THE BATTLE OF MOUTOA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 215, 21 July 1864, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF MOUTOA.

Wn take the following report from the JSciv Zealand Gazette published yesterday : — KkI'OUT IIV Ills lloNOll Till: Svi'KHISTEKDEXT OF AVJ:LJ.I>O'IU>", m-' mi: DATH.J-: OF IMOVTOA, AMI Sl'llsSKtfVKkT KVJ-.STS OK TIIK WAKGAKt/l lilVfcK. Immediately on receiving intelligence on the lltli May ol an intended attack b> the rebel natives upon the' settlement of Wanganui, I made arrangements for taking up with me in one of tlicN. Z. 8. !N. Coinpan v's steamers some 25 men ol the Colonial Defence l'orce, lor the purpose of strengthening the troops stationed in the upper part of Haagitikei, which, exposed as it is to attack from tlie Taupo and Waikato natives, is perhaps the most vulnerable point in this Province. Owing to delay in tlie arrival oi the steamer in this port, wc did not sail till the evening of the 14th. On arriving at Wauganui the following afternoon, I found the whole population, .European and Maori, in a state ol great excitement m consequence of news having arrived early that morning, that an engagement had taken place some sixty miles up the river between tlie rebels (composed chiefly of the adherents of the new religious sect—or fanatics as they are appropriately termed) a'ld the friendly natives, in which the latter had gained a most signal victory. -As to the details of the battle the most contradictory statements were The settlers were enthusiastic in their praises of their native allies, and the Maoris, elated beyond measure with the success their friends and relations up the river hail achieved, were prepared at once to clear llic Wanganui Kiver of all Kingites, and at the same time to march to Tarauaki, sweeping all before them. Some hundred natives were preparing to reinforce their friends up tlie river. Having ascertained that our native allies were really short ol ammunition and guns, and that it was more than probable that the Waikatos, Taranakis, and IS'gatiruanuis, anil other tribes would at once muster in force to avenge the defeat and death of so of their relations and chiefs in the battle oi Aloutoa, I determined to furnish the friendly natives with arms, ammunition, aud food, and to proceed myself up the river v.-ith the reinl'ercement, taking with me Dr. Fletcher to attend the wounded, and Mr. booth us my interpreter. I failed in procuring more than seven guns. Previous to leaving, havingheard that the ISgaliapas were anxious to join the Wanganui natives, and that the latter were nothing loth to accept their assistance, I requested Mr. White to write to the JXgatiapas, forbidding them to move lVom their district, and then explained to the Putiki chief's that in the present, state of relations between the iS'gatiapas and the JCgatiraukawas, nothing would tend so much to embroil them with tho Xgatiraukawas as their seeking the aid of tho Is'gatiapas, it being well known that the Wanganui natives are backiug the JNgutiapas against the Ngatiraukawas in their KatigitUici land dispute. They at onco admitted that such in all probability would be the result, and pledged themselves not to allow a single Ngatiapa to accompany them up the river—a pledge they most faithfully kept. Tuesday, May 17th.—Wo left Wanganui about 1 p.m. in n canoe manned by a crew of some fifteen men, under the guidance of Iloani Wirenm (John Williams) —the main body under Hori Kingi, Mawai, and other JPutiki chiefs, had started some two or three

hours amidst the clicers of tlie "Wanganui settlers> who had loaded the canoes with provii-unts of variouskinds. Few who witnessed that scene will l'orget thaheartiness with which the Maoris responded to the hip, hip, hip, hurra, hurra, hurra of the settlers. And. yet while these Maoris were going again to engageI in a contest in which they had little or no concern— ; to risk their lives a stcoiid lime almost solely in de- : fi-ntv ul tho Europeans—there were still some few settlers who grudged them the arms and ammunition the Government had supplied them .with, and deplored the infatuation of the Government in trusting liit-m, or, as they -expressed it, in arming savages against their own race. It was dusk before wc reached Ilaorikea (Laodicea) where we found Hori lvingi and his people engaged in a taugi which lasted nearly the whole night. We pitched our tent on the opposite bank of the river. Wednesday, the I.Bth. — Owing to a heavy fresh, in the river, and to the necessity of having a tatigi at each pa for the killed and wounded, our progress was so slow that we did not to-day make more than aoout twelve mil s, arriving at l'arikino, where. we halted for the night, at 4 p.m. Xen natives belonging to the pa who had been engaged in the light at Moutoa» had just returned. Kawuua Paipai (Governor Piper) one of our Putiki chiefs, after conversing with these men for a few moments, cu*uu; to me in great tribulation, saying that the two chiefs Henri Jnepi (a near relation ot his own) and Riwai, who had lallen on the field of battle, had been buried like dogs— thrown into the ground without coltms. 