Auckland, June 19th, 1846. Sir, In compliance with your Excellency's Instructions dated April 17th 1846 I left Port Nicholson for Wanganui on Thursday the 23rd ultimo and after being becalmed for two days off the Heads, I was enabled on Saturday to steer towards my destination but finding the weather too boisterous to admit of landing and the wind proving fair, I deemed it advisable to proceed to Taranaki in order to take up Mr. McLean, and thereby avoid the delay of sending for that Gentleman overland. I reached New Plymouth on the 27th ultimo whence having effected my object, sailed for Wanganui on the 28th and the wind failing when abreast of their will and caprice, and I beg leave most respectfully to call your Excellencys attention to their present most insecure and defeneless position and would recommend if possible their speedy removal to some other settlement where their lives and property may be more readily protected. I cannot conclude this report without expressing to your Excellency my sense of the services performed by Messrs. McLean and White who notwithstanding the frequent interference of the Natives and the continued inclemency of the Weather, afforded me the most ready and cordial assistance, and laboured incessantly to effect the object of my mission. I left Wanganui on the 5th Inst. and reach Wellington on the 7th where I was delayed some time by His Honor the Superintendent, who having on this day heard of the loss of the ''Uncle Sam'' in which vessel he had sent his Despatches to your Excellency, he was consequently obliged to forward duplicates. I left Wellington on the morning of the 11th Inst. and arrived here on the 18th inst. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Excellency's Most Obedient humble Servt., John Jermyn Symonds, Private Secretary. To: His Excellency The Governor of New Zealand Kai ivi I deemed it most prudent to land and next morning reached my destination. Arrived I found the Natives anxiously expecting me, and on the following day shewed your Excellency's letter to the principal Chiefs, who avowed themselves most desirous to settle this long pending question, and having requested Mr. McLean to read the enclosed address (Enclosure No. 1) I proceeded to inform them that it behoved them to point out to me the boundaries of the block, as also the limits of their several reserves, which they at once agreed to. They appeared much discontented, with the portions of land set apart for them by Mr. Spain and expressed a desire to retain certain reserves in large blocks, where their cultivations were most frequent. Finding that during the past four years, their cultivations had spread, over the greater portion of the sections, and that the survey of such small patches of land, would occupy a much longer time than I could reasonably afford, I at once consented to this reasonable request, and commenced at "Patiki waka nui" where "Te Mawai" Horo Kingi, John Williams Ngapara and Kawana required a large tract of land as your Excellency will observe in the accompanying plan, These Chiefs were for the most part present when the boundaries were staked out ''Te Mawai'' and ''Ngapara'' placing the corner stakes themselves. (Enclosure No. 2) Upon this I directed Mr. Wills to survey the Block, who protested against the sections being ceded, having been instructed so to do by the principal Agent of the New Zealand Company. (Enclosure No. 3) This protest I have the honor to transmit, with my answer upon the receipt of which Mr. Wills commenced the survey, whilst I proceeded up the river accompanied by Messrs. McLean and White also Te Mawai Inaua Maketu to visit the Pa of Tunuhaere where many natives of the Pawtakotoko Tribe were collected, where after a very stormy debate they assented to the outer boundary as laid down in the original plan, reserving for themselves certain cultivations which are also marked. I instructed Mr. White to run the outer boundary line, sending with him some influential Natives as witnesses of the lands and together with Mr. McLean, went to ''Waipakura'' to inspect another Reserve which Maketu Tahana and others of Turoa's sons required. I had previously been assured by the Revd. R. Taylor that these two reserves would satisfy the Natives and they themselves expressed the same opinion, and feeling that it would be far better to confine them to two large blocks I determined to grant their request and accordingly desired Mr. White to survey these boundaries upon the eompletion of the service he was then employed upon. Upon my return to Petre I found that a Public Meeting had been held, the minutes of which I have the honour to transmit, (Enclosure No. 4) when having explained to the Settlers that the blocks in question contained far less than they anticipated, and having pointed out my views, they at once agreed that the plan proposed was the most advisable. I trusted that no impediment now existed to prevent the speedy settlement of this business and Mr. Will's having finished the Survey of the Patikituwaranui reserve