After the fall of Orakau, the Tauranga natives, who had been assisting the Waikatos, returned home, and began to threaten Lieut.-Colonel Greer, who had just arrived at Tauranga with a force of 500 men, who had been sent by sea from Auckland. General Cameron at once sent reinforcements, and went himself to Tauranga. On the 27th of April, he reconnoitered the position of the natives, and found them entrenched about three miles from Te Papa. The Maoris had thrown up earthworks, and constructed an oblong redoubt, about seventy yards long and thirty wide, which was well palisaded, and surrounded by a post and rail fence. Between the side faces of the redoubt and the adjoining swamps, rifle pits were constructed. This was the celebrated Gate Pa. The number of Maoris engaged in this pa is said not to have exceeded 300, while our troops numbered, with officers, 1695. In addition, General Cameron had a battery of artillery, consisting of one 110-pounder, two 40-pounder, and two 6-pounder Armstrongs; two 24-pounder Howitzers, two 8-inch mortars, and six cohorn mortars. On the night of the 27th, General Cameron's troops completely surrounded the pa, and at 6.30 the following morning the natives opened fire on them. Simultaneously the four batteries opened fire, which was mainly directed at a flag staff which the Maoris, with their usual cunning, had placed about 100 yards outside in the rear of the pa. The ruse was not discovered until two hours later, and much of the firing was extremely wild, the shells falling from 1,000 to 2,000 yards beyond the redoubt. During all this time the natives had only fired twice at long page 153 intervals. At 4 p.m. a breach was made in one of the angles, and an assault was ordered. The storming party comprised 300 sailors, marines, and privates; and 170 others were extended to keep down the enemy's fire, while 300 more followed as a reserve. Other detachments were drawn up in the rear to prevent the escape of the Maoris. With a ringing cheer, which their comrades re-echoed all over the field, the troops gained the breach. The natives attempted to escape at the rear, but finding that impossible, they turned and charged the assaulting column. Then a sudden panic seized our troops, who turned and rushed away in a headlong flight. Captain Hamilton, with a naval brigade, at this moment reached the breach, but he fell with a bullet through his brain. The natives then followed up and committed fearful execution on our men. When General Cameron had rallied his forces it was too late to renew the assault. During the dark night which followed the Maoris escaped. The losses on both sides have been variously estimated. Sir William Fox gives ours at twenty-seven killed and sixty-six wounded; the Maoris, thirty killed and forty wounded. On the other hand, Lieutenant Gudgeon gives the losses on the British side as thirty-five killed, and seventy-six wounded, and states that the Maoris had twenty killed and six wounded.