1 at oneo assured them that 1 \vou:d have the bodies exhumed and coilins made for them, and that they should bo buried win rover he pleased, and further that a suitable monument should be erected to the memory of them and all the brave men who had sacriliced tbeir lives for the l'ukelms on the field of Moutoa. Kawana Paipai vent away, with liis heart, if no longer sad, at any rale gvtafly lightened. Thursday, the 19tli.— We h i'urikino early. Tlrw j fresh in the river (it having been mining nearly alli yesterday) much increased. Un arriving at Ateno' (Athens) 1 found it- was not their intention toland ; buton my declaring that it was my determination to visit every pa, whether friendly or Hostile, they paddieltothe landing place. This pa really consists of two l pas, distant from each oilier about a couple ofliundnd yards, the one occupied by the friendly natives, tlio other by the rankest Kingites and scoundrels, headed by old ilamaraiiia, the brother of either l'elii or the late Hori I'ateue (1 forget which). At this pa, situate midway between Tawliitinui and Wanganui, Mateue and his gang, had they succeeded in forcing the river, were to have halted for a night. An amptu commissariat had been provided for them, and the next morning the whole of Hamarama's mob would have accompanied them in their descent upon Wanganui. Our interview with Hamarama wa» very brief. Hamarama, after greeting us, expressed himself as much hurt at our apparent intention to* pass his pa without landing, i replied that I had landed to tell him that 1 was Well aware of tho designs of himself and his followers, to wain him against persisting in them, and to let him and other Kirgitcs know that the Government were not merely arming the loyal natives, but were prepared, if necessary, to protect them with troops. His reply was to the effect that be was an old and infirm man, that he took no part in such matters, that he stood on the outside, that 1 must speak to l J chi, whatever Pehi said you must do, you will be able to make arrangements with Pehi. llori Kingi, who appears to have an intense contempt and hatred of the people ot thinpa, then stood up and said, "Hainarama, 1 haveonly a few words to utter. I am going up the river' to speak to l'elii, when I return 1 shall have a wordor two to say to you," and oti' we marched to our canoes. Hie meaning of Hori Kingi's words to Hamarama is this—Hori Kingi has made up his mind that he will have no Kingites in his rear, between his advanced post and Wanganui, and that if II aniaralna does not quietly and speedily accept this polite notice to quit, he will summarily eject him. We arrived, just as it was getting dark, at Utumairo, and knowing that several of the wounded men were at Koronito (Corinth), a few miles higher up, I urged tliut we should push oil; but they pleaded that it would be a gross breach of Maori etiquette to approach after dark a pa where there was a war party, even though that war party was a friendly one. There was no getting over this; and I had ceased to argue in the cause of the wounded, when luckily a messenger arrived with a letter from the chiefs of koromti, who had heard of our being on our way up, urging that 1 should come on at onco and bring the doctor with me, as some of the wounded were very very bad. After some hesitation, and very manifest reluctance, the chiefs consented to my going, providing me with a most ample crew. At k oronit i we found seven wounded men, the majority of them very severely. Dr. Eletcher dressed their wounds, and extracted a ball from one of them, and 1 made arrangements for their being started oil to \\ angauui early on the following morning. Friday, the 20th— At this pa (Koroniti) we met the chiefs Mete Kingi and Haimona, who were on their way to Wanganui to receive instructions as to their future proceedings, but who stayed here as soon as they heard 1 was coming up. .Last night I addressed the people in the ruiianaga house, and as at this pa all the leading surviving chiefs who were engaged at the battle of Aloutoa were present, and gave me in the presence of their people the minutest details of the light. It may, perhaps, be well here to give an account of the battle of Moutoa. Matene and his followers, immediately on then* arrival on the Wanganui Kiver, entered into negotiations with the friendly natives for permission to pass down the river to attack the town of Wanganui; but not only were all their overtures indignantly rejected, but they were told the passage would be prevented, no matter at what sacrilice of life. Matene then said he would, wait two months, ii at the expiration ot that tune the loyal natives would give way. The latter, at length, sick and wearied of these negotiations, oil hriday, the 13tli May, sent