repaired by my desire to "Wangaihi" to lay down and cut the outer boundary on the Eastern side, but he had no sooner commenced when he was stopped by the chief of this tribe, Abraham, who claimed a tract of nearly seven thousand acres and who insisted upon the marking of the boundary between his land and that of the Wanganui Natives and I learnt to my surprise that his claim was recognised by ''Te Mawai'' and the other Chiefs, and that although comprised in the block awarded to the New Zealand Company by Mr. Spain, the native owners had never been consulted on the subject of selling. I had previously been informed by the Rev. R. Taylor that in his opinion the Patikawaramnui tribe were entitled to the whole compensation money, and that they expected to obtain it, as he observed that the tribes up the river had been paid for their land by Mr. Edward G. Wakefield but these had received nothing and they were the more confirmed in their expectation from the fact of Mr. Spain having offered the whole compensation to ''Te Mawrai'' which he refused, but the claim of the Wangaihu tribe had never occurred to Mr. Taylor. After much persuasion Abraham the Chief of Waingaihu permitted Mr. Wills to proceed with the survey, and I left Mr. McLean with him in case any other dispute might arise, who upon his return informed me that these people would require a large payment for that portion of the land included within the block awarded by the Commissioner, which was their property. It was at this juncture that the news of the attack upon the Hutt reached Wanganui it was brought by two Natives who were sent by "Mawaku" or "Te Karomu" with a letter to "Ngapara" "Maketu" and other influential chiefs, pressing them to join him, upon enquiry I found that this was the third letter he had written to the same effect, and I procured from Mr. Nixon J.P. a copy of his first which together with a translation I transmit (Enclosure 5) the last was read by Mr. McLean who informed me that it contained an Account of recent occurrences on the Hutt and expressed a strong desire that the Wanganui Natives should join him. I was also informed by a Native of Waikanoe Tauarima of the Ngatiawa tribe who had married the daughter of one of the Putotokotoko chiefs that he had overheard Maketu and several others state that they would wait until the payment was made and then join ''Mamoku'' this man came to me at night, informing me that he was afraid to do so by day, lest he should be seen with me by the other Natives. I also received an intimation from Mr. White that one of his survey party a man thoroughly acquainted with the Native language, had heard the same sentiments expressed by the same parties also that he (Mr. White) had met a canoe on the river laden with Musquets and Amunition, bound as the Crew stated for ''Waikanoe''. Before receiving this information, having watched a favourable opportunity I had landed the compensation money which the Natives named in the margin (Ngawaka, Tareha, Rupene, Tautoka) no sooner learnt than they insisted on other reserves being made for them. Wishing to ascertain how much land they required I repaired to the several places mentioned and conceived their demands to be so exorbitant that I felt it my duty to break off the negociation, I consulted the principal settlers upon this point and found them unanimous in the opinion that it would be preferable to abandon the Settlement, rather than accede to the demands of the Natives and they forwarded to me the accompanying memorial (Enclosure No. 6) which they requested might be laid before your Excellency. Feeling that after acceeding to all their demands an arrangement if entered into would under existing circumstances be little to be depended upon, and hearing that there was a possibility of the Natives attempting to prevent my reshiping the compensation money, I caused it to be secretly conveyed on board the ''Victoria'' and prepared to follow upon the arrival of Messrs. McLean and Wills from Waingaihu, they reached me on the 4th Inst. and informed me that after much trouble they had been enabled to effect the object of their mission although the original block was much reduced. Previous to my departure I informed Te Mawai and the principal chiefs of my intention and of my reasons for taking this step, stating that I did not consider myself authorised to make the great concessions required, without first consulting your Excellency on the subject, they appeared much dissatisfied the more especially as they had heard a report of the intention of the settlers to remove. In conclusion I beg leave humbly to observe that the Natives of this district have from the ineffective state of the Police force (which consists of a Police Magistrate and one Constable) conceived a thorough contempt of our power and from the fact of many petty thefts having passed unpunished from the want of means of bringing the offenders to justice, they consider the authorities incapable of enforcing the laws, and look upon the settlers as wholly dependant upon