E.—No. sa,

LIEUTENANT LUSK TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHAPMAN. Mauku Stockade, 24tli October, 1863. Sib,— I have the honor to report that I started yesterday morning, with a force as per margin,* to attack a body of the enemy who were shooting cattle on Mr. Wheeler's farm at the Ti-ti; an advance party of my force, under Lieutenant Perceival, got close up to the enemy's position under cover of the bush: when discovered, they were hotly pressed by the enemy, and retired skirmishing in good order on the main body without loss. I then advanced, having been joined by Lieutenant Norman with eight men. 1 drove the enemy through a strip of fallen timber on to open ground beyond; but seeing that they wheeled round into the standing forest on my left flank, where they were largely reinforced, I deemed it prudent to retire. While re-crossing the fallen timber, the enemy, numbering from two to three hundred, charged us from the bush on the left; and after about ten minutes' very heavy firing at very short range (from ten to twenty yards), where both parties suffered severely, I being outflanked on both sides, retired into the forest on the right. The enemy did not venture to advance on us after we were under cover of the forest. I then re-formed my men, and retired leisurely on the Stockade. Our loss was 1 Lieutenant (Perceval), and 5 men killed; 1 man dangerously wounded; 1 Lieutenant (Norman), and 1 private missing. The enemy's loss I believed to be about 16 killed, and a large number wounded. Sergeant Hill and Private John Wheeler specially distinguished themselves by their determined gallantry under most trying circumstances. I have, &c, D. H. Lusk, Lieutenant Commanding Mauku Volunteers. N. 8.—1 omitted to mention that Mr. Norman on the right, and Mr. Perceval on the centre, displayed great gallantry in endeavouring to stem the rush of the enemy, and fell fighting in front of their men. D. H. Lusk. Eight Hours Later. We have recovered the bodies. D. H. L. Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman, Commanding Drury. Subalterns. Sergeants. Corporals. Privates. • Mauku Volunteers ...... 1 3 1 21 No. 9 Company, Ist Battalion, Waikato Militia 1 1 I 17 No. 4 Company Militia ...... 1 1 1 13

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL CAMERON, C.8., TO GOVERNOR SIR GEOROE GRE3T, K.C.B. Head Quarters, Queen's Redoubt, 4th November, 1863. Sib — I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the day following the arrival here of the " Pioneer" being occupied in clearing her of stores, &c, and in landing two 40-pounder Armstrong guns at Whangamarino, which were placed in position to command the landing-place at Meremere, I proceeded on the 29th ultimo in the " Pioneer" with Commodore Sir "William Wiseman, and was enabled to make a more complete reconnaissance than before of the enemy's works. They occupied them strongly on this occasion, and fired several rounds at the steamer from three guns which they had in position. I found that the difficulty of landing troops rapidly for an attack, and the resistance to be expected from the nature of the defences, had not been over-estimated, which induced me to make a further reconnaissance higher up the river, with the view of selecting some point at which a force could be landed to turn the enemy's position while his attention was occupied in front by the Steamer and Gunboats. I therefore proceeded again on the 31st up the river in the " Pioneer" with Sir William Wiseman as far as Eangiriri, and having observed a point favorable for landing about six miles above Meremere, I arranged with the Commodore to embark the same night the force shown in the margin,t with two 12-pounder Armstrong guns. The <; Pioneer" and " Avon," with the four gunboats in tow, got under weigh at half past two o'clock on the morning of the 31st, and reached the point fixed for the landing about six o'clock. No attempt was made to oppose the troops, who took up a commanding position about four hundred yards from the bank of the river. As I proposed bringing up an

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+ Royal Artillery Royal Engineers 40th Regiment 65th Regiment Total .. Field Officers. Captains. Subalterns. Staff. Sergeants. Drummers. Rank <fc I'ile - 1 1 - - - 41 ..1 1 - - - - 9 ..1 2 5 1 10 6 282 ..1 1 5 1 11 4 280 3 S 11 2 21 9