passage, and the next morning they
arrived in Poverty Bay.

Major Biggs had, as soon as the news reached him, raised a force of a
hundred Europeans and natives. He found Te Kooti's party, a hundred and
ninety strong, holding a very strong position near the sea, and sent a
chief to them to say that if they would lay down their arms he would try
and smooth matters over with government. A defiant answer was returned,
and Major Biggs gave orders to commence the attack. But the natives, who
formed the bulk of his force, refused to move, saying that the Hau-Haus
were too numerous and too strongly posted. Under these circumstances an
attack was impossible, for had the little body of whites been defeated
the whole settlement would have been open to ravage and destruction.

During the night Te Kooti and his men started for the interior, carrying
with them all the stores and provisions they had taken from the
schooner. When it was found they had escaped Major Biggs ordered Mr.
Skipwith to follow with some friendly natives, pressing on their rear
until he ascertained their line of retreat, when he was to cut across
country and join the main body who were to march to Paparatu, a point
which Te Kooti would in all probability pass in his retreat. The arrival
of the coaster with the little band from the Mohaka River was hailed
with joy by the Poverty Bay settlers. They arrived just in time to join
Major Biggs, and raised his force to fifty white men, who, with thirty
Maoris, started for Paparatu and arrived there on the following
morning. The Europeans were commanded by Captains Westrupp and Wilson.
In the afternoon Mr. Atherton arrived with a party of four natives whom
he had hired to carry his store of provisions, ammunition, and baggage.

"So I am in plenty of time," he said when he came up. "I could not bring
myself to undertake a night march, but as those fellows have got to lug
all the stores they have captured over the mountains I felt pretty sure
that I should be in time."

"I am glad you are in time, Mr. Atherton," Wilfrid said. "The assistance
of your rifle is not to be despised. The sooner the natives come now the
better, for we have only brought four days' provisions in our
haversacks. I hear that a reserve force is to come up in two days with
rations and ammunition; but one can never calculate upon these natives."

The camp was pitched in a hollow to avoid the observation of the enemy,
but it was proposed to fight at