THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
381 
The mounted artillery under Lieutenant Rait, R.A. were also sent to 
Ngaruawahia, where they were continually employed in reconnoitring, 
foraging, and as orderlies. 
As the ammunition supplied for the 4§-in. mortars was of very old date, it 
was replaced by 12-pr. howitzer ammunition, the wooden bottoms of the 
shells being knocked off for this purpose. 
Lieut. Carre, R.A. having arrived in New Zealand, joined at Ngaruawahia 
about the beginning of January. 
About 24th January 1864, the guns being required up the Waipa river, 
and the track being impracticable for artillery, the guns and mortars were 
again taken to pieces and were sent up the river in a steamer. The gunners 
marched, and at Whata-whata, about twelve miles from Ngaruawahia, the 
guns were landed and put together again. 
On the 27th January, the three 12-prs. drawn by six bullocks each, 
accompanied an expedition which was ordered to Te Rore (about twelve 
miles south of Whata-whata). This march took two days, from daylight till 
night of each day. A great deal of small-arm ammunition carried on pack 
ponies was in charge of the Royal Artillery. The difficulties which the guns 
met with on this march, were narrow paths, and roads hurriedly made by the 
engineers where any steep ascents and descents had been met with. The 
bullock-drivers were not very good, and often the guns were in imminent 
danger of being upset down places from which it would have taken hours to 
extricate them; and from the paucity of transport no spare wheel could be 
carried. 
The temporary bridges over creeks had also to be made in a great haste, 
and of any materials that could be got on the spot. Sometimes the guns 
had to be taken over these bridges, and up and down the more difficult 
ascents and descents by hand, thus entailing extra labour on the gunners 
and fatigue-parties assisting them. There was, of course, no transport for 
men's necessaries; every man carried his own blanket, carbine,* and change 
of clothes. At about 9 p.m. on the second day’s march, the guns arrived 
at a creek about thirty feet wide, with soft low banks, and it was necessary 
to cross it as soon as possible. A large canoe was procured, and the 
gunners, assisted by a detachment of sailors, took the guns to pieces in the 
dark, and, the canoe being placed as a bridge, the guns were taken across 
piecemeal, put together on the opposite side, and taken on about three 
miles further to the camp. 
On both these nights and for a short time afterwards the troops bivou¬ 
acked, as there was no transport available for tents. One limber-box was 
slightly damaged during the march, but no further damage was done to the 
guns and nothing was lost. The round spars previously mentioned were 
invaluable in moving the guns about. 
On the 27th January 1864, Colonel Williams, R.A., arrived to take 
command of the Royal Artillery in New Zealand. “I” Battery of the 
4th Brigade, R.A. equipped with six of the latest pattern 12-pr. Arm¬ 
strong's under Colonel Barstow, arrived, at the same time. 
Six 6-pr. Armstrong's also arrived at this time and were consigned to 
the Principal Military Storekeeper in New Zealand. 
* Every gunner in the battery had been supplied with a carbine by the Colonial Government. 
