224
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

R. Pharazyn, Esq., elected to House of Representatives.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 17th July, 1865.

IT is hereby notified that a Writ issued for the
election of a member of the House of Represent-
atives for the district of Rangitikei, has been returned
with a certificate to the effect that
ROBERT PHARAZYN, Esq.,
has been duly elected.

J. C. RICHMOND.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 19th July, 1865.

THE following Despatch, with Enclosure, from
Lieut.-General Sir Duncan Cameron, K.C.B.,
is published for general information.

J. C. RICHMOND.

Head Quarters,
Auckland, 27th June, 1865.

SIR,—I have the honor to forward for your Excel-
lency's information the copy of a Report received
from Colonel Warre, C.B., giving the particulars of
an attack made by a force under his command on
certain native villages or positions near Warea, from
which the rebels were expelled without any casualty
on our side.

I have, &c.,
D. A. CAMERON,
Lieutenant-General.

His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.

Enclosure.
New Plymouth, New Zealand,
16th June, 1865.

SIR,—In continuation of my Report of the 15th
instant, No. 580, I have the honor to inform the
Lieutenant-General, that, having remained at Opu-
naki on the 11th (Sunday) to enable the men to clean
and dry their clothes, &c., I continued the march
towards New Plymouth on the 12th, with the troops
shown in the enclosed Field State, and reached
Kopoaiaia, where there were some very large and
excellent whares, the same evening, a distance of
sixteen miles over a flat but extremely wet and
swampy country.

Having obtained a good amount of information,
with a very clear plan of the rebel positions near
Warea (the plan I enclose, to show how cleverly the
natives delineate the country), from two rebels taken
prisoners near Opunaki, I determined to carry into
execution a plan I had already arranged, to chastise
these natives, who, from the supposed impractica-
bility of their country, had hitherto escaped with
impunity; but who not only killed Privates Hawke
and Jury on the 22nd April last, but have been the
originators and principal actors in every atrocity that
has been perpetrated by the rebels during the war.
Among other occurrences, the mutilation of the bodies
of Captain Lloyd, 57th Regiment, and others killed
at Ahu-Ahu on the 6th April, the murder of Mr.
Paterson, an unarmed settler, near New Plymouth,
and the plunder of the passengers wrecked in the s.s.
"Lord Worsley."

To carry out a combined movement having a base
of seven miles, I was obliged to bring more troops
from New Plymouth, and I requested Major Holmes,
43rd Light Infantry, and Major Russell, 57th Regi-
ment, who were to command the two left columns,
to meet Lieut.-Colonel Colvile and myself at Kopo-
aiaia, to receive their final instructions.

On perusal of the enclosed orders, the Lieutenant-
General will be able to judge how admirably these
officers carried out their instructions, and not only
accomplished their object without loss, but by their
simultaneous action, so completely outwitted the
Maories that the latter, who depended very much on
the forest and the commanding positions of their
villages in the bush, were forced to seek their own
safety by precipitate flight, leaving everything they
possessed in possession of the troops.

Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Colvile, 43rd Light Infan-
try, having volunteered to lead his column on foot to
attack the principal and extreme position, an old pah
with deep ditches strengthened by palisades, and
situated on a knoll, about six miles inland, two or
three miles of which was through forest, I joined the
column under Major Holmes, 43rd Light Infantry,
which was directed on several small villages surround-
ing Te Puru, also an old pah, situated on a hill sur-
rounded by bush. The distances to be overcome
were so well timed that we had hardly got possession
of Te Puru when by the smoke and firing we knew
that Colonel Colvile was in possession of the village,
at the point A on the sketch, and the high ground
enabled me to mark his progress, and, after rather
more than an hour's anxious suspense, the rapid
firing and hearty cheers of his men convinced me that
he had attacked and taken the principal stronghold
of the rebels, who, more numerous than I anticipated,
both at Te Puru and Kekerui, appeared to be quite
infatuated with the Pai Mairire religion, the incanta-
tions of which they kept repeating, regardless of
their lives, until forced by the flames of their burn-
ing whares to seek safety in flight. Lieut.-Colonel
Colvile appears to have surprised the rebels at Keke-
rui so completely, that, expecting to be attacked in
front, the rebels took no notice of the Bushrangers,
who crept round and got through the trenches in the
rear. The rebels hardly attempted resistance; firing
a few ineffectual shots, the men abandoned their
women and children, the chief Meiha, better known
as "Big Jack," setting a disgraceful example by
throwing away his gun (a rifle taken from Captain
Lloyd's party at Abu-Ahu), and a telescope (taken
from the "Lord Worsley"); and although every
effort was made, it is feared he escaped in the general
rush which followed the onset of the troops. A
large number of old men, women and children (after-
wards released) were taken, and several men were
reported as killed; some also, who would not sur-
render, were consumed in the burning whares, from
whence great quantities of effects belonging to the
passengers of the late "Lord Worsley" were taken;
as also guns, meres, flags, and other trophies; but the
difficulties of the road, and the necessity of taking
every precaution against ambuscade on the track to
join the force under my command obliged Colonel
Colvile to order the destruction of all but the smaller
and more valuable articles. Without further oppo-
sition, and by a very fair bush track, this force joined
mine by three o'clock p.m. Major Russell, 57th
Regiment, having remained in ambuscade the stated
time, advanced to the back of Te Puru, destroying
several whares; and Captain Cay, 70th Regiment,
who had been left by Colonel Colvile at the point A
to cut off the retreat of the rebels towards the south,
after being more or less engaged during the whole
day with the flying Maories retired at the named
hour (three o'clock p.m.), completing the destruction
as he returned of every known resort of the rebel
natives in this vicinity.

I released the native prisoners who had so faith-
fully guided Lieut.-Colonel Colvile's party through-
out the day; the other, sent forward to summon the
rebels to surrender, never returned, but retired with
his friends, who had not heeded the warning I gave
them to remove their women and children, or to
hoist a white flag if they wished to give in their
allegiance to the Queen.