ards Lieutenant Butler, while bravely animating his men, and
having shot three of the enemy, received his death-wound. The command
now devolved on Sergeant McKenna, who, leaving Corporal Ryan and two men
with the wounded officers, with the rest of the force charged the enemy
in the most spirited manner, and put them to flight. A fresh position
was again taken up in an opening, on the left and front of which the
Maories had collected. The sergeant, ordering his men to extend in
skirmishing order across the opening, kept up a hot fire for a
considerable time with the savages, bringing down some who had climbed
up into trees for the purpose of taking more certain aim.

Any wavering or disorder on the part of the soldiers would have caused
their immediate destruction. Their steady coolness alone seemed to
overawe the natives, who, after losing several of their number, retired
to a greater distance. They still, however, kept up a fire at the
little body of British, by which another man was killed. Night was
drawing on. McKenna saw that the time for retreating had arrived. He
took his measures with admirable coolness and presence of mind. He
ordered the front rank of skirmishers to fire a volley, and, giving a
loud cheer as if about to charge, to retire down the hill by a sheltered
path through the bush. The movement was executed with the utmost
steadiness. When they were established below, the rear rank performed
the same manoeuvre, and, finding a stream of clear water, were able to
refresh themselves. They were not to retire unmolested. They were
again attacked by the Maories, numbering, it was ascertained, nearly 300
men, who were, however, successfully driven back; and at eight o'clock
the party commenced their arduous retreat through the bush, many of them
severely wounded. It would be impossible to describe fully the
difficulties of that midnight march through the tangled bush, with
bloodthirsty foes swarming on every side. The judgment and coolness of
the non-commissioned officers in charge of the party cannot be praised
too highly. It was not till eight o'clock in the morning that they came
in sight of the redoubt, and met a body of 100 men marching to their
relief.

They then learned that Corporal Ryan and Privates Bulford and Talbot
had, in the most devoted manner, remained with Captain Swift, after
carrying him for some distance, till he died, and that the savages had
at one time actually surrounde