D.—No. 21.

E.—No. 44. Copy of a Letter from Captain Holt to Major Rookes. (No. 4099.) Colonial Defence Office, Sir,— Wellington, 30th June, 1865. I am directed by the Hon. the Minister for Colonial Defence to request you will give the necessary instructions to tho Quartermaster to issue, on the requisition of Mr. Booth, R.M., such arms and ammunition as he may require for the use of the friendly Natives at Pipiriki. If there are the ordinary Enfield rifles in store, they are to he issued in preference to the medium rifles. Tou will also be good enough to direct that the arms and ammunition are sent to Mr. Booth without delay, after receipt of his requisition. I have, &c, Major Rookes, J. Holt, Commanding Militia and Volunteers, Wanganui. Under Secretary.

E.—No. 45. Copy of a Letter from Captain Holt to Mr. Booth. (No. 256-2.) Colonial Defence Office, Sir, — Wellington, 13th September, 1865. With reference to the letter from this office, noted in the margin, I am directed by the Minister for Colonial Defence, to request you to be good enough to furnish him with further information as to the distribution which you have made of the arms therein mentioned. I have, &c, J. Holt, James Booth, Esq., R.M., Pipiriki. Under Secretary.

No. 4098, June 30, 18C5.

E.—No. 46. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Booth to Captain Holt. (No. 102.) Resident Magistrate's Office, Sir, — Pipiriki, 2nd October, 1865. In answer to the request of the Hon. the Defence Minister, dated Wellington, 13th September, No. 256-2, that I will furnish him with further information as to the distribution of arms in my district, I have the honor to state that after I had received the authority for distribution of arms at Pipiriki, my suspicions were aroused by the evident desire of the Natives to have possession of the arms at once. I made an excuse, therefore, and delayed —most fortunately —the distribution of arms, as many of the men who were most anxious for guns went over afterwards to the enemy. I have issued no arms excepting to Hamiona and to some of his tribe, after the capture of Wereroa, when the relief force was starting for Pipiriki. I gave receipts at the Militia Office, Wanganui, for all the arms I then took. I have, &c, Captain Holt, Under Secretary, J. Booth, Defence Office, Wellington. Resident Magistrate.

E.—No. 47. Coj>j of a Letter from Sir G. Grey to Lieut.-Colonel Gorton. Mt dear Colonel Gorton, — Waingongoro, 24th October, 1866. Mr. Gudgeon goes down to Whanganui to bring up the Kupapas, and I rely upon your giving him every aid in your power to accomplish this service with the least possible delay. Tou must also give the Natives any aid they require. Pray do this energetically, and without delay. McDonnell is in want of ammunition; send some up in the " Sturt" or " Waipara." I have &c, G. Grey. P.S.—lf there are any revolvers in store, issue one to Mete Kingi, who goes down to bring the Kupapas up. G. G.

E.—No. 48. Copy of a Letter from Lieut.-Colonel Gorton to Captain Holt. (No. 8S8.) Militia and Volunteer Orderly-room, Sir,— Wanganui, 30th October, 1866. I have the honor to report, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that I have been obliged to issue the arms named in tho margin to the Kupapas who left this morning for the front. Enclosed is one of the requisitions I received from Lieutenant Gudgeon, on which he remarked that some of the Natives for whom he required arms had been armed before, but had left their arms up the river, thinking they would get breech-loading carbines. On reference to my minute on that requisition, you will perceive I most reluctantly issued them rifles again; but had I not done so, the whole of the Kupapas would probably have refused to go. I do trust that the Government will send Major McDonnell instructions, ordering him to have all the arms of the Kupapas returned into store immediately he can dispense with their services.

73 medium rifles, 15 breech-loading carbines.

22

RETURN OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION