A.—No 5,

Bobcrt Douglas and Lieutenant Tredennick. On. arriving at Te Kauae we were received with the most friendly demonstrations of waving of blankets and salutations from the women. On entering the village we were received by a guard of honor of about thirty armed men, who presented arms and then opened their lines (being in double file), and formed an avenue which conducted us to a small paling inclosure of about eight feet square, in which stood their niu (post), around which stood four Natives facing outwards, aud Te Ua himself stood at the entrance. We were marched around the niu, and then requested to sit down. Te Ua then turned round and looked me steadfastly in the face for about two minutes, and turning to the Natives who were standing against the post said to them, " Did you see ?" They replied, " Yes." Te Ua then said, " The Spirit has alighted upon him." He then called upon the armed party to honor the visitors, when they presented arms and were then dismissed. Te Ua then went among the other Natives, who were a short distance off, in number about two hundred men, including all the leading men of the district, and among them were three Northern chiefs — Tikaokao, a Ngatimaniapoto chief; Manuka, a Ngatiapakura chief; and Haurua, a Ngatihikairo chief. Te Ua made the first speech, and was followed by the three Chiefs before mentioned. After them Tamati Hone Oraukawa and other Ngatiruanui chiefs. The tenor of their speeches was most peaceful; in fact, I have never witnessed a stronger desire for peace since the war began. They had not heard of the submission of "William Thompson until I told them of it; but Te Ua stated, in the presence of all, that they, the people of the district, were an independent tribe, and should settle their own affairs without reference to waikato. He also repudiated the Maori King in the presence of all. He did the same when I met him the last time in 1562. 4. In addressing them, I called upon them to return and place themselves under the Government, and reminded them of a conversation I had with them in the year 1859, in the town of New Plymouth, when on their way north to attend the first great King Meeting held in Waikato, when I told them that they would regret ever moving in the question of a king for the Maori people. I asked them to show me how their ranks were filled up, and where many of the men were that I used to see among them, —explaining to them that however many we lost, that loss was always filled up by others. They asked me to explain to them what would be required of them to make peace with the Government. I told them that the only terms I knew of was for them to surrender unconditionally, and place everything they possessed under the protection of the Government; but as I had received no instructions from the Government, with reference to their particular case, I considered that it would be better for me to communicate to .the G ovemment my interview with them, before anything further was done in the matter. 5. A native named Eitimana rose and said, that if the troops were withdrawn from their district peace could be settled at once. In reply, I told them I had not come to flatter them, or to make any definite proposal to them, but that I had come to hear what they had to say. As to the removal of the troops, they must not expect that would bo done until they had satisfied the Government with terms for a permanent peace. I told them other tribes had surrendered land as payment for going to war against the Government, and that they would have to do the same ; but as to the quantity, that I was not prepared to say anything about. On returning from Te Kauae to Waingongoro, a party of about fifty young men wore ordered to get their horses and escort me to the redoubt. Some of them were mounted on very fleet horses, and rode exceedingly well: the whole were under the command of a young man named Watikingi, grandson of the old Ngatiruanui chief Te Kei Hanatawa, who was killed at Waireka, in March, 18G0. On the 13th instant the chief Hone Pihama Te Eei Hanatawa brought in a cartload of potatoes, kumeras, pumpkins, and also a quantity of tobacco of New Zealand growth, and very creditably manufactured —a present to the troops at Waingongoro, which was thankfully received, the troops having been for some time without vegetables at this post. At the request of Lieut.-Colonelßutler, I instructed the Natives to keep away from the redoubts in my absence, until some one returned from the Government to see them, which they agreed to do, and promised to remain perfectly quiet in the interim, if the troops would do the same. I arranged for Te Ua and Hone Pihama to accompany me so far as Opunake, having intended to return direct to New Plymouth overland ; but the following morning, the 14th instant, I received a message from Te Ua, telling me that he had just heard that the friends of the Natives who were killed in the engagement at Watino were assembled at that place; that he was therefore afraid it would not be safe for me to go that way. That if any injury was done to me while he was with me, he should be accused of being a party to it, the same as he had been to the murder of Mr. Volkner, which conduct he had always been opposed to. 6. Deeming it not advisable to risk too much at my first interview with them, I decided at once to go by way of Wanganui; and just as I was leaving, a Native arrived with a white flag, wishing to see mo. I went back to see him, and found he had been sent in from Weriweri and Kitemarae, to state that as Hone Pihama had been allowed to bring in a present for the troops, they wished to do the same. That they had six cartloads ready and some pigs, which they were only waiting for leave to bring in. Lieut.-Colonel Butler consented for them to do so, and I again repeated his instructions to theml —to keep away after they had brought in their present of potatoes, &c, as there would be no ene to speak to them after I had gone. 1. IMore closing this report, it is only fair to the Natives to mention a few incidents which occurred during my short stay at Waingongoro. A great number of horses had been captured by the troops in that district, and on the occasion of going to Te Kauae to meet the Natives, Lieutenant Tredennick rode upon one of them, and just before we arrived at To Kauae, one of the young men who had come to the redoubt after me remarked, " That is our horse." I felt it was a very injudicious thing to do ; but it was too late to prevent it. However, on arriving at the village, some young men were" ordered to take charge of our horses, which they did, and unsaddled them and tethered them out to feed. On leaving the place the horse was brought to Lieutenant Tredennick without a word about its belonging to them. On the morning of the 13th instant, six young men came from Kitemarae to the redoubt°all on horseback. As I was talking to them, Lieutenant Down requested me to ask them

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DESPATCHES FEOM THE GOVEENOE OF NEW