ALLEGED THREATENING ATTITUDE OF THE PARIHAKA NATIVES TOWARDS EUROPEANS (REPORTS ON THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1885 Session I, G-04

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1885. NEW ZEALAND.

ALLEGED THREATENING ATTITUDE OF THE PARIHAKA NATIVES TOWARDS EUROPEANS (REPORTS ON THE).

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr. Ballance, with leave of the House.

No. 1. Constable Cunningham to Lieut.-Colonel Robeets. Pungarehu Station, 14th April, 1885. Constable Cunningham (No. 419) respectfully reports for the information of Colonel Roberts, commanding district, that a settler named Thomas Wallace, occupying Section 24, Block XII., Cape Survey District, this morning lodged a complaint against the Natives for stealing from his premises, between 8 a.m. and evening, on the 13th instant. The articles stolen are of little intrinsic value, but he reports the matter with a view of stopping further pilfering, he last month having had stolen from him a revolver and other articles not yet recovered. The identifiable articles stolen on this occasion are two red window-blinds and one green window-blind, the top or lid of a small stove, and several other articles described as odds and ends. His house is on the ground, in sections, ready for erection, and the articles stolen were in a box with the building material; the box was carried away and concealed in a small bush about two hundred yards from the site of the house. He recovered the empty box; it was unlocked. A Native, supposed named Tatoro or Tautara, was seen loitering about the premises on the 13th instant. Description : About sixty years of age, grey hair, grey beard, pointed, walks lame ; supposed to reside on the Cape Road. Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, J. H. Cunningham, Commanding Taranaki District, Opunake. Constable A.C. Force.

No. 2. Constable Cunningham to Lieut.-Colonel Roberts. Pungarehu, 15th April, 1885. Constable Cunningham (No. 419) reports, with reference to the attached complaint of Mr. Wallace, that Mr. C. Messenger has seen the Native suspected, and searched his whare and premises, but could find none of the missing articles. Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, J. H. Cunningham, Commanding Taranaki District, Opunake. Constable A.C. Force.

Eeferred to Inspector Pardy.—J. M. Eobeets, Lieut.-Colonel, Commanding Provincial District of Taranaki, Opunake, 16th April, 1885.

No. 3. Constable Eyan to Inspector Paedy. New Plymouth Police Station, 26th April, 1885. Constable Ryan (No, 280) reports that he proceeded to Cape Eginont on the 23rd instant, and, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Wallace, he made careful inquiry and search for the stolen win-dow-blinds and the lid of the stove, mentioned and described in Constable Cunningham's attached report, but could find no trace of the missing articles. The constable and Mr. Wallace went first to the whare of the Native Tautara, and, with the consent of the Natives present, searched it thoroughly without result; the Natives said Tautara had gone to reside at Parihaka. The constable went to Parihaka, looking through the different villages en route. On arrival at Parihaka the constable spoke to Tohu, asking him if Tautara was there ; Tohu inquired amongst his people, and said Tautara did not reside at Parihaka, but lived at the village near the Cape, where the constable had come from.

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Mr. Wallace states the blinds and stove-lid were in an open case lying amongst some building material; some other articles, such as empty coffee tins, pieces of old iron, &c, in the box were not stolen. The case was found in the scrub about fifty yards from the house, but nothing but the blinds and stove-lid stolen. Mr. Wallace states the blinds are only worth about 25., and the stove-lid is of no value to any one, and reported the matter, thinking, if the blinds could be found in Tautara's possession, it might lead to the recovery of the revolver and clothing that was stolen from him some time since. Mr. Wallace left home at 8 a.m. on the 13th instant, and when he returned at 5 p.m., he found the articles missing. Tautara was seen by Mr. William Harvey loitering about Mr. Wallace's place on that date. W. H. Eyan, W. S. Pardy, Esq., Inspector of Police, New Plymouth. Constable, No. 280.

No. 4. Mr. W. Bayly, New Plymouth, to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir,— New Plymouth, 6th May, 1885. I have just returned from Pungarehu and Rahotu, and am sorry to inform you that a great change has come over the Natives in that district. It puts me in mind of their manner during the ploughing matches and the Parihaka scare. In fact, they go so far as to say that they will take possession of all the cash land in that district, and receive the deposits from the deferred-payment lands themselves. A Native, with dogs, was crossing Mr. Mills's farm at Pungarehu. He desired the man to go around by the road; the Native declined to do so. Mr. Mills told him he would shoot his dogs if he persisted, being afraid they would worry his sheep. Mills went for his gun, and the Native wrenched it out of his hand. A Mr. Plummer, who has a deferred-payment section, left his house. In two days the Natives took out all the windows and doors, and carted them away to Parihaka. A Mr. Wallace, at the Cape, a labourer : while he was at work the Natives twice broke into his house and robbed it. The settlers were talking of calling a public meeting on Saturday, but I have persuaded them not to do so, as I think, in such matters, it only tends to make matters worse. If something is not done, I feel sure that we shall have a repetition of the Parihaka scare. I am not an alarmist, but would recommend that thirty or forty constabulary be sent to Pungarehu without delay. Yours, &c, Hon. J. Ballance, Defence Minister. Wi. Bayly.

