Numb. 54.

379

THE
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1866.

Colonial Defence Office,
Wellington, 10th October, 1866.
THE following Despatch, from Major McDonnell,
Commanding Colonial Forces, Patea, is published
for general information.

T. M. HAULTAIN.

Patea, 4th October, 1866.

SIR,—In my Despatch No. 94, of the 26th ultimo,
I had the honor to state, for the information of
the Honourable the Defence Minister, that the rebels
in the vicinity of our position at Te Whenuku were
becoming so bold and annoying us so much, that
unless a blow was inflicted upon them without delay
it would be impossible to move outside the redoubt,
and also, that notwithstanding the paucity of my
numbers and the inclemency of the weather I had
determined at all risks to attack them at once.

By dismounting all the cavalry and leaving in the
three redoubts occupied by our forces, barely suffi-
cient men to hold them, viz.:—at Kakaramea, 25 of
all ranks; at Hawera, 30 ditto; at Whenuku, 55
ditto; I was enabled to parade the following force *
at Te Whenuku, and marched out of camp at 6.30
p.m.
From information I had collected, I was
induced to believe that the bulk of the Ngaruahine
were located some distance back in the bush, between
the Waingongora and Inaha Rivers, and in a straight
line not more than seven miles from our redoubts at
the Whenuku, but the late heavy rains had so
swollen the Waingongora River that it could only
be crossed by the bridge between the two Imperial
redoubts near its mouth, thus necessitating a detour
of over twelve miles.

• Staff—field officer, 1; surgeon, 1.
  P. & W. Rangers—captain, 1; subaltern, 1; sergeant, 1; rank
  and file, 40.
  W. Y. Cavalry—subaltern, 1; sergeants, 2; rank and file, 12.
  W. D. Force—captain, 1; sergeant, 1; rank and file, 10.
  N. C.—captain, 1; subalterns, 3; sergeants, 2; rank and file, 44.
  Volunteers—sergeants, 5.
  Totals—field officer, 1; surgeon, 1; captains, 3; subalterns, 5;
  sergeants, 11; rank and file, 106. Total, all ranks, 127.

Of the exact whereabouts of the enemy I had no
certain information, but trusted to drop upon them
somewhere. Crossing the bridge at 9 p.m., I marched
straight inland, and, after proceeding about seven
miles, entered the bush at 12:30 a.m., at a point mid-
way between the Inaha and Waingongora Rivers,
having passed through the site of the village of
Ahipaipu, burnt by Colonel Butler, 57th Regiment,
in January last. The night was pitch dark, and we
lost our way more than once. A cold bleak wind was
blowing and the ground was wet and soft. Notwith-
standing all these drawbacks, the behaviour of the
men was most exemplary. Pursuing the track
through the bush for a mile, we emerged into a clear-
ing, and here halted the force under the shadow of
the trees to await daylight and to rest the men.

When the first streaks of daylight appeared in the
sky I moved on cautiously. The track led through
alternate belts of bush and clearing and across a
tributary of the Inaha, and shortly merged into a
broad road; following this for some distance we came
in sight of the village of Pangarehu, situated on the
other side of a swampy creek, in a clearing intersected
by strong cattle fences and containing several large
whares, five of which were fortified. As we crossed
this creek and were ascending the other side, the dogs
began to bark. I immediately ordered the leading
sections, under Captain Newland, to extend from the
centre and to rush into the village. As we leapt the
fences I called upon the inmates to surrender, they
replied by heavy vollies from the doors and windows
of the houses. We returned the fire, and rushing
the fortified whares, scraped the earth off the roofs,
and pulled down the slabs to fire at the inmates. In
several instances they ran out of the doors, and,
firing their pieces into us, tried to escape into the
bush, but were shot down. In half-an-hour we were
masters of the position, and the firing ceased.

While engaged in setting fire to the whares, and
completing the destruction of the village, a heavy
fire was suddenly opened upon us from the bush at
the opposite side of the clearing, and it gradually
increased and extended to our right, toward the road