War again broke out in New Zealand in 1860, and so serious did it become that at one time as many as 10,000 regulars and 15,000 colonials were under arms. At Taranaki, on June 13th, the Maoris were defeated, and again at Mahoetaki on November 6th. In order to protect New Plymouth, or the Taranaki district, a chain of redoubts was built, and from one of these, on the Waitara River, a little party of men of the 40th Regiment moved out to locate the Maories known to be in the bush. Directly they entered it a number were killed and wounded by the fire of the hidden enemy, and in a very short time hardly a man was unhurt. In this unfortunate affair, on March 18th, 1861, Sergeant Lucas gained the V.C. for his heroic conduct in assisting Lieutenant Rees, who had been wounded, into cover, and, although himself wounded, remaining at his post under a galling fire. Next day the Maoris surrendered, and for a short spell peace was restored.

In 1863 war again broke out. The Maoris in the North Island had elected a young, characterless man as King, and established a capital at Ngaruawahia, near the junction of the Waikoto and Waipa Rivers. British law was defied, and when the supporters of the weak and pliant "King" had interfered in a dispute affecting Europeans and Maoris, it became necessary to take strong measures. Lieutenant-General Sir Duncan A. Cameron, learning that the Waikoto tribe had planned to invade Auckland, advanced into the wild country north of the Waikoto River, where at Kohera, above the Mangatawari Creek, the rebels had taken up a strongly fortified position. Attacking them on July 12th, 1863, Cameron drove them out and into the swamps, but owing to difficulties in transport was unable to follow up his success. An instance of the chivalry which characterised the brave Maori warriors throughout the war may here be mentioned; the Maoris at Meri-Meri, hearing a rumour that Cameron and his men were short of food, sent a little fleet of canoes under a flag of truce with potatoes and milch goats for their enemy. When he was able to move, Cameron set out to attack Meri-Meri, but on his arrival he discovered that the Maoris had retired southwards across country, whither, owing to the condition of the land caused by the heavy rains, they could not be followed. Cameron pushed on up the river, and at Rangireri attacked the strongly fortified Pah on November 20th; but owing to the assault being made before the artillery had completed its work, the troops, after their repeated assaults, were only partially successful, and during which 6 officers were killed and 9 wounded, and 120 men killed and wounded. At night a number of the enemy escaped from the Pah, and the remnant of 183 surrendered at daybreak.

Four V.C.'s in 1863.—In this fight about 50 artillerymen, armed with swords and revolvers, led by Colonel Mercer, made a brave effort to enter the Pah, but the Colonel was mortally wounded and the gunners had to retire: brave efforts were made by some of his men to rescue him, and Surgeon Temple of the artillery well earned his V.C. for dressing the dying man's wound while the bullets showered around him. Prior to this, Sergeant McKenna of the 65th had gained the V.C. for his coolness and excellent handling of a small detachment of men after the officers had been mortally wounded near Cameron Town on September 8th, and Ensign Donn and Drummer Stagpoole of the 57th had won theirs by a very gallant action in bringing in a wounded man under a heavy fire at Pontoko, on October 2nd. On December 9th General Cameron occupied Ngaruawahia and the Maori "King" surrendered.

The "Gate Pah."—On February 21st, 1864, Rangiawahia was taken, and on March 31st Orakau was invested by a force under Major-General Carey, and captured on April 2nd. Sixteen officers and men were killed and 52 wounded in this engagement. The Maoris then fortified Tauranga, which, on April 29th, after the artillery had played on the place for several hours, a party of the 43rd and about 150 seamen and marines stormed, and thinking the enemy had deserted the Pah, took little precautions for their own safety. The Maoris, however, breaking from the inner entrenchments, mortally wounded the officers, and the storming party, which had entered the "Gate Pah" with ringing cheers, poured out again in confusion. The Pah was evacuated during the night. The "Fighting 43rd" lost 7 officers killed and mortally wounded, and 97 men killed or wounded, the naval brigade losing its Commander, also 4 officers and 40 seamen and marines killed or wounded. In the assault on the Gate Pah Samuel Mitchell, Captain of the Foretop of H.M.S. "Harrier," gained the Victoria Cross for refusing to leave Commander Hay when ordered by him to do so, and, under a shower of bullets, carrying him in his arms out of the Pah. Surgeon Mauley of the R.A. also earned the V.C. for his gallantry in succouring the dying Commander and the wounded generally under the most dangerous circumstances.

On June 21st the 43rd and a detachment of the 68th marched against the Maoris at a Pah they had started to fortify at Te Ranga. After a short but stubborn fight the enemy was worsted and routed, among the killed being the chief, Rawhiwi, who had led the Maoris at the Gate Pah. In this affair Sergeant J. Murray of the 68th gained the V.C. for his bravery in charging one of the enemy's rifle pits and, singlehanded, killing or wounding the eight or ten men who occupied it.

V.C. and three D.C.M.'S.—On January 25th, 1865, a daring attack was made on the British camp at Nukumaru, but was repulsed with great loss. At this place, on the 24th, Captain Shaw of the 18th Royal Irish gallantly won his V.C., and Privates John Brandon, George Clampitt, and James Kearns Distinguished Conduct Medals for the daring rescue of a comrade who had been wounded within about 30 yards of the Maori position.

After the repulse at Nukumaru the Maoris retired upon Wereros, a Pah considered by them to be impregnable and apparently also by General Cameron, for he moved slowly up the coast; and it was not until July 20th, 1865, that the place was attacked, and then under orders from Sir George Grey, the Governor of the Colony. One hundred of the 14th and a like number of the 18th Royal Irish were deputed to threaten an attack on the front of the position, while the 470 colonials and friendly Maoris worked round the rear. This strategy disconcerted the enemy and they abandoned their fortress without firing a shot. During the rest of 1865 and 1866 the fighting was restricted to the West Coast.

In January 1866 an expedition was organised against the Hau-Haus, a body of fanatics whose religion was a strange mixture of cannibalism, paganism, and Christianity. The force consisted of 139 of the 14th, 100 men of the 18th Royal Irish and a like number of the 50th, 45 Forest Rangers, and 300 native auxiliaries under Major Rocke of the Royal Irish. This little army captured the palisaded village of Otahuhu and the Putahi Pah, a fort in the top of a hill 500 feet high covered with dense and primeval jungle. On the night of October 17th Papoia, a native village in the depths of the primitive forest, was captured, and the Hau-Haus no longer offered serious resistance. This was the last serious engagement in which the regular troops took part, and for the rest of the campaign, which terminated in 1869, the Colonials were engaged under the direction of Colonel (afterwards Sir George) Whitmore.

The New Zealand Medal.—This, the second in the chronological order of the series facing page 188, was granted to the troops and seamen who had taken part in the Maori Wars of 1845-6-7 and 1860-1-2-3-4-5-6. The medal, however, was not authorised by a general order until 1869, and there are twenty-two different dates for the army and ten for the navy in raised letters in the centre of a laurel wreath, above which, following the outline of the medal, is "NEW ZEALAND" and below "VIRTUTIS HONOR." On the obverse is the bust of Queen Victoria with a coronet, in which fleur-de-lis stand out prominently, holding a veil which falls upon the shoulders, and the legend VICTORIA D. G. BRITT. REG. F. D. The suspender is fashioned after the manner of a fern frond. This type is only seen with this medal, which is 1? in. in diameter. No bars were issued, but the dates of service were struck as stated above, for example: 1845-7, 1860, or 1860-6; the rank, name, and ship or regiment being impressed on the edge. The medallists were Joseph S. and Alfred B. Wyon, but their names are not always found on truncation of the bust on the obverse of the medals. The ribbon, 1¼ in. wide, is dark blue with dark-red centre of equal width to the blue which borders it.

North-West Frontier.—Between the end of 1849 and the beginning of 1868 no less than seventeen expeditions had been sent to deal with the turbulent inhabitants on the North-West Frontier of India, but the troops which took part in the operations were not granted a medal until 1869, when by a general order dated July 1st it was decided to issue a medal for the services rendered, and then the India General Service Medal, with a bar inscribed NORTH WEST FRONTIER, was given to those who had taken part in fifteen of the expeditions enumerated below; to those who already possessed the medal the bar was added. The names and the regiments were impressed on the edge of the medal in Roman capitals.