No. 5. W. Rennell, Esq., Native Officer, New Plymouth, to the Under-Secretary, Native Department. Sir,— Opunake, 14th May, 1885. In obedience to instructions contained in your telegram of the 7th instant, I have the honour to inform you that I went through the district between New Plymouth and here to endeavour to find out the true state of matters as regards the reported threatening attitude of the Natives of the Parihaka district towards Europeans. I first made it my business to find out who were the Europeans said to have been threatened or annoyed. I found the following matters to be inquired into: (1) Robbery from Plummer's; (2) petty robbery near same place ; (3) threat held out to a Mr. Elwin; (4) threat and other annoyances to a Mr. Mills; (5) destruction of Mr. Mcßeynolds's house; (6) threats held out to a settler, whom I will not ranie, as he distinctly told me he had never had any threat whatever held out to him by the Natives; on the contrary, he got along very well with them; (7) Mr. Driller, of the Pungarehu Hotel. I will commence with No. 1. Mr. Plummer was a settler, who built a house and afterwards left it and went out of the district, leaving the house locked up with some furniture in it, such as table and forms. This house was robbed of some of the furniture and the windows. A complaint was laid, and Inspector Pardy sent out a constable, who inquired into the matter, and ascertained that Native tracks were all round the house, and a Native had been seen in it, but he could find nothing which would warrant him in saying the burglary was committed by a Native, although a Native named Rangi had some grievance, real or fancied, against Plummer, but there wa.s no proof against any one. One of the forms was afterwards found in a swamp, and had a Native carried off the property to Parihaka it was of such a character that all the Natives would have known of it. Even if the robbery turned out to be by a Native, it is merely an ordinary criminal matter and can have no political bearing. No. 2. Very trivial. Constable also investigated this. It was some articles of about 3s. estimated value, laying uncared-for outside a house. Constable suspected an old Native of bad character, who passed the spot short time before. No proof was found; and this also was a common petty larceny, even if committed by a Native. No. 3. I visited Mr. Elwin, who lives close to Waiweranui. He knew of no threats himself, but his son-in-law did. I asked the latter, who told me a Native had told him that a king was coming from Waikato to head the Natives, who were to recover all the land back from the Europeans, including their houses. This is another version of the old story told by Natives to any

