52
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

2 wounded Maoris were also brought into
our camp, but several more were left on the
field. Lt.-Col. Sir H. Havelock, Bart. (who
was engaged with the troops from the time
they first went out till their return to camp,
about half-past seven p.m.) reports having
counted 28 dead of the enemy; and, from
the reports of other officers, I believe five or
six more are killed. I have much pleasure
in stating that all officers and men turned
out with the greatest alacrity, and those
engaged behaved very much to my satisfac-
tion. I estimate the force of the enemy at
about 150. I beg to enclose a return of
casualties. The body of the man of the
40th Regt., who was missing yesterday, was
recovered this morning, brought into camp,
and interred with the other dead. The
bodies of the enemy killed have been handed
over to a party of their own, in compliance
with the orders of the Lt.-General com-
manding the forces.

I beg to enclose a report from Sir. H.
Havelock, Deputy-Assistant-Quarter-Master
General, who was senior officer with the
troops actually engaged.

I have, &c.,
R. WADDY,
Colonel,
Commanding in front of Paterangi.
(True copy.)
J. D. Baker. Captain,
Assistant Military Secretary.

Lieut. Colonel H. M. Havelock to Colonel R.
Waddy, C.B., commanding the Advanced
Camp near Paterungi.

Camp before Paterangi pah,
12th February, 1864.

SIR,—Having been directed by the Lieut.-
General Commanding to report on the suc-
cessful skirmish of yesterday, on both banks
of the Mangapiko River, I have the honor
to state that about 2:30 p.m., on an alarm
that a bathing party had been suddenly fired
on from an ambush by apparently 100 Maoris
detached from the Paterangi pah, the in-
lying picquets of 40th and 50th Regiments,
at this camp, turned out promptly and has-
tened to the scene, being reinforced imme-
diately by parties of both regiments as fast
as the men could seize their arms.

2. The Maoris retired along the left bank,
   and a sharp running fight soon commenced
   betweed them and the foremost pursuers.

3. Finding themselves so readily met, they
   took post, while endeavouring to gain their
   pah, on the site of an ancient entrenchment
   called Waiari, where the high mounts and
   deep ditches of an old fortification, densely
   overgrown with thick cover, gave them, to-
   gether with their intimate knowledge of the
   ground, great advantage.

4. On reaching the level plain, under Pa-
   terangi. after crossing the Takoutu stream, I
   found that the pursuit and fight had gone to
   my right. But as there were threats of
   large bodies sallying out to cut off those of
   our men whose eagerness had carried them
   farthest to the front, I collected every avail-
   able soldier of both regiments, and formed
   them up in chain of skirmishers and sup-
   ports to watch this flank.

5. Soon after, a considerable party under
   Captain Honourable F. le Poer Trench,
   40th, having assured our left and rear,
   I moved rapidly down to where our
   leading men were hotly engaged and
   pressed. They were commanded by Captain
   Fisher, 40th, who had hastened here earlier
   with a few men, Captain Heaphy, Auck-
   land Rifle Volunteers, and Captain Jackson,
   Forest Rangers (both accidentally on the
   spot), had lent their services, and reinforced
   him with some 30 men of 40th and 50th.

6. These parties, that which I myself
   brought up, and one under Ensign King,
   40th, united, had now the happiness to come
   full on the main body of the Maoris, re-
   tiring towards Paterangi. We turned them
   back to the shelter of the ancient earthwork
   above mentioned, which is singularly placed
   in a double loop of the Mangopiko.

7. Major Bowdley's party of 40th, who
   had moved down the right bank, were firing
   on the front of the Maoris from across the
   river. Our arrival on their rear effectually
   hemmed them in and sealed their fate.

8. After much hot firing we were able to
   dash across the river into the entrenchment,
   over a bridge formed of a single plank. The
   banks are here from 40 to 60 feet high, pre-
   cipitous, and densely wooded.

A series of hand to hand encounters here
took place, between the Maoris crouching se-
creted in thick bush, and our men who displayed,
if anything, too been an eagerness to dash at
and close with their lurking enemies when-
ever visible. This forwardness cost some
valuable lives, but the punishment inflicted
on the Maoris was sharp and telling, and
read them a severe lesson.

9. At the time some 20 men of the Forest
   Rangers (both companies) arriving from the
   head-quarter camp, materially assisted in
   hunting out and destroying the enemy.

10. Eventually every Maori that could be
    discovered, being either killed or wounded
    or made prisoner, the work of removing our
    wounded (most difficult from the narrow-
    ness of the planked bridge), and of securing
    their dead commenced.

11. Two large parties of the enemy now
    approaching through thick bush, endeavoured
    to intercept this. It became necessary to
    throw Captain Fisher's party, with which
    were Lieut. Simeon and Ensign King, again
    on the right bank, where they most steadily
    covered this operation under a sharp cross-
    fire.

12. Finally, near dark, all our wounded hav-
    ing been removed, and as many as possible of
    the Maori dead brought in, the skirmishers
    were gradually withdrawn, file by file, across
    the plank bridge, and the troops moved
    slowly, taking every advantage of ground
    towards camp.

13. This very successful affair cost the