); to Major Ryan, commanding detachment 70th Regiment; and Brevet Major Miller, commanding detachment of the 12th Regiment, for the manner in which they led and directed the movements of the men under their respective commands. Among the Officers conspicuous for their forwardness in the attack were Captain Strange, 14th Regt., who commanded the leading company of the column, Captain Phelps who greatly distinguished himself at the head of his company when charging a line of rifle pits, and Lieutenants Glancy and Armstrong also of the 2nd Batt. 14th Regiment. Colonel Mould, C.8., Royal Engineers, was with the column during the engagement and ready to give his valuable services if required. I enclose a list of our casualties, which are small, considering the time the engagement lasted, and the nature of the ground, which was exceedingly favourable for defence. The enemy must have had fully three hundred men in the field, almost the whole of them belonging to tribes of the Waikato. There can be no doubt his loss was considerable, upwards of twenty dead having been counted by us on the ground, several of whom were Chiefs of consequence, and among others an uncle of the king. I have, <fee, D. A. Cameron, Lieut.-General. His Excellency Sir George Grey, KGB.

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THE NATIVE INSURRECTION.