had applied to Mr. Cooper offering to sell a block of land, to some portion of which he laid a claim, and which he says you guarranteed his undisturbed possession of as far as its being included in any block negotiated for on behalf of the Government: that previous to the Wednesday on which the party went to Mr. Cooper to offer ft they had without Whaitere's knowledge cut some portion of the line; that on Wednesday Evening after Rawiri had returned from thus offering the land he Whaitere sent Karipa with a message to tell him not to attempt to mark the boundaries as there would be opposition that he received for an answer they should come; that he sent Karipa a second time to say that if they persisted in carrying out their intentions they must come armed as he and his party should oppose them with arms: (N. B. This is admitted by some of the survivors of Rawiri's party). That on Thursday morning he again told Karipa to take a message to Rawira warning him against the attempt, but which message Karipa was afraid to or did not deliver: that they Whaitere's party met the others near the disputed ground, coming without guns to cut the line where Whaitere brandished his gun high above his head, then fired one barel into the air, and the other into the ground to warn them off; but that instead Rawiri's party rushed towards them Whaitere having only just time to reload, and on the parties closing firing commenced when four were shot dead on the spot, two Paora and Rawiri mortally wounded (the latter died this morning) and six or seven more or less severely wounded. He stated his party to have numbered twenty eight, Rawiri's twenty six. Mr. Turton brought me a letter from Whaitere a copy of which I will send you. On being asked by Mr. Turton what his intentions were, he replied that he had always acted openly and he should continue to do so; that if the Whites interfered in any way his quarrel would be taken up by the Whaitera and other Natives; that if they abstained and any further fighting took place amongst themselves he should warn the Europeans to leave that neighbourhood as they might meet with some accident; but as soon as the fighting was over they might come again to their lands as they had a right to them the district having been fairly purchased and he had received some of the money for it. He was hurt at the dead being buried where they fell as he said that was his ground and threatened opposition to the burial of Rawiri should he die if his people attempted to bury him