The inarticulate telegram from New Zealand, which neither we nor
Sir Charles Wood were able to explain last week, about war having broken out in the Whainyaroa district, should have said in the TVanyanui district, that is, the native country between Taranaki and 'Wellington. According to Mr. Weld's programme, a military road was to be at once made through the Wanganui from Taranaki to Wellington, and this the natives were determined to resist. About 200 built and fortified a pah on the Waitotara river. On the 11th of January a force of 600 men, under General Waddy, was sent to look at this pals, but it was not attacked. The Maories, knowing how long intervenes between a reconnaissance and an attack, immediately set to work to strengthen it in every possible way. As General Cameron did not order it to be attacked, but sent a party across the river to pass it without attack, the natives grew bolder, and after an attack made on a moving column on the 24th January, on the 25th the Msories actually attacked our camp at Nukumarii with GOO men in it, with only at most an equal force themselves. They drove in one picket, and though forced to retire with considerable loss—said to be 70 —our loss was also large, and oar reputation certainly did not gain by this first regular assault of a native force on an English camp.