a special messenger to Alateue and his fanatics proposing that they should do battlo on the following day at a certain liuur, oil the island of Moutoa. The challenge was at once accepted, it being stipulated that neither party should attempt to surprise the other, or in any way to violate the conditions of the duel. The thr.o fixed was tho break of day. The island of Moutoa, almost midway in the river, may be 000 yards long and some 20 wide, and about 12 or 15 l'cet above the level of tho river ; it is thinly covered with nianukau scrub and fern, but presents certain irregularities of ground which afford considerable shelter, and except when there is a fresh in the river it is surrounded by a bed of shingle. On the day of the battle there was so little water in the river that the friendly natives on the left bank had not to wade probably more than 30 yards through water not more than a foot or eighteen inches deep to get to the island. The rebels located at Tavnitiuui, nearly opposite tho north-eastern extremity' ot the island, could only reach the island by canoes, the river between it and tho right bank being both deep and rapid. The friendly natives say that they mustered t-ome 300 strong, and that the rebels did not number more than from 120 to 140, of whom not a few were mero boys. Before daybreak, a party of theloyals, headed, by Hemi Napi, were on the island, and posted themselves at the extremity at wliich their foes were to land. The were shortly followed by the remainder of their force under Mete" Kingi.' The advance partywas formed of three companies, one, consisting of liornan Catholics, and numbering ten men, were led by Kereti; another, consisting of nine men, was commanded by Hemi and liiwai; and the tiiird numbering lifteen'nien, was led by Aperaniko and Haiuiona. The reserve companies were some distance in the rear. Matene tind his lunatics landed out of seven canoes on a shingle spit without opposition about 7 a.m. Their forces were arranged in a similar way to that of the loyal natives. Immediately after they were formed they commenced iucantation, shouting " Hau, hau !"—lip, up! and using gestures not unlike the passes made by mesmerists. They laboured under a strange delusion that while they themselves were invulnerable, their opponents would be forced by their incantations to approach close to them without power to oiler any resistance. For two hours were these incantations kept up, the advanced companies being not more than twenty yards from each other. As soon as the fir.it shot was fired by ono ot the rebels (Iloani Winihcie, ot l'ipiriki) the opposing forces slowly advanced, till they wero within thirty feet of each other, when a volley was exchanged. Several fell on both sides, and amongst them the chief Kereti, whose loss seems to have dispirited the .oyal natives, for thev immediately commenced to retreat, slowlv at first, but when after another volley or two their two other lenders, llemi and Kewai, were lolled, thev fairly broke and fled. The reserve, inslead ot coming to their support, also fled, most ot them reerossiug the river. The battle seemed at this moment completely lost, and probably would not been retreived had it not been lor the ch '? t Ha n . 1 .3 Hiroti, who when he re-ached the eiul ol_ the udai d -shouted "T will go no iurtlicr, ;tnd linny rallied some twenty men just in time to pour a deadly y:

volley into tha rebels, who were closo upon them. After this it seems to have been hand to hand fight; but the rebels have lost several of their..leaders, .and" Mete Kingi wth the having :j qjpiped ' Hiroti, Bpp}i tyroV-iled, being hotly,; pursued till the5 J Cached. £ -lead of the island, whea all who sur-~ J vi ved'( with' the exceptionofa few who escaped in a canoe) fook to the fiver, arid were most of them shot down. Matdne, ' though he' was badly wounded while flwimiriing, succeeded in gaining the bank, but was almost immediately tomahawked by a native policetnan," Te Moro, who lost no time in swimming after him. It 'ia scarcely possible to state what the rebel 3osa was, but forty dead bodies wero found on the island, and several more -were seen to sink while attempting to cross tho river. Nearly all the survivors aro known to be wounded. Tho friondlv natives had twelve billed, and from 25 to 30 wounded. Several spears and other weapons of war wero taken, and also Pehi's King flag, which was found in a large canoe, and on searching Matone's wluiro tho conquerors obtained a prize of ninety sovereigns. It is only fair to add that amongst tho friendly natives were some So or 40 Kingites, who have most of them since renounced Kiugism and taken the oath of allegiance to the Queen. The meeting last evening already alluded to as taking place in the runauga house lasted several hours, but as the purport of the speeches was the same as at the groat meeting held to-day at Rananu (London), it is'needless to report thom. In the course of this morning (Friday, 20th), Hori Kingi and his party, whom we had left behind iit Otumairo, arrived, and after a tunrji and some speechifying wo proceeded to Ranana, where now nearly the whole of the loyal natives wero assembled. At the meeting held in tho latter part of the day nearly all the chiefs spoke, so that it is impossible to give raoii» than one or two. • Mete Kingi: •' I was on my way to town to ask for instructions as to our course of proceeding for the future, to ask for assistance in the way of arms and ammunition, and to know what I am to do about tho prisoners. Now you have como, our way is clour; it good thing you have douo in coining here, iou, the representative of the Governor. Our hoar's are light through seeing you this day." Haimona: "We want guns; old fashioned muskets with caps for tho older men, double-barrelled aims and rifles for the younger men, with powder, lead, caps, and roost of all we want soldiers to bo stationed at eaoh pn as they are on the Waikato. We also want big guns to protect our pas, and to be assisted in our commissariat, for most of these men . have left and cultivations. Wo want military settlors tha same aa they have on tho Waikato. "We are prepared to givo thoin laud if they protect us; hut abo Ye all things let us have ro..ds made into this river to bring up supplies, and ulso that soldiers may tie brought to our assistance." Hoani Wiremu; Lot my road ba made at once through the Kokoro to come out near Parikino, and Jet Pakeha and Maori work togethor at this road." Hori Kingi and others chiefly referred to the prisoners, the purport of their speeches being : " Wo have fought for the Queen and for the protection of "the Pakehiis. "We have killed in the battle of Moutoa many of our nearest relations and friends. We have taken others of them prisoners. Have we not done enough for the Queon and our friends the Pakehas P Must we surrender these prisoners to be pent to Auckland or "Wellington and there put in gaol. But if they must be surrendered, whatever you Bay shall be done. Cannot Te Kaimona bo given up to us ? Ho ss nearly related to every chief of this river, to all of us ; but if you deoido that thoy must lie all given into your hands, we will do so." In replying, I stated that I he.<l come up on behalf of the Government and settlers to thank thom for the ptand they had made i .gainst Mateno and his fanatics, for having displays! such bravery, and for having achieved such a signal victor)-; that rsympathized deeply with all those who had lost their friends jmd relations in tha tight; that I felt certuin the Government would provide for the -widows and orphans, and also for the wounded ; that with respect to assistance, I had already supplied them with ammunition, and as many guns a3 I could procure at Wanganui i that moro .should be sent from Wellington ; that I would supply them with provisions from time to time, as long as they were kept away from their homes and cultivations ; that with regard" to tho prisoners, they were rebels taken fighting against the Queen, and were therefore Queen's prisoners ; that I was bound to insist upon their all being handed over to me ; that the Governor alone had the power to pardon and liberate them. To all this they answered, " Go<"d :it shall be as you say, ',vo will go wth you and take the prisoners."

Saturday, 21st.—This morning I proposed that I should go and see Pehi, accompanied only by mv interpreter, and risked for a canoe. Hori Kingi at once got into a state of great excitement, and while addressing the natives said, "Is Petatone mad ; is he come up here to bring confusion amongst us f" When I asked for an explanation, he replied, " Am not I responsible for your life; if you are killed and I kill Pehi, will that he sufficient utu for your death r When I left Wanganui I promised that if you were killed I would be killed also. I allowed you to go from Otumairo to Koroniti without me the other evening, because you were only to pass friendly pas ; but beyond this you are not safe unless protected by a sufficient force. Hori Kingi must and will go wherever Petatone goes. - Wait till Monday, and we will all accompany you to the pa where Pehi at present is." There was no resisting such an appeal as this. In the afternoon, however, they sent me with a large force to Tawhitinui and Kauaeroa, two pas where there was a considerable mimber of wounded rebels, and where the majority of the prisoners were being kept under a sort of surveillance, for they could scarcely be said to be in custody. Dr. Fletcher having dressed their wounds, we returned to Eanana. Late at night all the principal chiefs came into my ton r, imd again asked whether I could not let off tlio prisoners, especially Te Eaimona; when I repeated that I had no power to comply with their request, they went away saying-, " We will say no more about them, but will surrender all of them to you on Monday." Monday 23rd.