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Europeans who are new to the district, namely, that they are to get all the land back again some day. Mr. Elwin also said he believed two of his cows had been taken by Natives, as they were missing, and a Native who never had cattle of his own before sold two calves to a settler. Mr. Elwin said he had no present proof, but thought he should be shortly in possession of a clue, which he intended to follow up. I spoke to some Natives about these cattle, when they told mo that Mr. Elwin suspected them because they had killed some of their own cattle when Titokowaru and party came through; that they sold the skins to the butcher, which they would not have done if the beasts had been stolen, for fear of being found out. Ido not think there is much proof either pro or con. No. 4. I visited Mr. Mills's place, but he was not at home, but Mrs. Mills supplied me with the following: That a Native, name unknown, came to their place with two dogs and wanted to go across their land. Mr. Mills objected to his taking dogs with him for fear of his sheep being molested. That the Native pushed his way past, against Mr. Mills's wish, and the dogs naturally followed. Mr. Mills had told him he did not wish to stop him if he tied up his dogs till he returned, as the Native said he wanted to get some corn which was steeping somewhere on or near the property. Mr. Mills was annoyed, and next time the Native came with the dogs he (Mr. Mills) took out a gun to shoot the dogs or pretend to do so, when the Native got excited and took the gun from Mr. Mills and did his best to break it. It eventually turned out that the Native came the second time to sell potatoes. On leaving he told Mr. Mills that in a month all the Maoris would go through his land, thereby implying that in that time the Natives would again have possession. I pointed out to Mrs. Mills that the same kind of language (i.e., land all going back to the Natives) had been used for the last fifteen years, and experience had proved that we are getting infinitely stronger and the Natives weaker, and that I was fully persuaded that such boasting meant nothing. I asked if any direct threats besides this had been held, out, but Mrs. Mills said none. Mrs. Mills stated, however, that she did not think any harm would happen, but that she and all the neighbours would feel more at ease if, say, a dozen of the Armed Constabulary were stationed at Pungarehu, as she had children going a long way to school, and she felt anxious, which anxiety would disappear if she knew there were men stationed as above. Apart from newspaper reports, which are often misleading, as representing really the opinion of the writer, I believe Mrs. Mills's idea to be the prevailing one amongst the moderate-minded settlers in and around the Parihaka district, a number of whom are new to Natives and their ways. No. 5. I inquired of Mr. Mcßeynolds if he had any complaints to make against the Natives, or if he knew of any cause they fancied they had of ill-feeling agamst him. He replied, No; he was always on the best of terms with them. With regard to his store at Parihaka, he had been in treaty with Te Whiti to sell it to him, which Mr. Messenger confirmed, and why it had been pulled down he could not say. No. 6. I went on to Parihaka and saw Tohu, who is evidently under the impression that Major Goring, when he left Parihaka with the Armed Constabulary, gave up all the buildings, stores, and all, to Te Whiti and people, in accordance with Mr. Bryce's promise, when the Natives complained about the timber being taken from their land to build houses : that, when the Armed Constabulary .left, the buildings would revert to the Natives. I may state that all these buildings are on Native land. Tohu informed me that, when the Armed Constabulary left, Europeans commenced to pull down and carry away the portable parts of some of the buildings before the Natives touched them, and this probably led to the Natives taking all they could to prevent others from taking what the Natives considered theirs. I afterwards saw an important chief called Te Whetu ; and he told me he did not hear Major Goring give all the buildings over to the Natives, and was annoyed at Mr. Mcßeynolds, and the large barracks being destroyed, as he looked upon the matter as peculiarly his own. They were pulled down in his absence. I cannot understand why Mr. Mcßeynolds's place was touched, and on speaking to Mr. Messenger, who is very fully informed, in fact an eye-witness, on all these matters, he told me he could assign no reason. I afterwards referred to threats said to have been held out by Natives to Europeans, but, having found comparatively so little foundation for the reports, I did so only slightly, saying that the Native Minister had seen a number of reports of threatenings and robberies in the papers, and I had been sent to see both Natives and Europeans, so as to hear both sides, and. report what I heard. Tohu said others had been on the same errand, and all he could say was what actually came under his knowledge. He knew nothing about these things. He was not responsible for what was in the papers : those newspapers were written by Europeans and not by Natives, and the latter knew nothing about them. I stated, in conclusion, that there was no ill-feeling between the two races, but disputes and quarrels would, arise between people speaking different tongues, and strongly advised them, in case of any such happening, to appeal to Mr. Messenger, who spoke both languages, and they would often find a little explanation would clear away apparent difficulties. I gave similar advice to those settlers I visited. No. 7. Mr. Driller has had some little difficulty about pigs, when he says threats were used ; but that is now all over, and he is the best of friends with the Natives. In conclusion, I can find no cause whatever for alarm, and the Natives are, so far as I can judge quite indisposed to disturb the statu quo, but it is hard to make the new settlers, who have their families around them, believe so. The robberies, &c, even if committed by Natives, might similarly happen in the most settled portion of the Island. As an instance of how little dependence can be placed on these kinds of reports, I may state, incidentally, that a paragraph appeared in a Taranaki paper stating that, when the Natives under Titokowaru returned from Pukearuhe lately, they entered Mr. Chapman's orchard at Urenui, and, in spite of his protests, robbed it of all the apples. I made it my business to inquire into this report, and found it entirely without foundation ; and I have a letter from Captain Messenger, who saw Mr. Chapman himself, stating that the latter might have had a few apples stolen by some of the young

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people while he was engaged selling apples to others of the party, but on the whole he lost very few, not more than he might have expected, and he thought under the circumstances the Natives behaved very well, and that he had no complaint whatever to make. I have, &c, W. Rennell, The Under-Secretary, Wellington. Native Officer.

No. 6. Lieut.-Colonel Robeets, Opunake, to the Hon. the Native Ministee. Sic, — Armed Constabulary District Office, Opunake, 18th May, 1885. With reference to the report about Mr. Mills, of Pungarehu, having been assaulted by a Native of Parihaka, I have the honour to report the Native's version of the circumstance. The Native says that he left his dray with potatoes on the road, and called at Mr. Mills's house to inquire if he wanted any. Mr. Mills told him to go away, or he would shoot him. Mr. Mills then went into the house and brought out a gun. The Native then said, "If you want to shoot (uncovering his chest), shoot here." As Mr. Mills was placing two cartridges in the gun, the Native closed on him, and in the struggle the gun fell on the ground. The Native then left. I have, &c, J. M. Robeets, Lieut.-Colonel, Commanding Provincial District of Taranaki. The Hon. the Native Minister.