The following regiments took part in the various expeditions. Regiments present, 1849: 60th and 61st. 1850: 60th, 61st, and 99th. 1852: 32nd, 53rd, and a battery of Royal Horse Artillery. 1853: 22nd, Guides, 66th Goorkas. 1857: 81st and 98th. 1863: bar for UMBEYLA—7th and 101st Fusiliers; 71st and 93rd Highlanders; half a battery of Royal Artillery and a Mountain Mule battery; the Guides, both Foot and Horse; a squadron of Probyn's Horse; 4th and 5th Goorkas; 3rd and 14th Sikhs; 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 20th Punjab Infantry; 23rd and 32nd Punjab Pioneers and a company of Native Sappers. End of December 1863 to January 1864: 79th Highlanders; 3rd Batt. Rifle Brigade; "D" Battery 5th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery; 7th Hussars and Native Corps.

Umbeyla.—At the end of 1863 a somewhat serious trouble again broke out on the borders of the Aklumd of Swat by the fanatical outbreak of Hindustanis, and a very arduous campaign had to be undertaken between October and December before the district settled down. This little war in Umbeyla (Ambela) was responsible for the death of a great number of officers; first the Buner people refused to allow Sir Neville Chamberlain's army to pass, and the commanding points on the mountains were repeatedly taken and retaken, despite the bravery of the Punjabis and the general gallantry of the troops. Around the Eagle's Nest and the Craig Piquet the most desperate fighting took place, and at the latter post Lieutenants Fosbery and Pitcher won the V.C. for their daring, but to little avail until the force was increased to 9,000 men, and then through strenuous opposition it pushed on, and the Hussanzaie tribes were dispersed. In this expedition 36 British and 31 native officers were killed, and 150 British and 689 native soldiers killed or wounded. A bar for this expedition was not authorised until July 1st, 1869.

Bhootan, 1864-6.—The Umbeyla campaign was but the precursor of another, for that restless spirit which seems to thrive so well on the frontier engendered another outbreak, and disturbances among the Bhootanese in 1864 necessitated the sending of an expedition of four columns to invade Bhootan, a district to the north-east of India. The left column met with little opposition at Dhalimcote, where the fort was bombarded and stormed, or at Bhumsong, where the stockaded positions were evacuated without a shot being fired by the enemy, although they made something of a stand at Chamoorchee. Buxa was taken by one column, and while another pressing on to the Barungah Pass found small opposition, the other reached Bisheusing unmolested. The annexation of Bhootan was then formally declared. In 1865, however, the inhabitants endeavoured to free themselves from British dominion, and rather determined fighting ensued; at the various places already mentioned attacks were made upon the garrisons, and it became evident that stronger force was necessary to hold the country. Reinforcements were hurried forward under Brigadier-General Tombs, C.B., V.C., but after the defeat of the Bhootanese at Dewangari, a hill post at the summit of the Dungarah Pass, hostilities came to an end, and with a stronger permanent military establishment peace was ensured, but not effectually until in 1866 a force of 7,000 men was sent into the country. This determined attitude on the part of the Indian Government resulted in the Deb Rajah of Bhootan signing a treaty of peace.

The following regiments were engaged in the campaign, for which a bar was granted on April 28th, 1870: 55th and 80th Foot; 2 batteries of Royal Artillery; 2nd Goorkas; 11th, 12th, 18th, 43rd, and 44th Bengal Infantry; 5th and 14th Bengal Cavalry; 19th, 29th, and 30th Punjab Infantry.

Looshai.—The introduction of tea-planting into Assam, and the consequent immigration of Europeans, encouraged the predatory hill tribes of the vicinity to extend their depredations, and the Looshai expedition had to be organised to punish the tribes which had been making incursions into the fertile districts at the foot of the mountains. Two columns were sent into the district. One under General Bouchier, composed of native troops with artillery sappers, advanced from Cachar, and so harassed the Looshais that they sued for peace, but it was hardly agreed to before they attacked the British column and wounded the commander. The right column, which had set out from Chittagong, joining hands with the left, assailed the stronghold of Lungvel, and taking it by storm burnt it. The payment of an indemnity was then agreed to, likewise the residence of Government agents in the Looshai villages.

The troops engaged in the operations, which extended from December 1871 to February 1872, were native troops only: 2nd and 4th Goorkas; 22nd and 27th Punjab Infantry; 42nd and 44th Assam Infantry; a battery of Peshawar Mountain Artillery; two companies of Sappers and Miners, and 100 Native Police. The troops were under the command of British officers.