XVI
Contents.
| Chapter XXXV.—The Battle of Rangiriri. | Page |
| Maori fortifications on Rangiriri Hill—Trenches from lake to river—Position attacked by General Cameron—Land forces and river flotilla—Artillery preparation and assaulting-parties—The outer trenches carried—Maori central redoubt remains impregnable—Royal Artillery and Royal Navy storming-parties repulsed—Heavy British losses—Surrender of the pa—Prisoners sent to Auckland—The escape from Kawau Island | 318 |
| Chapter XXXVI.—The Advance on the Waipa. | |
| The Upper Waikato invaded—Advance of Cameron's army—Scenes on the Waikato River—The Water Transport Corps flotilla—Ngaruawahia occupied—Strong fortifications at Paterangi, Pikopiko, and Rangiatea—Native genius in military engineering—The approaches to Rangiaowhia blocked—Maori artillery at Paterangi—Te Rotimana the gunner—The bathing-party at Waiari—A skirmish on the Mangapiko banks—Forest Rangers' sharp fighting—How Captain Heaphy won the V.C.—Heavy losses of the Maoris | 327 |
| Chapter XXXVII.—The Invasion of Rangiaowhia. | |
| A night march from Te Rore—Paterangi and Rangiatea outflanked—British column invades Rangiaowhia—An early-morning surprise visit—Skirmishing in the Kingite village—Colonel Nixon shot—Huts burned and defenders killed—Dramatic death of a Maori warrior—"Spare him, spare him!"—Skirmishing at the Catholic church—Paterangi garrison hasten to defend Rangiaowhia—Hairini Hill entrenched—Position attacked by British force—Trenches stormed at the point of the bayonet—A cavalry charge—Defeat of the Kingites—British advance up the Horotiu River—Field force enters Kihikihi, Rewi's headquarters—Maoris retreat across the Puniu River | 341 |
| Chapter XXXVIII.—The Siege of Orakau. | |
| The peach-groves and wheat-fields of Orakau—War-council of the Kingites—Decision to continue the war—Site for a fort selected at Orakau—Rewi's pessimism and the Urewera's insistence—Unsuitable position of the pa—Brigadier-General Carey's advance—The pa surrounded—British assaults repulsed—A sap commenced—Maori reinforcements appear—Scenes and war-councils in the redoubt—The heroic three hundred—Proposal to abandon the pa rejected—Short of water and ammunition—Firing wooden bullets—End of second day's siege | 355 |
| Chapter XXXIX.—The Siege of Orakau (continued). | |
| Dawn of the third day—"Let us charge out before it is light"—Tupotahi's advice rejected—Heavy fire concentrated on the redoubt—Sufferings of the defenders—The sap approaching the outworks—Shell-fire and hand-grenades—General Cameron's summons to surrender—Mair's interview with the Maoris—Rewi's council of war—The Maoris defiant ultimatum, "Peace shall never be made—never, never, never!"—The fighting renewed—Hand-grenades thrown into the pa—The defenders retreat fighting—The flight through the swamp—Pursuit by infantry and cavalry—Incidents of the chase—Splendid heroism of the Kingites—Half the garrison killed—The bayoneting of Hine-i-turama | 377 |