No. 7. Inspector Paedy, New Plymouth, to Inspector James, Armed Constabulary, Wanganui. Sib,— Police Office, New Plymouth, 26th May, 1885. In referring to the late scare at Parihaka, and the alleged depredations on the property of settlers in that district, I have the honour to report that the only depredations I can find, beyond the larcenies on Plummer and Wallace, already reported, are the damage alleged to have been done to settlers' fences and the loss of cattle by them. In regard to the first, this, like other matters, has been greatly exaggerated, for through the whole district there has been only one fence injured, and that only to a trifling extent. The following are the facts of the case : About two months ago a chief named Te Whetu with some of his tribe were getting in horses in the neighbourhood of Cape Egmont for sale, when some of them, by some means, got into Mr. Fleming's paddock, and to get them out the Maoris made a gap in the ditch-and-bank fence, instead of taking them out at the gate. I asked Mr. Fleming if he wished to prosecute the Maoris, when he replied that he did not, as the damage was so trifling, while he and Te Whetu were on the most friendly terms, and he did not wish anything to be done to break that friendship. As regards the loss of cattle, I found this to have been greatly exaggerated : the sixty head alleged to have been stolen having, on inquiry, dwindled down to twenty. The greatest sufferer in this respect appears to be a Mr. Wright, residing at Rahotu. He states that he has lost seventeen head altogether —sixteen before the removal of the constabulary from Parihaka and one since. But it does not follow, because these cattle have been lost, that they have been taken by Maoris, as, from the fact of their having, in all instances, been lost when running on unfenced lands, they may have strayed into the bush, or been driven away by dealers when driving mobs of cattle through the district. The majority of the settlers are perfectly satisfied since the visit of the Hon. the Defence Minister that there is no danger to be apprehended from the Maoris, and are perfectly satisfied with arrangements being made for the protection of their property. The whole scare has been got up by a few interested persons for their own individual ends, and is now being kept alive by them and a few fussy individuals through the Press. Wright, who has made himself so conspicuous in this matter, is a timid, eccentric person, who rushes into print without having any idea of what he is writing about. This man spent several days in New Plymouth working up the agitation through the Press and at public meetings, while his wife and little children were living all alone in the bush at Rahotu, and in that state they were found by me when visiting his place. I then asked Mrs. Wright if she was not afraid of living there alone, when she replied that there was nothing to fear, as the Maoris never troubled them. I am quite satisfied that the peace of the district can be preserved by one smart, intelligent constable having a good knowledge of police duty, with occasional assistance if required. In the meantime I have placed Constable Ryan at Pungarehu, who is making daily patrols amongst the settlers, which is having a good effect. I enclose a short report just received from that constable, showing how things stand there at present. I also enclose an article clipped from this day's Taranaki Herald, which I should not have taken any notice of did it not tend to make me look ridiculous in the eyes of my superiors. All I can say in reference to it is that the statements and opinions therein ascribed to me were never uttered by me or even thought of, and, further, I have had no communication with that paper since my return from Pungarehu on Saturday last,

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In conclusion, I would strongly urge that a public station be formed at Pungarehu as soon as possible, as Constable Ryan cannot be well spared from his station; while lam afraid, if the place is left without a constable at the present time, the agitators may seize on some pretext to renew the excitement, which is now fast subsiding. I have, &c. Wm. S. Pardy, W. H. James, Esq., Inspector, Armed Constabulary, Wanganui. Inspector.

Enclosure 1 in No. 7. Constable Ryan to Inspector Paedy. Since you left Pungarehu I have kept up a patrol around amongst the settlers, and there does not appear to be any feeling of insecurity, but Hill has been around to every settler in the district trying to get up a public meeting to vindicate his character. On Sunday he went to Mr. Elwin, and Mr. Elwin has taken up Hill's case, and came to Pungarehu and telegraphed to Major Atkinson to call a public meeting at Pungarehu, so that the settlers may put their troubles before him, and give Hill a chance of airing his grievances, so that Major Atkinson would be able to lay the matter before the House. I was at Mr. Mills's house on Sunday night, and Hill came in. When he saw me, he called Mills out and talked to him for about an hour. Mills told me he (Hill) wanted to get up a public meeting, to pass a resolution saying Hill was a bona fide settler and of good character. 26th May, 1885. W. H. Ryan, Constable.

