E.—No. '5.

67th Regiment :— Field Officers ... 2 Captains ... 3 Subalterns ... 8 Staff 3 Sergeants .. 13 Drummers .. 9 Hank and File .. 353 70th Regiment :— Sergeants .. 1 Rank and File ... 9 Totals .. 406

General Commanding, I proceeded this morning with the Regiment, strength as shown in the margin,* from St. George's Redoubt at Tataraimaka, to attack the fortified posts of the rebel Maoris on the opposite bank of the Katikara river. Under cover of three guns (Armstrong's) of Captain Mercer's battery of the Royal Artillery, three divisions of selected men, under the command of Lieuts. Brutton and Waller, and Ensign Duncan, were pushed forward, and crossed a broad and very entangled gully, through which the Katikara runs, and ascended the opposite bank, reforming on the crest of the hill, which they were enabled to gain without opposition owing to the admirable maimer in which Captain Mercer's guns were served, and the precision of their fire. H.M.S. ' Eclipse,' having on board His Excellency the Governor Sir George Grey, also did good service by the fire of Armstrong shells at the rebel ivhares, over the heads of the advancing parties. The support of 4 companies, (200 rank and file,) under command of Major and Brevet Lieut-Colonel Logan followed closely on the attacking parties by the same route. The enemy opened fire on the " advance " directly they appeared on the level ground ; but, instead of replying to this fire, the parties under Lieuts. Brutton and Waller wheeled to the right and extending as far as practicable, pushed across the level ground covered with fern, in many places almost impassable towards the old pah on the crest of the rising ground, on the left of the mouth of the river, as previously arranged, so as to turn the rifle pits in that position, and open the road leading over the ford at the river's mouth. Although opposed by a considerable number of Maoris, these two parties succeeded in driving the rebels from their position, opening the road, and following the Natives a distance of upwards of one mile down the coast, inflicting loss upon the enemy, and destroying many of their whares. Meanwhile Ensign Duncan had wheeled his party to the left, as also arranged, and supported by the main body under Lieut.-Col. Logan, pushed on towards a very strongly entrenched position on the summit of a rising ground, .about 600 yards to the left of where the parties had crossed the river. The enemy opened fire from a great number of rifle pits, constructed on every commanding point and from the continuous and double chain of pits surrounding the whare it was our object to destroy. Nothing daunted by the serious opposition and the heavy fire of the enemy Ensign Duncan pushed steadily forward, closely followed by the divisions under Captains Shortt and Russell under the immediate command of Lieut. Colonel Logan and supported by Captaiii Woodall and Lieut. Thompson, with the two remaining divisions into which the force was divided. For a few minutes the fire was returned, but finding it of no avail against an almost invisible enemy concealed in rifle pits, the whole rushed forwards, and vied with each other in entering the position, jumping over the rifle pits from which they met with a most determined opposition. The Maoris fighting desperately to the last, a hand to hand combat ensued, which was only terminated by the ivhares catching fire, and burning many of the Maori defenders in the ruins. Twenty-one Maoris were taken out of the rifle pits killed, three are known to have been burned in the smaller whare, and four in the larger, and it is believed that several others perished in the flames, which, with the stench arising from the consuming flesh, prevented accurate information being obtained. One Maori was picked up dead on the road, and many more, wounded, escaped and were seen to take refuge, and hide themselves in the fern and bush. Thus in the short space of one hour twenty-two Maoris killed, were brought away in carts, as many more were wounded, and destroyed in the burning whares, and a complete victory gained over a savage enemy by the bayonet alone ; not over 5 rounds of ammunition per man having been expended in the encounter.

I have to report the loss of one man killed (Private E. Martin, No. 11). Two men seriously, I fear, dangerously wounded (Private H. Shipman, 568, and Private J. Osborne, 2063); and seven men otherwise slightly wounded (Privates D. Hurley, J. Deegan, J. Evans, J. Morton, P. Flaherty, B. Stagpool and M. Fox) —in all, one man killed, and nine wounded. The enemy was evidently completely surprised, and were so confused by the admirable manner in which Captain Mercer's Armstrong guns were served, that the fire from the rifle pits was very wild, and it was only at the assault when the enemy were speedily overpowered by numbers, that the serious casualties occurred.

It is impossible to speak in terms of too high praise of the admirable behaviour of the officers, noncommissioned officers, and men of the 57th Regt. engaged. The Lieut.-General was himself an eyewitness of the rapid and regular manner in which each party performed the duties alloted to it. I may therefore be pardoned from further allusions to the successful result of these operations in which I naturally, on account of the officers and men engaged, feel such pride, but I trust I may be permitted to bring the names of the following officers and men to the notice of the Lieut.-General Commanding, viz., Major and Brevet Lieut. Colonel Logan, Captains Shortt, and Russell; Lieuts. Brutton and Waller, and Ensigns Duncan and Douglass. I fear, in naming the above, I may be, inadvertently, doing injustice to others, as it appears difficult to determine whether Captain Shortt or Ensign Duncan, was first to jump into the redoubt, and they were followed closely by Privates (2700) J. Donaghy and (2189) B. Stagpool, and by the other officers and men. To Lieut, and Adjutant CM. Clarke, I have to offer my best thanks for his untiring zeal and energy, (for a considerable time on foot, his horse having got away in crossing the ford and gully), and I cannot refrain from bringing to the Lieut.-General's notice the names of three civilians, Ensign Mace, Taranaki Militia, who volunteered his services, and lent me his horse when mine got away in cossing the gully, thereby enabling me to direct a considerable portion of the operations which I could not have done on foot. Mr. R. Parris, Assistant Native Secretary, accompanied the " Advance" parties across the ravine, and the Katikara river, and remained with me during the day. The other civilian is Mr. Arthur Bayley, on whose land the Redoubt now occupied by a portion of the regiment under my command, is built. Mr. Bay ley's knowledge of the locality enabled Lieuts. Brutton and Thompson, on the 18st inst.,

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