—I started early this morning with a force of 130 armed men in six large There was evidently a gloom hanging over them—they paddled lustily enough, but there was no singing, no chaffing, none of that exuberant excitement which usualty prevails amongst Maories congregated in numbore, especially when engaged upon an expedition attended with danger. Our" programme was first to proceed to the appointed place of meeting with Pehi and then to take the prisoners. On pasting Tawhitinui, where the chief To Eaimona was, Hori Kingi, who was sitting behind me, said, in a low tone of voice, almost in a whisper "Petatone, my heart is very dark about my children, especially ' about Te Kaimona. This is the first time I have passed this place without calling ; tho hearts of all the chiefs and their.people are dark, very sad this morning." Hori Kingi here paused and sobbed bitterly, and then continued, " So sad are the hearts of all of us about these prisoners that many of our people prayed this morning that they might be excused from joining this expedition. These prisoners you have said are tho Queen's prisoners, and must be surrendered to the Queen. We come with you to take the prisoners, and wo shall take and surrender them into your hands. But still our hearts are sad because of theso prisoners. They are our friends • and nearest relatives; but we shall take and give them up tojyou." This is simply a precis of Hori • Hingi's appeal. To understand "and appreciate its pathos every word must have been heard and the speaker seen. I replied' that the Governor alone had tho power to pardon the prisoners ; that my duty was simply to insist upon their being surrendered to ino; that they had been taken fighting against the Queen, and were rebels liable to a severe punishment, but, " Hori Kingi, so fully do I recognise the services you have rendered, and the reason why all your hearts aro dark, that I promise this— if you and the other chiefs will write to Governor Grey explaining the services you have rondered, how in your successful attempt to protect your Pakeha friends, you have fought against and killed your relatives and friends, and how you have further shown your loyalty by surrendering the prisoners, and win then ask the Governor to grant a free pardon to the prisoners, I will as strongly as I can back your request, and I don't think Governor Giev will refuse our united prayer, and until Governor Grey's answer is received I promise that the prisoners shall not be removed from Wanganui, and that the wounded amongst them shall be sent to the hospital and treated as kindly aa the friendly ones." The old chief's eyes glistened with delight; he sprang up and hailed the five canoes in advance to stop, and then as soon aa they were all close together, he did not repeat our'-.onversation, but simply gave them in a few 'words che slightest possible hint of •what had taken place between us. But this was quite sufficient; the gloom which had hung over them instantly disappeared; a cry of joy burst from the whole of them, and off they started plying their paddlM with ieafold rigew »b4 there was .longer

silence,'hut the usual criea'and songs resounded irom etfery canoe. ; On <arriving at Poterihama (Ijethloliem): >Hori Kingi came up to me and said " You 1 must, keep in the ,middle, of us." Hero wo found Pohi, accom- , panied by no great number of followers. The chief of the pa (Paroa) is said to be loyal, and if I don't mistake is an assessor, though his talk did not appear to me to be very satisfactory. Tin; korero began by Pelii asking whether we intended to insult him by not partaking of his hospitality. Wo at once relieved his mind bv assuring him that -vve wore quite ready (we saw a builock just killed before us) to do justice to anything lie might have prepared. Tn a very short space of time we partook of a sumptuous repast of stewed beef and potatoes. After a l-oifii of no long duration had hoen performed, I fori Kingi got up and addressed the meeting. I ought to mention that hound Pohi novel-ap-proached within ten yards of each other. Ilori's speech was simply one of salutation. l'tlii replied in a similar strain but deprecated in the strongest possiblo terms the conduct of Mateno and his fanatics, whom he designated as " mad dogs." After he had sat down, I Tori Kingi said to me, " You must get up and broach the subject ot' the prisoners," to whom neither he uor Pelii had made the slightest allusion, though they were uppermost in. tho thoughts of each. They both knew it was delieato ground, and most diplomatically avoided treading upon it. T reminded Pehi of the visit I had paid to him and Hori Patent! in September 18(3:2, at l'ipiriki; recalled the pledges that tney had then given ine that they would not allow tho peace of tlit- Wanganui liver to be disturbed; expressed my regret that alter what Ilori l'atene had then said to me that ho should have gone to Tataramaika and there fallen, for that there was 110 chief ill whoso word and good faith I