Enclosure 2 in No. 7. [Extract from Taranaki Herald.'] Unpeotected State of the West Coast. Inspector Paedy returned on Saturday from his visit to the Parihaka district in connection with the police supervision. He informs us that he spent a couple of days in interviewing the settlers and trying to allay their excitement. Ho thinks they had every reason to be uneasy, owing to the presence of a large number of Natives with bad characters at Parihaka. He thinks, however, that the presence of a policeman will most effectively deter any lawlessness, as the Natives have a great horror of the New Plymouth Gaol since Hiroki's execution there; and the threat of locking them up where Hiroki is buried seems to arouse very unpleasant apprehensions. The Armed Constabulary, he considers, were all along powerless, as they lost a deal of their mana, or influence, from being on such intimate terms with the Natives. On the principle that familiarity breeds contempt, the Maoris had little or no respect for the members of the force as representatives of British law. With the police, however, it will be very different, and the main policy will be to abstain from intimacy with the Natives except where it is rendered necessary by breaches of the law, and then it will not be of the kind that excites contempt. Mr. Pardy avoided visiting Parihaka. He thinks it a mistake to glorify Te Whiti and his minions by a deferential visit. Keeping in mind the belief that they are impostors, and rather disreputable at that, he will give no cause for the Maoris to conclude that the police are any respecters of their persons. What gives a very fair idea of the fear in which the police are held is the conduct of the chief Rangi, who has broken the eighth commandment in respect to a washing-tub. He hid away, and the Armed Constabulary man who conducted Constable Ryan in the search could not lead up to an arrest. As soon, however, as the constable returned to New Plymouth, Rangi emerged and asked the Armed Constabulary man, " How much Ryan give you look for me?" plainly drawing a distinction between the duties of constabulary and constable. Rangi is still at large and unrepentant, but the country would probably be little the worse if every Maori there stole a tub, providing, of course, it was put to its legitimate purposes. It would save much sickness no doubt, and bring them to that stage which, if not on the verge of honesty, is spoken of as being next to godliness. From Inspector Pardy's observations the belief in Te Whiti is undiminished, and the Natives still entertain an hallucination that Providence is going to hand back all their lands to them on the Ist of June, with all the houses, implements, and stock into the bargain. He does not fear that they will assist the workings of Providence in any way; and probably, when they find that things do not turn out as they expect, this beautiful and touching reliance on the supernatural will give way to good honest nineteenth-century scepticism as far as Te Whiti's divine mission is concerned. The Inspector is as much puzzled as anybody else to assign a reasonable cause for the late processions, but, as they are the doings of fanatics, there is probably no reasonable explanation to be found. The most probable, he thinks, is that the processions gave them an importance which, as a few scattered individuals, they could never attain, and were very jolly and diverting while the food lasted.

No. 8. New Zealand Constabulaey Foeoe.—New Plymouth Station, Wanganui District. Crime lie-port. Offence : Housebreaking and stealing therefrom. Committed at Pungarehu. Date and hour : Between 5 p.m. on the 21st and 3 p.m. on the 22nd April, 1885. On whom: Albert Plummer. Address : Feilding. Date and hour reported to police, and by whom : 23rd April, 1885, at 9.30 a.m., by William May. If a theft or robbery, description of property stolen, and if identifiable: One table, 4ft. by 3ft.; three forms (two 4ft. long, one 3ft. long); one cupboard, 3ft. high by 2ft. wide, two shelves inside; two doors, 6ft. by 3ft. (all roughly made out of white-pine wood); 100 ft. of 6 by 4 white-pine boarding, three sheets of corrugated iron, one small camp oven and lid; twg

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window sashes, painted dark red, six panes in each sash (identifiable); small form, recovered (value about £2). Names of persons offending or suspected, and, if the latter, grounds of suspicion: A Native named Rangi suspected; he was seen about the house on the 21st instant, and complained that Plummer went away without paying him for a horse, and it is suspected that Rangi took the property as payment for the horse. Description, and if identifiable : A Maori, about twentyfive years of age, sft. Sin. high, stout build, small dark whiskers and moustache, speaks good English; identifiable. Direction supposed to be taken by offender : Supposed to be residing at Parapara or Parihaka. If a warrant issued, particulars, &c. :No warrant issued. Steps taken, and information sent to : Inquiries by New Plymouth Police, information to district offices, Wanganui and Opunake, and copy filed. General remarks : Mr. Plummer went to Feilding about a fortnight ago, and left the house in charge of Mr. May. Mr. May saw the house securely locked up on the 21st instant, and on the 22nd instant found the house open and the articles mentioned stolen, the iron hinges of the door were cut off with a sharp instrument like a chisel or tomahawk, and the window sashes were taken out of the frame, Maori tracks were seen about the place ; and the small form was found in the swamp behind the house by Constable Ryan. W. H. Ryan, 26th April, 1885. Constable No. 280.

No. 9. Captain Anderson to the Hon. the Defence Ministee. Sir,— Wellington, 26th May, 1885. As directed by you, I interviewed Mr. Elwin, Warea correspondent, with the object of ascertaining what foundation he had for writing the letters which were published in his name in the Taranaki papers re the Natives in the vicinity of Parihaka being troublesome to the settlers, and he said the only foundation he had for doing so was the reports he heard from others in the district. Another reason he gave me was that at the beginning of June he was going to teach a school and reside at Opunake, and, as he intended leaving a portion of his family on his farm at Warea, he would feel more at ease if there was a detachment of constabulary stationed at Pungarehu. He also told me he had lost two cows, and he presumed the Natives had taken them; but he admits they were running with a Mr. Hunt's cows for three weeks after they left his farm, but as they had not calved he did not trouble to bring them home. However, after that they suddenly disappeared, and in a few days the Natives sold two calves to Mr. Hunt, which he says exactly corresponded with his calves, although his cows had not calved when he lost them, and therefore he had never seen his calves. They may have been his, but he has only himself to blame for losing them and the cows, as, according to his own admission, he could have brought the cows away from Mr. Hunt's any time during the three weeks they were there, but he neglected to do so, and they would naturally go into the bush to calve ; and, as the Natives have plenty of cattle in the bush, it is not \o be expected they would know Mr. Elwin's from their own. The Hon. John Ballance, Defence Minister, Wellington. S. C. Anderson.

