THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 263

my report of the 24th ultimo, and as so much has
happened in the interval, I trust I will be pardoned
for being necessarily brief in this letter, especially
as regards the movements of the friendly Natives,
about whose doings Mr. Deighton writes more fully.

On the 28th ultimo there was a skirmish between
the enemy and the friendly Natives at Kakariki, in
which five of the enemy were killed, several wounded,
and seven horses, 120 pigs, with potatoes and guns,
taken from the enemy.

On the 29th ultimo, eight of our friendly Natives
went out from here to surprise the enemy's sentries;
this they managed to effect, killing two of them.

The 30th being Sunday, and the pa having become
very dirty and uncomfortable from the long con-
tinued wet weather, I allowed the men to clean their
whares, &c., and did not make any active demon-
stration.

On the 31st ultimo some of our Natives
went out skirmishing on the "open plain,"--so
marked on the accompanying rough sketch, kindly
furnished by Mr. Deighton, and which will give the
Government, some idea of the country and positions
near our pa. I accordingly sent out Lieut. Biggs
with some of his own men, to follow up and obtain
a better knowledge of the ground than we had hitherto
been able to do; at the same time I myself, accom-
panied by Mr. Deighton, made a demonstration with
my own men against the hill marked "Sentry-hill,"
in order to distract the enemy's attention from the
skirmishers on the plain. This succeeded to some
extent, and the skirmishers were enabled to get close
to the pa; but as the sentries on the hill, could not
be dislodged without great risk, and it was no part of
my plan to attack the pa on that day, I, about 4 p.m.,
ordered the men to retire, which Lieut. Biggs and
his volunteers did admirably, under a very heavy
fire from the enemy, but which fortunately did not
inflict any loss upon us.

During the same day, some of our Natives (the
rebels having occupied a deserted pa at Ti, belonging
to the Chief Aropeta), went out to assist him in dis-
lodging them from it; this they succeeded in doing,
the enemy evacuating it in the night, and having had
five of their number killed.

Tuesday, the 1st instant, was a bad day, and the
Chief Te Mokena not wishing an attack, I waited
until the weather cleared, which it fortunately did
about evening; and having now arranged our plan of
attack, we determined on making it the next day.

Our plan was as follows:-- I, with Mr. Deigh-
ton, Ensign Gascoigne, and thirty men of the
Military Settlers, accompanied by the Chief Te
Mokena, to proceed from our pa at 4:30
a.m., proceed as marked in the sketch, take
Sentry-hill by surprise, and open fire as soon as
it was light--Lieut. Biggs, Mr. Tuke, Mr. Hamlin,
(interpreter), and thirty Volunteers, with the Chief
Aropeta, and another party of Natives, to proceed
from camp just before daylight, cross the river, and
await our fire, keeping his men concealed meanwhile,
before he should take up his final position, marked 3.

The above orders were carried out fully and accu-
rately. The force under my command succeeded in
occupying Sentry-hill without the enemy observing
us, and Lieut. Biggs took up his position in the
most steady and admirable manner.

At daybreak, I opened fire on the enemy from
Sentry-hill, who immediately rushed to their trenches
and returned it. Lieut. Biggs soon got to his final
position, and opened fire from that flank, the Natives
with him being stationed so as to cut off the enemy's
retreat, Mr. Hamlin and six men accompanying them.
In his advance, Lieut. Bigg's men here killed one
Native. We continued keeping up a hot fire so as to
effectually prevent the enemy from blocking up a
small entrance to their pa, which they had carelessly
left open.

I now determined, as the enemy could not be dis-
lodged from their trenches without a charge, to make
one. I knew I could rely on the steadiness of my
officers and men, and the result proved I was right.

I crossed the river for the above purpose, the friendly
Natives under Te Mokena keeping up a hot fire from
their rifles to cover our advance, and formed my men
up for the charge, under a heavy fire from the enemy,
about sixty yards from the small entrance to the
trenches; at the same time I signalled to Lieut.
Biggs to charge on his flank, and we then took up
positions 3 and 5, as marked in the sketch--
heading the charge myself, we rushed upon the
enemy, four of our number were wounded in so
doing, but none killed; and as I was first in the pa,
I had a narrow escape. But the moment the men
carried the pa, there was no longer any doubt of our
victory--the bayonet and rifle soon did their work,
and the pa was ours. The enemy asked for no mercy,
and evidently expected none. The killed in the pa
amounted to twenty-two. Three more dead bodies
were found and buried next day near it. We took
prisoners, seven women.

I immediately destroyed their pa in every way,
cutting down their flagstaff, burning their whares,
and levelling their fences. An immense quantity of
kumeras, potatoes, and wheat, with several head of
cattle, horses, &c., besides all the cattle and sheep
belonging to the Chief Te Mokena, were found in or
near their pa, and taken by us.

I beg to subjoin for the information of the Govern-
ment the list of wounded on our side, and that of
dead on the side of the rebels, with their names as
far as can be ascertained.

The whole fight from the time of my first opening
fire, until our charge was made, took only five-and-
twenty minutes, and by 8:30 a.m. every man of ours
had returned to this pa.

I should not be doing justice to the force under
my command, did I not request the attention of the
Government to the bravery and good conduct dis-
played by them on this and former occasions, and in
bringing under the favorable consideration of the
the Minister for Colonial Defence, the names of
all the officers engaged.

Lieut. Biggs displayed so many admirable qualities
and has rendered me such valuable assistance as
Adjutant, that I beg to recommend him for promo-
tion to the rank of Captain.

Of Ensign Gascoigne's and Mr. Tuke's services,
I cannot speak too highly, and I trust the Govern-
ment will regard their services favorably.

I cannot however close this Despatch without men-
tioning, how much valuable assistance Mr. Deighton
has given me ever since my arrival, and how very
much our successes have been due to his counsel and
advice. By his skilful management of the Natives,
I entirely attribute the goodwill prevailing between
us and them.

The Chief Te Mokena has given us every assistance
in his power, and has uniformly shown us great kind-
ness. I trust the Government will be good enough
to remember him.

I have only to add, that my life was 'saved on
entering the pa by Private Welfitt, of the Military
Settlers, who bayoneted a Native, who, my attention
being distracted at the time, was about to tomahawk
me. I beg to bring his name under the notice of
Government.

I have, &c.,

JAMES FRASER,

Captain commanding Local Forces, Waiapu.