ISSUED TO ERIENDLY NATIVES.

9

D.—No. 21

B. —Enclosure 1 in No. 4. Opunake, 24th Aperira, 1867. Kua riro mai i a matou nga mea kua tuhi-tuhi ki raro nei na te Kawanatanga i homai kia matou hei tiaki mo matou ki to matou, kainga ki Umeroa ki Opunake, mo te takiwa kohore ano i tau to marie a tanga, hi nga wakaaro o te Iwi ara te hou hou i te rongo. E Wakaae ana hoki matou kei a matou te tikanga mo enei mea katoa kia kana etahi i ngare waihoki me ka tono c te Kawanatanga kia matou kia whakahoki katoa ana mea to whakahoki matou, 50 Enfield rifles, 50 ramrods, 50 pouches and belts, 50 waist belts, 50 ball bags, 50 cap pockets, 4 kegs ammunition (700 rounds each), percussion caps in proportion. Wiremu Kingi Matakatea, his m mark Hone Pihama Hauatana Ka hona Ko Ihaia Piripi Ko Te Rci, his H mark Witness, Geo. Stockman, Ko Wetere, his x mark. Government Interpreter. Witness, J. M. Sheppey.

B.—No. 5. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Parris to the Under Secretarx, Native Office, Wellington. (No. 207.) Sir,— New Plymouth, 4th December, 1867. After consulting with the Hon. Mr. Richmond, it was deemed advisable to relieve the Opunake Natives from the responsibility of having charge 6f fifty stand of Government rifles, accoutrements and ammunition. And on returning therefrom myself last month I hired two carts from Hone Pihama and William King, to bring the arms &c., into town, as reported in my letter of the 18th ultimo, No. 191, believing the improved state of the Native feeling justified the withdrawal of warlike stores from the district. I have also withdrawn the rifles and ammunition from the Taihua, a Native village close to Warea. * # * * * =* I have, &o, The Under Native Secretary, R. Parris, Wellington. Civil Commissioner.

BAT OF PLENTT. A.—No. 6. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Smith to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sir,— Auckland, 22nd March, 1565. I have the honor to forward herewith copy of a letter addressed to me by the Resident Magistrate of Rotorua, relative to the supply of arms to the Arawa Natives. The returns furnished by Dr. Nesbitt have been supplemented by me, and a summary added for tho purpose of showing, as nearly as possible, the state of the Arawa, as regards the supply of arms. I beg to request the serious attention of the Government to the present position of our allies, the Arawa tribes, as indicated in the enclosed report. From information derived from various sources, I am satisfied that an attack upon them is contemplated, and they look to the Government to furnish them with the means of defence. At the request of the Maketu chiefs, I consented to proceed to Auckland, for the purpose of representing their case, and of procuring for them the assistance and advice they require. I beg now to recommend that 200 stand of arms, with a sufficient quantity of suitable ammunition, be forwarded at once to the care of the Officer Commanding at Maketu, with instructions to issue tho same as required. Complaints have been made of the bad quality of the ammunition previously issued, and I believe that much of it was quite unfit for use. Some of the powder I saw tested would scarcely ignite at all, and the Natives to whom it was issued returned it as not worth the carriage inland. Colonel Greer, to whom I mentioned the above, told me that he knew the ammunition which had been supplied to the Arawa was not fit to use. In connection with the question of arming tho Arawa, I would suggest the desirability of adopting some system of inspection or supervision, for the purpose of keeping a check upon those to whom arms or ammunition may be supplied, by requiring the production of the former from time to time, and an account of the expenditure of the latter,—the inspector to report to the Officer Commanding. With such an arrangement, I see no objection to placing a musket and a certain number of rounds of ammunition in the hands of every able-bodied man of tho loyal Arawa; and I think such an arrangement preferable to allowing them to supply themselves, or to keep supplies of powder in bulk, which they would not feel it necessary to do if they knew that a sufficient supply for defensive purposes was at hand, and would be issued as needed. I have also to request instructions as lo the course wliich the Government desire the Arawa to adopt with reference to the Pai Mairire fanatics in the case of residents in the district, and in that of parties passing through it, or visiting it for tho purpose of making converts ; also whether, in the event of the return of the party led by Kereopa and Patara, any attempt should be made to capture 3