No. 10. Inspector Pardy, New Plymouth, to Inspector James, Wanganui. Sib,— Police Office, New Plymouth, 28th May, 1885. I have the honour to enclose herewith a report from Constable Ryan in reference to cattle alleged to have been lost by a settler named Elwin, residing between Warea and Stony River, and which he accuses the Maoris of stealing, with a request that you will be pleased to forward the same to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, as the loss of these cattle have been a prominent subject of grievance in' connection with the late scare at Parihaka. This Mr. Elwin, who is the leading agitator and correspondent to the Taranaki Herald, has been trying to make great capital out of his alleged loss through the Press and otherwise, by representing himself as a great sufferer through the Maoris stealing his cattle. In consequence of Mr. Elwin's statements, I instructed Constable Ryan to call on him and get the number and description of the missing cattle, when it turned out that Mr. Elwin had only lost two head, and, further, that he had little or no grounds for accusing the Maoris of stealing them. The constable has since made inquiry without obtaining any evidence to fix the guilt on the Maoris, as will be shown by the constable's report. The place where these cattle were running is a large Maori reserve, covered with bush and extending far back into the ranges. This bush is full of cattle which have strayed.away from various persons, and it is quite possible that Mr. Elwin's cattle are straying there also. The Punihu Natives have always been friendly towards the settlers and allowed them to run their cattle on the Maori lands without let or hindrance; I do not think, therefore, that these Maoris would intentionally interfere with their (the settlers') cattle in any way, or annoy them. I have, &c, Wm. S. Paedy, W. H. James, Esq., Inspector, Armed Constabulary, Wanganui. Inspector.

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Enclosure in No. 10. Constable Ryan, Pungarehu, to Inspector Pardy, New Plymouth. Armed Constabulary Station, Pungarehu, 25th May, 1885. Constable W. H. Ryan (No. 280) respectfully reports that James Jenkin Elwin, farmer, residing atWarea, reported that about seven months ago he had one red cow, about four years of age, branded 1 <|f> (1 and a diamond), and figures 13 on off-side ; and one heifer, three years, branded near-rump g*[ (13 upside down), same colour as cow, tip cut off one ear of both animals, running on the Native land opposite his farm, and he had not seen them since, and suspects that the Punihu Natives had stolen them. The cows were just about calving when they were missed. Mr. Elwin made inquiries from Natives passing along the road if they had seen the cows, and they said, " Yes; they are all right, running on the Punihu Run." Mr. Elwin did not trouble any further till about the 4th April, 1885, when he sent Alfred Clothier, a settler residing at Warea, to look for the cows. Clothier saw Charles Hunt, a half-caste, who lives in a house just behind the Punihu Pa, who stated that he had seen the cows, branded as described, running near his place with a calf each at foot, and that they disappeared just before Titokowaru came with his people to Punihu, about the sth March, 1885. Mr. Clothier searched about the run and found the head of a red-coloured animal, and the horns resembled that of the missing heifer, with the ears cut off; the head was close to Hunt's house. Mr. Clothier ascertained that a Native named Mariu, of Punihu, had sold two calves, one red and one strawberry colour, to Mr. Henry Hunt, farmer, at Punihu. The constable proceeded to Punihu on the 24th May, 1885, and saw Mariu, who states that, some time before Titokowaru's people came to Punihu, he went out with Tukawa and shot two wild cows on the ranges; one was black and the other red; they were not branded. They left the hides there and brought home some of the meat, and also the two calves belonging to them, and sold the calves to Henry Hunt. Mariu said he killed another cow for the meeting, near Charles Hunt's house ; it was a red-and-white cow; it had no brand, and he did not know who owned it; there were no ear-marks, and he did not cut the ears off. Tukawa sold the hide to Robert Serille, of Oakura. The constable asked him to point out the place where he shot the cow. Mariu took the constable to the head that Clothier had found, and said, " That is the head." The hide was off the head, and the ears were gone, so that it was impossible for Clothier or Elwin to identify it. The constable saw Serille, who states there was no brand on the hide he bought, and that it was a red-and-white colour. The constable did not see Charles Hunt; he has gone to reside at Bell Block. Charles Hunt was present when the cow was shot near his house. Mariu is willing to take Mr. Clothier to the place where he* killed the cows and show him the hides. Mr. Elwin values cow and heifer at £4 each, and the calves mentioned by Charles Hunt at 15s. each. W. IT. Ryan, W. S. Pardy, Esq., Inspector of Police, New Plymouth. Constable, No. 280.

