liberty, while we are fighting for British supremacy. The settlers have already more land than they can cultivate, but this has not prevented them from coveting that which belongs to the natives. If they had waited patiently, a period would have arrived when the Maoris would have seen it to be to their own advantage to part with lands which they cannot turn to any profitable account, but they were unwilling to wait, and endeavoured to compel the natives to enter into their views. Such a policy was as imprudent as it was unjust; there were few troops in the colony; and when the natives flew to arms in 1860, the government had to appeal to the Australian colonies for assistance. The appeal was not made in vain; all the troops that could be spared were despatched at once to the seat of war, including four companies of the 40th Regiment, detachments of which were stationed at Melbourne and Hobart Town. Sergeant-Major Lucas, who then held the rank of colour-sergeant, arrived in New Zealand in 1860, and took part in all the engagements we had with the enemy till the temporary cessation of hostilities in 1861. The Maoris do not fight in the same way as Europeans; it is part of their policy to avoid giving battle in the open field. Their mode of warfare is to conceal themselves in the bush, and to fire upon our men when off their guard; or to erect pas or redoubts, surrounded by a ditch, and surmounted by wooden palisades. Inclosed behind the walls of these pas, they coolly await the approach of our men, and pour upon them destructive volleys while they are advancing to the assault. When their position is no longer tenable, they evacuate the pa, and such is their perfect knowledge of the country that they often contrive to escape through the ranks of our men with little loss. The evacuation of a pa is not considered a defeat; they select a favourable site, and proceed at once to erect another, which has also to be stormed. Many valuable British lives are thus lost, and the war would be interminable, were it not that we may cut off their supplies and ultimately starve them into subjection.