42
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

G. GREY, Governor.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
GREETING:
WHEREAS by "The Regulation of Elections Act,
1858," it is enacted that it shall be lawful for
the Governor, by warrant under his hand, from time
to time, to appoint polling places for each electoral
district within or without the limits thereof, and to
appoint any one of such places to be the principal
polling place for the district, and all or any of such
polling places at any time to abolish, and to appoint
other polling places in lieu thereof.
And whereas by warrant under the hand of the
Governor, bearing date the sixteenth day of July,
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three,
The House of Mr. BRADSHAW, Hopai Bay, Pelorus
Sound,
was appointed a polling place for the District of
Pelorus, for the election of Members of the Pro-
vincial Council of the Province of Marlborough.
And whereas it is expedient to abolish the same:
Now know ye, that I, Sir George Grey, the
Governor of the said Colony, in pursuance of the
power and authority in me vested by the said Act,
do hereby abolish the above-named polling place for
the District of Pelorus, for the election of Members
of the Provincial Council of the Province of Marl-
borough.
Given under the hand of His Excellency Sir
George Grey, Knight Commander of
the Most Honorable Order of the Bath,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in
and over Her Majesty's Colony of New
Zealand and its Dependencies, at the
Government House, at Wellington, this
seventeenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord one one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-six.
E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 17th January, 1866.
HIS Excellency the Governor directs the publica-
tion of the following Despatch, with enclo-
sures, from Major-General Chute, Commanding the
Forces in New Zealand.
E. W. STAFFORD.

Head Quarters, Camp Putahi,
8th January, 1866.
SIR, I have the honor to report for your Excel-
lency's information that on the 30th ultimo, the date
on which the Colonial Troops your Excellency had
acquainted me would be placed at my disposal, were
ready, I left Wanganui with a small field force, and
encamped at Alexander's farm.

On the 31st, the force marched to Weraroa, where
we were detained for two days waiting for the Native
Contingent, who, on the 1st January, were employed
in capturing horses the property of rebels, thirty-
two of which they secured; and on the 2nd, in
preparing some particular food they declared to be
absolutely necessary for the march.

On the 3rd instant, the field force, total strength
as per margin,* moved across the Waitotara. I

• Royal Artillery-officer, 1; sergeants, 2; rank and file, 30.
  Under command of Lieut. Carre.
  2nd Battalion 14th Regiment-officers, 8; sergeants, 11;
  drummers, 4; rank and file, 250. Under command of
  Lieut.-Colonel Trevor.
  Forest Rangers-officers, 2; sergeants, 3; rank and file, 41.
  Under command of Major Von Tempsky.
  Native Contingent (including Natives)-officers, 12; sergeants,
  8; rank and file, 96. Kupapas, or Volunteer Natives-
  rank and file, 150. Under the command of Major Mc-
  Donnell.
  Total-officers, 23; sergeants, 24; drummers, 4; rank and
  file, 567.

directed the Native Contingent to cross at Perikama,
beneath and on the right flank of the post at Weraroa,
and with the remainder of the force I made a diversion
through the Waitotara block, crossing by the ford
near the mouth of the river. The Contingent having
rejoined me on the main inland track, we marched
towards Moturou, and encamped about a mile and a
half from that village, situated at the edge of dense
forest, within which and about two miles from
Moturou was the strongly fortified and formidable
position of Okotuku, which I was informed was con-
sidered impregnable by the rebels, and there it was
stated they had collected in considerable numbers.

During the afternoon of the 3rd instant, the Native
Contingent, under Major McDonnell, proceeded to
reconnoitre this position, and taking the rebels by
surprise entered it without opposition: a few shots
only were fired at them by the enemy's scouts.
Having set fire to the whares outside the pa, the
Contingent returned to camp.

On the following morning, having reason to believe
that the enemy in considerable force had re-occupied
the position they had apparently evacuated the
evening before, I marched with the forcet to attack
the Okotuku Pa. The line of march for the last two
miles was through dense forest, and the track itself
obstructed throughout by ravines, rocks, and supple-
jack, rendering the advance most difficult, especially
for the skirmishers whom I had thrown out from the
Native troops, as I entered the forest. At a small
clearing overhanging a deep ravine, just before com-
mencing the steepest part of the ascent, the skir-
mishers were fired upon by the enemy. I pushed
on as rapidly as the excessive badness of the ground
would admit of, and soon gained the plateau. This
is a narrow tongue of land of about twenty acres,
the greater part being under cultivation. As the
troops crowned it, they were exposed to a very
heavy fire from the pa, distant about 350 yards. I
immediately extended the Forest Rangers on my
extreme left, the 2nd Battalion 14th Regiment in
the centre. The Native troops were on either flank
and in reserve. I directed all to keep as much as
possible under cover of the many fallen trees about
us. Advancing in this manner for a short distance,
the fire became still more severe and two men were
wounded. I ordered the party to advance, and
endeavour to occupy the pa, when the 2nd Battalion
14th Regiment, led by Captain Vivian, in the most
gallant manner charged the stockading, succeeded in
entering the pa and in driving the enemy down the
almost sharped sides and rear of this defence
formidable by nature but rendered doubly so by
native skill. In this affair I regret to say that
Lieut. Keogh and four men of the 2nd Battalion
14th Regiment were wounded. The bodies of six
natives killed were found; it is supposed their loss in
killed and wounded amounted to twenty, but owing
to the density of the bush into which they retreated
it was not possible to ascertain their real loss.

When the pa was captured a portion of the Native
Contingent entered the bush, and endeavoured to
pursue the retreating enemy. They succeeded in
taking the rebel Chief and killing one man.

The most formidable part of the defence consisted
of a palisade several feet high, and fully three feet
thick, made by piling logs of hard wood horizontally
between two rows of thick upright stakes, extending
a distance of about eighty yards from one sharped
gully to another. So precipitous were the sides and
rear, and so dense the forest beneath them, that it

† 2nd Battalion 14th Regiment-officers, 3; sergeants, 4;
drummer, 1; rank and file, 100.
Forest Rangers-officers, 2; rank and file, 33.
Native Contingent-officers, 3; rank and file, 200.
Total-officers, 8; sergeants, 4; drummer, 1; rank and file, 333.