had ever reposed more implicit conlidonce ; admitted that Pohi had so,far fultilled his promiso to mo, that lie had done his utmost to dissuade Mateno and his followers from making their recent raid, but that 1 could givo him oredit for ruithir.tr more; that he had hitherto stood on " tho outside," and had rendered no active support- to the Government: that tin* time had now arrived when he must declare himself; that it was always better in time of war to have an opon enemy than a doubtful friend ; that when thb house was set on lire, as the Wanganui River had been by Mateno and his " mad dog.s" as he (Pohi) had called them, the Governor could only regard those who sat idly by without making any uttempt to extinguish the flames as something wor.-e than doubtful friends ; but that the Government did fully recognise and appreciate the conduct of the friendly natives engaged in tho roeent conflict, who had at the sacrifice of their lives endoavourod to extinguish tho lire. " You Pehi, must declare on wliiuh side you are ; you can no longer be permitted to <>taiui. on the outside." I then told him that I intended to take the prisoners down to Wanganui with mo, and tho promises I had made in regard to them to Hori Kingi and the other friendly chiefs. Pohi replied that "as the prisoners had not beon taken in battle thoy belong to me, your share is tho great number killed," and then made an appeal to Hori Ivingi to this eifoct, '■ If you will assist me in preventing these prisoners being taken to Wanganui, I promiso that henceforth there shall be peace betweon us and between our people." Hori Kingi, without replying to him whispered to me, "Who believo3 him"he has said nothing;" " what guarantee can we have that Pehi will keep his word ?"

I reminded Pehi that instead of assisting- the friendly natives in repelling Matoneand his fanatics, he had himself kept out ot the way while most of liis people has joined Matene and had taken part in the engagement at Moutoa ; that it was absurd in him or any chief to lay claim to men taken prisoners while fighting against the Queen. Pehi uiudo several more appeals to the friendly uhiefs and nivsolf to he allowed to keep the prisoners, hut when I finally told him that it was no use talking more ahoiit them, that I had come up to take them, and take tliom I would,hegotupinast.'itoofeonsidenibloe.\cito]iic!it»nd said, " If yon take the prisoners I follow you down the river tptiukhj" and so ended the kercro. It was no sooner finished than thirteen Ivingitos came forward and expressed their desire to take the outh of allegiance to tlio Queen. In Pehi's presence I administered to them on the Testament the following oath : " In the presence of tho chiefs and their people here assembled I, A.8., do hereby renounce Kingism, and further swear henceforth to hear true allegiance to our Sovereign Queon Victoria—so help me God." In this pa there was only one prisoner, rather severely wounded. Dr. Fletcher in examining him expressed his doubts whether lie -would bear removing. On hearing this the natives burst into a roar of laughter " "What! not well enough to ho removed he was jolly and hearty enough when we arrived ; we know betier, he's only shamming, we'll have him," and o!F they bundled him to the canoe. Just as we reached our canoe 3 a volley was fired apparently in the rear whero Pehi received us. In an instant the natives, who suspected treachery—that Pehi hud probably concealed a body of men ready to fall upon thoni if it were prudent—threw themselves into skirmishing order, and availing themselves as if by instinct of every treo and of the slightest uneveniioss of ground, rapidly advanced to the pa, and demanded the meaning of the volley. It turned out that it was merely a salute fired by Topia (Pelii's son) and other rebels just returned from Waikato, on paying a visit to Pehi. The first place we stopped at on returning was the Kauaeroa Pa, whero wo took the prisoners without difficulty, and received from the Kev. Mr. Lampila an abundant supply of grapes, which proved most refreshing to the wounded. On arriving at Tawhitinui, being under the impression that the only prisoner to be taken was tho chief To liaimoua, I did not at first leave the canoe. After nearly an hour had elapsed and no appearance of the prisoner, 1 went up to the pa and found a rather angiy discussion going oil. Te Rainiona, who was wounded in the groin, was silting under a veroiidah, and his wife was, in not very complimentary language to the loyal chiefs, protesting agoinst his being surrendered, To Raimona himself declaring that lie would not be taken. Hori Kingi, leaning on his spear, seemed to be arguing the point at issue vcrv calmly, teeing no piobable teimination to the discussion, I asked Mete Kingi why they did n> t take the prisoner. He at once replied, "lie is a great chief, ho is nearly related to ali of us, if we lay hands oil him he will bo degraded and looked upon as a slave