372 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
cut along the crests of hills and ridges which extended in a semi-circular 
form for a distance of about a mile from right to left. Behind the position 
was a dense bush or forest. On its right was the river Waitara, and in all 
directions was high and thick fern., which w r as most difficult to walk through. 
A position for the guns was taken up near the redoubt, about 800 yards 
from the rifle-pits; and orders were received to u keep down the fire of the 
natives,” who being scattered about in the different pits* were firing at the 
troops engaged in pushing forward a double sap, the head of which was 
about 100 yards from the centre of the position. 
The shells from the Armstrong's were fired either with concussion fuzes 
to pierce and burst in the pits, or with time fuzes fixed to burst the shells 
short and high, so that the pieces might search the different entrenchments. 
During the three days that the Armstrong's were in action, about 100 
rounds were fired from them. 
The mortars were occasionally used, and the small 5J-in. coehorns, in an 
advanced parallel, were particularly useful. 
It was while laying one of these small mortars that Lieut. MacNaghten, 
R.A., who had served throughout the entire campaign at Taranaki, was 
killed on the 17th March, and the following day Serjeant Christie, R.A 0 
was wounded near the same spot. 
A 24-pr. howitzer and a 9-pr. gun were also in charge of the Royal 
Artillery, but were seldom used after Captain Mercer's arrival. An attempt 
was made to burn the bush and fern with carcasses, but it did not succeed. 
After the cessation of hostilities, Captain Mercer and other officers care- 
fully examined the native position; and as doubts had been raised as to 
whether the shells burst when fired with concussion fuzes into earth, several 
were dug out, and it was found that in every case the shell had burst after 
entering from 6 to 8 feet, though the displacement of earth underground 
was very small owing to the small amount of powder in the burster. 
The artillery laboured under great disadvantages. They were firing up 
the side of a hill; they were ignorant of the shape of the Maori rifle-pits and 
could not tell what damage was done after each round. The firing was 
directed at a position more than a mile in length, and the direction was 
continually being changed from one part to another. Not more than the 
head and shoulders of any hostile natives were visible during the time the 
guns were in action, and a group of more than two or three natives together 
was never seen. No breaching was required. 
In the beginning of May 1861, the three Armstrong's being ordered back 
to Auckland were again taken to pieces at the mouth of the Waitara river, 
and were conveyed in surf-boats to H.M.S. “Rawn" which took them to the 
Manukau harbour. The drivers of this half-battery had accompanied it to 
Taranaki, but not being required with the guns (as there were no horses, 
and bullock driving is a trade of itself), were employed in assisting the 
engineers in gabion-making for the sap. 
At Manukau harbour the half-battery was disembarked, put together, and 
* The pits were from 5 to 7 feet deep, about 3 feet wide, and provided with steps to fire from. 
The excavated earth was thrown behind the pits, and at every 8 or 10 yards a traverse was left of 
nearly the same width as the ditch. 