No. 11. Inspector Paedy, New Plymouth, to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Sic, — Police Office, New Plymouth, 3rd June, 1885. In referring to the attached article, clipped from the Taranaki Herald of the 30th ultimo, in which allegations are made of Maori depredations at Pungarehu and Cape Egmont, I have the honour to inform you that I proceeded to those localities on Monday, the Ist instant, and made inquiries into the truth or otherwise of the alleged depredations. The circumstances had been reported to me by Constable Ryan ; but, as the statements in this article differed so 'widely from those of the constable, I thought it best to make full inquiry myself. In reference to Robson's fence, I found the following to be the true facts : On Wednesday, the 24th ultimo, Te Whiti, with several of his followers, were getting in a mob of horses for sale, and, while driving them along the Cape Egmont Road, they, in their endeavours to break away, rushed Robson's wire fence, breaking the wires, and thus forcing their way into the paddock where several of Robson's horses, which were in the paddock, got mixed up with them, and the Maoris, in driving out their own horses, took Robson's with them. Robson states that he asked the Maoris to put his horses back into the paddock, but they refused to do so, when he told them he would go for Constable Ryan, and started for that purpose. They then cut his horses out of the mob and put them back in the paddock. The damage done to the fence was very trifling, and had been repaired at the time of my visit without any expense beyond a little manual labour. In the case of Mr. Serre's fence, referred to in the article as the Frenchman's, the facts are somewhat similar. On the 24th ultimo the Maoris were getting in horses for sale, and jammed them in a corner by Serre's fence with the object of catching them, when two or three of the horses jumped the fence—a ditch-and-bank one —knocking a portion of it down; but on the following day the Maoris returned and mended the fence to the satisfaction of Mr. Serre. He stated that he made no complaint about it to any one; but the man Hill came to him (Serre) and asked him about the fence, and that it must have been him who wrote to the paper. In reference to fences erected at the Cape Road, I travelled along this road from one end to the other, but could find no sign of any fence or learn that any one else had; but on another road, known as the Parihaka Road, as yet unformed, and little used except by Maoris, a temporary fence has been erected by them, not for the purpose of obstruction, but to assist them in catching their horses. The fence forms no obstruction to traffic as a wide space at the part of the road used as a track has been left open.

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With the exception of Hill and a few others of similar antecedents, the settlers express themselves well satisfied with the protection afforded them by Constable Ryan; and I may say the same of the Maoris, as several of them told me they hoped the policeman [meaning Ryan] would not be removed from the place, as he prevented the bad characters stealing their horses and cattle. The man Hill, a notoriously bad character, has been doing all in his power to create a bad feeling between the two races ; but as he is now kept under close surveillance by the police he cannot do much harm. I have, &c, Wm. S. Pardy, The Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Inspector.

Enclosure in No. 11. [Extract from Taranaki Herald of 30th ultimo.] Unprotected State of the West Coast.—The Natives and their Horses. (From our mvn Correspondent.) On Wednesday last a troop of Maoris deliberately drove a herd of horses into Mr. Robson's fence at Cape Egmont, breaking it down; they then took his six horses out of the paddock, refusing to deliver them up until young Mr. Robson left them to fetch the police constable ; they then replaced the horses, but rode out of the paddock on the opposite side, again breaking through the fence. Constable Ryan, accompanied by an Armed Constabulary messenger, shortly arrived, and a great discussion ensued as to the amount of damage done, the messenger asserting that only the posts were shaken and no wires broken, while Mr. Robson considered the injury considerable. It was actually left to Constable Ryan to say who was right, and he said he thought 7s. would cover the damage, which will have to be recovered from the Maoris by process of law, if the name of the Maori can be obtained, and the man does not go into hiding. The Maoris have now placed slip-rails across the fences on the Cape Road. No notice is yet taken of the fence on the Parihaka Road, and the demolishing of Frenchman's ditch and bank.

No. 12. Inspector Paedy, New Plymouth, to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Sir,— Police Office, New Plymouth, 7th June, 1885. I have the honour to forward herewith a report from Constable Ryan in reference to a trifling damage done to a bridge, on the main road, near Pungarehu, and to which the enclosed paragraph refers, taken from the Taranaki Herald. My object in referring to such a small matter is to show how the most trifling incident is seized on by the agitators to keep up the late excitement. As the injury done to the bridge was accidental, and not malicious, I forwarded the particulars to the Clerk of the Taranaki County Council, it being a county bridge, so as to enable the Council, if it thought proper, to sue Nehi for the amount of damage done. Both Maoris and Europeans are referring their complaints to the police, and I am fully assured that, with due tact and care on the part of the police, the peace will be preserved and property protected. I have, &c., William S. Pardy, The Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Inspector.

