A.—No. 3

18

Camp Patea, Monday, 23ed Maech, 1868. Dr. Walker having been duly sworn was examined. 173. The Chairman.] What is your name, and what is your profession ? —My name is Samuel Walker. lam a medical man by profession, and I am attached to the Local Forces in the Patea District as Ensign, and acting as Assistant Surgeon. 174. Were you present at tho attack upon Pokaikai, and if so, do you remember any circumstance during the attack in connection with a man named Bezer ?—I was present with the attacking force. Bezer was my private servant. He had nothing to do with the Local Forces under Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, and he drew no pay. He was permitted to accompany the attacking force as a volunteer for the occasion. As a rule, whenever I was ordered to attend any force going out to attack any place, during the Patea campaign, Bezer accompanied me. On the occasion of the attack upon Pokaikai, I was present acting as assistant surgeon, and I took with "me everything necessary for the performance of my duties. I saw nothing particular in connection with Bezer that night, and he was not under arrest when the column returned to Manawapou. 175. Were you called upon during the night of the attack to attend any wounded person ? —After the village was taken and the firing had ceased, I was ordered by Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell to go into a whare in the village to attend upon a wounded woman. I was standing about four or five yards from the whare at the time. Inside the whare I found a Native woman sitting in the corner of the whare. She had a slight wound, inflicted by some sharp instrument, under the left eye, at least I think it was the left eye. It was so slight that I did nothing to this wound. On further examination, I found a slight wound as of a bullet having passed over one of the ribs. She might have fainted before I arrived, but she was not in a faint when I first saw her. I gave her a little brandy and water, and I applied lint wetted with cold water to her side. At this time the Lieut.-Colonel ordered a house to be spared for this wounded woman's use, and I went out to convey this order, and on my return I found Mr. Suther, the chief medical officer of the forces. He put on a bandage round the body. I did not notice any other wounds on this woman. 176. The woman has deposed before the Commission that one of her teeth was knocked out by a bayonet, and she showed the vacant space in her upper left jaw. She also showed the Commission two slight scars, one above the other, between the right breast and the right collar bone, and she stated that these scars were the result of bayonet wounds received on the occasion. Did you see these wounds ? —I did not see them. 177. Was the woman left behind or taken to Manawapou with tho rest of the prisoners ?—Lieut.Colonel McDonnell asked me if I thought her wound dangerous, because, if I was of that opinion, he he would take her with the force back to camp. I told the Lieut.-Colonel that there was no danger whatever, and she was left behind in the village, in the whare alluded to as having been preserved for her use. 178. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell] Was the Native Contingent present, and did you see them firing off their rifles ? —The Native Contingent brought up the rear of the column. After they had got into the village, several of them fired shots down a descent outside the village. Some of the villagers had escaped by that route. 179. Did the Native Contingent bring away any loot from the village ? —I saw one man of the Native Contingent carrying back to camp a gun, and I saw others, as they generally do, looking in the whares for what they could get. 180. Do you know a man of the name Grey Spencer, and was he present during the attack ? — I know Grey Spencer, and he was present at the attack. 181. Was he the worse for liquor that night ?—He was not sober. 182. Was Spencer ever your hospital orderly ?—Yes, he was, for about three weeks. 183. Why did you retain him for such a short period?—l caught him one day drinking the brandy which was a portion of the medical comforts, and I sent him back to his corps, tho Native Contingent. 184. What was his character with regard to veracity ? —I never considered him a truthful person. 185. Did you know of any man of the force being drunk that night ? —I did not see any one drunk, but I heard of one man being drunk: that man's name was Hotson, and he was sent to the rear, I believe, because he was not sober.

Dr. Walker. S3rd March, 1868.

Wanganui, Tuesday, 24th Maech, 1868. Samuel Austin having been duty sworn was examined. 186. The Chairman.] What is your name and vocation ? —My name is Samuel Austin and I am a labourer residing in Wanganui. 187. Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell.] Were you ever in the Native Contingent; and what position did you hold ? —Yes ; I was in the Native Contingent, and I held the rank of Quartermaster-Sergeant. 188. Do you understand tho Native language sufficiently well to enable you to converse with the Natives ?—I can understand the men of the Contingent well, but I cannot speak the language well. I can understand what is said to me, but I am not able to reply in Maori as well as I could wish. 189. Do you know the woman Mohi, wife of Arapata ?—I know her well. I have known her for the fast eighteen or nineteen years. She is called Mohiarangi by the Natives. Her husband was a private in the Native Contingent. 190. Do you know whether she was sent on a mission of peace to Pokaikai, and did you hear her make any report of tho result ? —She was sent from our camp at Manawapou to Pokaikai with some letters from Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell. She returned to camp sometime during the night. The following day I saw her. She was greatly excited when she came into my tent, and she said to me " the villagers of Pokaikai threatened to strip me naked, and send me back to camp in that state, but that in conse-

Mr. &'. Austin. 84th Mardh, 1808.