238
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

place a large tract of country between their
habitable pas and New Plymouth, and thus
secure the immediate neighbourhood of the
town from sudden predatory attacks. For
the above-mentioned purposes I organised a
"Flying Column,"* of the strength shown in
the accompanying state, which I placed un-
der the command of Major Butler, 57th
Regiment, with instructions to proceed down
the coast to carry out the object of the expe-
dition. I beg herewit to transmit Major
Butler's report of his proceedings, and beg
most prominently to bring to the Lieutenant-
General's notice the admirable manner in
which Major Butler carried out his instruc-
tions, returning to New Plymouth after an
absence of four days, with only one man
wounded, and having cleared off, I believe I
may say, every acre of cultivation within 20
miles to the south of this settlement; and at
Kopua inflicting some chastisement on the
rebel Natives, whom he found strongly posted
at the edge of the bush in a pa, which I hope
soon to be able to destroy.

I can fully corroborate Major Butler's
report of the excellent spirit and good con-
duct of the whole of the Regular and Militia
forces engaged-animated with one desire,
viz, to punish the savage perpetrators of the
cruel mutilations on the remains of Captain
Lloyd and his unfortunate comrades, upon
whom the rebel Natives appear to have
practised all their ancient and most barbar-
ous rites-the remains of Private Gallagher,
of the Taranaki Militia (Melbourne Volun-
teers) bearing unmistakable evidence of
acts of cannibalism too atrocious to record.
And these facts are not only corroborated by
Lieutenant-Colonel Logan, from Native
accounts received by him at Wanganui, to

• Nominal Return of Flying Column employed under
  Major Butler, 57th Regiment, on the 18th, 19th, 20th,
  and 21st April, 1864.
  Staff-Lieutenant C. M. Clarke, D.A.Q.M.G.
  Medical Staff-Staff-Assistant Surgeon M. Jones.
  Commissariat S. Corps-1 private.
  Royal Artillery-Captain Martin, 1 sergeant, 17
  rank and file.
  and file.
  Royal Engineers-Lieutenant Ferguson, 4 rank
  57th Regiment-Captains J. Stewart, F. S.
  Schomberg, H. R. Russell; Lieutenant W. R.
  Thompson; Ensigns J. E. Powys, A. B. Duncan,
  C. Picot, E., Broderip; 6 sergeants, 3 drummers,
  154 rank and file.
  Total Regulars-7 sergeants, 3 drummers, 176
  rank and file.
  Taranaki Militia and Volunteers-Major Atkin
  son; Captains Messenger, Corbett, Brassey, Good;
  Lieutenants Hurst, Jonas, Kelly. Clarke, Wilson;
  Ensigns Brown, Newland, McGuinness, Bailey;
  Assistant-Surgeon Spence; 15 sergeants, 5 drummers,
  302 rank and file.
  Mounted Corps-Captain Mace, 1 sergeant, 12
  rank and file.
  and file.
  file.
  Total Militia-16 sergeants, 5 drummers, 314 rank
  Total-23 sergeants, 8 drummers, 490 rank and

H. J. WARRE, Colonel,
Commanding Troops, Taranaki.

The Depy. Adjut. General,
Headquarters.
which Dstrict the rebel Natives have sent
Captain Lloyd's head. but by the evidence
of a native woman, the wife of Komene, who
joined the force at Kopua, and has given me,
through Mr. Parris, much interesting infor-
mation, which I shall embody in my confi-
dential report.

Thinking it very possible that the rebels,
seeing so comparatively large a force on the
move, would make some counter attack on
the outposts, I did not withdraw any of the
Militia from the outposts, and remained my-
self to take immediate steps to counteract
any movement that might be made nearer
the town. On the 21st instant, the sentries
at Kaitake were fired upon, showing that
my idea that the rebel Natives would recon-
noitre our positions was correct; and on the
same afternoon, at about 4 o'clock, I found
that the rebels had penetrated within a cou-
ple of miles of the town, and fired upon some
friendly natives who were at work, and who
immediately came into town and gave the
alarm. Having ridden to Oakura to visit
the outposts, Major Baddeley, Commanding
Taranaki Militia, and Captain Woodall, 57th
Regiment, immediately got together a mixed
force of about 100 men (57th Regiment and
Militia), and started in pursuit, but beyond
the remains of a cart, which the rebels had
burnt, driving off the bullocks, and the evi-
dence of their presence by numerous tracks
of native feet, no further trace could be dis-
covered, and as it was getting dark, the force
returned to town.

Last evening Natives were again reported
as being in the bush, near the river Waiwa-
kaio, and as Major Butler's force had re-
turned, I, early this morning, despatched
Major Atkinson's two companies of bush-
rangers by one road, and placed two parties
of 57th Regiment and Militia, one under
Captain Woodall at Puketotara, and another
under Lieutenant Miles on the Bell Block,
in ambuscade, to intercept the rebels, should
Major Atkinson succeed in driving them be-
fore him. These parties were in position
before daylight, and unmistakable signs of
fresh killed sheep, and tracks through the
bush, clearly showed that a considerable body
of rebel natives were in the neighbourhood.
Major Atkinson followed their track some
miles towards Mataitawa, and as it was quite
evident that they had retired in that direc-
tion, he very properly withdrew his men,
and the other parties being also withdrawn,
returned to town. By the evidence of the
native woman above-mentioned, this maraud-
ing party is under Parengi Kingi, Meiha, or
Big Jack, the reported death of whom on the
6th April, I am sorry to find is not true,
and Minerapa, with from thirty to forty fol-
lowers, who appear by their numerous tracks
to have been joined by others, probably from
Mataitawa.

I must again assure the Lieutenant-
General that, notwithstanding the extremely
harrassing nature of the duties to which the
very small force of Regular Troops-deduct-