Accounts of freslakdisasters in the Northern extremity of New Zealand
have been received; by way of Sydney and Calcutta. The narrative is imperfect, especially in not connecting the present occurrences with the past; but of the main incidents, which we put in a condensed form, there appears to be no doubt, as the military despatches are quoted.
Colonel Desparcl, at the head of four hundred and ninety men, principally /soldiers, with some sailors and Militia volunteers, invested the fortified pah occu- pied by John Heki, near the Bay of Islands, on the 1st of July. Field-pieces had been brought from Auckland; bat the carriages were so ill-constructed that the guns were upset by their own firing, and a heavy gun was brought over from the war-ship Hazard. From that the fire on the pah was opened at ten o'clock in the morning. " While the attention of everybody was occupied in observing its effects, says Colonel Despard, a sudden att.ack was made from a thick wood, by ileki's people, and a party of friendly Natives were driven back from the gun. The position, however, was repined. At three o'clock, a party was sent forward to stoma the pah. Colonel Despard's order to take hatchets, axes, and ropes, to pull down the double stockade round the pah, was neglected: the storming band "partially succeeded in opening the outer one, but the inward oneresisted all their efforts; and being lined with men firing through loopholes on a level with the ground, and from others half-way up, our men were falling so fast, that, notwith standing the most daring acts of bravery and the greatest perseverance' they were obliged to retire. This could not be effected without additonal loss in the endea- vour to bring off the wounded men; in which they were generally successful." The total loss to the British was thirty-six killed and sixty-eight wounded, several mortally. Among the killed were, Lieutenant Philpotts, ot the Hazard, and Captain Grant, of the Fifty-eighth Regiment. Four officers were wounded; and Lieutenant Beatty, of the Ninety-ninth Regiment, died of his wounds. In a letter written at the camp, on the 12th July, the writer says that the troops found a way to convey heavy guns from the Hazard to the top of a hill, 80 as to command " the pah "; which was evacuated in the night. The data of this day and night is not mentioned: but there is much doubt whether this is the same, or "another pah," near Waitemate, the seizure and destruction of which are alluded to in another private letter.
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