(COPY) New Plymouth February 27th. 1852. Sir, I beg to report that I have seen the Natives suspected of having wounded a cow belonging to Mr. Smart on Monday last the 23rd. instant. On that day it appears there were six Waiwakaiho and three Ngatiruanui Natives at work outside the South East boundary of the FitzRoy purchase adjoining Mr. Smart's farm, but after a careful inquiry in which Hone Ropiha the Native Assessor took a prominent past, I failed to elicit information that could in any way sustain a charge against them They affirm that no complaint existed against Mr. Smart to provoke such an attack, and even had any existed, Hone Ropiha would have been consulted and the grievance arranged in a proper manner. They expressed themselves hurt at the imputation and appealed to past occurrences to shew whether their conduct had been such as to justify the present suspicion, all knowledge of which they positively denied. I have etc. (signed) H. Halse. Sergt. Major. A.P,F. Captain King R.M. Resident Magistrate.