for ever. We are, therefore, trying to pursuadc him to walk down to the canoe without our touching him. (jive us time." " 'fake your own lime: 1 will wait iis long as you choose." Another halfhour elapsed without the negotiation having apparently advanced a single step, when Mete Kingi came to me and said, " Wji.it is to be done 'i lie won't come," " Send a lile of men on each side, and I will then order the constable to take him." Without a moment's hesitation, Mote Kingi saiil •'lt shall bo done," and was giving the orders to his men, when Te Raimona probably seeing the movement, got up and said " I will go." He was 110 sooner in the canoe than Hori Kingi said, " Thcie are a few other prisoners, all old men ; have we not done enough for to-day ?" an opinion in which I so entirely concurred that I ordered him to push off at once. When we arrived at llanana, Te Raimona was treated with tho greatest possible respect, a tangi was hold over him, he was shown into the runanga house, supplied with the best of everything they had, the other prisoners being placed in a whare by themselves, but nevertheless treated most kindly, and yet strange to say at Tawliitinui, tho pa from which Te Raimona was taken, Matene and his followers (including of course their prisoners) had dug two large ovens in which they intended to have cooked (had thoy proved victors) their opponents, whether killed or taken prisoners. Tuesday, 24th.—"We left lianana about 9 a.m., and touching at the several pas where natives were desirous of taking the oath of allegiance reached Wnnganui about half-past six p.m., when the wounded were sent to the hospital and the unwounded prisoners handed over to the military authorities. Late in the evening, Mr. White informed me that the next day at 12 o'clock there was to be a large meeting of the Taranaki, Ngatiruanui, and Ngarauru rebel chiefs at Pakaraka, a pa within the recently purchased \Vaitotara block, and about seventeen miles from Wanganui. The chief Rio, who brought the news, was anxious, knowing that 1 was expectcd, to have waited to see me, but 110 was advised to return to Pakaraka to be in readiness to receive the expected visitors. It appeared to mo so degrading to the Government, and so calculated to lessen its iniluence with the loyal natives, besides being dangerous to the settlement, to allow such a meeting, not merely of rebels, many of whom had been engaged at Moutoa, but ot known murderers, to take place oncrown laud and in such immediate vicinity of the town of Wanganui, where there were 350 troops in tlio garrison, and 400 or 500 well-trained militia out 011 actual service, that I determined to proceed myself to Pakaraka and wani the rebels oil' the Queen's terri-

Li! LL.-'JI J LJLX - 1 T .r i T"i i "i torv ; and in order to convince . thom that the Gd- | veriimoiit was in earnest. I requested Major Rookes j to' liccompanV me'\Vith : Captain Cameron's troop of I volunteers. Major ilooks with the greatest readiness complied with my request, and though he had only that afternoon dismissed the troop, telling them that their services would not be required fir some days, yet the next- morning he had the whole troop ready at ten o'clock (Wednesday, the 25ihJ. We rode at a tolerably good pace, an J came within sight of the pa at about one o'clock. When within three or four hundred yards of it, I requested Major Rookes to halt the troop and remain tiiere till I returned. I then rode oil' to the pa, accompanied by my interpreter, Mv. Hamlin, Captain Nouk (of the Colonial Defence Force) and Mr. C. Uroughton. Instead, however of encountering the great gathering of rebels we ha 1 been led to expect, we only found the friendly chiefs Rio and I'iripi, and a few of their people, with a slight sprinkling of Kingites. The meeting, it appeared, had been postponed. 1 had therefore to content myself with requesting Rio to proceed to Wailotara whore the rebels were, and tell them that they would not be allowed either to hold meetings or to remain on the Wiiitotara block, and that if they did not obey my order they should be driven off by forco. Rio promised that ho would start at once, and deliver every word of my message. We then returned to town. On Saturday, the 2Sth, just before leaving Wanganui, liio sent in word that he hud seen the rebels ; had told them every word I had said; that they had held a runanga, and had decided upon finally abandoning the WiitoUra bloe'c and retiring to the north side of the Waitotara River. On my way down the coast, I held meetings with the natives at several of their settlements; but as you visited them a few days afterwards, it is unnecessarv that I should report what took plane at these interviews. Stillice it lo say, that the impression left on my mind was that lvingism was doomed, and that there never was so little prospect of the peace of the West Coast being disturbed. 1. E. KiiATii riiSTO.v, Superintendent. Superintendent's Oliiee, Wellington.