THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 173

the natives, and not wishing to leave my tracks too far
on the road I returned, resolved to use it on the
following night.

The second party, under Captain George and
Ensign Whitfield, were fired upon by natives; shots
were exchanged, and our men chased the natives for
some distance, till they disappeared. It appeared
therefore that the natives were to be found after all
on the left bank; so that night at 1 a.m. I started
with my whole detachment, crossed the river, and
was before dawn opposite to the native encampment,
but the river intervened, and we had to content our-
selves with listening to the Pai Mairiri morning
hymns and watching the smoke of their copa Maoris.
Dense bush prevented us from seeing a single Maori,
and prudence forbade any attempt of an attack from
our side of the river.

We returned early on the 10th, with the intention
of following the track on the right bank the coming
night; but three scouts made their appearance at
dusk, coming evidently from that track, where our
footprints of the 9th must have revealed our inten-
tions, and making a surprise that night anything but
feasible.

On the 11th ten scouts on foot and one on horse-
back were seen coming from the same direction as
the first three; so that that night also was passed
over as unpropitious, particularly as the continued
smoke of the Maori encampment proved their de-
termination of stopping where they were.

On the night of Friday to Saturday at 1 a.m., I
started with a force of forty-eight Forest Rangers
and sixteen Waikato Militia, officered by Captain
George, Lieut. Westrup, Ensigns Whitfield and
Irwin, leaving Lieut. Malone with twenty additional
Waikato Militia to guard the pass over the cliff, as
ten determined men could have prevented there the
return of hundreds. We got over two-thirds of our
way without accident, though the road was of the
most difficult nature, and the time was night. Arrived
at an extensive clearing, however, we lost the track.
Two different tracks we ran down bootlessly-one
ended in a precipice and eel-weir-the other in a
place for steeping corn, at the bottom of a deep
gorge. With infinite labour, through a dense forest,
we found at last the right track and hurried along it.
We came upon a row of large whares on the top of a
commanding hill, but daylight was dawning already.
On investigation the whares proved to be deserted,
though the ashes of recent fires were still warm.
While pondering over the probability of the natives
having deserted the neighbourhood, large volumes of
smoke ascending from a neighbouring hill below us
settled that question completely.

A deep wooded ravine separated the native en-
campment from the hill we were on-beyond the
encampment was the river. There seemed to me no
chance of a surprise now; but having brought a new
detachment face to face with the enemy for the first
time, I deemed it necessary to attack, even at some
risk. We rapidly descended the ravine and ascended
the hill; a sudden turn in our road on the top
brought us to a slip-panel gate, and there, in the
centre, or nearly so, of a large clearing, was the
native encampment. We could see the Maori sentry
and other Maoris walking about. I extended the
men along the clearing, but found that the edge of
the clearing was barricaded. It was necessary to
break through this barricading; the noise caused
thereby and the distance to the huts gave the Maoris
time to grasp their arms and receive our charge with
a heavy volley. We drove them, however, from the
huts into the bush, Ensign Whitfield and Captain
George conspicuous in their gallantry; but this
was the time when we suffered the most loss, as
Ensign Whitfield was hit by two shots, one breaking
his arm and one entering his side; private Macbean
of No. 1 Co., F.R., was hit in the head while close to
the bush. We took what cover we could get in front
of the bush within twenty yards of it. A heavy
fire continued now for some time. The Maoris sang
Pai Mairiri hymns and danced the war dance behind
their barricading, and had harangues for the purpose
of inducing a charge; once or twice we heard them
advance a little, but stop short at the first fire at any
visible member of their party.

I sent Lieut. Westrup to outflank them in the
bush, but it was soon found that their flanks were
protected by gullies. A front charge on our part
would have been quite as great a piece of folly as on
their part. I had enough, even with two men hors
de combat, to convey them back to camp over the
frightful road we had before us. As the Maoris
before us were evidently calling in all directions for
assistance, and, moreover, as I heard their calls
answered, I deemed it at last necessary to draw off
the men before some reinforcement took us at a dis-
advantage. I sent Lieut. Westrup to take possession
of the gate once more, forwarded the wounded, and
gradually drew off my men in small parties, without
the Maoris perceiving our retreat. At half-past nine
I left my position in front of the bush with the last
five men, and left the clearing which we had entered
precisely at half-past six. Six or eight Maoris were
hors de combat at that time. We purposed finding
an easier route for the transport of the wounded.
For about a mile we cut through a dense bush in a
gully till a precipice of 150 feet closed our retreat in
that direction. We returned towards our old track,
but found that a party of Maoris had taken possession
of the big whares on the top of the hill. As we had
approached the whares carefully, my advanced guard,
under Sergeant Ross, shot three incautious Maoris
who were peeping round the corners of the whares.
To force our way past these whares would have
added considerably to our wounded, whatever other
advantage might be gained; the day was advancing
fast, so I sent another exploring party under Capt.
George to look after the possibility of heading the
gully, while I kept watch on the Maoris in the
whares. The gully was at last reported passable;
we drew off gradually once more, and entered the
bush unmolested. Three distinct forest gullies had
to be traversed, and a road cut through them for the
transport of the wounded, till we reached the fern
ridges and our camp at 4 p.m., having been on our
legs for fifteen hours without rest, food, or drink.

I have to bring to your special notice the con-
spicuous gallantry of Ensign Whitfield, who I grieve
to say, died of his wounds at Patea, the 13th, at 11:30
p.m.; also the gallantry of Capt. George in leading
his men across the clearing, getting several bullets
through his clothing and the tip of his thumb blown
off. The soldierly management of Lieut. Westrup
was beyond all praise, as well as the usefulness of
Ensign Irwin and Lieutenant Malone, the latter in
command of the reserve at the cliff.

Above all, however, I must mention the unflinching
conduct of all my non-commissioned officers and men,
who performed their arduous duties on that long
day without a murmur, and with courageous alacrity.
Private Macbean died on the road home, was buried
there temporarily, and conveyed to camp on the
following day. On that day Lieut. Westrup went
out with a party of volunteers to look for a man of
his company who had lost his way in the bush. That
man (private Best, No. 1 Co., F.R.,) was not found
on the 15th instant.

I have, &c.,
G. F. VON TEMPSKY,
Major Forest Rangers.

P.S.—The party under Lieut. Westrup who went