mn on such a march. It would be a physical impossibility, and I am
not going to attempt it. I shall take a week to recover from my fatigues
of last night, and shall go down and stay quietly at the settlement. If
Te Kooti takes it into his head to come down there, I shall have great
pleasure in doing my best towards putting a stop to his rampaging over
the country. If he does not come down I shall, as they say, await
developments, and shall find plenty to do in the way of botanizing."

Mr. Atherton had not exaggerated the fatigues and hardships that the
force would be called upon to undergo, and they were worn out and
exhausted when at last they came upon the track of the Hau-Haus. When
they were resting for a short halt Captain Carr, late R.A., who was with
the force as a volunteer, reconnoitred a short distance ahead and found
the enemy's fire still burning. The news infused fresh life into the
tired and hungry men, and they again went forward. The track led up the
bed of a river which ran between low, steep cliffs impossible to climb,
and the men had to advance in single file. After marching for some
distance they reached a bend in the river, where a narrow track ran
through a break in the cliff and up the spur of a hill. The advanced
guard, consisting of six men, led by Captain Carr, were within fifty
yards of this point, when a heavy fire was opened upon them. Just where
they were the river bank was sufficiently low to enable them to climb it
and take cover in the thick scrub above, whence they replied vigorously
to the Hau-Haus, who were within a few yards of them. In the meantime
the enemy had opened fire from the base of the hill at the river bend
upon the main body, who, standing in single file in the river, were
unable to reply or to scale the steep bank and take covering in the
scrub. Colonel Whitmore and Captain Tuke tried to lead the men up to
charge, but this could only be done in single file, and the fire of the
enemy was so hot that those who attempted this were killed or wounded,
Captain Tuke being severely hurt. The rest found what shelter they could
among the boulders in the river bed, and remained here until the
advanced guard fell back, hard pressed by the enemy, and reported the
death of Captain Carr and Mr. Canning, another volunteer.

The natives now pressed through the scrub above the cliffs to cut off
the retreat. The friendly natives, who were well behind, were ordered to
scale the cliff then,