One or two steamers were placed on the Waikato river, and our troops advanced to Ngaruawahia, the royal residence of Potatau II., whose palace of reeds may still be seen there. This town is situated about twenty-six miles to the south of Rangiriri, at the confluence of the Waipa and the Horatiu, whose united waters form the Waikato river. The governor had promised to meet W. Thompson, the Maori king-maker, here, and to settle the conditions of peace; but for reasons unknown to us he failed to appear, and our troops pushed on till they reached Piko Piko, a strong pa on the summit of a hill overlooking the Waipa, about thirty miles to the south of Ngaruawahia. We remained encamped opposite this stronghold for three weeks without attempting an assault; our experience at Rangiriri had taught us to be cautious. We had 3900 men under canvas; the defenders of the pa could not have exceeded one-fourth of that number; but, notwithstanding this disproportion, no attempt was made to dislodge the enemy. At the end of three weeks we turned their position, and advanced to the villages of Awamutu and Kilu Kilu, from which they derived their supplies; on this they were obliged to evacuate their stronghold and retreat into the interior. A skirmish took place at Rangiawahia, a native village three miles from Awamutu, during which a venerable Maori lady distinguished herself by coolly occupying a chair in her verandah, and firing deliberately on our men, who retaliated by burning down a native _wharze_, or hut, which contained some warriors who refused to surrender, and were consumed in the flames. We then constructed a line of redoubts, extending from Maugautautari, a stronghold on the Horatiu, which W. Thompson had evacuated, to Te Rori on the Waipa, for the purpose of keeping the enemy in check. This was not so easily done as we imagined. In March some three hundred natives advanced to Ohapau, a village five miles from Awamutu, and began to construct a pa in the midst of a grove of peach-trees. It was captured on the 2nd of April, but Rewi, the ringleader, escaped.