Enclosure 1 in No. 12. Armed Constabulary Station, Pungarehu, sth June, 1885. Constable W. H. Ryan (No. 280) respectfully reports that on the 23rd May, 1885, the Native named in the margin (Nehi, a resident at Parihaka) accidentally broke the handrail of the culvert bridge at Parapara through his bullock dray coming in contact with it. The constable begs to state that the Native was driving two pair of bullocks over the bridge, and immediately the first pair got over the bridge they turned sharp off towards a Native village close by, and the wheel caught the rail, carrying it away. The constable saw the track of the wheel close on the corner of the bridge, and fortunately the cart did not turn over into the stream. The constable does not think it would cost more than 10s. to effect repairs. W. H. Ryan, W. S. Pardy, Esq., Inspector of Police, New Plymouth. Constable, No. 280.

Enclosure 2 in No. 12. [Extract from Taranaki Herald.'] Warea. (From our mvn Correspondent) June 2. The railing attached to a culvert on the South Road, near Parapara, was smashed by a Maori bullock dray some time since. No word of action being taken to discover the perpetrator is heard, and the delightful theory of even and equal justice being meted out both to white and black travellers still remains a dead letter.

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No. 14. Inspector Pardy, New Plymouth, to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Sib,— Police Office, New Plymouth, 12th June, 1885. In referring to the late larceny committed on Albert Plummer at Parapara, near Pungarehu, I have the honour, after making careful inquiry, to make the following report: — In the first place, I may say that this larceny, of which so much has been made, was of a very trivial nature, the value of the property taken not being more, at its outside value, than £2 ; and had it occurred in any other part of the colony nothing would have been heard of it outside the police records. The particulars of the robbery are these : Albert Plummer took up a small section, some ten acres, at Parapara, on deferred payment, on which he built a small house, in which he for a short time resided ; but, finding he was unable to make a living there, shut the house up, asking a man named William May to have an eye to it for him, and left for Feilding. Before leaving, however, he purchased a horse from a Maori named Rangi, without paying him for it, and quietly rode it away. Plummer left Parapara about the 7th April last, and on the 22nd it was found that his house had been broken into and the doors and windows, together with a few articles of bush-made furniture, taken away. Now, as to who committed the offence, no doubt at the present time suspicion points strongly to the Maoris as the perpetrators. In the first place, the articles taken away had been taken from Parihaka, and may have been viewed by them as their property, and that they had a right to take it whenever they saw it; and, acting on this principle, they have watched their opportunity to take the property and plant it, for the present, in the dense bush which abounds in that locality. But lam not inclined, however, altogether to indorse this theory. In the second place, the man Hill has made statements to the effect that he knew it was the Maoris, as he had seen one of them named Rangi looking about Plummer's the day after the robbery ; and, further, that he could identify one of the tracks seen about the place as that of Rangi by the heel, he (Hill) having repaired a boot for him. Anything that Mr. Hill may say in reference to this matter, however, must be taken with great caution, as lam strongly inclined to think he has not told all he knows of this robbery. He had two objects in ascribing this robbery to the Maoris : first, to get back the constabulary, from whom he reaped considerable profit as their shoemaker; and, secondly, to avenge himself on the Maoris, who had some short time previously successfully prosecuted him for stealing their pigs. If the missing property had been taken into Parihaka, or any of the Maori villages, I should have found traces of it, it being of a bulky nature, and consequently not easily concealed. I may mention one circumstance in connection with Mr. Hill, by which he tried to get up another depredation, in which he was frustrated by the opportune arrival on the spot of Constable Ryan. A Maori was quietly driving a cart, containing pigs, along the road past Parapara, where Hill resides, going in the direction of Rahotu. No sooner had the Maori passed Hill's place than the latter gets on his horse and rides off to Pungarehu to report another Maori outrage by accusing this Maori of stealing his (Hill's) pigs, and taking them away in a cart. Fortunately Constable Ryan was there from New Plymouth, and, on hearing Hill's complaint, galloped off after the Maori, overtook and detained him until Hill arrived, when the pigs were examined, and found to belong to the Maori, and not to Hill. Of course, Mr. Hill never reckoned, when making his complaint, on Constable Ryan taking such prompt action. In conclusion, I would beg to state that it is not from the Maoris I apprehend difficulties in the future, but from evil-disposed European persons, who prey on both Maori and European, and, to hide their dishonest acts, at once endeavour to throw suspicion on the Maori. Of course, there are a few dishonest Maoris about Parihaka, as well as at other places, but the police are quite competent to deal with them. I have, &c, Wm. S. Paedy, The Commissioner, Armed Constabulary, Wellington. Inspector.

Authority: Geobge Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBBs.

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